It’s not that strange that I immediately took a liking of Christmas Fuller Project‘s  new EP Green & Lonely. After a quick look at their myspace site, I saw that the Arkansas band had listed bands such as Arcade Fire, Wilco, The Beatles and Death Cab For Cutie as major influences, and I have to tell you; those are practically all my favourite bands. That being said, it is not as if a band have to be good  just because they know their music history and likes great bands (such as myself, obviously). But Christmas Fuller Project is indeed a great band, a great indie band actually.

To me, their sound is what truly defines indie music. The band themselves says they sound like melodic pop music with a few wrinkles of experimentation, and I couldn’t agree more.

Green & Lonely consist of five tracks. The first track is called Referencing Frost, and it is the strongest track on the EP. I think it’s a song about loneliness, but it actually sounds quite cheerful. I mentioned that one of  Christmas Fuller Project‘s influence is Death Cab For Cutie, and I hate to say it, but sometimes the band sounds too much like Death Cab.. On the song Airports singer Brandon George sounds so much like Benjamin Gibbard (Death Cab...) that I had to check if it really was George, not Gibbard singing. That being said, I recommend them anyway. I think it will do you good, walking outside in the autumn rain, listening to Christmas Fuller Project.  I think their music reflects true happiness, and that happiness is truly contagious.

I’ve been waiting for a proper full-length debut from The Hillfields for some time now, after enjoying their “a visit”-ep, their cloudberry-single and the song they had on our own “A Good Crop”-compilation. Now it’s ready, “it’ll never be the same again”, officially released on Underused Records on 5. October.

When I first listened to the album, the powerful opening track “Down on you” really stunned me. I wasn’t ready for this, and I was hit with my guards down. I knew they were good, but I really hadn’t expected to be met by a sound, production, warmth and quality like this, – I had never heard the Hillfields sound THIS good. After several listens, this song is not even close to being a favourite of mine on the album. It’s good, but there are much better songs on it.

The Hillfields’ debut is full of really good indiepop songs with clear influences from British indie from the mid 80s. Their highly melodic and slightly melancholic songs remind me of bands like The Mighty Lemondrops, Close Lobsters, The House of Love and sometimes Echo and The Bunnymen. I had expected a more fuzzy and jangly sound on this debut, but their warm, delicate and quite clean sound on the album suits the band perfectly. I’m especially impressed by Rob Boyd’s strong vocals.

“It’ll never be the same again” has songs that you will remember after one listen. These are perfect pop songs with verses and choruses that make you want to listen again and again.  One example is “No more no more”, a song that gets into my head and refuses to leave. I often find songs like that annoying after a while, but this one is really nice to have stuck on repeat in my head. Actually, I want to listen to it again right now ([pressing play]). Other favourites are “Lolife” with a killer chorus, and the brilliant “(This might be) Antifolk”. The single “Afterburn”, which is available on itunes now, is also a good one.

Those of you who have followed the band for some time, will recognize some of the songs from previous releases. “Winsome Lostit” and “Spoon” were on the “A Visit”-ep, and “Postcard from home” were on Volume 2 of Eardrums’ “A Good Crop” compilation. All of these songs have a  much richer and warmer sound on the album. 

Side note: For some reason, I have always imagined The Hillfields as a band of three brothers, since they have always signed their emails with Rob Hillfield, Grant Hillfield and so on. I’ve learnt now that their real names are Rob Boyd, Craig Wilkinson and Carlos Russell, and must admit that I feel a bit stupid…

If you still are in doubt after reading this, I highly recommend you to get this album when it is available on October 5th.

Check out the new Houdini-inspired video from Fanfarlo for their latest single “The Walls are Coming Down”, one of my favourite Fanfarlo songs at the moment. The video features a classic Houdini trick: the upside-down straight jacket escape. It’s performed by one of the very few active escapologists in Europe. The video was directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who apart from producing visual art have also recently directed videos for Nick Cave. In September, Fanfarlo will go on their first tour to the US, and then right after that, they will tour the UK together with First Aid Kit. Check their website for details: http://www.fanfarlo.com

Here’s a link to the video:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/video/2009/aug/14/fanfarlo-walls-coming-down

Sweden’s Aerial will release their new single “All Refrain” on Sept.7 on Nomethod records. The band have been working on their third album “put it this way in the headlines” for the last 3 years, and it is ready for release this fall.The new album will come with a limited edition DVD which will include the whole Aerial backcatalogue (2 albums and one EP) as well as a mini tourdocumentary and all their older videos.

Here is the new single, both as an mp3 and on video:

Aerial – All Refrain

Ohvaur is a band based in Chicago, originally from Miami, who play very organic, melodic electronic-based music. If you’re one of those who stops reading at the moment you see the word “electronic”, you should definitely read on. Ohvaur has a lot more in common with a lot of melodic, dreamy and sensitive indie-bands than with beat-based electronica-projects. In Ohvaur’s music, it’s the organic, “real” instruments who provide most of the rhythmic foundation, while the electronics provide the more melodic elements in the songs. Ohvaur’s music is melancholic, but at the same time also light and optimistic. Beautiful double harmonies, fine melodies, great dynamics and a very nice balance between the organic and electronic elements. This is warm music. References may be as diverse as Death Cab for Cutie, The Album Leaf, David Sylvian, Depeche Mode, Radiohead…

I mentioned The Album Leaf, – a clear sound-reference on some of the songs. Ohvaur’s Timothy Den has played with the Album Leaf on their tours in the USA several times, so that may be an explanation for the similarities in sound.

You can buy the EP on CD Baby, and listen to one of the songs from it here:

Ohvaur – Not what this century wants