Ms. John Soda is an electropop band from Weilheim (Germany). Their members are Stefanie Böhm (keyboards for Munich-based instrumental band Couch) singing, and Michael Acher (core member of The Notwist and Tied and Tickled Trio) the main composer and programmer of the songs. A side project of sorts, Ms. John Soda are Stefanie Böhm and Micha Acher, both part of the Weilheim/Landsberg scene (Bavaria) which has spawned albums by Lali Puna, The Notwist and Tied & Tickled Trio, amongst others on the Hausmusik and Morr Music labels. Micha Acher is an integral member of The Notwist, 13 & God, and Tied & Tickled Trio, while Stefanie Böhm plays keyboards with Munich-based instrumentalists Couch. Their first album No P. or D. was released in 2002 with their follow-up Notes and the Like being released in 2006.
On “Sun Come Undone”, their debut full length, Thrushes craft gorgeous noise pop and swirling dream rock. Opening with the cavernous drumming of “Aidan Quinn” into the revved-up, fuzzed out Jesus And Mary Chain-esque “Heartbeats,” and carried through the nods to Deadcan Dance in “Loyalty” and haunted claps of guitar thunder on “Ghost Train,” to the final feedback soaked fallout of “The Hardest Part,” this is the sound of blood on blood. “Sun Come Undone” was released on March 13, 2007 on Birdnote Records.Guitarist Casey Harvey had been pestering Rachel Tracy about forming a band for years. She finally relented in the summer of 2005, agreeing to play bass, and they recruited vocalist/guitarist Anna Conner during a pickup baseball game and drummer Matt Davis shortly thereafter. Having cut their teeth in the formative Baltimore all-ages indie scene of the mid-nineties, they were itching to make meaningful music again. Several practice sessions in, they realized there was real chemistry and Thrushes was born.*Ryan Sterner replaced Matt Davis on drums in September, 2007
Stars is a Canadian progressive indie pop band. Originally formed in Toronto in 2000 by vocalist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman, the band relocated to New York City and then subsequently to Montreal.
The band also includes singer-guitarist Amy Millan and bassist Evan Cranley. Drummer Pat McGee has toured with the band for years, despite not appearing on their albums until the release of Set Yourself On Fire. Violinist Genevieve Walker and guitarist Steve Ramsey (of Young Galaxy) have toured with the band in the past; neither are joining the band on their current tour, which features Alan Snoddy on guitar.
The band's breakthrough single was "Ageless Beauty", from their 2004 album Set Yourself on Fire. While released to minimal fanfare in Canada in October of 2004, Set Yourself on Fire slowly gained a strong following and critical praise soon after its 8 March 2005 U.S. release.
Millan, Campbell and Cranley are also members of the indie band Broken Social Scene; Seligman, although uncredited, has contributed to past Broken Social Scene albums. Millan has since embarked on a solo career, releasing a record entitled "Honey From the Tombs" in July 2006. Campbell has a side-project with friend Chris Dumont entitled Memphis; their latest album, A Little Place In the Wilderness, was released in August 2006.
On their website, they have noted that their name was chosen, by coincidence, without prior knowledge of the short-lived project by Syd Barrett. They have cited a wide variety of musical likes and influences ranging from Berlioz to Outkast, citing among others Barrett, Paddy McAloon, New Order, The Smiths, Brian Wilson, Momus, and Broken Social Scene. They covered The Smiths' "This Charming Man" on 2001's Nightsongs and The Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" in 2005. Other indie artists have been guest collaborators on many of their tracks, especially for an early period including the release of their first LP.
Aberdeen with their danceable Indie pop styling that remained heartfelt at the same time, the three-piece of Aberdeen brought on their warm, minimal innocence to their native of North Hollywood, CA. With the lineup consisting of John (guitar/drum programming), Jenni (guitar/keyboard/vocals), and Beth Arzy (vocals/bass) providing a lyrical bliss of rainy days, Sarah Records first captured Aberdeen's sound on the 1994 single Byron. But following the 1995 release of their second EP Snapdragon, the trio called it quits with Beth eventually moving on to form Casino Ashtrays. As time went by, Beth and John came back together and started recording in the spring of 2002 with former Mighty Lemon Drop David Newton, resulting in the full length Homesick and Happy to Be Here. Singles The Boy Has Gone Away and Florida followed several years later. Aberdeen broke up in 2005 as their members drifted to other projects. Lead singer Beth Arzy has also been a a member of Trembling Blue Stars since 2000.
