Holiday Soar

Matinée Recordings have just released a holiday ep, that harkens back to the time of their Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter themed compilations of yesteryears. Back then, during my first few years of indiepop obsession, Matinée was very important. I think the first mp3 I ever downloaded was "Poppy Day" by Brighter, and subsequently Jimmy did a commendable job on introducing me to bands like The Visitors, Razorcuts, Slipslide, The Pines and The Fairways - bands that are still among my favourites. Today their roster is different, but in a year that hasn't seen many great indiepop albums released, Matinée again saves the day with Bubblegum Lemonade's new album (more about that soon). Another thing that was important about Matinée was their idiosyncrasy when it came to releasing vinyl. Not many other indiepop labels did at the time. Now that new vinyl is becoming collectible again, Matinée have returned to the format, and that makes me smile.

To get back to the ep, it features the best of the current roster, including Northern Portrait, Bubblegum Lemonade, and Laz' other group Strawberry Whiplash. And it is the latter's "Santa Needs a Holiday" that really hits the spot. Perhaps their best recording to date, with the catchiest 12-string fill this side of The Rain Parade. You can stream all the tracks on the Matinée facebook.

CLOUD 122 Strawberry Whiplash - Santa Needs a Holiday

Record Turnover

As you can see, there have been significantly fewer posts here this year. This is not, like Matthew said, because I have listened to less music this year - quite the contrary, as you can see from the list of recommended 2010 releases that I just took off the sidebar and put into a post.

But, I now have a new blog where I post more frequently! I have finally moved to Wordpress and created a blog under my website, which is called Record Turnover and is about design and art, as well as music of course. Since Don't Die On My Doorstep is now finished, the new name will also be used as an umbrella name for all kinds of events I might put on.

HIAYH will still be here, and I will save longer pieces of writing (or reviews if you want to call it that) for this space, enabling me to post quick blurbs to my new blog. This also means that the heavensabove email will no longer be checked, so direct all inquiries to the email at www.kristerbladh.co.uk or leave a comment on the blog and I will write back to you.

Happy reading.

Christmas Shopping List

This is simply a dump of my list of recommended releases in 2010. My Top Ten lists will be posted at Record Turnover shortly.

