2010 March Archive - The Recommender

THE RECOMMENDER – NUMBER 80 – GLASS CANDY

This Portland duo have been on our iPods for ages. When we say ages, we mean over a decade. In fact, before we had things called iPods! They started out with more members, who had names like Dusty Sparkles and Ginger Peach, releasing various EPs, singles, live albums, covers and the Love Love Love eight-track 12″. Their sound was more akin to the sexy punk that Blondie, or more recently the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, jammed out with style. In the last few years Glass Candy stripped down to a duo, with the equally well named Johnny Jewel and singer Ida No, producing albums like the excellent B/E/A/T/B/O/X in 2007 and their 2008 disc, Deep Gems, both being a mixture of original singles, B-sides and rarities, alongside some covers, now releasing through the fantastic Italians Do It Better label. Their sound, although still dripping with 70s connotations and influence, is now purely electronic, with Ida No’s rather echoing, libidinous vocals gliding over Johnny’s disco synths. Think Fan Death, were they to step out of the (italo) disco and get involved in a breakdancing competition on a street basketball court. Simple fuzzed chords, with a big bass and loads of atmospheric style, gets banged out whilst the hot Ida No hops around looking as sexy as Kate Bush at her lycra-leggings-best. The reason they’ve now got their listing on The Recommender is because of a video, apparently and rather shockingly their first ever, from director Travis Peterson, for their track Feeling Without Touching (see below). It got released last week and is a splendid and alluring piece of work, showing Ida No dancing like those folks who stood in the crowd in the 70s and 80s Top Of The Pops shows. This Portland pairing may well have been around for some time, but if you can continue producing work this tidy, for this long, then they deserve all the attention we can possibly hand them. (MB)

Find them here: Myspace

Hear them here: GLASS CANDY – CANDY CASTLE

Hear them here: GLASS CANDY – FEELING WITHOUT TOUCHING

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Published: March 31st, 2010
Author: The Recommender
Category: The Recommender
Tags: Candy Castle, Feeling Without Touching, Glass Candy, Italians Do It Better, Number 80

THE RECOMMENDER – NUMBER 79 – BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT

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In precisely the same way that all highly skilled craftsmen create their quality products, when pop music is done well, it appears to be somewhat effortless. It strikes all the buttons marked ‘positive’ and ‘satisfying’, whilst simultaneously ticking all your inner fun boxes. We’ve recently been in touch with Rod Thomas who kicked off this new project last summer, following a career spent working inside music distribution (PIAS) from 2004, to eventually setting up his own label, Self Raising Records, in 2006. With the likes of Andy Chatterley (Unkle, Kanye West, Kylie) and Boom Bip (Neon Neon) backing him in the studio he’s chipped out an album, which is yet to have a confirmed release date, but is at least in the bag. The below single, released last week, will be it’s first foundation block and now sees Rod deservedly starting to find the edges of the spotlight online. It’s a gorgeous piece of pop, brightly lit and fizzing with confidence. If you had a scale of pop with the dumbed-down, cliche-ridden, Simon Cowell-backed style at one end, then Bright Light Bright Light would be found at the opposite. It’s intellectual, tidy and sophisticated, whilst still being jammed with flowing melodies and catchy choruses. It’s thrumming soundscape drifts around like an echo over the kind of beat and handclap that would suit a dance routine. It’s an addictive tune, pulsing along whilst Rod sings of mending broken-hearted moments. You may have heard his other work, mostly completed under his real name, remixing the likes of James Yuill, The Answering Machine and Ellie Goulding to brilliant effect. The signature synthetic wall of sound seems to be his trademark, filling the room with every tune he touches. You can catch our new favourite Welshman on a brief tour starting tomorrow (30th March), then throughout April, taking in London, Tunbridge Wells, Southampton, Manchester and Cardiff. We may yet ask him to come and play our Recommender party at some point, as a musician working this kind of skilled craft is bound to be a mesmerizing act to watch. (MB)