The Minor Leagues Are Back

Some time ago, about two years three months to be precise we posted about The Minor Leagues. A lot has happened since that post eons ago. This is what we said then… Ben Walpole wishes he were British, fronting Pulp in 1995. Patrick Helmes wishes he were playing lead for Megadeth in 1988. But cruel fate has instead placed them both in the Minor Leagues, playing insidiously catchy indiepop for most of the last decade from their Cincinnati, Ohio homebase.

Since that time the band has been busy but has apparently forgotten to let us know. So while we’ve been wondering like a lonely parent, the band has been touring, recording, having fun and not letting us share in the joy. Until now. Guess who just happened to pop up in our in box. The Minor Leagues. And believe it or not, they’ve not gone Major. They’ve kept it real and kept that strange amalgamation of darkness and light going and recorded another album.

North College Hill is the new album from The Minor Leagues, the latest in a string of releases from the Cincinnati seven-piece to pair stinging melancholy with insidiously catchy melodies. The Leagues' last two records covered the end of a relationship and the end of the world in overblown concept-album fashion, and this new album continues the streak with ten songs of bittersweet rust-pop about North College Hill, lead singer Ben Walpole's crumbling Midwestern hometown. The band paints a baroque portrait of the neighborhood-as-history, detailing childhood memories in a faded palette of strings, bells, and guitar jangle.

Download: Ghost Maps
Download: Please Don't Throw My Love Away
Download: Secret Codes
Tweet

Brilliant Colors Release Album, Hit Road.

Inspired by post-punk fervor, the spiky pop of C86 and early Flying Nun / Creation label output, San Francisco's Brilliant Colors stake out their own spot in the indie music landscape.   They jangle, they sigh, they shuffle, and together they sound as if the Pastels were from California.

Not really produced and not really polished in anyway, Brilliant Colors manage to be, err, brilliant thanks to their shambolic pop sensibility.  Sounding like they may just shatter into a million pieces and only too happy to do so, Brilliant Colors know the joys of fragile pop songs.

Their new album, Again and Again is filled with such delights and sees them moving further into the classic C86 thing.    The album is released on July 19th on Slumberland and the band will head out on the road in June to pre-promote.

Here's the dates... 
06/09 Charlotte, NC The Milestone ~^
06/10 Athens, GA Farm 255 ~
06/11 Nashville, TN Glenn Danzig's house ~
06/12 Columbus, OH Bat Chapters ~
06/13 Ann Arbor, MI Arbor Vitae ~
06/14 Toronto, ON Parts N Labour ~
06/15 Montreal, QC Le Cabigi ~
06/16 Boston, MA Problem House ~
06/17 Brooklyn, NY Glasslands *
06/18 Philadelphia, PA Cha Cha Razzi
~ = w/ The Beets
^ = w/ Eternal Summers
* = w/ Frankie Rose

Download: How Much Younger
Tweet

Seapony Swim Out To Twee

The music of Seapony is refreshing in its simplicity. Most songs on Go With Me use no more than three chords, with an average running time around two-and-a-half minutes. In lieu of a human drummer, the Seattle trio entrusts time-keeping to a vintage gizmo the size of a desktop calculator.

Seapony are awesome at what they do.  This band channels the Sarah Records ethic so well that you'd swear you were listening to a single from 1993.  If "Dreaming," is any indication of what the future holds, I suspect we'll all be wearing anoraks real soon. 

The lyrics to "Dreaming," the track that catapulted them into the spotlight, are just six lines long. Like Young Marble Giants and Beat Happening before them, this young three-piece has generated excitement that belies their music's modest means. And their back story is just as no-nonsense....

Download: Dreaming
Tweet

Sweet As Soda POP!

Soda Shop is the merging of Drew Diver (Horse Shoes) and Maria Usbeck (Selebrities), a boy and a girl who met by fate at an Embassy concert in Brooklyn, NY. The Embassy, whom heavily influenced both Drew and Maria's other acts, brought together a new duo. Though this time, leaving the drum machines and synthesizers behind for a hollow-body guitar and tambourine.

