This is not meant to be a full review of the Indietracks festival. I am not sure I have the energy (or the memory) to fully do last weekends festival in Derbyshire justice. After last years festival I went to this years event with an equal measure of anticipation and fear. Anticipation of seeing some wonderful bands and a little fear - that the event would lose its' appeal as it grew in size - from 300 people in 2007 to over 1000 in 2008. Would the essence of what made the festival last year remain intact?

It was a low key start on the Friday night as I met many friends (some old, plenty new) on the platform. Then we took our seats near the Tea Tent to see MJ Hibbett and his Validators run through his life in rock (which is on at The Edinburgh Fringe festival next week). The humour and banter was just the perfect way to start the weekend. Beers started to flow. Onto to the How Does It Feel to be Loved disco on a train - a crammed train carriage of people dancing to indiepop hits - augmented by many more standing on the platforms and meeting friends. The atmosphere was lovely.

The Saturday was the day when The Wedding Present came to town and the ranks swelled to 1000 people and yet the atmosphere remained incredible - people were sweltering in the heat. The sun tried to break people - but all I saw throughout the day were smiling faces - which were slowly turning pink under the glare of the sun - none more so than mine! But the pop thrills kept coming - Town Bike on the new outdoor stage starting the day with a bang! Or The Parallelograms on the main stage - by which time I was doing my stint on the Merch stall. That alone was a highlight seeing the people coming up and enthusing over badges, fanzines, 7" singles and CDs. Smiling faces everywhere. I got off the Merch stall just in time to see the set of the weekend by Pocketbooks. My My - what a band and what a reaction. Stunning stuff.


As Saturday wore on the real ale started to take hold and I danced and swayed my way through Red Pony Clock and The Lodger. The excitement of seeing The Wedding Present for the first time never really dawned on me. I was fairly close and the band were good. I spent a lot of time wondering why I'd not managed to see them before in the past 20 odd years. The night was capped off by a manic DJ set by the Bubblegum Killers - even daring to end with Pete Greens 'Everything I Do Is Gonna Be Sparkly'.

Sunday was slightly more low key - and the outdoor stage was out of action for at least 2 hours leaving me a little confused as to who I could see and when. I saw and enjoyed Brontosaurus Chorus on the main stage - quickly followed by the need for shade - so I retired to a shaded seat on the platform and chatted to those who came by. I got back into seeing bands in time to catch The Smittens on the outside stage - and they were rather infectious with their candy coated pop. A hit, for me at least. Then it was time to catch the always wonderful Manhattan Love Suicides. They were as great as always and even débuted a great new song called 'Veronica'. The whole set only lasted 19 minutes - but boy was it a thrilling thing to see and hear. After this I caught a few songs by The Deirdres and despite loads of people being into it - it just wouldn't click for me - so I wander off into the distance in search of new musical thrills - where I happened to catch the tail end of The Rosie Taylor Project - all gentle strums and soothing tunes. I had thus far not strayed into the Church for fear of heat exhaustion - but as the sun was starting to set I had time to take in Je Suis Animal and they were wonderful with their shoegazing tinged pop. Emerging from the Church to catch Ballboy doing 'Avant Garde Music' on the open air stage was one of the most perfect moments of the whole weekend for me.

Then a while later finding myself on the platform for an impromptu sing-along where a few festival bands did acoustic sets with all doing a cover version for good measure - those being Pocketbooks ('Like Dylan in the Movies), The Smittens ('Daydream Believer'), Bobby McGees ('Ask') and finally Pete Green ('Crash'). All in all a wonderful end to a great weekend. It wasn't all about the music - but the music I got to hear was mostly wonderful. Indietracks is so much more than this -but it's hard to find the words that can sum it all up. The steam trains, the smiling people and location make it something I was just happy to been a part of.

So after taking the time to write this - I guess it has turned into a mini review. A headlines only take on the whole weekend. I am sure the other writers will come up with more detailed accounts of their favourite moments. I hope this gives you a little flavour of how Indietracks was for me. And to answer my own question - Would the essence of what made the festival last year remain intact? The answer has to be a resounding 'yes'. Roll on 2009.

