Say Hi To Your Mom are not just your average bedwetters wet dream they’re cutesy charm is often just as appealing to Elbow fans needing a break from the gloom to go all whimsical. Eric Elbogen runs the show and his eager forage for all that is good in tweeness must be applauded. There is certainly a sameness to the songs yet by dipping in every now and then expect to break out in a series case of goosebumps. ‘Let’s Talk About Spaceships’ is a delightful low-key effort that provides acres of jangle, pages of adolescent adventures in love and an example in how to write a fab 3 minute pop song for the 21st century. KD

Say Hi To Your Mom - Let's Talk About Spaceships

Album: Numbers & Mumbles
Year: 2003
Buy: Numbers & Mumbles

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Since Talkshow Boy’s debut album is called ‘Watch As I Perform My Own Tracheotomy’ and is laden down with 19 tracks I decided it was best to sample the wonderful Melbourne based pocketclock.org site by listening to his earlier single ‘Ice Police’ instead. I liked it so much I downloaded all 9 remixes from a galaxy of interpreters from around the world and suddenly it all went a bit dizzy. Pocketclock must be applauded for giving all their recordings away for free (hey blinkered industry take note). If you like what you’ve downloaded you can buy the hard copy – hey, makes sense to me. Besides Talkshow Boy, you can blissfully soak in the animal collective like antics of Pompey, their eccentric interpretations of what electronic music should sound like can take a little while to comprehend but once tamed you’ll realise how special they are. ‘Ice Police’ could have come from the Boy Least Likely To such is its childlike sense of adventure. Kissing girls with cold lips on hot days is all well and good but if you can’t back up your words with a series of fantastical electronic sequences then the whole thing could fall flat on its face. Thankfully ‘Ice Police’ paints aural glee with multicoloured crayons. Oh no, the room is spinning again. KD

Talkshow Boy - Ice Police

Album: Ice Police Single
Year: 2004
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‘Neon Golden’ saw the Notwist flip 180 degrees from their original hardcore beginnings. The album presented a band with a firm grasp on electronica, a genre that continued to raise the bar in the early noughties. While not exactly coffee table this was music to fill the coolest saloons in town. Markus Archers softly spoken vocals are instantly welcome while the digitals displayed a desire to fly off in off-kilter directions. That the album took 15 months to record says a lot about attention to detail that was put in. ‘Pick Up The Phone’ was the lead single and showed exactly how the Notwist had carved out a unique sound for themselves. It plays like battered vinyl with creaky fits and starts and a haunting digital panpipe creates an eerie background. Archers voice comes into its own at the chorus, his German accent undetectable amongst the rabble beats. Cool, suave and about to steal your heart. KD

The Notwist - Pick Up The Phone

Album: Neon Golden
Year: 2003
Buy: Neon Golden

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Ye grand auld tradition of not featuring the same artist twice on this site was ripped to shreds once the news that our heroes Grandaddy decided to throw in the towel. A crisis meeting in December seemed to uncover grievances that couldn’t sustain the Modesto band. One such was that despite supplying the world with endless heartfelt ditties their seemed to be precious little money floating in their direction. Perhaps it was the beards or maybe it was the fact that the band was more concerned with perfecting their art rather than courting the media. ‘Everything Beautiful Is Far Away’ is quintessential Grandaddy, hopelessly romantic with a ragged ability to hit a fluid euphony at will. Their disposition to ruffle a song with idiosyncrasies is also evident as the piece shudders to a chaotic halt. Beneath the chaos lies the perfect Valentines song ever recorded, a fact that was probably lost on most because it lacked a well-trodden sequence. At least we can look forward to the last hurrah when the bands parting shot ‘Just Like The Fambly Cat’ is released. With that Jason Lytle will embark on a solo career far away from home (Montana) so let’s hope his aim remains trained toward the sky. KD