If you're a fan of classic girl-groups (Shangri-Las, The Ronettes) or current pop (Acid House Kings, The Cardigans, Tennis, The Raveonettes or Summer Camp) you won't want to miss out on the debut single from Soda Shop.

Farewell is a small taste of what's to come.

Download: Farewell
Watch: Tweet

The POP! Stereo Top 25 for 2010

This was originally going to be posted at the end of December 2010, but things sort of happened that wouldn't allow me to do this. If you follow the blog on Facebook or Twitter, you'll know that I've had a family medical emergency that made me set the blog aside for a couple of weeks. I'm now trying to do the blog in an effort to create a sense of normality amongst a sea of change.

So, my apologies for doing this late, but family comes first .

As for the countdown, it's a god honest run down of my favorite records this year. It's got NO hipster credibility as I, quite honestly, have no idea what the hell the blogosphere went gaga over the last year. It's what I found myself listening to over and over again. Belle & Sebastian is about as cool with the hipster community as relaxed fit jeans...but you know what? I still love them and they made a fantastic record that's on this list. That's just a little hint of where I'm coming from...so prepare yourself and enjoy!

Without further delay...here we go....and no those aren't mp3's but videos from each album.

25: No Age: Everything In Between
This is indie rock the way it used to be played.
Fever Dreaming

24: Quitzow: Juice Water
Pure, simple, overjoyous synthpop
Cherry Blossom

23: 1900's: Return of the Century
Fantastic indie pop that's lazy goodness

22: Julius C: Ok Ok
Big massive power pop to fill enormodomes
Don't Want Anybody

21: Magic Bullets: Magic Bullets
All hail Orange Juice and those who sail in them.
Lying Around

20: Five O'Clock Heroes: Different Times
Yeah...that band w/Agyness Deyn showed up in.
Who

19: Lyrics Born: As U Were
Somewhere right now Cameo is shitting himself.
Kontrol Phreak

18: Goldfrapp: Head First
Alison Goldfrapp revisits Xanadu and never leaves.
Alive

17: DVAS: Society
Like a Members Only Jacket only cooler.
Society

16: Shout Out Louds: Work
Sunshiny pop from Scandinavia that's not work to listen to.
Show Me Something New

15: Wolf Parade: Expo 86
Who knew these guys could have made a record this good?
Yulia

14: Belle & Sebastian: Write About Love
Stuart is still brilliant. I still love them and always will.
I Want The World To Stop

13: Foals: Black Gold
Musical adventure that's absolutely blinding.
Black Gold

12: Amusement Parks On Fire: Road Eyes
The Son of Mustang Ford is still alive and kicking.
Flashlight Planetarium

11: Stereolab: Not Music

Two decades later and these guys are still amazing.
Silver Sands

10: The Mynabirds: What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood
The soulful sixties channelled through one of the most gorgeous voices on earth.
What We Gained In The Fire

09: Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
Still as important as ever.
Ready to Start

08: Rusko: O.M.G.

To say Rusko is a dubstep producer is an insult to his ability to level dance floors of all kinds.
Hold On

07: School of Seven Bells: Disconnect From Desire
Somewhere amongst the miasma the Cocteau Twins are blushing.
Windstorm

06: Editors: In This Light And On This Evening
Having done the Joy Division thing, they're well on their way to becoming the next New Order.
Papillon

05: OMD: History of Modern
Who says resurrections can't be fantastic?
New Babies New Toys

04: The Vaselines: Sex With An X
Let the c86 revival start now...again.
Sex With An X

03: LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening
Is there anything James Murphy can't do?
Pow Pow

02: The Drums: The Drums
The Best British Band On The Planet and they're NOT even from Britain.
Best Friend

01: Chromeo: Business Casual
Some bands know that a tongue planted firmly in cheek is the key to great pop music.
Hot Mess

Tweet

Shugo Tokumarua Sees US Arrival

Hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Shugo Tokumarua is a gifted songwriter and multi-instrumentalist responsible for producing every sound heard on his records. With his latest album, Port Entropy, Tokumaru takes the magic of his previous full-length, Exit, and expands on it. Throughout Port Entropy his arrangements soar to new heights -- most prominently in the coda of standout track "Lahaha." Conversely, the twinkling piano lullaby "Linne" showcases a quieter, more introspective side of Tokumaru's songwriting.