Sometimes a band friends you on My Space and you listen to one song and wonder what the hell prompted the band to friend you. A quick deny later and all is right with the world. Very occasionally you like the first song enough to listen on and then you end up listening to their songs over and over.

That's what happened when Wrapping Paper friended me. The first song you land on is 'Hold up the Neon Sign' which is poppy yet fuzzy blast of great indiepop - this is the sort of sound that gets my attention - not fast and distorted punk - but rather joyous pop. Elsewhere the fuzz is reduced and the pop is more polished be it the nice guitar hum of 'One Step Two Step' which is just a really lovely little song or the simply wonderful 'Don't Turn Around' which reminds me a little of bands like The Bats. The band hail from Minnesota in the USA. The band have released a 6 track EP (MP3 only) on Borrowdeer. The band seem to write a song for every person that buys the EP. I have no clue whether this 'offer' is still on going. We shall see as I have just purchased the EP! You can even hear some of the songs written for purchasers - here.

The Salteens Two Songs a Month project has reached it's latest update.

It's a double a-sided split single with "All We Want Is What You've Got" which the band say is possibly the longest Salteens song ever. The b-side is by The War Amps and is called "All This Time". The War Amps are Scott and Kevin from the Salteens with friends Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath) and Shawn Mrazek. 

Further to Trev's post about the forthcoming Pete Green single on our very Lost Music Record Label here is a free mp3 taken from the release.

Best British Band Supported By Shockwaves was the highlight of Pete's set for me when I caught him earlier this year.

Pete Green - Best British Band Supported By Shockwaves

Pre-order the single from here.

Pete Green's website

[My Space link]

So, it's on Friday that we pack up the hire car and drive north towards Ripley and by Friday afternoon we will have set up camp at the 2nd Indietracks festival. To say I am excited is a massive understatement. This excitement simply stems from the fact that last years festival was a magical event - with super amazing bands, super amazing friends (new and old) and some rather fine local ales. It's a heady mix of indiepop, beer and good old fashioned camaraderie. The highlights from last year are many - The Electric Pop Group, Cats on Fire, The Pocketbooks sing-along on the train, The School, Darren Hayman and I could go on and on and on.

This year, the anticipation has been building over on the Anorak forum where announcements about the line up of bands has been dripping out over the past few months - The Manhattan Love Suicides, The Kick Inside, Ballboy, Harvey Williams, The Smittens, The Kabeedies, The Rosie Taylor Project, Allo' Darlin, The Parallelograms, Je Suis Animal and The Wedding Present to name a selected few have whetted my appetite for the forthcoming weekend. Each announcement just served to remind what an amazing festival Indietracks is. I was privileged to be there last year and I am delighted that we get to do it all over again this summer.

And it just wouldn't be right if the Pocketbooks weren't playing - so it's good news that they are!

This year there is an extra out doors stage - to go along with main stage (in a Locomotive shed) and the Church stage - in you guessed, a church (although I suspect it's not a real church, just a replica). And that's just the music. I've not even mentioned the discos. The train rides. The disco on trains. The bands on trains before discos. Did I mention Steam trains and real ale? And the idyllic countryside. And the Sunshine we hope to have. And the friends we hope to make.

I'll be doing my stint on Merch stand on Saturday afternoon between 4pm and 6pm. Do come over and say hello (I'll be trying to hawk all the Lostmusic singles!).

So apologies for the lack of music contained within this post. I just wanted to share the excitement I am feeling about all this at the moment.

(Picture above is the School at last years festival)

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart have announced the track listing for their debut self titled album which is due for release early next year. The track listing is:

1. Contender
2. Come Saturday
3. Young Adult Friction
4. This Love is Fucking Right
5. The Tenure Itch
6. Stay Alive
7. Everything With You
8. A Teenager in Love
9. Hey Paul
10. Gentle Sons

Some songs are familiar being released elsewhere but they have been re-recored for the album. The tracks were mixed by Archie Moore (Black Tambourine, Velocity Girl).

There will also be an 7" single released in the Autumn or the Fall as they call it across the pond. The track list is:

Everything With You
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Both the single and the album will be released on Fortuna Pop (UK) and Slumberland (US). Their are four new songs/recordings to stream from their My Space page right now.

The band may be back across in the UK sooner than we think. They say they may be "opening for a very special band" but hopefully more news on that soon! I can't wait!

