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[audio http://www.filefreak.com/pfiles/50153/07%20Inner%20Island.mp3]

 El Perro Del Mar - 'Inner Island'

I have been saving this song all week just for Sunday. From the melancholic notebook of Sewdish songwriter Sarah Assbring, 'Inner Island' is another great example of her gift for quaint, effective melodies that just make you want to throw a comforting arm around her. Her second official studio album From the Valley to the Stars is released in the US on April 22  and in the UK on May 19.

Stark black on white. What will be the final result? Follow the hand, nearly disembodied, as it travels beyond the normal borders to create "the big picture". Which, as always, is comprised of the details that sometimes get overlooked. Forest for the trees, you know.

The song is In Context by Field Music on the independent label Memphis Industries.

Because It's Not Love (But It's Still A Feeling ) By The Pipettes

[audio http://boxstr.com/files/1446331_qwdrs/pipettes-because_its_not_love.mp3]

As mainstream "Indie" continues to drown in the self made quagmire that reflects the music industries apparent "Sorcerer's Apprentice" mindset, (whereby they seek to tirelessly reproduce band after band that conforms to the skinny lads with guitars genre) people like Pipette Puppetmaster Monster Bobby  would say the more discerning music fan is finally beginning to wake up the fact that pop is actually the new Indie. Mind ,some may say thats bollocks however  The Pipettes appear to be band not afraid to reach back and reclaim all that was great about pop music, but also a band who claim they  put their own unique stamp on that sound, they suggest that they  write classic Motown Record-era Girl Group songs with a modern twist and suggest that people are missing that sense of fun that seems to be amiss in today’s monochrome world of pop. A world that is currently in the stranglehold of nihilistic young men whining about the futility of "being" and the eternal agony of having greasy hair and "combination skin". Or not???

The Pipettes wish to put the  fun firmly back into pop and provide a well-needed slice of escapism. Oscar Wilde once said "Suffering is one very long moment”, if we were to update that maxim and apply it to the modern world we could say "Suffering is listening to Razorlight” so, is this the new pop or just a rehash of well worn soundbites and clever PR ??… We dispatched Mr. VP to have a little chat with Rosay Pipette prior to the release of their album in America to find out how things are in Team Pip...and seek answers to questions that other publications wouldn’t have the audacity to ask...

VP: This year has seen you concentrate on The U.S. ahead of the release of "WATP's" (2/10/2007) You're due to go back out there I believe (once the visa delays are sorted). What was the overall response from the U.S. crowds and indeed the media over there?

Rosay: We’ve been to the states twice now, and both times we have been really very pleased with the reactions we have had. I don’t think any of us really expected to get as much attention as we did, and I think having support from sites like pitchfork from early on really helped. I think that because we had already been going for a couple of years before our first trip to the states meant that the band was a much more fully formed concept through experience etc which hopefully came across in our performances. I think we are a better band for the last tour we did out there as I suppose we felt we had so much to prove. It will be interesting to see how it goes this time around! We certainly witnessed some very good dancing!!

VP: I did hear a rumour that the whole album was to be re-recorded for the American release? True or False?

Rosay: False. We did remix it though.

VP: What's been the best thing and the worst thing about long haul touring?

Rosay: The best thing is getting to travel to all of these amazing places and have people listen to your music and (hopefully) get a positive response. Its quite incredible when you get the feeling that you’ve communicated in some way despite cultural and often language barriers and differences and to see people dancing to songs we wrote in a little studio in Brighton… The worst thing is missing family and friends and some of the smells that develop on the bus…

VP: What are the plans for the rest of the year, will fans in the U.K. be able to get their grubby mitts on any new material before the year is over? Any more live shows in Blighty planned this year?

Rosay: Well there isn’t really any resting going on for the remainder of the year, we’re in the states for five weeks, then promoting the record in Japan and Australia, so it is unlikely we’ll get to do any shows in the UK before new year unfortunately, same goes for new material I’m afraid. Hopefully we’ll get the chance for some more writing; there are just not enough hours in the day!!! Next year we’ll be cracking down on that side of things so a little patience is required unfortunately!!

