The Poppy Family

I love this band consisting of a married Canadian couple: Terry and Susan Jacks. They only released two albums, "Which Way You Goin' Billy" in 1969 and "Poppy Seeds" in 1971. The title track from their debut was a big hit. I really enjoy their simple melodies and lyrics with airy background vocals. There are certainly some Carpenters comparisons to be made. I first discovered them through Saint Etienne's "The Trip" compilation, one of the most consistently rewarding purchases of my life.

I am currently addicted to the following songs:

The Poppy Family - "Good Friends?", 1971
The Poppy Family - "Free From The City", 1969
The Poppy Family - "What Can The Matter Be?", 1969
The Poppy Family - "Where Evil Grows", 1971
Terry Jacks - "Concrete Sea", 1972

Mama Cass

Joselito

Beautiful.

Fanfarlo

This band sounds a lot like Beirut, using the same vocal inflections as Zachary Condon. Fanfarlo is a bit more upbeat though. I'm not sure who is copying who... or if the similarities are merely coincidental.

I really like this song with its flowing vocals and bursts of excitement. Also, the album cover is nice, at first glance, but then I noticed the crow mask thing, which seems like a "The Knife" rip-off and a bit overly dramatic. I'm such a bitch. The fact that their name possesses my name scores some points.

Fanfarlo - "Ghosts", 2009

Dodie Stevens

This song rocks. A nice little wholesome pre-gay-realization ditty.

Dodie Stevens - "Pink Shoelaces", 1959

Ninotchka

Ninotchka - "I've Got Wings", 1997

This is one of my most favorite songs ever. The song is very upbeat and shoegazey in a very poppy yet noisy way. The sound is different from other Shoegaze bands, and it was released at a time when sounding dream poppy was not very hip. The guitars or whatever that noise is is mesmerizing. This band only released one single and this link is the only other information I can find on them: http://www.grimsey.com/ninotchka.html

There is another band named Ninotchka that appears to be still together. I appreciate them also as they explore many genres with their music. There are many free downloads on their website: ninotchka.co.uk Cinderella, One Girl Rumba, and Capricorn are my favorites.
Ninotchka - "One Girl Rumba", 2004

Miranda Lee Richards

Miranda Lee Richards released an album this year, featuring "Early November" and its dreamy video.

Here's another dreamy, beautifully shot, 70s style video from her previous album. This song was big in Japan, according to wikipedia.



I really appreciate it when a performer has a consistent look and feel to all of the promotional materials and artwork that coincides with their albums. This cover artwork and video shoot are similar in thought. There is a really cohesive feel to her music and visual artwork, showing that they/she really cared about the presentation of her artform.

Miranda Lee Richards - "The Long Goodbye", 2001
Miranda Lee Richards - "Ella", 2001