There seems to be a resurgence of musical genre’s these days. From 80’s electro-pop groups like Cut Copy to more contemporary throwbacks with She & Him. While I’ve throughly enjoyed aforementioned bands, there is one genre in particular that I’ve always hope would make a comeback: Britpop. I felt that this genre was only starting to scratch the surface before it’s untimely death in the late 90’s. But like a Phoenix rising from Arizona (thanks Frank C.), The Ruling Class is the first band that I feel is actually continuing what The Stone Roses, The Charlatans and Ride had started.

This Swedish/English combo started by singer/songwriter Tomas Kubowicz and bassist Anton Lindberg in 2006. After little success in finding like-minded bandmates in Sweden, they relocated to London in an attempt to perhaps gain some influence. It may have been a little too late, seeing as it was almost 10 years after Britpop’s demise, which Tomas admits to in a recent interview:

“The Stone Roses was kind of an introduction – I never had any high thoughts of their debut album when I first listened to it, but when I picked up the album again a couple years later and had a listen, it totally exploded. It’s a masterpiece. I’ve never left them since.”

Eventually they managed to find a drummer and subsequently recorded their debut EP Tour de Force, produced buy Mark Wallis who’s credits include the Smiths, the La’s, the Go-Betweens.

If you’re looking get that Britpop Monkey off your back, this album is sure to be your um…banana.

P.S. - Check the MP3 for ‘Umbrella Folds’ I’ve posted below. I think the chorus sounds exactly like ‘Waterfall’ by The Stone Roses, it makes me wonder if Tomas wrote that as a kind of cheeky homage.

4/5

Tour de Force CDEP is available now on Shelflife Records.

 

 The Ruling Class - Flowers: Play Now

 

 The Ruling Class - Umbrella Folds: Play Now

After searching within the depths of the music blogosphere, it looks like I’m a bit late writing about this indiepop band. I suppose my laziness is partially to blame as I’ve been listening to these guys for the past month or so. For the benefit of the peeps who don’t know, This Is Ivy League is a New York duo of Ryland Blackinton and Alex Suarez hell bent on ushering in a summer of blowing bubbles, croquet in the park and patting small children on the head.

If you enjoy bands like Camera Obscura or Pas/Cal, chances are you’ll dig this album. There seems to be a song for any occasion - the strum and jangle of ‘London Bridges’ is perfect for a tandem bike ride, while the lovely acoustic (and my favorite) ‘Viola’ is great for sipping a cup of tea indoors on a rainy Sunday.

TIIL seems to be one of those bands thats on the cusp of making it big, but they just need one of their songs to be featured on a cell phone or car commercial and they’ve got it made in the summer shade.

4/5

 

 This Is Ivy League - The Richest Kids: Play Now

Video for ‘London Bridges’

Ahhh indie music genres, there’s no shortage of them these days. From post-punk to twee, every band out there seems to fit into their own specific music style. While researching the band in today’s Tweeview, I found perhaps the most fitting genre applied to a band. Welcome to the world of ‘laptop-pop’. Songs consisting of synth beats, electronic orchestras accompanied with a simple guitar pluck or strum. Perhaps the most popular band I can think of that uses this music production method would be The Radio Dept.

This is also perfect description for the kind of pop tunes Kuryakin creates and they’re not ashamed to admit it:

“Kuryakin is simply trying to make beautiful music. If they could they would have a symphonic orchestra backing them up on every song, but for now they have to be satisfied with all the sounds you can make with a computer.”

Despite my digging around the internets for a proper bio on these guys, the best I could find was a very short blurb about them on their website. Petter and Johan got together in University in 2002 and started recording music a year later. Their first song ‘Onie’ appeared on the fantastic Are You Scared To Get Happy? compilation released in 2005, with a subsequent demo simply titled ‘Birds’ consisting of 3 tracks. These days their music is put together by mailing samples and ideas to each other and then play together a few times a month, à la Postal Service.

Kuryakin will be releasing a combined EP and 7″titled ‘Still Here’ on Shelflife Records sometime this Spring. If you like to sway to sweet, simple songs that are perfect for to listen to on a rainy Sunday morning, pick up this album.

Thanks darksoy.