Albums
Standard Fare The Noyelle Beat (Melody/Thee SPC)
Warm Morning Too Close to the Stars (self-released)
Very Truly Yours Things You Used to Say (Skywriting)
Sourpatch Crushin' (Happy Happy Birthday to Me)
The School Loveless Unbeliever (Elefant)
Dum Dum Girls I Will Be (Subpop/Hozac)
Beach Fossils s/t (Woodsist)
The Magnetic Fields Realism (Merge)
White Mystery s/t (Missile X)
The Art Museumn Rough Frame (Woodsist)
Dignan Porch Tendrils (Captured Tracks)
The Splinters Kick (Double Negative)
Black Tambourine s/t (Slumberland reissue)
Boy Genius Staggering (Greenpop)
Ruby Suns Fight Softly (Lil' Chief)
V/A PVI006/IBB004 (Italian Beach Babes/Paradise Vendors
Allo, Darlin' Dreaming (Fortuna Pop)
The Soft City s/t (Plastilina)
The Lodger Flash Backs (Slumberland)
Woven Bones In and Out and Back Again (HoZac)
Male Bonding Nothing Hurts (Sub Pop)
Chin Chin Sound of the Westway (Slumberland reissue)
Knight School Revenger (Make a Mess)
Neverever Angelic Swells (Slumberland)
Best Coast Crazy For You (Mexican Summer)
Wild Nothing Gemini (Captured Tracks)
The Bank Holidays Sail Becomes a Kite (Lost & Lonesome)
Bart & Friends Make You Blush (Lost & Lonesome)
Ribbons Surprise Attacks (Electric Lights)
The Secret History The World That Never Was (Le Grand Magistery)
The Honey Dos Fine Thank You (self-released)
Ty Segall Melted (Goner)
Harlem Hippies (Matador)
Las Robertas Cry Out Loud (Produccion Automata / Art Fag)
Dolly Mixture Everything and More (self-released 3CD box set)
V/A Les Filles Du Crépuscule (LTM)
The Girls At Dawn Call the Doctor (Norton)
Math & Physics Club I Shouldn't Look As Good As I Do (Matinée)
Cats On Fire Dealing In Antiques (Matinée)
Tender Trap Dansette Dansette (Slumberland)
The Hepburns How the Fallen Are Mighty (Radio Khartoum)
Aias A la piscina (Captured Tracks)
Magic Kids Memphis (True Panther)
Dead Ghosts s/t (Florida's Dying)
The Vaselines Sex With an X (Sub Pop)
Jaill That's How We Burn (Sub Pop)
The Specific Heats "Cursed!" (Fun With Asbestos)
Bare Wires Seeking Love (Castle Face)
Grass Widow Past Time (Kill Rock Stars)
The Intelligence Males (In the Red)
Tijuana Panthers Max Baker (self-released)
Frankie Rose & the Outs s/t (Slumberland)
Shrag Life! Death! Prizes! (WIAIWYA)
Fabienne Delsol On My Mind (Damaged Goods)
Seeland How to Live (Loaf)
The Clientele Minotaur (Pointy)
Cinema Red and Blue s/t (What's Your Rupture)
The Ocean Tango s/t (self-released)
Royal Baths Litanies (Woodsist)
The Frowning Clouds Listen Closelier (Off the Hip)
Edwyn Collins Losing Sleep (Heavenly)
Eternal Summers Silver (Kanine)
Laetitia Sadier The Trip (Drag City)
Cheap Time Fantastic Explanations (and Similar Situations) (In the Red)
Dead Ghosts Live Tapes (Psychic Lunch)
The Fresh & Onlys Play It Strange (In the Red)
Cola Freaks s/t (Douchemaster)
Belle & Sebastian Write About Love (Rough Trade)
Vermillion Sands s/t (Alien Snatch)
The Unwed Teenage Mothers Blonde Girls (Play Pinball)
The Rantouls In the Village of Rantoul (Chocolate Covered Records)
Tyvek Nothing Fits (In the Red)
The Magnificent Brotherhood Dope Idiots (Magnificent Music)
The Loons Red Dissolving Rays of Light (Bomp!)
The Milkees Lovelever (Sazanami)
No Joy Ghost Blonde (Mexican Summer)
Pigeons Si Faustine (Olde English Spelling Bee)
Le Futur Pompiste s/t (Shelflife)
Phil Wilson God Bless Jim Kennedy (Slumberland)
Happy Birthday s/t (Sub Pop)
The Sugar Stems Sweet Sounds of (Bachelor)
Mighty Clouds s/t (Polyvinyl)
Pigeons Liasons (Soft Abuse)
Reading Rainbow Prism Eyes (HoZac)
Myelin Sheaths Get On Your Nerves (Southpaw)
Venereans Future Primitive (Tic Tac Totally)
The Felt Tips Living and Growing (Plastilina)
Crushed Stars Convalescing In Braille (Simulacra)
Bubblegum Lemonade Sophomore Release (Matinée)
Moonhearts s/t (Tic Tac Totally)
Personal & the Pizzas Raw Pie (1234 Go!)
Trembling Blue Stars Fast Trains and Telegraph Wires (Elefant)
Teenage Fanclub Shadows (Merge)
Golden Triangle Double Jointer (Hardly Art)
Les Bellas Belladelic (Disques Steak)
Miss Chain & the Broken Heels On a Bittersweet Ride (Screaming Apple)
Heavy Times Dead (Rotted Tooth)
White Fence s/t (Woodsist)
Super Wild Horses Fifteen (HoZac)

