A Time and a Place: Popup

This album came out in October and completely passed me by.  However A Time and a Place is now getting a US release on Team Love Records this coming April, and was brought to my attention via the Team Love Library.  Apparently they’re so excited about securing its state-side release that they’ve put it up for free download for the next month.

I get the impression that the record was a long time coming, as the first singles were released all the way back in ’06, but then debuts can always be a labour of love.  Popup aren’t quite as impressive as some of the other Scottish bands I’ve been getting excited about lately, but they are still very good.  The production is sharp and spacious, but with a tendency to err on the side of “jangly indie” when a little more effort could have made it a little more esoteric.  It puts me in mind of a scotch Two Gallants – thought there’s a few more layers to this record.

Where they really shine, however, is in the songwriting.  Thankfully eschewing traditional boy-girl “oh I miss you so much” drivel in favour of more unusual ideas (see album opener Love Triangle), the lyrics are never less than good and occasionally brilliant.  It may sound like faint praise to say they’re merely “good”, but in the current musical environment it’s enough to put them head and shoulders above most of the competition.

Popup – Love Triangle

Popup – Lucy, What You Trying to Say?

 

El Madmo: El Madmo

Well this one came out all the way back in May, and isn’t anything musicaly groundbreaking at all.  If fact, it’s not even any good.  “So, why am I posting about it?” I hear you cry. Well, before I reveal all my secrets I recommend you have a listen to the band…

El Madmo – Vampire Guy

…and now check out the band photo, and look closely at the girl in the blonde wig…

Oh yeah, baby: it’s Norah Jones.  I have to say I was more than a little surprised by this one.  I guess it’s only good for a quick chuckle, but if you do want to buy it then you can get the whole album at their page on the Team Love site (that’s right, they’re a Team Love signing; hence how I discovered them during my exploration of all things TL for the profile earlier in the week).

 

Team Love Records: a profile

In my Tilly and the Wall review earlier in the week I briefly mentioned Team Love Records, and how they’re a Web2.0-savvy label who’re all in favour of free music downloads (which I’m assuming you’re a fan of too, being as you’re here, reading an mp3 blog…).  So just to hammer the point home, here’s a full-blown profile of the label.

Founded in 2003 by Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel (formerly of EMI and Sony, in some sort of A+R capacity), the label grew out of Conor’s frustration at not being able to sign all the bands he wanted with Saddle Creek.  Conor had a hand in the founding and running of Saddle Creek, but due to the growing size of the label, and the disparate tastes of all the people involved, the smaller, less obviously accessible bands that he liked weren’t getting deals.  That said, Team Love is still hand-in-hand with the Creekers; they handle all Team Love’s U.S. distribution, and the Team Love online shop is on the Saddle Creek website.

The thing that initially set this label apart from others was that they gave all the music away for free on their website.  This (obviously) caused trouble when negotiating with other labels for international distribution, so as far as I can tell they now only willingly give away a few tracks from each release.  This approach seems to be the norm with small, web-savvy labels at the moment – everyone, bar the majors, is in agreement that promo mp3s generate more interest and ultimately more fans/money down the line for an artist than aggressively hoarding all the act’s music does…

In terms of label roster Team Love’re definitely supportive of smaller projects than Saddle Creek, but they do have a few notable exceptions.  Tilly and the Wall are their flagship band, and they seem to be doing pretty well (despite the rubbish new album) but as far as I can tell the labels biggest success so far has been Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins (Jenny being the frontwoman of Rilo Kiley) –  who made it onto Later… and thus into the hearts and minds of a certain type of English music fan.  Willy Mason’s first LP Where the Humans Eat was also a Team Love release, but it seems he’s an exclusively Virgin act now.

So there you have it; Team Love Records.  I’d strongly recommend checking out their website and availing yourself of all the free mp3s you can find there.  Chances are you’ll find something you like.  In the meantime, though, keep yourself occupied with these little trinkets.

A Weather – Oh My Stars

McCarthy Trenching – Cassette Tape Massacre