John's New Music Blog

Today's featured band is Chicago's indie pop supergroup, Tiny Fireflies. The band consists of Kristine from thew band Tiny Microphone and Lisle from the band Fireflies and they combined to release a three track EP called ePop005 on Eardrums Pop, an excellent net label that releases collaborations from indie pop and rock bands from all over the world.


The three tracks are an excellent example of indie pop shoegaze, the first track, 'Holding Pattern" is a steamy, slow song that has The xx's signature "make out music for the smart set" sound written all over it. It's a good track for a late Friday night impromptu dance party for two with someone you want to get closer to.

The second track is "Snow," a quiet track that falls around you like snowflakes as it fills the room. Like the TARDIS, it's bigger on the inside and the complex layers combine to create a lovely track that wouldn't feel out of place on a Belle and Sebastian album.

The third track is a true gem, a cover of Skeeter Davis' "The End of the World." Eardrums Pop asks the bands to do a cover of a song and Tiny Fireflies picked a cover of a cover, the Claudine Longet version of "The End of the World."


ePop005 is available for free download from Eardrums Pop. Kristine and Lisle also record together with a few more friends in the Chicago band Very Truly Yours, who have an album out for download from Amazon and iTunes. If you like Allo, Darlin', check out Very Truly Yours.

After a brief hiatus to see a few shows of bands that I've featured in the blog, I'm back with a new discovery, jj, a Swedish indie pop band that with a lead singer who's voice cuts through the listener like a cold winter wind off the North Sea. They released their first full-length album in 2009, No. 2, to critical acclaim and followed it up with No. 3. jj isn't your typical Swedish pop band, if all you know about the Swedish music scene is ABBA, The Cardigans and Ace of Base, jj is something quite different. They are very atmospheric and their songs are crisp and very unique. How unique you ask, well listen to the three selections and see for yourself.

The first track from No. 3 is "Let Go".

"Let Go" by jj from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

The second and third tracks are where jj comes at you from a completely different angle, covers of popular hip-hop tracks. The first is "I'm the One/Money on My Mind," a mash-up of The xx's "Intro" and Lil Wayne's "Money on My Mind." I admit, I have no idea who Lil Wayne is, but if you're a fan of indie dreamscape pop, you won't know that this is a hip-hop track turned into dreamscape.

New Music Sunday returns with The xx, London-based band who's current single being played in the US is Crystalised. They have a lush sound that is unusual for indie bands, while you can hear the guitars and bass in their songs, you can also hear the high production values that differentiates them from other indie bands. Below is the official video for Crystalised and a fan-created video for the song Shelter (Them Jeans Drum Edit). Enjoy.

The xx -- Crystalised



The xx -- Shelter (Them Jeans Drum Edit)