Singles & EPs
Beach Fossils Daydream (Captured Tracks 7")
Veronica Falls Found Love In a Graveyard (Captured Tracks 7")
Burning Hearts Night Animal (Shelflife 7")
Standard Fare Fifteen (Thee SPC)
Fair Ohs Summer Lake (Sex Is Disgusting 7")
Spectrals/Fair Ohs split (Tough Love 7")
Best Coast Something In the Way EP (Past Present Medium 7")
Vivian Girls My Love Will Follow Me (Wild World 7")
German Measles Color Vibration (Wild World 7")
The Babies All Things Come to Pass (Wild World 7")
Blank Dogs Phrases (Captured Tracks 12")
The Fresh & Onlys August In My Mind (Captured Tracks 12")
Minks Funeral Song (Captured Tracks 7")
La La Vasquez Hello EP (Captured Tracks 7")
The Girls At Dawn Back to You (Tic Tac Totally 7")
The Flips s/t (HoZac 7")
The Blanche Hudson Weekend The Rats In the Cellar EP (Oddbox 7")
Hollows Bobby Blueheart (Trouble In Mind 7")
Ty Segall/CoCoComa/White Wires/Charlie & the Moonhearts covers split (Trouble In Mind 7")
The Loves Sweet Sister Delia EP (Fortuna Pop download)
Summer Cats Your Timetable (Slumberland 7")
The Hairs Electric Virgin EP (Holiday download)
The Limiñanas I'm Dead (HoZac 7")
The Limiñanas Je ne suis pas trés drogue (Trouble In Mind 7")
Girls Names Don't Let Me In (Captured Tracks 12")
The Babies Meet Me In the City (Make a Mess 7")
Brilliant Colors Never Mine (Slumberland 7")
Box Elders Tiny Sioux (HoZac 7")
Metric Mile Since April Left (Holiday digital)
Young Michelin s/t (Bulle Sonore 7")
The Pains of Being Pure At Heart Say No to Love (Slumberland 7")
Tender Trap Do You Want a Boyfriend? (Slumberland)
Sea Lions/The New House Greetings From Oxnard to Tokyo (Violet and Claire split-CS)
For Ex-Lovers Only Coffin (Magic Marker 7")
World Atlas s/t (Magic Marker EP)
Coasting s/t (M'Lady's 7")
Pens You Only Like Me When I Tell You I'm Wrong (De Stijl 7")
Girls Names You Should Know By Now (Tough Love 12")
Comet Gain I Never Happened (What's Your Rupture 7")
The Fresh & Onlys Vanishing Cream (Plastic Spoons 7")
Cults s/t (Forest Family 7")
Sweater Girls s/t (HHBTM 7")
The Manhattan Love Suicides Dandelion Radio Seesion (Oddbox EP)
Colleen Green 4 Loko 2 Kayla (self-released CS)
Colleen Green Milo Goes to Compton (self-released CS)
Girlfriends Good to Be True (Ampeater Review digital)
The Cave Weddings Last Time (Bachelor 7")
Apple Orchard A Month of Spring (Haymarket 7")
Veronica Falls Beachy Head (No Pain In Pop 7")
Twig Hourglass (Fraction 7")
Comet Gain/Hello Cuca split (Doble Vida 7")
First Base She's Boy Crazy (Play Pinball EP)
The Mantles Pink Information (Mexican Summer 12")
Liechtenstein Passion For Water (Fraction Discs EP)
Nerve City Sleepwalker (Sacred Bones 12")
The Girls At Dawn/The Gaye Blades split (Norton 7")
Bubblegum Lemonade Caroline's Radio (Matinée EP)
Spectrals 7th Date (Slumberland 7")
Aias Aias (Captured Tracks 7")
Mazes Cenetaph (Suffering Jukebox 7")
Hanoi Janes Specks Ho! (Captured Tracks 12")
Weed Hounds Beach Bummed (Iron Pier 7")
The Blanche Hudson Weekend Hate Is a Loaded Gun (Squirrel EP)
Girlfriends Gov't Seizure (Aurora7 7")
Woven Bones I've Gotta Get (Hardly Art 7")
Minks Ophelia (Captured Tracks 7")
Ergquist 42,069 Secods With Ergquist (self-released EP)
Papá Topo Oso Panda (Elefant 7")