VP: Joe's left to concentrate on his own band, and has been replaced by Jason. Although I'm sure you’re all very supportive of Joe Lean &TJJJ aren't five skinny Indie lads much loved by theNME the sort of band you've spoken out against in the past? (Ooooooh controversy! I've gone all Paxman! )

Rosay: It is true that we have always felt fed up with the NME culture, and a lot of that had to do with the fact that none of these bands that they champion, really seem to care about song craft in any way… Joe is a very talented songwriter and I think that really comes through in Joe Lean and the Jing Jangs…. I think they feel just as bemused about the attention they have received from the NME, but It would be great if they could use that forum in a creative way, which is they’re intention. It goes without saying that they all need a good feed up though…

VP: You've complained in the past of sexism in the music industry. Does it annoy you that in some quarters you're dismissed as a retro novelty band? Conversely a group of blokes who wear retro clothes, have a sense of fun, have their own dance moves and call themselves "Madness" are treated with respect?

Rosay: It is annoying but it is something that we try not to concentrate on too much. We just want to be the best band we can be, and in fact I find the novelty thing rather funny. We’ve always said we would love to have a one hit wonder, but I think people chose to take us on face value a lot of the time, and we couldn’t care less. We’ve been doing this for four years now, so we certainly don’t see ourselves as a novelty, and it does get boring to be constantly reminded of gender, and the fact that people forget there are four boys in the band….

VP: What have been your own individual highlights this year (apart from this interview obviously)

Rosay:
Going to Japan for the first time was incredible, driving through the Arizona desert, playing the main stage at Glasto, going to Austria and being serenaded by a chef and the promoter who sang us all these amazing Corinthian folk songs with lots of Corinthian brandy, meeting Bryan ferry was funny…

Becki:
Being able to travel to so many different places. Serbia especially, meeting Beastie Boys and CSS was incredible. Going to Japan and America were also highlights.

Gwenno :
Getting to tour a bit more, playing all the major festivals and getting to record those new songs, it was a very interesting experience and I'm very proud of the outcome.

VP: Your website http://thepipettes.co.uk/ has some interesting "characters" within its forum, they draw pictures of you, they Photoshop you, they write poems, musicals and stories about you. What the devil do you all make of it? Is it the sort of thing you excepted when you joined a band?

Rosay: Its certainly not the sort of thing I expected, I think we do have a pretty creative bunch of fans!!! I do find it all a little strange, and it’s quite hard to relate to, but its great that people care enough to do things like that... I do like the caption competition ….

VP: Do you all still reside in Brighton, or have you had to flee, pursued by lovestruck males who regularly serenade your balconies until late in the evening and whom constantly festoon your porches with red roses, fine wines, Belgium chocolates and love poems ..........Or Not ?

Rosay: Well we are split half and half between London and Brighton. I have just moved back to London but it was certainly not in response to any of the above!!!!

VP: Glastonbury? A lot of people have been whingeing about it being too corporate, middle class and Middle aged. Should we adopt a "Logan's Run" type policy and ban anybody over from 30 from gigs, record stores etc. Should they simply be given a packet of mint imperials an ill-fitting cardigan and be left in the corner to mumble about the "good old days”. What did you think of Glasto this year?

Rosay: I think its great that there is such a broad mixture of people at Glastonbury and it would be terrible to make festivals exclusively for young people (reading is a case in point!!) perhaps the headliners recently have been pretty uninspiring on the whole… I enjoyed Glastonbury much more than last time (!!!!). The fact we got to play on a real stage was good enough for starters! It isn’t really a music festival; it’s more of a cultural event, which I think people forget. I think it's a bit too big for me personally though….

