There are many bands whose name just fits them so perfectly, and Freezepop are one of those bands. They're also one of the most criminally underrated acts around at the moment, carving away at their own little electric heaven for a good few years now whilst the rest of the world swoons to the cult of personality which defines the likes of Goldfrapp.
The deadpan vocals of singer Liz Enthusiasm (yes I know!), harking back to the deliberately emotionally neutral style of the Flying Lizards, hints at Freezepop's mastery of this very new wave sound. And for all their electronic trappings, they come across as true indie-darlings in the making, their videos showcasing a wonderful DIY lo-fi aesthetic.
Due to one of the band-members' day job as an employee of Harmonix, the guys behind Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, Freezepop are having their tiny profile raised by being included on these videogame soundtracks - but they should be seen on their own merits, as purveyors of unpretentious, fun, plain damn good pop music.
A friend recently pointed me in the direction of an article on the Xfm website. On the site, weekend breakfast host Marsha Shandur tips the hybrid genre IndiEmo to be the trend of 2007. She goes on to mention Dartz!, One Toy Soldier and Tellison as key bands in this genre.
Dartz! are probably the best known of the three. The instrumental and vocal elements of the songs switch between indie and emo, giving the band a varied sound. The bands wide ranging influences, from Arctic Monkeys to Taking Back Sunday, are reflected in the blend of sounds they create. They have already played with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. and Hot Club De Paris.
Whilst browsing Tellisons page I noticed that they were friends with Luke Leighfield. I have been meaning to do a post about Luke for a while as I went to school with him and know he’s an excellent pianist. His style of slowly building piano songs is bound to draw comparisons with Ben Folds and Ben Kweller.
I won't say much about this band. After a minute of listening to them you will have decided if you love or hate them, so my words would be wasted. They're an 8 piece New York band who describe their lyrics as "horny and emotionally-bare". Some will say "not another novelty band", some will call it genius. Have a listen on their myspace and decide for yourself.
Monday February 12th sees Sub-Pop's indie-wonders The Shins release their third studio album for the label, "Wincing the Night Away". A firm evolution of their trademark sound, the album thoroughly revels in the beat and folk traditions of the 1960s whilst remaining thoroughly modern and entirely relevant, standing out in today's heavily processed landscape of guitar music.
Sub-Pop, at the heart of the grunge scene of the early 1990s and staunch defenders of the 7" single, is the perfect home for this band and their twin attack of highly melodic songs coupled with no-nonsense technique sees the Shins finally emerge as true torchbearers for Sub-Pop, a label with the rare ability to constantly delight us with a steady supply of three minute gems. A perfect example of such is new single "Phantom Limb" preceding the album on 22 January, a beautiful melding of soaring harmonies and chiming guitars, that shows everyone how it can and should be done.
After a three year hiatus, four piece antipodean beard-farmers Jet return into orbit on March 5th with "Shine On", the title track of their impending second album (release date TBA here in the UK, but already out in the states) on the Atlantic label.
If the single gives us any clue (as a single should), it would appear that the band are attempting to distance themselves from the the plain-speaking, unreconstructed Aussies that gave us such songs as "Cold Hard Bitch" from their debut "Get Born", opting instead for a much more laidback, perhaps even sophisticated approach which, coupled with a big new production, results in something not a million miles away from the lighter-waving antics of Embrace. If that statement hasn't stopped you reading this, then you might be pleased to know that the US single, "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is" provides much more of a ballsy crunch and hopefully is more symbolic of this new direction, retaining the hard rock roots of a band having grown up listening to undiluted AC/DC, whilst implanting studio tricks and production calling to mind acts like '70s studio pioneers 10cc. It's crazy but it might just work!
I got an email complaining at the lack of emo on the blog so here's an extra big serving. All four bands are from the US. The first three are big in the states but get less airplay than they deserve here on the other side of the pond. The final artist, Juliet Simms is more of a newbie. If you like Hush, have a listen to Unhearted on her myspace.
Above: Sugarcult - She's the Blade Below: Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down
Above: Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's Below: Juliet Simms - Hush
I've done well to hold back for this long, but it was only a matter of time until I had to write a blog on a Canadian girly rock band. Pony Up is an indie-pop quartet from Montreal. They have been grouped with artists such as Tilly & the Wall and, rather predictably, Tegan and Sarah. The band has been together for four years and released their first album, Make Love to the Judges With Your Eyes, last year. They recently supported Ben Lee, who is a big fan of the band.
Here's our tip for who will be the biggest risers of 2007. This is the band that we think every NME reading, MTV watching, Kerang listening, teen-rocker will be shouting about by the end of the year.
They're called Good Shoes and have been together for two years. You may have already seen them at Reading/Leeds festival or supporting the Mystery Jets. The band have also been played on XFM, 6 Music and Radio 1.
Their current single "The Photos On My Wall" is in the charts this week and the band have just announced a tour in March.
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