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”

 

 

Lisbon - Vice

 

 

1.    Who are these whippersnappers?

Lisbon are an alternative pop band from Newcastle, England. Playing together since 2012. Lisbon have a short player in the bank and a handful of singles. Vice (Feb’16) is a stand alone single.


2. What's on offer? 

Vice is a slinky, funky, big pop number sure to shake arses and with bright lashes of noodling lead guitar.


3. Who do Lisbon sound like?

The 1975 and White.


4. What do the bandits in the press have to say about Vice?

“Upbeat indie pop, a proper bouncy gem” – It’s All Indie.

“Staggeringly catchy” – Wonky Sensitive.

“Follows the same anthemic path” – We Are Going Solo.

 

5. Which bands have put the sparkle into Lisbon’s pop?

Lisbon have big upped bands like Foals, Little Comets, Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson, Snake Hips, FKJ, Bon Iver, Bon Iver, Tame Impala, Bombay Bicycle Club and Wolf Alice.

 
6. Why should I give Vice a taste?

The lead guitar kicks off Vice and the melody has more hook and addiction than a Thai fishing trawler. Vice is addictive indie pop with funky spangles.


7. Do Lisbon have any more bangers?

Vice is the one that crushes it.


8. More words?

Lisbon said that, “‘Vice’ is about being young, drunk, in love, troubled, and crazy all at the same time. Lyrically I wanted the song to sound like a diary entry, like some sort of confession. When you’re under pressure and you start juggling all these vices, it makes a recipe for an incredibly fun disaster.”

Vice is produced by Dan Austin who has done nine to five for Doves, The Pixies and The Enemy.

Lisbon have been on the road in 2015 fluffing for Little Comets and Eliza and the Bear.

“You got me drinking ‘till I’m sober”

Cheers Elephant are a now defunct indie pop rock band from Philadephia who fought out of Southern California and played together from 2007 to 2016. Cheers Elephant have three magnum opuses. Airliner (2015) was a stand alone single and Indie Shuffle called it, “tight, clean, feel-good indie rock.” Pop Rock Record were sure it should be Cheers Elephant’s “break through single.” Airliner is an indie anthem.

“I’ve got no silver in my silver lining”

Shields - Alive

 

 

 

1. Who are these charismatic characters?

Shields come from the grim Geordie streets of Newcastle, England. Alive (Jan’16) comes springing off the indie pop band’s debut long player How Can We Fix This? (Feb’16).

2. What kind of tune is Alive?

A sprightly indie pop song with soaring vocals that fly above a lively drum track 90's indie style with modest input from the synths and able assistance from the guitars. Nice. It wouldn't offend the vicar if you had him over for tea and biscuits. It grows on you with repeated listens, to be fair, but the message is life affirming! If you need that.

3. Who do they Shields sound like?

Alive minds of a sugary I'm From Barcelona's Violins on account of the vocals and even The Rotaries Town Light, a New York band true, but that tune has a Northern English sound.

Shields have been mentioned as having similarities to the likes of The Futureheads, Maximo Park, Everything Everything, Zoot Woman and Friendly Fire by The Guardian.

4. What do the press have to say?

Louder Than War were enthusiastic calling Alive, “a real alt-pop gem,” with “an incredibly catchy guitar hook,” and gushed that the band are “on the cusp of something great.” Consequence of Sound were brief “a bouncy number.” Never Enough Notes highlighted the “bright alt-pop sound” and Killer Pony Tail were effusive big upping the tunes, “rhythmic acrobatics, interweaving guitar work and harmonies,” and taking note of “a pretty positive underlying message of the importance of striving for your goals in the face of adversity.” 

On the topic of the new album How Can We Fix This? the good word was provided by The Guardian who pronounced it,“Slick, soaring electropop with a candy coating designed to give you a sugar high,” and “casually adept, fast yet funkily sublime.” Not content they summarised that the debut long player as, “Full of murderously effective, polished pop.”

 

5. Who are Shields influenced by?

Bands that put the shine in their light are Everything Everything, Tune-Yards and The Dirty Projectors. They have admitted to listening to Field Music, Radiohead, Givers, Beach House, Battles, Elbow, Pink Floyd and Arcade Fire. Shields have confessed to having some love for Led Zeppelin, Yes, The Beach Boys and The Police.
 

6. Why should I listen to Alive?

A universal message of fighting the man resonants in the heart of every indie beast. I mean straining to attain your dreams. Sweet indie pop that wouldn't have sounded out of place in the 90's English indie pop catalogue but also bridges across from that to sunshine drenched optimism of west coast American synth pop.

7. Do Shields have any other good tunes?

Their big hit, and worthy of the status, is Mezzanine. Next best, and with a little ska-esque guitar, is All I Know. After that you have got the controls.

8. Anything else?

Indeed. How Do We Fix This? was produced by Adrian Bushby who has done grind for Muse, Foo Fighters, My Bloody Valentine and Everything Everything.

The bands videos for Mezzanine and Alive got a lot of press attention.
 

“It’s more than words alone convey,
It’s more to me than you can see,
It’s bigger than the world to me”

 

 

The dodgy double dip is courtesy of Shield’s musical influences today. This is Ice Cream (2011) by the experimental New York rock band Battles.