VP: How far along are the new album/new songs? Will it be a completely different sound to what we're used to, will we lose the do-wops, if so can you give anything away yet or will we have to learn the virtue of patience?

Rosay: As I said its not really been the priority this year. We have started writing again, whether those songs make it to the second record is yet to be seen, we really don’t know how its going to turn out yet, it will definitely not be another version if WATP, but we can’t really give anything away. We know that it will involve a broadening of the concept….

VP: How do you (Rosay) manage to ladder your tights all the time?

Rosay: I don’t know tights just don’t seem to like me very much, although I have to say that I have been preserving them much better of late, and have endeavoured to wear tights in one piece. I’m just a bit scruffy I’m afraid…

VP: You all seem to like a wide range of different musical styles, do you ever argue about music. Who would each of you recommend to look out for in the coming months?

Rosay:
We do argue about music all of the time, which I think is really healthy. I would hate it if we all had exactly the same taste and agreed about everything. One of the best things about being in this band is learning from each other. I’m really excited about the new PJ Harvey record…

Becki:
We do but my music taste has broadened so much since being in the band that it’s definitely a good thing. I’d recommend the new M.I.A. album.

Gwenno:
We argue about music all the time! That's only healthy in a band like ours though I think. I'd recommend The Gentle Good and The Real Heat.

VP: What's the weirdest request/Myspace message /piece of fan mail you’ve received since being Pipettes?

Rosay: Someone once asked where we got out tights from on our gmail. I naively replied only to discover the impetus for the question was because the bloke had a tights fetish, which made me feel quite sick….

VP: Finally sum up your year in five words beginning with the letter " P "

Rosay: Playing Parties Proves Pleasingly Popular…HUZZAH!!! (I’m quite Proud of that, it's a sentence!!)

Links

On Myspace

Official Site

We Are The Pipettes Fan Site

"We Are The Pipettes" U.S. Version 2/10/2007

"Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me" U.S. EP

The Pipettes North American EP - 'Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me' is available in stores or alternatively you can download the EP from iTunes.

"We Are The Pipettes" U.K./Europe

iTunes UK
The album is also available in the rest of Europe. Click below for order from the following territory.
Germany
Norway
Sweden

VIDEOS

"Because It's Not Love (But It's Still A Feeling)" By The Pipettes

"Judy" By The Pipettes

"Dirty Mind" By The Pipettes

Wallpapers

In fact, on Tuesdays, I've gotten into the habit of perusing through the release list on AllMusic. This was the first year that I not only recognized, but knew most of the bands nominated for Plug's Independent Music Awards! Usually, I voted for the band I knew, if there was a band I knew for the category.

Here are the top tracks I listened to of all the releases in 2006. This is different from the prior list, those tracks were from releases in any year.

01. The Sailor by Terrestrial Tones from Dead Drunk
#7 on overall list, this track is the clear standout on the album, wish the other songs were as well.

02. Easier by Grizzly Bear from Yellow House
Beach Boys goodness in an indie package, these guys were phenomenal in concert too.

03. Here Forever Always by His Name Is Alive from Detrola
So glad to see HNIA go back to their roots and draw from what made them so special.

04. Your the Kind of Girl by Mixel Pixel from Music for Plants
This song is so much fun! I also enjoyed the Momus cover of "What are you wearing" on the single.

05. Tell Me Keep Me by Field Music from S/T
Memphis Industries brought us "The Go Team" and "The Pipettes" but nothing as infectious as this song.

06. We are the Sleepyheads by Belle & Sebastian from The Life Pursuit
So glad B&S pulled themselves out of the disaster which is their last album -- somebody had to say it...

07. Scattered Pearls by Casiotone for the Painfully Alone from Etiquette
This song is both so sad and so dance-able. CFTPA would have ruled my lists if I discovered them earlier in the year.

08. The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song by The Flaming Lips from At War with the Mystics
This song defines the political outrage on the rest of the album -- now what if Mr. Bush actually listened to this album?

