Sunday, September 15, 2013

Discoverer 70: new indie findings

The "jet-lag week" ends with a new round of indie proposals for your listening pleasure!

The Proper Ornaments. Indispensable name here. Veronica Falls guitarist James Hoare and Argentinian Max Clapps met in 2005 in... not your average story: Claps’ kleptomaniac girlfriend asked him to distract Hoare, then a shoe shop assistant from a vintage shop in Notting Hill that was reading a book on The Velvet Underground. That's how their friendship began... Five years of writing occasional songs while their lives had several up and downs until in 2010 they begin playing shows and released debut 7" "Recalling/Are You Going Blind?" on Make A Mess Records, followed in 2011 by an eponymous EP on No Pain In Pop. Finally, after the advanced same titled single, debut album "Waiting For The Summer" has arrived. Sun-soaked indiepop, hazy and narcotic, the impossible collision of C86 and the 60s West Coast. A MUST.

Chalk and Numbers. Another duo, Sable Young and Andrew Pierce, this time from New York, that met online in 2011when the latter randomly checked Sable's demos on her page and asked her about the possibility of recording together. In a matter of months they debuted with the six songs EP "He Knew" in 2012, followed by the Christmas single "Happiness this Time of the Year". Another EP, "Parade", out since March, completes the reduced but delicious career of the combo to date, a joyous vindication of retro pop, 60s girl groups and pop classics. Think on She and Him, or Cults embedded on Dusty Springfield. Very hard to resist.

The Swapsies. This quartet hails from Liverpool and started around in 2011. "The Swapsies EP" was their debut that same year, and now the great February Records has just released the CD single (please buy the lovely soccer physical copy!) "Another Game on Saturday/A Fleeting Summer". Modestly understating themselves as a "shy band trying their best to make friendly music", this is not just friendly. This is a little dose of the best euphoric pop since The Housemartins! Or when Belle and Sebastian could make your cheer up on your worst day! Plus, their addictive songs have ridiculously catchy vocal harmonies, football and handclapping! You have a new hooligan Swapsies.

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