Choices Of The Grasshopper January 2021

Somewhere To Go

Owl & Mouse - Terrible Things

Having already released 2 of the best albums of 2014 (Gin on Fika Recordings, and Boom Biddy Boom on wiaiwya) Stanley Brinks and Freschard are releasing Pizza Espresso - an album of duets, and a collaboration between both labels – at the end of August. 

Pizza Espresso is an album of love songs about drinking and drinking songs about love. Picture Emmylou and Gram relocated to Berlin with a guitar, a pennywhistle and a washboard and writing ten gorgeous duets to be sung on lazy summer evenings. 

“if you have time, and nothing on your mind, why, i’m free, for you and me” 

Stanley Brinks began performing officially as André Herman Düne in 1999, sharing lead vocals, guitar playing and songwriting with his brother David in the band Herman Düne for a number of years. They released several albums and toured extensively in UK, gaining and owing a lot to great support from John Peel. He has used many monikers for various side-projects, but since leaving Herman Düne in 2006, he has been known solely as Stanley Brinks. 
Born in Paris, Stan has been living between New York, San Francisco, Malta and Berlin for about a decade, always on the move. He has recorded more than 100 albums, collaborated with the New York Antifolk scene on several occasions, recorded and toured with traditional Norwegian musicians, and played a lot with The Wave Pictures. 

Freschard grew up in a farm in French Burgundy. Aged 18 she moved to Paris, where she baked pies and cakes in a cafe. There, a local musician and regular customer called Stanley Brinks wrote a few songs for her to sing. Homeless in Paris, she saved up just enough money to get herself a ticket to New York. There she found an old electric guitar and started writing her own songs. In 2004 she moved to Berlin, where she recorded her first LP, "Alien Duck". Her second album, "Click Click", recorded in 2006, features electric guitar by Stanley Brinks. On her third album, she plays the drums herself. On her fourth “Shh...” she also plays the flute. For this year’s “Boom Biddy Boom” she also plays the washboard. 

Stanley Brinks and Freschard will be touring the UK for 2 weeks in August (joined by The Wave Pictures as their backing band), including appearances at the Green Man Festival in Wales.

Stanley Brinks & Freschard - If You Have Time

“Marshmallow-fed, mathematically inclined indie-pop.”  - Drowned In Sound

“This is what I want a modern pop song to sound like.” - Louder Than War


Cosines are a mathematical pop band from north London. Simon Nelson and Alice Hubley met on the London Underground after a Stereo Totale gig in 2009; two days later Simon was at Alice's house unblocking her kitchen drain. Since then Simon has been round and put up two curtain rails, a blind and a shelf.

This unlikely meeting got them talking and once the DIY was done they started making music together, fusing metronomic pop sensibilities, 60's grooves and Krautrock noise. Their line-up was by completed Daniel Chapman and The Late Jonny Drums, from Alice's previous band The Loves, and Kajsa Tretow from A Smile And A Ribbon.

Cosines played their first show in April 2012 and since then have performed with Comet Gain, Seapony, The Pooh Sticks and Flowers, and also at the Indietracks Festival.

‘Oscillations’ charts the ups and downs, the instability of relationships, misguided hook-ups and ‘subsequent break-ups.

The matter-of-fact blunt Yorkshire stylings of songwriter Alice Hubley’s lyrics tell it like it is, and the resulting tone is one of relief more than sadness. Simon Nelson’s songwriting contributions to the album - Lookout Mountain Drive and Stalemate - compliment Hubley’s songs perfectly and bring a second perspective to the scene.   Peppered with luscious synth tones this is music for modern happy robots.

The album was recorded and produced by the band in Wood Green at Simon’s own Klank Studio, using a variety of instruments and electronic trickery including marimba, autoharp, theremin and cranky old Moog and Roland synths. The album features guest turns from spiritual members Gabe Saucedo (Still Flyin’, Red Pony Clock) and Gary Olson (The Ladybug Transistor), who phoned in their recordings from across the pond.

As a band Cosines are constantly trying to find the perfect meeting point between clean synths and fuzz guitars. Though their lineage and history presents them as indie pop, they bring new wave, avant-garde 60’s pop and synthentic Krautpop to the mix, creating a sound all their own. A brilliant mélange of the likes of Love, United States of America and Stereolab.