[My Space link]

The new single on our own Lostmusic Records label is due for release in early September. It's a 4 song EP by the wonderful Pete Green. It's called the 'Platform Zero e.p.'

The single should be back from the pressing plant by early September 2008. So we’re delighted to be able to start taking pre-orders for the single now. It has an ace cover (as you can see).

We’re really excited by our third release and we’ll have a free MP3 up on the site shortly. This will be for recent live favourite “Best British Band Supported by Shockwaves”. So watch out for this in the coming weeks.

In the meantime head over to the Lostmusic Shop to pre-order the single (£4 in Europe, £5 rest of the world - both including Postage).

The track list of the single looks like this:

A1 I’m Gonna Stay With Her
A2 Happy Being Me
B1 Best British Band Supported by Shockwaves
B2 Let it go by

Pete has also arranged a small southern England tour to coincide with the release and he hopes to add some northern dates for later in September. The full details of the southern dates are as follows:

Thursday 4 September LONDON The Betsey Trotwood
solo with Komon + Stars in Coma + Jam on Bread
map | last.fm

Saturday 6 September BRISTOL Avon Combined Services Club
with Cocoanut Groove and The Westfield Mining Disaster (tbc)

Sunday 7 September BRIGHTON The Albert
with Ugly Oranges Club + Komon (starts 2pm: more details here)

Bubblegum Lemonade have a new single (again on Matinée Recordings). The single is called 'Susan's In The Sky' and the full track list is:

Susan's in the Sky
Surfin USB
Just Like You
Holocaust (A Big Star cover)

The first two are streamable from this My Space page and the other two are on another My Space the band have set up to showcase even more songs - here. The lead song will appear on the bands début LP that is due at the end of this year - the other three songs are all exclusive to this CD EP.

This Was Supposed to be a Celebration! is a 22 song compilation on Mauled By Tigers. It's also a gluttonous feast of guitar noise - from the garage rock sounds of The Ka-Knives to the more pop tinged Bossy to the more hardcore assaults of Rager - this is a cracking release by Mauled By Tigers and as their first release it's a rather grand statement of intent. This label wants to blow your mind with ferocious guitar led noise pop.

I've only played the compilation a couple of times thus far - so picking favourites is a tough job as each time I hit play on the CD player I am left reeling as song after song jumps out at you, demanding your attention. It reminds a little of the compilations that Stolen Recordings have issued in the UK. It's diverse, engaging and above all - damn exciting. I doubt a better compilation CD will be released this year.

For those that don't know the Mauled By Tigers label they have since this release brought us the much more Indiepop sounding Vivian Girls and primal stomp of Dead Dog - and this compilation leans towards the more primal less indiepop end of their spectrum - either way this is the sort of release that gets my heart racing.

Labrador has released yet another in the long line of fine free download singles. This time sees the release of the first single to be taken from Pelle Carlberg's third album which will be called The Lilac Time. Two more tracks from the album can currently be streamed via My Space.

Pelle Carlberg - 1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)

[My Space link]

A new song from The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart recorded live at their recent show in New York (which was part of the NY Popfest) has been posted on You Tube. It's called 'Tenure Itch'. Also just read the Twee as Fuck fanzine - which states the bands have just completed recording their debut LP with Archie Moore (Black Tambourine/Velocity Girl) and this is set to be released in 2009 - on Fortuna Pop in the UK and Slumberland in the US. The band also have lined up a series of dates in Sweden for the end of September - check their My Space for more details.

Utah Rangers are an enthusiastic two piece band from Sweden. The two members, Emil and Kristoffer, use guitars and keyboards to play fastfunpopsongs.

There is real energy in these songs, and the electronic drum beats make them hurtle past at an alarming rate (also a good rate to bounce around to in your bedroom). Utah Rangers always keep hold of a good sense of melody, often overlapping two vocals well.

They have released a few CD-Rs which you can get through the band themselves and one EP on Anorak Records.

Utah Rangers – Far Side Gallary
Utah Rangers – Theme Song
Utah Rangers – March

[MySpace link]

The Broken Family DaySaver is a new album from Birmingham songwriter Ben Calvert.