Colour Kane are one of the new breed of dream popsters following on from the genre’s masters, the Cocteau Twins. Colour Kane is lush cascading guitars and sweet soaring vocals propelled by driving bass and electronic beats. The band’s music draws a wonderful arc that both defines and divides melancholy and bliss. Where so much dream pop is described through aesthetic alone, Colour Kane radiate atmosphere and shifted emotion wrapped in jewelled blankets and honey gauze.
The band developed from the seeds of the Abricot project, comprising Belgian music scene veterans Bruno Kimpe and Joeri Gydé. The pair teamed up with vocalist Marjan Snykers and Colour Kane was borne. The band’s music found Cocteau Twin, Robin Guthrie, who offered his support, ultimately leading to the band supporting Robin during his Lumière shows in Belgium. In addition Colour Kane’s debut album, “A Taste Of” features a Robin Guthrie remixed track.
Minipop was formed in 2004. They wasted little time, and by 2005, they self released and produced the Precious EP, which was met with generous blog buzz and hype spread through word of mouth. They have played with bands such as Metric, Tegan and Sara, Midlake, and Tokyo Police Club, performed at Noise Pop Festival, BFD Shoreline Festival, SXSW and garnered large support from tastemaker SF rock station, LIVE 105.3, which has played their single “Like I Do” in heavy rotation since its release in late 2006 and said they were "a band to watch" for 2007.
The release of "Like I Do" was around the time they finished recording the new full length album. With producer Chris Manning (Jellyfish) recording the band at a myriad of Bay Area locations, pre-artwork copies (with limited edition covers) have been sold at shows and through MySpace spawning interest in their sound. The album is entitled "A New Hope," and will be offcially released November 6 on Take Root Records.
Despite their name, Minipop has made an album of grandeur, a record of perfected star gazing pop tunes. In a city that celebrates this genre of indie pop with its annual Noise Pop Festival, it’s no surprise that Minipop has emerged from this scene. A band that has been kissed by the bay breeze and drenched by the California sun, Minipop follows in the grand tradition of reverb laden, crunchy guitars and wistful carefree vocals, albeit lead vocalist Tricia Kanne's come with a bit of languid haze. The band's lineup also features Lauren Grubb (drums), Matthew Swanson (guitar/keyboard), and Nick Forte (bass guitar).
Club 8 is a Swedish musical group consisting of Karolina Komstedt (from the band Poprace) and Johan Angergård (Acid House Kings, Poprace). Formed in 1995, they were immediately signed to the Spanish record label Siesta. They released a single called "Me Too" and an album called Nouvelle on Siesta before deciding to move on to other labels. The sound at this point could almost be categorised as anorak pop with influences from Sarah bands, Jim Ruiz and The Smiths.
In 1998, their second album The Friend I Once Had and the single "Missing You" were released. "Missing you" become a club and radio hit in Spain and somewhat of a college radio favorite in the US. The band started playing live. Their first gig was in New York at a March Records CMJ event in 1999. Their sound had by now developed into a more bossa nova and dance oriented one.
Striving for constant change and improvements the band once again changed musical direction on their third and self-titled album in 2001. Club 8 is a beautifully laid back album. Almost a chill out album, though it was more compared to Portishead and Air and called a triphop album at its release.
In the autumn of 2001, the band locked themselves in the famous Summersound Studios; writing songs and experimenting with different sounds. Dub, C-86, triphop, chill out, 80's and bossa nova are all mixed up here, but without ever losing focus on those wonderfully Scandinavian and melancholic pop melodies. The album was named Spring Came, Rain Fell and was released in the year of 2002.
In 2002, Club 8 started working on a follow up for Spring Came, Rain Fell. The result, Strangely Beautiful, peaked at number 18 on the CMJ charts in the US. For the first time since 1999, the band released a single from the album and a corresponding video. Backed by five exclusive tracks, the song "Saturday Night Engine" was released as a single in the spring of 2003. The video made it to number 16 on the Up North chart on MTV Nordic.
After "Strangely Beautiful" Johan Angergård formed The Legends and recorded 3 albums from 2004-2006 and recorded another Acid House Kings album in 2005. After being on hiatus since 2003 Club 8 finally released their 6th album The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming on Labrador in 2007.
