Andrew Bird - Puma

1.    Who is this lauded lord of tunes?

Andrew Bird is an indie folk rock musician from Lake Forest, Illinois. A multi-instrumentalist and prodigy he has been making music since 1996. Puma (Feb’16) is an album track off Andrew Bird’s tenth long player Are You Serious (April’16).

2. What’s he got?

Puma is a languid pop rock number with infectious melody in spades. It's got a bit of up the guts verve too.


3. Who does he sound like?

Puma sounds like a Belle and Sebastian tune. Comparisons to Paul Simon are out there.


4. What have the cut and paste bandits said about Puma?

“The most intricately composed thunder ever” – NPR.

“A sing-along sensiblity that is both georgeous and cathartic” – DIY.

“A bonafide rocker” – AV Club.

 

 

 

5. Who are Mr Birds influences?

 

Andrew Bird is influenced by classical music, jazz, British folk, bluegrass, swing and Calypso.

 

 

6. Why should I crank Puma up on the stereo?

 

Puma is a heartfelt song about Andrew Bird's wife's illness and that strength of feeling is conveyed on a tune that drifts away and bangs a bit in equal measure.

 

 

7. Does the venerable sir have any more good un's?

 

The first single from Are You Serious, Capsized, has a rocking groove.

 

 

8. Any more words?

 

Are You Serious has a track with a Fiona Apple collaboration, Left Handed Kisses.

 

 

“She was radioactive for seven days,

How I longed to be holding her anyways”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low Cut High Tops is multi-instrumentalist, producer and indie grunge pop rocker David Burns. Hailing from Seattle he released his stonking debut album Eh, Whatever (Jan'16) with a bevy of top notch singles including Raise Hell. Indie Shuffle compared Raise Hell to The White Stripes, The Japandroids and Wavves and big upped it's “punk rock bravado and garage rock cool.” Low Cut High Tops is the best thing in music this year and Raise Hell has a killer riff to lift the roof off any barn.

 

 

“And I will raise hell, oh yeah!” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Teleman - Dusseldorf

1.    Who are these chaps?

Teleman are an indie pop band from London, England. Started in 2012 they have two long players. Dusseldorf (Feb’16) is the second single from Teleman’s second long player Brilliant Sanity (April’16).
 

2. What have they got?

Dusseldorf is mellow indie pop rocker and a mite melancholy. Keyboards trade with guitar noodles and straight up riffs and it all winds up to a satisfying all in finale.

 

3. Who do Teleman sound like?

The vocals are similar to Martin Phillips of The Chills. Paste Magazine compared Teleman generally to Django Django, Supergrass and Belle and Sebastian.

4. What’s the word from the fourth estate?

“Brutalist pop feel” – Clash Music.

“Krautrock-esque” – Under The Radar.

“A brash assault of synth and guitars” – No More Work Horse.

 

 

5. Which bands have shaped Teleman’s sound?

The main Teleman influences are Roxy Music, Talking Heads, New Order, Kraftwerk and Franco Battiato.

6. Why should I press play on Dusseldorf?

You'd have to be some kind of special lazy not to. Post-punk. Melodic. Some people like that sort of thing. Guitars hold their own but. Even a proper lead break. OK proper is a stretch. Dusseldorf is really nice.


7. Do Teleman have any more nice songs?

Probably.


8. Any more words?

Brilliant Sanity is produced by Dan Carey who has worked for Hot Chip, Franz Ferdiand, Lily Allen, Bloc Party, Django Django and many more.

Teleman are supporting Belle and Sebastian at the Royal Hall in London (June 22^nd).

Dusseldorf was judiciously selected by Jonathan Hunt for his Indie Rock Playlist, (March'16).

“All alone on the carousal spinning away”

The Chills are an iconic indie pop band from Dunedin, New Zealand. They started in 1980 on the Flying Nun label and are still going strong. The Chills have five long players on their roll of honor. The band were poised for success in 1990 when their second album Submarine Bells hit number one on the back of the accurately named single Heavenly Pop Hit and the national tour to support the album ended in a triumphant hometown Town Hall concert. I was there. Pitchfork said Heavenly Pop Hit is “music so wonderful it’s no wonder no radio station dared touch it, it would have made nearly everything else sound bad by comparison.” Yeah the title was ironic which made it so special.

 

“Once we were damned now I guess we are angels”

 

 

Travis - 3 Miles High

1.   Who are they?

Travis are an indie pop rock band who have been sweetening peoples lives for over 20 years. They come from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland. They have had two UK number 1 albums, five top 10 singles, two Best British Band Brit Awards and they have sold over 8 million long players.

3 Miles High (Jan'16) is the second single that soars off their eighth long player Everything At Once (April'16).


2.   What kind of tune is 3 Miles High?

3 Miles High is an indie ballad with acoustic guitar, violins and vocals that kiss the angels feet. A sweet mood maker and a bad mood breaker.


3. Who do Travis sound like?

3 Miles High sounds like a Belle and Sebastian song. Well they are from the same city. Or a non-specific Coldplay song. Even The La's and James come to mind.

Travis are often compared with post-Britpop bands like The Verve, Snow Patrol, Coldplay and Elbow. They also have been compared with Keane, The Shins and The Fray. 


4. What's the good word from the press?

In a word, very little. Cut and paste jackals, they have no shame. Gigslutz came to the rescue here saying 3 Miles High is “a beautifully understated and uplifting acoustic track” and “overflows with conviction and confidence.”

Of the album Everything At Once they considered it “the sound of a band in it’s prime” and “pure unadulterated joy.”

5. Who are Travis' influences?

They named their original band after a Beatles song so, yeah, The Beatles. The band said back in the day they were influenced by Creedance Clearwater Revival, The Band, Pavement and Belle and Sebastian. Others have made mention of Simon and Garfunkel and Radiohead.


6.   Why should I listen to 3 Miles High?

Don't. Everything At Once rocks and is more original. But 3 Miles High is beautiful and emotive. The kind of tune some people call 'bed wetter's music'. If you like indie that's a banner of pride, like having a 'Twee As Fuck' T-shirt or being able to cry without shame. At the least you'll want it on your playlist to impress others with your soft side. 


7.   What other good tunes do Travis have?

Travis are most famous for Why Does It Always Rain On Me? and it is a lovely song. As mentioned don't go past Everything At Once and if you just must have more try Sing, it's a good 'un. 


8.   Anything else I should know?

The Norwegian singer Aurora put the backing vocals on 3 Miles High.

The new album was produced by Michael Ilbert, German producer who has put nose to grind for old 80’s bands like A Ha, Roxette and The Cardigans. More recently he put the shine on albums for Taylor Swift, The Hives, Supergrass and Tove Lo.

All the songs on Everything At Once hover around the magical three minute mark. The singer Fran Healy said,“ We have learnt to be frugal with our writing. You can say everything you want to say. You don’t need four minutes to do it.”

The band named themselves after the Harry Dean Stanton character Travis Henderson from the film Paris, Texas.

“Everyone has a wall to climb.”

Seconds is from Norwegian synth pop musician Aurora. She has her debut album due for release in March and Conqueror (Jan’16) is the best of a string of prior release singles. Powerful stuff.