09. Dear Mr. Supercomputer by Sufjan Stevens from The Avalanche
Not bad for scraps from the prior album -- hello! amazing! -- this is the first song that got my attention.

10. Move by Sol Seppy from The Bells of 1 2
Sol Seppy snuck up on me like a dark force -- thank you Obscure Gems eMusic dozen

 

Banda: Field Music
Disco: Write Your Own History
Formato: LP Coletânea
Lançamento: 2006, Maio 01
Label: Memphis Industries
[♪]

Adorable

I put Field Music in my "Save for later" list was when it was first recommended by eMusic. I liked the band name and cover (so much for don't judge a book by yadda yadda. I judged lesbians and lacrosse: so I was wrong). I bookmarked it when I noticed they came from Memphis Industries, the label that brought us that endearing, lo-fi cheersquad, the Go! Team. When eMusic offered 2 free samplers -- It Came from Memphis 1 and 2 -- I finally listened to the charm that is Field Music.

Allmusic gives us a more detailed biography, but interestingly Field Music is comprised of Andrew Moore and brothers David and Peter Brewis -- the latter sibling a founding member of the Futureheads. I picked up the extended release from Tower and it's sweet, sweet candy that I keep coming back to soothe my sweet tooth.

The album begins simply with rhythmic guitars and drums, they drive every song on the LP. Each song has its own signature by layering unique instruments such as maracas, bells, glockenspiels, saxophones, and harmonicas. The first song, "If Only the Moon Were Up," continues simply but hooks you with the first chorus and its enigmatic lyrics, "Taking apart the dark / The talk is all gone / Taking apart the dark the moon is on."

But it's "Tell Me, Keep Me" and its falsettos and harmonies that keep me hooked like heroine. The simplicity of these songs is misleading and I find that I'm grasping for the melody when I wake up in the morning and need to queue up a song like "Tell Me, Keep Me" to pin it down.

The middle of the album unfolds like a story -- it feels like a concept album but no specific concept comes to mind. We move to "Shorter, Shorter" [mp3] which explains "Shorter shorter /
No time to spare / We will soon disappear / But you can never be sure". The even the chord changes imply that there's a story to be told, with Beatle-esque guitar lines and string instruments playing minor roles.

As we approach the the last songs we hit a pop gem "You Can Decide" [mp3]. "Time is getting faster now / Time you should speak / Make up your mind," is the urgent answer to the question put forth by the earlier songs -- like a bookend to "Shorter, Shorter" the song pushes "Faster, Faster". Musically, the song is urgent with clapping, a sharp melody, and a repeating (piano?) note that drives through most of the song.

The last three songs are definitely a set, even if I do clump songs in threes. "Got to Get the Nerve" is the desperation after the decisions made; the more upbeat "Got to Write a Letter" is the relief when action is taken; and "You're So Pretty..." [mp3] is the message. Engaging in the progression of song, I feel like I also am confessing my infatuation.

The extended album includes "You're Not Supposed To" a could-be tribute to Bartleby the Scrivener, which is also packaged as an adorable music video on the CD-ROM portion of the album. "I'm Tired" [mp3] closes out the album leaving me wanting more and forcing me to put the album on repeat.

Field Music reminds me of True Love Always at their best with their album When Will You Be Mine. Whereas, Field Music's execution less whimsical and meandering but (thankfully) just as precious with a stonger focus.

I hope for good things to come with future releases and have their new release of B-sides, Write Your Own History, to tide me over until then.

Here are the albums:

• Field Music [iTunes, Amazon]
• Write Your Own History [Amazon]

And the mp3s (again) available from Memphis Industries:

• Shorter, Shorter [audio http://www.memphis-industries.com/shorter.mp3]
• You're So Pretty... [audio http://www.memphis-industries.com/pretty.mp3]
• You Can Decide [audio http://www.memphis-industries.com/youcandecide.mp3]
• I'm Tired [audio http://www.memphis-industries.com/imtired.mp3]