Although Ben Calvert has a folk heart, it is a folk heart which has been broken on indie dancefloors to the sounds of Blur and The Smiths. This influence comes through on this album, accompanying the folk chords.

Ben’s vocals drive the songs forward, often occupying the Morrissey notes along the way. This works well when there is space in the arrangements, like on the title track, and creates some bleak and almost haunting soundscapes.

One of the most striking things about the album is the frank and sometimes brutal honesty of the lyrics when talking about issues of fatherhood and lost love. It’s this recurring theme of broken family running through the artwork and the lyrics that pulls the songs on the album together to create an accomplished piece of art.

The Broken Family DaySaver is out now through Bearos Records.

[MySpace link]

Indonesian band Sunny Summer Day have obviously grown up listening to Sarah Records judging by their new EP Me, Myself And The Empty Soul. In fact it sounds so much like The Field Mice, The Sea Urchins and Another Sunny Day I had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn't 1988!

There isn't much diversity in sound here nor has anything progressed since least years Cloudberry release with the same pattern being repeated throughout.

Luckily it's a good one with jangling guitars, forlorn vocals and melodies that shimmer and glisten. These boys have a good ear for a good tune and songs like So Much Fun, which reminds me of Tallulah Gosh for some reason, and Happy In The Summer are very good indeed. Maybe I am being a bit harsh because people who like Sarah Records are going to love this EP but on their next release I hope to hear the band moving away from such safe, obvious influences and give us the songs they know they are fully capable of delivering.

Sunny Summer Day - So Much Fun

The EP is out now as a digital only release on Letterbox Records.

[My Space link]

There is something about summer days and indie pop which go together like bread and butter and the latest release on Wee Pop emphasises this to a tee.

One Happy Island are an indie pop band from Boston and their Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn't Know About hits the indie pop nail on the head. The EP contains all the necessary ingredients which gets the mix just just right - jangling guitars, hand claps, girl/boy vocals and that oh so fine lo-fi sound. It's oh so twee and you know how much I hate that word but here it's totally appropriate in it's use.

Highlights for me are the sheer joy that is Temporary Tattoo and it's tale of unicorn tattoo induced smiles and the ukulele driven Shorthand with "the rain coming down like Morse Code".

Songs for indie pop picnickers everywhere"

The EP is produced by Colin Clary (Smittens, Magogs) and Steve Williams (Magogs, My First Days on Junk) and is available in the usual 3" CD format. It's also available as Wee Pop's first ever 7" vinyl single release as luscious blue vinyl. Buy from here.

One Happy Island - Temporary Tattoo

[My Space link]

The latest release (14th July) on the Thee SPC is the new EP 'Sketchpads' by Sheffield noise/pop band Smokers Die Younger. Lostmusic Presents had the band play one of our shows back in March of this year. They were fab. This new single is also rather wonderful with a haunting bass line and some quite superb pop guitar. This is a great song. The video for it - is also rather nice:

Hari and Aino, who are a five piece and not a duo as their name may suggest, have made an album perfect for those warm hazy summer days. The band who hail from Stockholm have managed to create a sound that links the commercial pop brilliance of Blondie to the well crafted indie pop of Camera Obscura.

The self titled album is the follow up to the long sold out limited EP they released on Cloudberry Records last year which made the indie pop world sit up and take notice. Luckily two of those songs appear here.

On first listen the songs sound solid and consistent which is good in itself but several plays later you can hear the things that make them so distinct. From opener Gold, which really should be a single, to singer Andrea doing her best Debbie Harry impressions on I Will Leave or Second Song there is not one weak track here, not one filler nor one dull moment.

It's a lovely, happy affair which is guaranteed to produce a smile or two which is something that is far removed from many of the CD's that indie mp3 get sent to review. If lush female vocals and jangling guitars are your thing then this beautiful little album is for you. If not give it a try anyway and put an indie pop smile on your face!

The band have made tracks available from the album as free downloads:

Hari and Aino - Seasons
Hari and Aino - Finland
Hari and Aino - Your Heartache and Mine
Hari and Aino - Second song

The album is out now on Plastilina Records.

Bonus download. Together with tracks 3 & 4 above this is the whole Cloudberry EP.

