You'll hopefully remember, providing you don't have some sort of memory impairment brought on by over exposure to loud indie-pop, last week when I wrote about Soda Shop, featuring Drew Driver, one half of Horse Shoes. The other half of Horse Shoes is, of course, Jacob Graham, sometime guitarist with The Drums and part founder of tonight's blog topic; Holiday Friends Recording Company.
Holiday was formed in the Spring of 2009 by four old friends: Justin Jolley, Joanna Tillman, Jacob and Caleb Graham. I first came across them in 2010 via the music of sublime Russian indie-surfpop band Palms On Fire (more of whom in a future blog). At that time Holiday were a fledgling online record label who, to my joy, were intent on giving away a free mp3 release every Friday. I started with the Palms On Fire EP and soon came back for more. The old free singles club releases can still be found at the original Holiday records website 'here' and it's well worth a visit. Since then Holiday have realised their dream of becoming 'a real record label' and this month sees the release of 'Keep Dreaming Baby', the debut EP from Margate's Two Wounded Birds (pictured).
The C.D. is available right now on the new Holiday website, and if you live in the U.K. and don't like buying things online it is available in all Rough Trade stores. Rather like The Drums, Two Wounded Birds sound has a heavy surf-pop influence but they give the classic 60s pop template a twist by adding an individual, darker, sometimes almost sinister, edge. My favourite track on the EP is the poignant and evocative 'My Lonesome', which at times sounds like a young Morrissey backed by The Tornadoes. Have a listen:
Fantastic, I think youll agree. Now here are two more tracks from the EP; the upbeat 'Summer Dream' and the eerie 'Night Patrol'.
Not content with giving us the best in contemporary surf-pop, Holiday are also simultaneously releasing the latest offering from their free singles club.
Holiday 0068 is 'Plans For My Future Life In Vermont' by Victory VIII. Victory VIII is yet another of Jacob Graham's musical projects (does this man never sleep?) and can be described as lo-fi, down-tempo, indietronica. The two songs featured on the single are 'Vermont' and 'I Thought I Loved You'. Holiday describe them as;
"Two songs that were meant to be pleasant but ended up as tragic and pathetic as usual."
As a lover, and onetime purveyor, of lo-fi melancholia, I would say that that's a recommendation I just couldn't resist. 'Plans For My Future Life In Vermont' can be downloaded 'here'. In the meantime here's a video of one of Victory VIII's previous Holiday releases; Lonesome Places. Enjoy!
Griff
xx
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