Grandaddy - Everything Beautiful Is Far Away

Album: Under The Western Freeway
Year: 1997
Buy: Under the Western Freeway

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Like much of Ambulance LTD’s effortlessly cool eponymous debut album ‘Heavy Lifting’ mixes delicate harmonies, shuffling beats and affecting chord changes into an intoxicating mix. Just because you come from New York doesn’t guarantee that you have your finger on the pulse but Ambulance LTD perfectly blend their shoegaze influences with a noughties sensibility. So you’re are not going to be blown away by the originality of it all but Ambulance LTD create a sound that rarely falters and often moves. This is old skool indiepop, intelligent and crafted so skilfully that Marcus Congelton’s voice need only ride the good vibes to be effective. Looks like Song to the Siren has been rewritten all over again! KD

Ambulance LTD - Heavy Lifting

Album: LP
Year: 2004
Buy: LP

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If anything is going to cement your star in the walk of fame of naff, it's having one of your songs ('Jessica') used as the theme tune to 'Top Gear'. The Allman Brothers Band, purveyors of blues-rinsed AOR, often hit the sweet spot on their lighter, country-tinged songs. 'Blue Sky' is a Sunday spin of Americana: a tuneful hook-filled verse and refrain frame a three-minute two-chord single-string guitar solo – not a million miles from, say, the extended riffing at the end of the Velvets' 'Oh Sweet Nuthin''. It could belong on the soundtrack to some cult 70's road movie – Easy Rider or Vanishing Point, for example – just as easily as it could lie dormant as some filler on a four disc Drive Time anthology. TK

The Allman Brothers Band - Blue Sky

Album: Eat A Peach
Year: 1972
Buy: Eat a Peach

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One of the brighter moments in the overrated ‘Ocean's 11’ occurred during the credit roll when David Holmes imperious ’69 Police’ snaked into view. Originally appearing on the ‘Bow Down To The Exit Sign’ album it marked Holmes out as a force to be reckoned with. The Belfast native seemingly endless appetite for sampling forgotten gems gives his music the edge, yet ‘69 Police’ is unquestionably a work of true originality. Based around a circular organic foray it is instantly digestible yet alluring enough to warrant repeated visits. Taking ‘Fade To Gray’s polished lead it begins its sortie with a French voice before descending into a hallucinogenic ride that throws a kitchen sink worth of keyboard wizardry in the general direction of the listener. Despite these electronic distractions the solid core melody is what is so enticing and what’ll have you trying moves that may do your back in. KD

David Holmes - 69 Police

Album: Bow Down To The Exit Sign
Year: 2000
Buy: Bow Down to the Exit Sign

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Carlow band the Floors are perhaps best remembered for their novelty hit ‘Jesus Lived Six Years Longer Than Kurt Cobain’ but it was the seething anger on their borrowed collaboration with Lydia Lunch that is the stand out from their debut album ‘Superbe’. Lunch exposes are a vivid illustration of invective and her exhilarating monologue on ‘No Excuses’ is both disturbing and an extreme take on the Riot Grrls genre. The Floors somehow conspire to match the raw material with a blustering soundtrack. The booming bass and Velvet Underground chord scratches are aided and abetted by Ger Farrell’s thumping drums. The Floors songwriter Dave Donohue can hold his head up high in achieving what could have been seen as an impossible task. There ain’t many tunes about like this one, so batten down the hatches and hopefully see you on the other side. KD

The Floors - No Excuses

Album: Superbe
Year: 1996
Buy: Superbe

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If you fancy a bit of Bjork thrown into several layers of My Bloody Valentine guitar theatrics then ‘Kevin Is Gay’ could be what you are looking for. Annie Hardy sure has that angry indie gal tag even if her mutterings can be as vague as a toddler learning to speak. ‘Kevin Is Gay’ starts and finishes with a decidedly scary volley of poltergeist emissions but in between the sluggish shoegaze chords and Hardy’s understated vocals generate pangs of desire for the early nineties. When a band creates a noise akin to the inside of an airplanes fuselage you’d expect several hitters so it comes as a bit of a surprise that Giant Drag has only 2 members. No sparse White Stripes numbers here though, Hardy and drummer Micah Calabrese create a wholesome sound that’ll fill your head with consummate ease. KD