 

 Kuryakin - Take My Hand: Play Now

This band fascinates me. I don’t own any of their albums and have listened to only a handful of their songs on youtube or last.fm but from what I have heard, I really like. I suppose the reason why I’m so curious is because they’re an indiepop band from Indonesia. Who would have figured, but fantastic nonetheless. The songs they create are probably the epitome of twee - sickly sweet lyrics with a simple catchy music backing. Their debut album ‘My Diary’ seems like it would be a true testament to this, but really I’m just going based on the one song I’ve heard and what they’ve written on their website:

“My Diary” contains 13 songs written from a girl’s point of view and her diary entries. The album starts with a Once Upon A Time and is followed by a song telling of a first encounter with her Secret Admirer. Then after much hesitation in Twist Me Around, she decides to go steady with the boy in Me & My Boyfriend. In Telephone they break up, understanding that When the Moonlight Shines, they just weren’t meant for each other and thus, Rain Will Fall, Life Keeps On Turning.

Doesn’t get much more twee than that my friends. Here’s a couple of videos. The first, ‘I Would Never Friend’ features Karoline Komstedt from Club 8 (yowza!) and the second, ‘Life Keeps On Turning’ features our very own Ricky on the night of his high school prom.

Mocca’s Website: http://mymocca.com/

The Honeydrips are a side project started by singer/songwriter Mikael Carlsson (formerly from the band Dorotea) back in 2003. Yet another great group from Gothenburg, Sweden. Man what is it with this city? It must be something in the Köttbullar.

Although this is a full length LP, it actually sounds like an indie popsters best of compilation. While listening you may notice that many of the tracks sound a little familiar. I’m thinking this may have been done on purpose, as it sounds like Carlsson created this album as more of an homage to his influences such as The Field Mice, The Jesus and Mary Chain and St. Etienne. There’s also an obvious nod to Joy Division with the cleverly titled ‘(Lack of Love) Will Tear Us Apart’.

The albums intro track ‘Strangest Dream’ starts with the gentle pluck of strings and Mikaels heartaching vocals, a song was would fit perfectly with any Jesus and Mary Chain album. Expecting a similar sound with the next track ‘Trying Something New’, you instead get blasted into the cosmos complete with echoy vocals, heavy bass and spacey synths. ‘Here Comes The Future’ finds Carlsson taking a cue from the Field Mice’s dreamy earnestness making this album a perfect twee package.

In a nutshell, the album takes you on a stroll along a path where you’re greeted by fluffy bunnies, whilst being tripped out on those tasty mushrooms you picked at the foot of a dark foreboding forest. A must have for any indie pop fan…and yes, I’m talking about the album, not the mushrooms.

Here’s a little bonus for you loyal readers - to make things a little more interesting, I’ve decided to attach a contest to this post. There is a track on ‘Here Comes The Future’ that copies a riff note for note from a popular New Order song. Name the song on the album, the time the riff starts and of course the name of the New Order track and you’ll find yourself an owner of some really cool twee-related swag. Email me with your answer and the first correct response wins the tasty prize!

4.5/5

 

 The Honeydrips - Here Comes the Future: Play Now

Vancouver - I’m still trying to figure out this band. Formerly known as The Lovekevins or ‘The Lovekins’ as I called them until 3 days ago, The LK Formed in 2003 in Malmö*, Sweden as an art/music collective. They released 2 EP’s of jangly indie pop reminiscent of The Lucksmiths and early The Acid House Kings (their gem of a song ’soviet.se’ has been featured on a bunch of compilations, I’ll post it below so you can listen). After a shuffle in the band line up in 2006, they felt they needed to change not only their name but their sound, focusing more on an electropop sound or ‘musique concrète’ as they mention on their myspace bio.

Much like Postal Services’ ‘Give Up’, Vs. the Snow combines lo-fi melodies and hi-tech beats and bloops, which to be honest was a genre created and killed by the Postal Service. There’s nothing original about The LK’s latest…but that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad record. If there are hipsters reading this post (and you know who you are) you must have already heard the sure fire floor stormer ‘Private Life of a Cat’. You could play this track back to back with ‘Such Great Heights’ and not notice the transition. ‘Tamagotchi Freestyle’ (and my personal favorite) sounds like a track made just for their Japanese fans, not because of the name but if you close your eyes whilst listening you could can actually see Hello Kitties going about their cutesy colorful existence. The rest of the album follows the same formula and for what it is, it’s worth at least one listen, pick your favorites, play them ad nauseum and put the album on the shelf until you meet that special hipster dude or dudette…with a hello kitty backpack.

*I had visited Malmö that same year to try and catch a Soundtrack Of Our Lives show, under the assumption that if not on tour, a band must play a show every single night in their home city. I instead was stalked by a group of hoodies after leaving a shwarma shop on my way back to the hostel.

3.5/5

I’m going to post 2 tracks - ’soviet.se’ from their earlier Max Léon EP and ‘Tamagotchi Freestyle’ from Vs. The Snow

 

 The Lovekevins - soviet.se: Play Now

 

 The LK - Tamagotchi Freestyle: Play Now