Hari and Aino - Buy An Island

[My Space link]

Here are the pictures from the last two Lost Music Nights we put on:

06/07/2008 - Indurain + Sparky's Magic Piano, The Kick Inside + Molloy

10/07/2008 - St Christopher + The Social Services + The Candy Twins + The Lieutenant's Mistress

Lost Music Presents 10 July 2008

Lost Music Presents 06/07/2008

The Parallelograms have a new CD EP out on Cloudberry Records.

It features the two tracks that made up their half of the split single with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart that was released earlier this year on Atomic Beat Records and which is now sold out plus two other recordings.

The band state that their influences are Talulah Gosh, The Popguns, The Flatmates, The Shop Assistants, The Primitives and, of course, The Rosehips but I think they forgot to mention Bubblegum Splash as well. Here is what I wrote about them this time last year.

The Parallelograms - Without You

The band are scheduled to play this years Indie Tracks festival in just two weeks time so get your tickets now.

Buy the EP from here.

[My Space link]

After their excellent performance at our Lost Music Presents gig last night I thought I would repost my original article about The Social Services which was written in March of this year.

I have been listening to The Social Services over the past couple of days. The band are two thirds Scottish and one third Swedish.

The band make the sort of music that should really see them get signed up by the likes of Stereo Test Kit Records. I can really see their music nestling next to Audrey, Dear Euphoria and We Are Soldiers We Have Guns for instance.

Their sound, like those bands mentioned, is very melodramatic with hints of drama and melancholy. I have been streaming their six songs over the past couple of days and I really like The Baltic Sea and Up In Arms which remind me of a poppier Electrelane. The songs here are very well thought out and come tightly wrapped with some rather fine melodies. There are even hints of the old music halls in how the songs are arranged and sung. Clever stuff - go and have a listen or I will report you to the Social Services.

Funny enough the bands début album It's Nothing Personal, It's National Security will now be released on Stereo Test Kit Records in September.

[My Space link]

A few weeks ago I did a little My Space round up and one of the bands that caught my attention were The Monorals from Japan. They kindly sent me a 7" single. It's called 'Fly Song E.P.' The 'A' side is simply called 'Fly Song' and it's a lovely piece of noise pop - feedback to the fore - with a garage/punky vibe. To say I like it is a massive understatement. This is one of those songs that I could play 20 times in a row and not get bored. This is the essence of DIY pop music. If they slowed it down a little - it would remind me a little of Horowitz - as it is - it's a frenetic burst of guitar goodness. The 'B' side 'Free Your Wave' is more of the same - maybe a bigger nod to The Jesus and Mary Chain than the lead song - but it's essentially more of the same - fast guitars, fuzzy production and plenty of feedback. Nice.

It's released on the bands own label Cisumratiug Records.

Since we're on the subject of The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, I meant to post this live video of them ages ago. This was shot at Organ, downtown Reykjavik on March 1st. The song is "Doing all the things that wouldn't make your parents proud". Hope you enjoy it!

The Pains Of Being Pure A Heart have posted a new download on their My Space page. It's a demo of a track called Gothenberg Handshake which could or could not be a track they are recording for their début album. Either way it's pretty tasty!

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Gothenberg Handshake

[My Space link]

At last night's Lost Music Presents I saw a band that I have not yet seen or heard despite Trev writing about them the other week.

To say I was impressed with Bristol's The Kick Inside is an understatement. They put in a great live show and whilst the jangle pop backline impressed they also possess a charasmactic frontman in the shape singer Sean whose vocals are distinctive yet reminiscent of Morrissey, Paul Heaton or other quintessentially English singers.

Thy also reminded me of a lot of Bristols and Englands indie past. The Brilliant Corners, Mighty Mighty, The Razorcuts, The Smiths and the melodramatic sound of St. Christopher sprang to mind. Their sound is also characterised by Scotland's Postcard Records especially the indie funk hybrid of Orange Juice.

The band also had a CDR release available (recorded with Rob Williams from Santa Dog) which features three great songs which are also available for streaming via My Space. They also have two non CDR tracks for downloading.

The Kick Inside - To Be Someone
The Kick Inside - Because of Her Sex

Lost Music Presents were impressed enough to invite them back in October for another gig and to discuss the possibility of a single release. Watch this space!