Introspective or jolly, Tokumaru is a twee pop genius without actually realizing he's twee or probably pop. There's a sense of innocence and joy in his songs and that's what makes them so darn good. "Lahaha," is a fantastic whimsical example of this and provides a glimps into the world he's created with Port Entropy.

Port Entropy was released in Japan on P-Vine in April of 2010 and Berlin-based label Soulterrain Transmissions in October 2010. February 15th, 2011 marks the first time the album will see a North American release through Polyvinyl. Throughout 2011, Tokumarua plans to tour extensively in support of Port Entropy, with stops planned in Europe, at SXSW, and a tour of the US from coast to coast.

Download: Lahaha
Tweet

La Sera Never Comes Around

Since joining all-female punk trio Vivian Girls during the spring of 2007 Katy Goodman's DIY-style bass playing and drifty-faded vocals have sent waves of adoration rippling throughout Brooklyn's pop punk circuit. Her newest band La Sera showcases her signature style, bringing her talent for creating dreamy pop songs even more to the forefront.

After touring the world with Vivian Girls, releasing a handful of well-received records, and starting record label Wild World with her band mates, Goodman started exploring other outlets. She played in the short-lived dream-pop band All Saints Day in the spring of 2010, and a self-titled limited-edition 7" of spectral tunes was released on indie label Art Fag earlier this year.

In February 2010 Goodman started working on some fresh material that inspired the formation of her brand new band, La Sera. Her inspiration sprung from an attraction to early pop hits from the 1950's and ethereal choral vocals. Her new songs contain warm celestial-pop melodies that echo with the dreamlike effect of a church choir and effuse a softer, less aggressive sound than the Vivian Girls.

La Sera's new single, "Never Come Around," is pure genius. It's all dreamy lovelorn pop with a sort of doo wop feel to it and shows a completely different and slightly psychotic side to Katy Goodman that makes her all the more endearing.

Download: Never Come Around

Rachel Goodrich Turns On A Light Bulb

Hailing from Miami Florida, Rachel Goodrich arrived on the scene with her 2008 debut album Tinker Toys, which turned the heads of some notable press outlets for it's upbeat, addicting, and eclectic version of vaudeville-inspired indie pop.

In a city chock full of djs and electronic artists, Rachel captures a different part of her hometown's sunny elements to create music that truly stands out from the rest of the pack. The New York Times which dubbed her as a "queen of the Miami indie rock scene," and her music has already been featured in the Showtime TV series Weeds, the MTV show My Life as Liz, and a national Crayola advertising campaign.

Rachel Goodrich is putting the finishing touches on her second full length album, Rachel Goodrich, which will be released on February 21st, 2011 on her own Yellow Bear Records imprint. Joining the fray this time is Grammy winning producer Greg Wells, who has worked with the likes of Rufus Wainwright, Weezer, Katy Perry, Timbaland,Jamie Cullum, and many more. The 11-song full length album will be accompanied by a handful of Spring tour dates as well.

Check out a "Light Bulb" for a bit of so twee it hurts indie pop that's so filled with sunshine and happiness it's guaranteed to put a smile on your face THEN watch the video for a truly unreal experience. Seriously. Some people get it...Rachel and everyone associated with her, clearly do.

Download: Light Bulb
Watch:

Your Tears Run Rings

Tears Run Rings is a long distance relationship. In another life these old friends were in the breezy mid-90's indiepop combo The Autocollants and founded the renowned indie label Shelflife Records.

Now separated by the cities of Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles they collaborate through the magic of the internet. The band records in 3 separate studios, transferring tracks back and forth over the wires until they are perfect.

This all leads to hauntingly beautiful textures and pop melodies. In Distance, their second album on Clairecords, they have refined their lush, melencholy sound and set it to a beat informed by Factory Records.

Download: Forgotten
Download: Reunion