I just answered some question for Sam, and the interview will probably be in the next issue of A Layer of Chips. It's mostly about A Smile and a Ribbon stuff. And I've also contributed to the fine Indietracks livejournal and that should appear even sooner.
The picture above is of the pier leading out to Kallbadhuset from Ribersborg beach here in Malmö. There's a nice caff out there that got two stars in the Mayfields Guide. It was actually taken last year - I was going out there today but then the sky clouded over. And I thought maybe Brogues wanted to see what he's got to look forward to!
I should remind you to buy some records. I don't usually take kindly to bands who try really hard to get reviewed but This Is Ivy League and The Very Most are two great American bands that I would have discovered later, on my own, even if I hadn't been sent a bunch of mp3s. I remembered Ivy League from Indiepages' demo section last year and when Twentyseven Records sent out the debut lp from This Is Ivy League (as they're now called) to virtually everyone a while ago, I liked it even more than the first time around. But the Brooklyn duo's songs have grown on me even more since then! The sound is quite varied and has drawn comparisons to groups as different as Blueboy, Simon & Garfunkel and Belle & Sebastian - but all of these can be traced to indivdual songs. I would say myself that the jangling "Don't Waste Your Love On Me" (in the sidebar a while ago) sounds a lot like The Zebras. The obvious hit "Celebration" is justly called so, and it sounded fantastic at Taramasalata earlier this month with it's Byrdsy break. When the riff comes back in again you feel like jumping through the roof! And "A Summer Chill" is on one of my summer mixes below.
I noticed Fire Escape Talking wrote about The Very Most here, but I'd forgotten about that. He's right, of course. Congratulations Forever is a brilliant album and the band sounds quite a bit like last year's favourites Afternoon Naps, although they are far from new to the game. Great song-titles only add to the pleasure: "Sod Off", "Spilt, Spilt Milk" (included on Same Drum, see below) and "The Word Almost". Go forth and purchase.
2 comments:
With my ultra-pasty Gaelic skin it had better not be that sunny when I go there! It looks lovely, though, so thanks for posting it. I'm anticipating my brief trip all the more now :)
Hang about ... did The Mayfields do a guide to caffs after their Bus Stop single?
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