Wet Illustrated Born Stoked (Corvette City 7")
Zipper Visions (Cloudberry 7")
Zipper Last Chance For Friday's Badge (Bubblegum EP)
Sea Lions/Watercolor Paintings split (YAY! 12")
Fair Ohs Eden Rock (Sleep All Day 7")
Eternal Summers s/t (Chimney Sweep EP)
French Kissing Oh Suzanne (Sleep All Day 7")
The Hit Parade I Like Bubblegum (JSH 7")
Los Ginkas Ongi Ibili Pop-abily (self-released EP)
Still Corners Don't Fall In Love (Great Pop Supplement 7")
The Just Joans Your Pain In Nothing Next to Mines (WeePOP! EP)
Outer Minds Bloodshot Eyes (HoZac 7")
Outer Minds s/t (Plustapes)
Coasting Coasting (Group Tightener 7")
Black Time More Songs About Motorcycles & Death (Wrench 12")
Harlem LSD Saves (Matador 7")
Spectrals An Extended Play With... (Moshi Moshi ep)
Beach Fossils Face It (Captured Tracks 7")
Wild Nothing Golden Haze (Captured Tracks 12")
Sweater Girls/The History of Apple Pie split cassette (Cool In a Crisis)
Seapony Dreaming (Double Denim 7")
Dávila 666 12" EP (Rob's House 12")
Dávila 666 Mala (In the Red digital)
Fungi Girls/Indian Wars spliti (Psychic Lunch 7")
Fergus & Geronimo Never Satisfied (Hardly Art 7")
Christmas Scenic Beauty (Highfives & Handshakes flexi)
Christmas Metal (Highfives & Handshakes 7")
Guards Resolution of One (Small Plates 7")
Crystal Stilts Shake the Shackles (Slumberland 7")
Lemon Dots Girl In Motion (Labor of Love 7")
Girls Names/Brilliant Colors split (Slumberland 7")
Sticks N Stones Red Light (Dusty Medical 7")
Sweater Girls Pretty When You Smile (HHBTM 7")
Sourpatch Mira Mija EP (HHBTM 7")
Catwalk Bona Fide EP (YAY! digital)
Catwalk (Please) Don't Break Me (Captured Tracks 7")
Sunray Baby Honey (Strawberry 10")
The Splinters Blood On My Hands (Southpaw)
Vermillion Sands 20 Hours (Trouble In Mind 7")
Vermillion Sands Something Wrong (Hell, Yes! 7")
Vermillion Sands In the Wood (Fat Possum 7")
The Beets/Cassie Ramone split (Psychic Lunch 7")
La Sera Never Come Around (Hardly Art 7")
All Saints Day It'll Come Around (Art Fag 7")
Real Estate Out of Tune (True Panther Sounds 7")
Audacity Ears and Eyes EP (Volar 7")
Coasting/Reading Rainbow split (Atelier Ciseaux 7")
Soda Shop Farewell (Shelflife 7")
Ty Segall My Sunshine (Trouble In Mind 7")
La La Vasquez Buoy EP (M'Lady's 7")
The Sticks Under Pressure EP (M'Lady's 7")
Coasting Same Old Same Old (M'Lady's 7")

Guitar amp&

Happy Happy Birthday to Me have some new 7"s out, one of which is Sourpatch's follow-up to the brilliant debut lp Crushin'. The ep contains four tracks and I think their music works best on this format. "Deli Dream" opens up like an almost Tiger Trap affair, an influence they're not only with anymore (listen to the fantastic Seapony for example). The other three songs are over in five short but sweet minutes, during which you can admire the cover - screenprinted, as usual, on thick brown paper.

Also out is the second single from Sweater Girls, now without Allan Kingdom in the line-up. Three new and exciting songs, but still with some of the worst recorded drums in pop history. The three, plus "Sweater Weather" are also to be found on split with The History of Apple Pie, released by new London-based cassette label Cool In a Crisis - definitely a medium that is more forgiving to their sound.