The album begins with live favourite Out of the Fire. Its repetitive synth riffs, pulsating rhythm and crunchy guitars reveal a song which perfectly encapsulates the band and sets the tone for the album.

Nothing More Than a Feeling is pop disco anthem from a feisty girl’s perspective, about fraternisations which are never meant to go anywhere.

Pop-in-court plays out like a 70’s TV theme, with call and response synth lines weaving around a metronomic drum beat and Gabe’s marimbas.

Stalemate is a fuzzed up duet about the end of a relationship in middle management executive speak.

‘Oscillations’ closes with Our Ghosts, the epic torch song of the album, showing an entirely different side to the band. New Order-esque synth strings float over thick fuzz and Spector drums.

The album sleeve features the Legendre Polynomials, a sequence of solutions to an equation created by 17th century French mathematician Adrien-Marie Legendre.  He is one of 72 names inscribed on the Eiffel Tower and has a moon crater named after him.

Cosines - Out Of The Fire

“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

Taken from the album "Chorus." Out now on Slumberland Records.

Order LP/CD: http://slumberlandrecords.com/catalog/show/273
Order from iTunes: http://smarturl.it/chorus-itunes

Philadelphia, PA’s Literature features Kevin Attics, Nathaniel Cardaci, Chris Schackerman, and Seth Whaland. Attics, who’d written for numerous music trades as a teen, met Cardaci and Whaland at the house venue they both operated in Austin, TX. Cardaci and Whaland each ran small imprint labels and, a million adventures later, the trio decided to form a band. Upon moving to Philadelphia the group befriended Schackerman who also joined the fold. 

In 2012, following a well-received single and a track on Gerard Cosloy’s “Casual Victim Pile II” compilation they released their debut album, "Arab Spring," which became a cult hit within the indiepop community. That album is sharp and immediate, almost mod-ish in its attack, but always tuneful and going for melody where it counts. They toured the US in support, and have performed with the likes of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Eternal Summers, Ted Leo, Sic Alps, White Fence, Gentlemen Jesse, Hospitality, and Brown Recluse. They also appeared on Terre T's Cherry Blossom Clinic.

In 2013 they released a follow-up 7”, “Tie Dye” and contributed a track to Esopus Magazine alongside artists like Jens Lekman and The Shins. They also played at that year’s NYC Popfest, which helped cement the buzz that was steadily growing amongst savvy pop fans. "Arab Spring" was treated to a re-mastered re-press, which followed the first pressing and quickly sold out.

Autumn of 2013 saw the band begin work on their second album, "Chorus," with lauded engineer Gary Olson (whose body of work includes records by Crystal Stilts, Mad Scene and The Beets) at his Marlborough Farms studio in Brooklyn, NY. As a beautiful autumn turned into one of the harshest winters in recent memory, Olson and the band began stretching out, enhancing the album with studio techniques dating back to the late 60s including true-tape flanging, sending vocals through Leslie speaker cabinets, and the same analog style of automatic double-tracking created at Abbey Road Studios.

The result is an album that is as immediate as it is timeless, full of effortlessly catchy and well-crafted tunes that echo pop legends like Smiths and Orange Juice. All of that time in the studio has resulted in a rich, considered sound that puts the band's arranging and playing front and center. "Chorus" is one of the most exciting pop records in years, and marks Literature at true contenders.

Literature - New Jacket

Allo Darlin’ are set to release their eagerly awaited new album "We Come From the Same Place" this October. The third full-length recording from the much loved Anglo-Australian four-piece is made up of smart, beautiful pop music, with lyrics that resonate with experience and melodies that chime, echo and soar.

The album combines the eagerness, urgency and immediacy of their 2010 self-titled debut with the contemplation, sophistication and ambition of their 2012 follow-up "Europe," and yet it goes beyond either both sonically and in the songs. It was written at a time of considerable change for songwriter Elizabeth Morris, a time during which she fell in love, moved to Italy and got married - not that that seems to have hindered the songwriting process, as Elizabeth explains, "So many things have happened since I first wrote the songs that make up this album, it's difficult to remember back to where it all began. The songs were written very quickly, during a period when I found writing songs very easy, whereas I often find songwriting very difficult. Some of the songs were written so fast I can't even really remember writing them. The songs were a joy to write, and writing them made me feel better about lots of things."

