![Shout Out Louds Announce New Record [Tweeview]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/2164007_lg.jpg)
Oh let's call this the comeback... Man, this is the week of new record announcements. First BRMC , now Shout Out Louds, both bands being big enough to make me come out of my self-imposed blogging hiatus and spread the good word. We just received an update that Sweden's finest export since the 15 Meatball Combo at Ikea (Which I tried today for the first time), have announced a new record, 'Work', to be released on February 23, 2010. I'll also mention that it is being produced by Phil Ek (The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses), [...]
Photo courtesy of Gina Argentina Swedish solo sensation (and Panic Manual favorite) Jens Lekman rolled into town last Sunday to what I had hoped, make up for a disappointing start to a weekend of concerts from a couple of my indie pop faves. Researching the gig beforehand I read that comedienne Tig Notaro would be opening the show, unusual for an indie act, but it did seem fitting given Jens quirky nature. We arrived early enough in the hope of catching Tig's act but instead were [...]
Vancouver - With the recent heatwave Vancouver has been experiencing, it would seem fitting to have a band like Camera Obscura adding to it with their warm pop sounds but their performance on Friday night was enough to to have any twee fan cower deep within their anoraks only to peep out occasionally to see if it was all over. The show kicked off with Sacramento trio Agent Ribbons and they managed to keep the crowd entertained throughout the entire set with their power-folk-cabaret sounds complete with vintage costumes and prancing tambourine player in a masquerade [...]
![Tweeview: The Radio Dept - David + Album Update [Labrador Records]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1767025_lg.jpg)
Perhaps in response to Rickys calling out of Swedish bands The Radio Dept have returned (albeit briefly) with an announcement of an upcoming single release titled David and a bit of album news. The announcement was made on Labrador records news page with an almost sarcastic sounding title: "The Radio Dept have finished a single". The post is also accompanied with some info on how the album is coming along. FAQ When will the new album be out? - We'll set a release date as soon as the [...]
Recorder. Check. Fiddle. Check. Cutesy Cover. Double Check. It's been a long time since The Boy Least Likely To has delivered a follow-up to 2005's certifiably tweetastic 'The Best Party Ever', I started to wonder if we would ever hear anything from them again.* Lucky for their fans Jof Owen and Pete Hobbs decided they weren't quite finished. *I later found out their hiatus was a result of issues with their former record company, not death from an overdose of sugarplums and pixie sticks as I initially suspected. The Law of the Playground begins with [...]
![Review: Persepolis [Vincent Paronnaud, 2007]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1529544_lg.jpg)
Toronto - Real life stories aren't always very interesting to tell. After all, 100% of us live it 24-7, so why would we like to review life in a movie? Because, we're not Buddha and our powers of omnipresence only work when smoking. When Hollywood runs out of dry and forced situation, in comes real life to jazz up the "life's-stranger-than-fiction" factor. Persepolis is the true story of an Iranian woman who was sent to Vienna to avoid the Iran-Iraq war, and other bits of her life before and after that episode. Although it does have 120% ego content, the [...]
![Tweeview: Burning Hearts - Aboa Sleeping [2009, Shelflife]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1456300_lg.jpg)
I've never thought of Finland as a country that produces good music, but I also never thought Obama would win, so shows how much I know. But in February that may all change as Burning Hearts may be the band that places the virtual push pin on the Google map of Scandinavian music. Aboa Sleeping starts off with 'I Lost My Colour Vision', a track that sounds like generic Scandinavian pop the likes of The Legends or Honeydrips. But as you progress through the rest of the album you'll notice that it is perhaps there to cleanse [...]
There are a few tweepop labels that really stick out as quality music producers. Shelflife Records being one, has always held a special place in my ears (and heart). Started in 1995 by Ed Mazzucco inspired by UK labels such as Factory and Sarah Records , Ed wanted to expose foreign indie pop groups to North American audiences. So from the basement of his Southern California home, he released the tweetastic compilation 'Whirl-Wheels' which included tracks by Club 8, Boyracer and La Buena Vida. Shelflife soon became recognized as one of the top indie pop [...]
