Born

“Born” by Fear of Men // Green Sea 7” (2012)

It’s hard to beat the jangle pop vibe that Fear of Men pull off on both “Green Sea” and this b-side, “Born”. Sounding something like a mash-up of Belle & Sebastian and The Sundays, this dreamy blast of sweet melodies and lush harmonies is absolutely the kind of sound that I have been craving as of late. I can’t wait to hear more from this UK band, as soon as possible. Highly recommended for fans of Belle & Sebastian, The Sundays, and Dum Dum Girls. 

The Holiday Crowd - Never Speak Of It Again

“Never Speak of it Again” by The Holiday Crowd // Over the Bluffs (2012)

There’s no getting around it, The Holiday Crowd is clearly inspired by The Smiths. I’ll leave it at that. They’ve got a knack for recreating that sound of moody-yet-dreamy love-lost while keeping the sounds upbeat and jangly and loaded with melodies. There are plenty of other bands that are much worse choices to draw heavy inspiration from, it’s just really out in front. This is an album that could have been made in 1986 and it’s actually kind of refreshing to hear it played so unabashedly tight to the time. The C86 sound has been a fairly popular touchstone in recent years with lo-fi indie bands embracing the sound wholeheartedly, but rarely has it sounded so purely from that time. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of The Smiths (or Morrissey), Orange Juice, or Belle & Sebastian. 

(stream) Over the Bluffs EP by The Holiday Crowd (via Soundcloud)

Burning Hearts: Burn Burn Burn

“Burn, Burn, Burn” by Burning Hearts // Extinctions (2012)

Following the release of last year’s excellent, Into the Wilderness EP (whose title track featured prominently on my favorites of the year list), Burning Hearts are back with a forthcoming full length, Extinctions (out Feb. 1st on Solina Records). The first single is “Burn, Burn, Burn” and it’s a killer track. An eerie synth line carries the haunting vocals through tempo and stylistic shifts, swaying from an atmospheric dream pop track to electronic folk vibe seamlessly. It’s a stellar jam from a band to watch. Highly recommended for fans of Still Corners, Belle and Sebastian, and Memoryhouse. 

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Heart In Your Heartbreak

the pains of being pure at heart - HEART IN YOUR HEARTBREAK

I don’t know if it’s actually possible to cram the word “heart” into a title/band name more than this, but i’m pretty sure dream poppers (twee as fuck) TPOBPAT are up for the challenge. Here the are with a new single that’s catchy and happy while being sad bastardy like all their best stuff. Somewhere in an alternate universe Stuart Murdoch wrote this in 1999.