If the songs came quickly the recording of the album was a more considered process, with the band first testing out the new material at a series of small shows – christened the Compass Shows – in North, South, East and West London. They then returned to their spiritual home of Soup Studios, where they recorded their first album, to work with their long-term collaborator, producer Simon Trought. The intention was to capture a more instinctive and fluid live studio sound and to play as well as possible while the red button was on, a different approach to the more piecemeal recording of their previous two albums. Or as Paul Rains put it, "We've used three years of touring to try and get some of that sweat and grime and togetherness and sweetness and anxiety onto a record."

One of the themes of the new record is new beginnings and things drawing to a close. "Nothing feels the way it did before and I am grateful for that", sings Elizabeth on "Crickets in the Rain", a song written after her move to Italy and which she describes as "anti-nostalgia". Built along the same lines is the gorgeous "History Lessons", of which Elizabeth says, "I guess at some point I became a bit tired of everything seeming better in the past, from music to relationships to buildings to societies. We're a bit obsessed with it and it can become overwhelming. We don't live in the present. This song is trying to express that frustration."

Among the highlights of the album is "Bright Eyes", a duet with guitarist Paul Rains. Elizabeth again, "I wanted to write another duet, but the only problem with doing that is that when you play live it's very rare that the person you recorded it with can be there. So I thought it would be great to write a song with Paul singing the other part. I love Paul's singing and I wanted to hear him do it more, so it's quite selfish really!" Another standout is the Twin Peaks-referencing "Half-Heart Necklace", based on a true story from Elizabeth’s hometown. "There had been some murders, and this girl who was my age was missing and presumed killed. It turned out she had been hiding for years in her boyfriend's cupboard, and she was charged for wasting police time". 
 
Other notable tracks include the rollicking "Kings and Queens", inspired by a show they played in the USA with their friends and kindred spirits The Wave Pictures, and "Romance and Adventure", originally earmarked for a film soundtrack and written in response to a challenge from Paul to write a pop song in a minor key. Bass player Bill Botting sums up Elizabeth’s remarkable songwriting ability by saying, "The key to Elizabeth’s songwriting appeal is that she’s so adept at pinpointing certain ideas and moods; leaving one city and finding a new one and realising that beginnings and endings have a lot in common."

Allo Darlin’ were formed after Australian Elizabeth Morris arrived in London and bought a ukulele from the Duke of Uke shop in Shoreditch. She began writing music and was soon joined by fellow Australian Bill Botting (bass), Paul Rains (guitar), and Michael Collins (drums).  Their debut album attracted many plaudits including being named No. 2 record of the year by online retailer eMusic, and a glowing 1,200 word essay by Robert Forster of The Go-Betweens in the Australian critical magazine, The Monthly. Their second album "Europe" scored 8.1 on Pitchfork, was made USA Today’s Album Of The Week, and garnered praise from Uncut, Q, NME, The Quietus and The Guardian. It was also named Rough Trade Shop’s Album Of The Month, where it went on to become the biggest selling album of the year. The band have been playlisted at BBC 6Music and have recorded sessions for Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley and John Kennedy (XFM), as well being Steve Lamacq’s personal pick for BBC Introducing. Their releases to date, along with their joyous and effervescent live shows, have seen them build an intensely loyal and ever-increasing fanbase.

The truism is that third albums are difficult beasts, but by remaining true to themselves Allo Darlin’ have side-stepped the pitfalls to produce a wonderful record - thoughtful and exciting and exquisitely played – that will please their existing army of fans and newcomers alike. On first reading the album’s title may seem enigmatic, but from the very personal nature of Elizabeth Morris’ finely drawn vignettes to the more universal connections between the band and their audience, its meaning will be obvious to all who fall under the spell of this magical band.

"Breezy rom-pop brilliance." 8/10, NME

"Classic indie pop... doesn't rewrite the formula for wistful bedsit charm as much as show that it can still be carried out masterfully." Pitchfork

"A masterclass of modern cult pop." The Guardian

"Terrific, witty and heartfelt, like a less moody Belle & Sebastian." The New York Times


Allo Darlin' - Romance And Adventure

Taken from the forthcoming 10-track 'Meet Me In The Silence' album.  