Coming at you with a little treat to stuff in your stocking, a holiday themed video from The Boy Least Likely To. Expect a full length follow up to 2005's 'The Best Party Ever' in March of '09. The First Snowflake from The Boy Least Likely To on Vimeo .
photo from 6015 Willow It's unofficial, The Maynards are Canadas sexiest band. Hailing from Halifax, this three piece dance rock gang spread their lusty, sweaty sweater loving all over Sneaky Dees last night. From their myspace page you would think they were a twee pop trio. Tracks like Spinny and Dance Fight '82 are twee greatness, but walking into Dees last night, they were anything but. They rocked it. What immediately got my attention was duo of Kristina Parlee on bass/vocals and Chantal Tardiff on drums/vocals. [...]
I usually let Wade take care of Canadian stuff but today I decided to write up a quick post about Ruby Coast, a great indie pop/rock band hailing from Ontario. While sifting through the Panic Manual mailbag I came across an email about Ruby Coast describing them 'a 5-piece jangly indie rock band from the suburbs of Toronto'. Well I likes me some jangle and do enjoy visiting Toronto suburbs (Brampton son, what?) so I proceeded to download promo EP and you know what? It is good fun. Musically Ruby Coast have that distinct Canadian [...]
A couple of weeks ago I put the question out there to see if anybody had an update on a the Panic Manual approved band, Sprites . Well, we got an answer from Sprites front man himself, Jason Korzen: We played a show in DC back in June (2008) with Tullycraft and From Bubblegum To Sky . Musically I've mostly been working on some remix stuff for people. There is some new Sprites material but we probably won't do any recording though until the winter. [...]
Three albums in and it feels like The Legends are still trying to define their sound. Being tied to a leading indie pop label isn't doing them any favors either as it seems to be limiting them to sound poppy whilst trying to incorporate different styles like 80's electro or shoegazey feedback. Their latest single 'Seconds Away' seems to be yet another victim of their attempts at 'innovation'. Now I've never been one to poo-poo an entire album based on hearing one song, but from what I've read on the press release for the single, I [...]
![Tweeview: The Young Tradition [Matinée Recordings]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1258132_lg.jpg)
Not to be confused with 60's British folk act The Young Tradition . Which is exactly what happened to me when I first listened to their debut album Northern Drive. From the first track I immediately thought they sounded like a cross Belle & Sebastian, The Ladybug Transistor and Stereolab. Then it hit me, 'holy crap' I thought, 'The Young Tradition is probably some 60's folk group that inspired all these Twee bands. How could I have missed it?'...Turns out I was way off. After digging a little deeper on the interwebs I found out The Young [...]
I enjoy a good shuffle. Be it feet (and administering subsequent shock), paper or upper management. I especially like songs with a good shuffling beat. They always remind me of a train chugging along at a steady pace through rolling hills and lush meadows. I wish I could equate this to sitting on the Skytrain, watching Vancouver's bland cityscape streak by...sigh.
Canadian Twee (Cantwee?). A genre that seems to be as elusive as the Samsquanch . I was hard pressed to think of a good Canadian indie pop act off the top of their head, so I took it upon myself to try and find one. I figured the best place to start would be Myspace as every band and their mom seem to have a site there, but it proved to be way to daunting. Next step, which should have been the most obvious was CBC Radio 3 . After about an hour of searching using every twee [...]
It's taken six years, three EPs, two twelve inch split singles and a handful of appearances on compilations for Detroit based Pas/Cal to finally release their very first LP, 'I Was Raised On Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura'. I first came across Pas/Cal in 2003 at 'A New Architecture' one of the better indie nites in Toronto at the time. I got to know one of the DJ's and he lent me a copy of their first EP 'The Handbag Memoirs', consisting of upbeat pop gems like 'The Bronze Beached Boys (Come On Let's Go)' and 'I Wanna [...]
The Panic Manual
![Niki & The Dove - The Fox [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/l2f6UbMnlq4_130.jpg)
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Hudson Mohawke - Valentines Slowjams Chapter V [DJ Mix]
