The Smittens - The Coolest Thing About Love

Cello cover of Chisel's "Citizen of Venus", requested as a Kickstarter reward.

Citizen Of Venus (Chisel cover)

1st single from our new album, Cruel Runnings, out now!
Order it here: smarturl.it/0xlhv1

Get it on iTunes!

Swimming Pool Blues

The 3rd single from our new album, Cruel Runnings, out now!
Order the album on iTunes: http://smarturl.it/0xlhv1


Album Pre-Order!

Used To Be The Shit

“They craft bittersweet indie pop” Neon Filler
“twee pop in the best possible way – jolly, carefree and full of character” Shout4Music
“each and every song they write is a rampant musical pleasure – they could force a smile on the sourest face” Bearded Magazine

Love Record Breaker is a transitionary record for Burlington, Vermont’s The Smittens. 
They’ve grown to a 6 piece with the incorporation of New York soap maker Missy Bly, who having made a guest appearance on their previous LP, Believe Me, contributes the title track here and appears throughout the 8 tracks on vocals, providing a melodically fuller sound. It’s also the last record from The Smittens to feature Dana Kaplan’s vocals pre-transition and pre-testosterone, prior to his new voice and new vocal arrangements.

This is the most forward album from The Smittens so far: sluts, whores, dead pets, not wanting to live and a rather explicit discussion of indie politics all feature as part of this record. It includes a cover of US folk duo Indigo Girls’ Closer To Fine, a homage to their queer forebears as well as their geeky pasts; The Smittens describe the original as an “80s lesbian campfire anthem”.

The title track, Love Record Breaker, was written as a response to a friend’s cold hearted Conquistadorian conquests around town, from the perspective of someone who had been through his conveyor belt of gal pals. “I wanted to convey the anger and frustration that happens in that situation, but keeping a sense of dignity despite feeling like a slut in a long line of ‘sluts’ in waiting”.

This is also a record that has taken The Smittens back to their roots, completing the circle. Writing the track These Lips returned them to their collaborative and improvisational past, not as simple as it used to be with members now living in Philadelphia and New York. Growing from a jam about a lip infection preventing Dana from kissing his partner, The Smittens twisted and turned the meaning into something far saucier, implicating both the narrator and the listener.

Closing the album is a remix of These Days from Death Team’s Johen Rafael Tilli, a Swedish producer The Smittens met on a cruise ship in the Baltic Sea: “I wanted to create a sound that could combine Scandinavian queerness with Moog syntheziers, but at the same time breathe a sense of expectation”.

The album was recorded by The Smittens at Twee Valley Manor and mixed by Gary Olson (The Ladybug Transistor) at his Marlborough Farms Studio in Brooklyn, NY.

Love Record Breaker comes on 10” black vinyl in one of 6 different hand screenprinted sleeves, each hand numbered.

The Smittens are friends first and open-hearted indiepop revolutionaries after that. 
Max Andrucki, Dana Kaplan, Colin Clary, Missy Bly, Holly Chagnon and David Zacharis switch up instruments, song-writing, and singing to create catchy, harmony-driven twee ballads, pop anthems, and queer love songs. Always brilliantly lyrical, and often brazenly political.

The Smittens - Love Record Breaker

From the album Man-Made, vinyl reissue out August 5, 2014 on Merge Records.
http://www.mergerecords.com/man-made-reissue
http://www.mergerecords.com/teenage-fanclub-reissues-bundle

Man-Made (Deluxe)

Order the Vinyl now

Teenage Fanclub "It's All in My Mind"

From the album Shadows, vinyl reissue out August 5, 2014 on Merge Records.
http://www.mergerecords.com/shadows-reissue
http://www.mergerecords.com/teenage-fanclub-reissues-bundle

Shadows (Deluxe)

Teenage Fanclub "Baby Lee"

Gumdrops

Baby, Don't You Know

C'mon! (When The Grass Grows T

11:11

Half My Heart Beats

The Interstate

Released 4.12.17 on ltd edition postcard. Grab one here:
http://artishardrecords.limitedrun.com/artists/postcardclub

Likely familiar to anyone who wears their heart on their cardigan, Laura K forms part of Fortuna Pop'sters Tigercats. In her spare time she also plays in Jean K, Ski Saigon, Mikey Collins as well as finding moments to work on her own material. 'Apologise' is the result of some of that spare time. Though it kicks off like a Casio keyboard demo, by the minute mark it has slowly built into a swelling pop song.

Of the track Laura says "the song is about being insecure and anxious in a relationship; having negative thought patterns - not knowing if problems are real or in your head...classic! It’s also about not being sorry for your feelings."

The single is out on Postcard and digital download from Monday 4th December. The artwork was created by David Zacharis of the Smittens.

The Postcard Club

Laura K - Apologise

Reached the limit, download link @ https://www.facebook.com/iamWAXNOSTALGIC

Local Natives - Who Knows Who Cares (Wax Nostalgic Remix)

First single of the album Azure Blue - Beyond the Dreams There's Infinite Doubt. April 12, 2013. Copyright Hybris and Warner Chappell Scandinavia. All rights reserved.
http://azureblue.se

Selected media:
http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/new-music/song-of-the-day/listen-azure-blue-the-road-i-know-best-fit-premiere-123175
http://www.thefader.com/2013/04/12/stream-azure-blue-f-julia-vero-the-road-i-know/
http://www.prefixmag.com/news/swedens-azure-blue-releases-new-single-the-road-i-/73404/
http://jajajamusic.com/2013/04/listen-azure-blue-the-road-i-know-ft-julia-vero/
http://www.djungeltrumman.se/queclub/post/Azure_BlueThe_road_i_know_feat_Julia_Vero
http://gaffa.se/nyhet/71363
http://www.lucyvstheglobe.com/azure-blue-sexy-motorbike-vibes-casual/
http://nordicbynatureberlin.blogspot.se/2013/04/azure-blue-road-i-know-feat-julia-vero.html
http://swedeandsour.tumblr.com/post/47764809423/azure-blue-the-road-i-know-feat-julia-vero
http://gehitmusiken.com/2013/04/12/basta-nya-lat-azure-blue-the-road-i-know-feat-julia-vero/
http://desmondinatutu.se/2013/04/12/lyssna-the-road-i-know-–-ny-singel-med-azure-blue/
http://ruledbysound.com/azure-blue-the-road/

Labels and formats:
Hybris Records, Scandinavia: CD, digital and LP* (out October 2nd, 2013)
hybr.is
Matinée Recordings, USA: CD and digital (out October 8, 2013)
matineerecordings.com
Fika Recordings, UK: LP with download code (out September 30th, 2013)
fikarecordings.com
Anna Logue Records, Germany: Double LP of both albums (out October 25th, 2013)
www.annaloguerecords.com

The Road I Know (featuring Julia Vero)

Bring Me Home (demo)

Umm, I think we might have just became best friends. 

Gumdrops

The Smittens

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