Seabirds - Independent Horses

Out on Fika Recordings on May 12th, 2016, on limited edition 7" and digital.
Written by Johan Agebjörn & Roger Gunnarsson. Produced by Johan Agebjörn, co-produced by Mitch Murder.

If You Ever Wanna Change Your Mind [co-produced by Mitch Murder]

Emotion feat. Wild Nothing

The meaning behind this song is something I've chosen to remain a mystery. Being a music artist in 2021, we’re encouraged to share every little detail about our lives with our audience. While this has opened up many opportunities for artists to have unique and personal interactions with fans - something which we encourage and take full advantage of in Crystal Cities - there are some things that perhaps should be kept to ourselves in order to set boundaries and protect and respect the privacy of other people... In this instance, I want the context of this song to be left up to the listener’s own interpretation.

- Geoff

Hold Me Close Hold Me Tight

Jenny, How Were We to Know?

Jenny, How Were We To Know?

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Lose Your Head

Kalamazoo Knabino

https://kaitak.bandcamp.com
https://draagdraag.bandcamp.com

Jalen Rose (feat. Draag) - Demo

Moment Passed is the second single from Scottish folk-pop collective Randolph’s Leap’s forthcoming album Spirit Level.

“Moment Passed is basically about stress. I wasn't taking proper care of my physical or mental health and the lyrics are a mixture of wanting to change things in my life but simultaneously worrying I was too late. The original demo had deliberately over-the-top autotune on my voice which didn't go down well with the rest of the band [but it did prove the catalyst for my A.R. Pinewood robo-country spinoff album]! We threw a lot at the mix on this one. Pete played glass bottle percussion and everything. Oh, and there's nothing cooler than a cha-cha-cha ending.”

Spirit Level is an upbeat, melodic indie-pop album full of personality, catchy hooks and memorable lyrics, rich in textural, polyphonic arrangements, and capturing the infinite charm of Adam Ross, the leader of this 8-piece band.

As a core songwriter with a large ensemble, Adam Ross may draw comparison with Stephin Merritt or Neil Hannon, while mining the rich Scottish seam of Postcard Records and C86. And as with contemporaries King Creosote or Withered Hand, is unafraid of drawing on folk music’s story telling tradition, detailing the minutiae of life’s fluctuations, here packaged up in glorious, anthemic and energetic pop.

The titular ‘spirit level’ is a steady reference point over what had been an unsettled spell writing the album, with Adam Ross uprooting from a decade in Glasgow to a tauntingly lopsided house in rural Aberdeenshire, navigating his way through shifting phases in his well-being and happiness, and reflecting on the untimely death of two greatly admired acquaintances. That balancing act came in the form of music, in an optimistic, even celebratory, collection of songs.

Recorded over a period of a year in Glasgow with keyboard player Pete MacDonald engineering, mixing and producing the sessions at home, the album went off to mastering in the nick of time: the following night Pete’s flat went Up In Smoke in a massive fire, taking everything bar Pete (and his pet hedgehog, Frida) with it.

“The next generation of witty Scottish indie pop” The Quietus

“A band deserving of every shred of love and success which came Belle & Sebastian's way” The Scotsman

"The Jonathan Richman of Scottish indie" The Herald

Randolph’s Leap started out as a pseudonym for the solo output of Adam Ross, and now includes up to 8 people in the full live band. The debut Randolph’s Leap album, Clumsy Knot, came out in 2014, with another four live and studio albums and a handful of singles across labels Fence Collective, Olive Grove Records and Lost Map. In 2018 a touring theatre show called The Isle of Love was devised around the songs of Randolph’s Leap.

They’ve recorded several Marc Riley sessions, performed at Green Man, T in the Park, Indietracks, and The Edinburgh Fringe, and have toured with The Burning Hell and James Yorkston. 
The Randolph’s Leap name is taken from a scenic location on the River Findhorn.

Randolph’s Leap are Adam Ross (songs, vocals, guitar), Adam Armour-Florence (drums), Ali Hendry (trumpet), Andrew MacLellan (guitar), Fraser Gibson (trombone) Heather Fox (violin), Pete MacDonald (keyboards) and Vicki Cole (bass).

Moment Passed

Randolph's Leap - Moment Passed

Fika Recordings is a diy indie[pop] label run from London.


Randolph's Leap - Moment Passed

Fika Recordings

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