Electric Soul Radio 4/9

Jangly, distorted guitars seem to always win me over. But, toss in a range of tightly coordinated, glowing male/female harmonies and you’ve got yourself a playful indie rock experience. Songs for Tuesdays, the debut from Melbourne, Australia’s answer to Pure of the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, is beautiful in its simplicity and poetic wit.

Let’s face it; you’ve heard the music on this album before, especially with the resurgence of 80’s jangle-pop, but Songs for Tuesdays is still an overwhelming adventure of youthful melody & harmony interplay. Enough so to make your head swim and your feet tingle.

Friday, September 4, 2009 at 9:01AM

on Electric Soul Radio

Crayon Fields Gig

Another Summer Cat please edit this post w/ some details :) This is a great gig poster for a gig with the Crayon Fields last week.

Sound Sxp Review 17/8

Summer Cats- Songs for Tuesdays

There are many species of cat but these Melbourne felines are less felis catus, the fluffy and loveable domestic moggie, and more felis silvestris, the spiky wildcat. Summer Cats clearly feel their nine lives are running out as they dash off 13 tunes in 32 minutes, only one of them breaking 3 minutes. It’s a torrent of smart and sassy indiepop, albeit pop lined with sharp teeth, starting and finishing in grunge style with a squall of guitars in overdrive and flourish of relentlessly pumped keyboards.

They’ve got Apples in Stereo’s sense of melody and the metronymic rhythms of Stereolab (especially the riotous ‘Lonely Planet’), not to mention outrageous humour and escapist fantasy in ‘San Tropez’ (“I could be punching Bobby Dylan circa 1963” and “hanging out with Rico/ making out with Nico”). The underlying tone, though, is of summer-fresh pop music: ‘Wild Rice’ (a slower version than previously available) is winsomely joyful with swooping melodies, ‘Let’s Go!’ challenges you to a race to the sweetshop, while the jangly chimes and “do-do-do” choruses of ‘Maybe Pile’ are a bittersweet plea from a hopeful suitor. There’s more energy here than a school playground before the Ritalin prescriptions are handed out; why it bears the title of “Songs for Tuesday” I don’t know, because the pop swagger of this album should make this a daily pleasure.

Article written by Ged M
Aug 17, 2009.
Sound Sxp - Alternative Music Blog

The Yellow Stereo 25/8

Summer Cats :: ‘Songs For Tuesdays’

Been a while since I’ve posted on any kind of new music, huh? As I’m sitting here right now figuring out what to to write about, it almost feels completely foreign to me. That is, until I remembered something I meant to mention here a few months ago; An album that has been my go-to record of choice this summer: Summer Cats’ Songs For Tuesdays.

Released in early July on the mighty Slumberland Records — who have been releasing some great albums this year — this debut record contains 13 of the finest pop songs you’ll hear this year. This Melbourne-based band have released a number of singles from smaller, but familiar labels you may have heard mentioned on here a few times like Cloudberry and WeePOP! so it’s great to finally hear this proper full-length.

It’s difficult to pinpoint a favorite, as you’ve got a number of fantastic songs to choose from, whether it be the newly recorded versions of past singles like “Wild Rice” and “Lonely Planet” to new faves like “Maybe Pile” and “In June”. All of which showcase the many different vocalists that join frontman Scott Stevens, who is easily one of the best vocalists in indiepop right now.

Some people I know seem to cower in fear when presented with a proper pop song, but I think it’s time to clear away any kind of apprehension or animosity and just embrace it! Turn up the volume and hit the dancefloor! Okay, maybe not on the dancefloor thing. Just give this one a listen, as I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Posted by: PJ in Reviews, The Yellow Stereo

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Odd Box Review 10/8

We're a bit behind with being up to date and so I really need to catch up on reviews and other news.... First up it was lovely to see this unseen review about the LP on OddBox upon doing a google just now..

My vinyl copy of ‘Songs For Tuesdays’ arrived today. And the first thing I have to say is that Slumberland Records have excelled themselves with this release. On looks alone it’s a contender for LP of the year – the sleeve is gorgeous and when you crack it open you are presented with a work of art – a beautiful slab of multi coloured vinyl (see above). Wow. There really are no more words to describe it. Just wow. Then you pop the record on the deck and you’re confronted with a record that makes your heart sing. This is indiepop that makes you feel alive. The band seem to have an underlying garage sound which is a perfect foil to their summer pop songs that make up ‘Songs For Tuesday’.

I’d made the mistake of downloading this LP on E-music before hearing it on vinyl. Mistake I say? I don’t usually buy the it sounds better on vinyl maxim when it comes to albums. But boy, if there ever was a case to convert me to this view point it would be this record. With the LP booming out of my speakers I have taken notice of a record that I had thought was merely ‘alright’ on MP3. This record is so far past alright it’s kinda criminal to think I ever felt anything less than enthusiastic for it. Songs like ‘Fulton Girls’ come alive and the punchy guitar/organ combo is a delight and this organ meets guitar sound permeates the whole record. Elsewhere highlights are plentyful – be that the pure pop of ‘Christopher Wren’ or the dizzying garage stomp of ‘Lonely Planet’. I think it’s gonna be tough to find a better release this year. A bold claim, but one that might just hold water come the end of year polls.

August 10th, 2009