More photos from last night's show can be found here.

[My Space link]

I was pretty impressed by the demo CDR by the Italian based A Classic Education's when I reviewed it just over a year ago. The band have now collated the tracks on that recording with two others for their début release, the suitably titled First EP which summarises their first year as a band.

As I wrote a year ago these songs are epic and stylish. I see no need to deviate from those words whilst describing the same songs. Personal favourites Stay, Son is opulent to say the least whilst Victories At Night is full of lush, orchestral sounds giving the listener impressions of grandeur.

The songs just sound so vast, so big and are an adventure in themselves. A year on and I finally get some of the Arcade Fire references I previously couldn't hear. However I also hear The Bunnymen and British Sea Power in their too so you can imagine how imposing these songs are.

To be honest it's hard to describe these songs again as all the words I want to use I have previously used so rather than repeat myself I suggest you stream the songs via My Space and judge for yourselves. All I can add is that it is a pretty magnificent début.

The First EP is out now on limited 12" vinyl which has codes for the songs in mp3 should you lack a turntable. You can buy it from the bands website or My Space page.

The band play Indie Tracks on July 27th and appear at London's Club Fandango on July 30th with The Wave Pictures.

[My Space link]

There's a saying in Iceland that seldom is a good poem too often recited. Thus I'd like to draw the reader's attention once more to the excellent Brazilian band Radio de Outono. Around this time last year the band was looking for help recording a full length album, and that was the last I've heard from them. Today, there is no album in sight, no updates on their website and the other day when I looked at their Myspace page they hadn't logged in since December.

Perhaps they've called it quits, which would be a crying shame. The song below, "Além da Razão", is my opinion one of the most perfectly formed popsongs ever to reach my ears. Yet last year they seemed to be virtually unknown in their home country. I anyone happens to know what's become of the band do get in touch. Someone reading this must surely have a label, how about releasing them?

Anyhoo. here's an MP3 and a video for "Além da Razão" which translates as "Edge of Reason". It's a whopping great little tune, epic keyboard solo, a cliffhanger stop near the end, distortion on the bass, occasional brass and oddly enough not a trace of guitar.

Radio de Outono - Além da Razão (Highly recommended!)

Some rather fine live pics of the band are here and here. A previous post including an interview (or a Q & A rather) is here.

I definitely thought it worth mentioning an interesting tour that'll be kicking off next week - with Scottish indiepopsters The Starlets being joined by Andersens, who are visiting from Japan.

Andersens perform an interesting mix of pop, folk, and psychedelia. At times their sound comes close to the more laid back side of Hood, and during others they're like Architecture in Helsinki - but always drawing on pop sensibilities, spacious yet diverse arrangements, and the willingness to take songs in interesting direction. They're on top form during songs like Tear, which has a light and playful touch and heart -melting female vocals.

The Starlets are based in Glasgow and have been releasing music for around 10 years now. They have several albums to their name, the most recent being 2003's 'Further Into Night Forever' which was released on SL records.

Like Andersens, they often reach for the sensitive edge of the pop spectrum, with hushed and innocent vocals combining with careful instrumentation. The Starlets use guitars as the driving instrument much more though, and songs like New Wave are testament to this.

They are also working on a new album which is being produced by Duncan Cameron who has previously worked with legendary Scottish bands such as Teenage Fanclub and the BMX Bandits.

Andersens & The Starlets tour dates -

9 July - The Library, Leeds [MySpace link]
10 July - The Good Ship, London [MySpace link]
11 July - The Gardens Hotel, Manchester
12 July - The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham [MySpace link]
13 July - The Head of Steam, Newcastle upon Tyne [MySpace link]
14 July - The Captain’s Rest, Glasgow [MySpace link]

The Starlets will also be following this by playing The Indietracks Festival which is on 27 and 28th July.

Andersens - Tear
Andersens - Christmas Eve

The Starlets - Rocking In A Shy Way
The Starlets - New Wave
The Starlets - All To Make You Feel Brand New

The Greencoats are a band from Gothenburg who feature Malin Dahlberg, the voice of We Are Soldiers We have Guns, amongst their ranks.

The band have just released their debut CD which is called The Spring EP with their label making one of the tracks available as a free download. The title, Honey, may give you some clue to the bands influences and sound which are very JAMC like. There are also some shoegazing elements as well - MBV, Ride and The Telescopes spring to mind.

However that sound may not be indicative to the whole EP as the label also mentions 1990's Brit Rock (gulp), Detroit Garage and some good old rhythm n' blues.

The Spring EP is out now on Tomt Recordings.

The Greencoats - Honey

[My Space link]

Oh no! What's gone wrong on Another Fight by Theoretical Girl? Gone is the belligerent guitar sound, the rough edges and the harsh and angry vocals that gave her three previous three singles such a distinctive sound. Instead we are left with a polished, pretty but ultimately a non remarkable effort lacking any punch (no pun intended) about Amy having relationship troubles.

Flip side Divided still sounds a bit too clean and a bit too smooth for my liking but it does it's best to return to her trademark sound. Maybe we have been spoilt to date but one wonders how having a full line up at her live dates is now shaping her sound. We have to see what the future holds but Amy Turnnidge is still in a class of her own when it comes to judging her against her peers.

Another Fight is out now on Salvia Recordings.

[My Space link]

Melbourne based Summer Cats are one of the bands impressing me most in the land of indie pop that is 2008. They have had a couple of releases so far this year with a 7" single on Cloudberry and a split 7" with The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart on Slumberland Recordings.

The Passion Pop EP is their latest effort and it still maintains the bands' infectious assault as demonstrated on the aforementioned releases. The hand claps and shared boy/girl vocals are still much in evidence but here the band are at their most shambling and that makes them even more endearing than ever before. Passion Pop indeed!

Indie dance once meant a load of "indie" or baggy chancers getting their average tunes remixed - it's time to reclaim those words and apply them to the likes of the Summer Cats and their music which really is meant for the indie pop dance floor.

Summer Cats - Burnt Toast

The Passion Pop EP is out now on Wee Pop on limted CDR.

[My Space link]

I'll admit to not having heard of Mazy Fields before their CD dropped through my letterbox, but some digging reveals that they're a five-piece from Frankfurt, Germany and this is their debut album, out on Firestation Records.

Their press release cites influences like 60s pop and classic indie-pop, so I was hopeful it would be up my street. However the first track, the (almost) titular Where Sunshine's Sold On Markets, didn't fill me with confidence. Instead of classic pop, it brought to mind Babyshambles or any other number of mainstream indie bands that leave me cold.

Things continue in much the same vein for the first half of the album, with everything sounding decidedly more like Kinks-esque 60s rock than anything else. For a German, Christoph Ehrhardt has an uncannily English-sounding voice (and, I suspect, a record collection to match).

The second half of the record is better, and at a push you could say that songs like 'There Goes The Summer' call to mind Saturday Looks Good To Me, but such favourable comparisons are all too rare. Some of the songs towards the end of the album were enjoyable, but not to the extent that I've felt compelled to go back to them.

It's clear that Mazy Fields know their way around a tune, and none of these songs are bad or annoying or made me want to skip them. It's just that I couldn't see myself listening to their record again once I've finished this post. Perhaps my ambivalence is more down to matters of personal taste than of songwriting quality, and if you like 60s British rock or mainstream indie you may well enjoy this. I found it at best pleasant but uninspiring.

Where Sunshine's Sold is out now on Firestation Records.

[Myspace link]

There’s no better feeling than stumbling across a fantastic band at a festival, especially when you’re "off piste" and what you're watching isn't in the band listings. The sheer vastness of things at Glastonbury festival makes this easy to happen and late on the Saturday night we stumbled into a café tent to see a set by Brighton’s Spalien Acecraft.

There are two things you need to know about Spalien Acecraft! Firstly, they tread the crossover area between what is acoustic indiepop and what is antifolk, and secondly, they write genuinely funny lyrics which you enjoy listening to.

The songs are very friendly and we couldn’t help but be drawn into the world of Spalien Acecraft with songs introducing us to the solar system, Jabba the Hutt, and a great song with a call and response section based around the many different Willows there are. ‘Orange for a Head’ was a big crowd pleaser of theirs too.

Sadly, they’ve nothing for download, but they do have some great songs on their myspace which you can listen to.

[Myspace link]