Giant Drag - Kevin Is Gay

Album: Hearts & Unicorns
Year: 2005
Buy: Hearts & Unicorns

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Here is a Toronto group to watch out for. I came across this song while rummaging around an open dir and it immediately reminded me of a Rolling Stones/Rocket Science hybrid. I’m a sucker for lazy, drawn out keyboards and ‘Old World, Young Heart’ has them in spades. Singer Thom Paulozza pours sackfuls worth of emotions into his performance while the guitars skate purposefully around the maelstrom. The drumming is aggravated to the point where you can picture the tiny wood splinters dotting the walls of the studio. There is something creepy going on here, like a prowler in the night. The bands debut ‘The Great Awake’ EP is on its way later in the year and if this demo is anything to go by Canada may have just given us another precious new band. See http://thegreatawake.com for more information and songs to download. KD

The Great Awake - Old World Young Heart

Album: The Great Awake EP
Year: 2006

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The Caesars fate was sealed, the very moment it was decided to use their ‘Jerk It Out’ song for an iPod ad they were guaranteed the best exposure known to marketing man. Sadly beyond this farfiso organ propelled effort it seemed there was little to titillate curious fans inspecting their back catalogue. Or so you’d think! ‘Sort It Out’ is another power hungry monster from the Swedish band, and even boasts a longer shelf life than their breakthrough single. This time the emphasis is very much on the guitar escapades and a demon vocal performance that begs for the sort inebriated weekend that could floor most humans. Of course the electronics do make an appearance neatly splicing the rush of chords on their memorable rampage. File under ‘watch the dancefloor become a heaving sweaty mass’. KD

The Caesars - Sort It Out

Album: 39 Minutes of Bliss (in An Otherwise Meaningless World)
Year: 2003
Buy: 39 Minutes of Bliss (in An Otherwise Meaningless World)

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While nothing can quite surpass Gene Wilder’s version of 'Pure Imagination' the Ataris make a valiant stab at breathing indie cool into what is movie soundtrack classic. 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' is one of the best films ever made, not least because of the wonderful music contained within. It outscores the recent update in every department, how could a film with such a wonderful heart ever be bettered anyway? The Ataris coax some great riffs from the raw material, infusing a new lease of life into what is really a lullaby. In the process the songs structure is turned on its head, without ever losing the qualities that made it such a winning treat in the first place. Kris Roe’s nasal whine fits the bill perfectly and the slightly ill timed drumming conveys a strange world where tiny men supply the world with multishaped chocolate. KD

The Ataris - Pure Imagination

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This is an all time classic from 1995. The Apples In Stereo are always capable of coming up with undisputed gems but their inconsistency has been their undoing. Taken from the bands debut ‘Fun Trick Noisemaker’ ‘She’s Just Like Me’ set the benchmark for tweepop wonderfulness. The lyrics don’t give a lot away but why should innocence pretend to be something its not. Rob Schneider voice can be a little cloying over a full album but taken in moderation it is heart warming and uplifting. For their part his band present the jingliest of guitars possible that add up to something this is as treasurable as a puppy and twice as cute. The song has a tale end too called ‘Taking Time’ which while not as memorable as its predecessor still stokes the cockles of your heart. KD

The Apples In Stereo - She's Just Like Me

Album: Fun Trick Noisemaker
Year: 1995
Buy: Fun Trick Noisemaker

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Perennial underachievers Nada Surf can always be depended on to turn heads every couple of years. It happened to dazzling effect when ‘Popular’ became a geek anthem in the mid nineties. Since then the band have honed their craft and released progressively better long players. So much so that their artistic merit has overtaken what is offered by their contemporaries Weezer. Couldn’t imagine Rivers ever coming up with something as spectral as ‘Hyperactive’, which hits so many frantic highs, just listening to it can make you shudder. This is a song that plays like 4-minute chorus; Matthew Caws bends his voice to capture the sweet contours while the rhythm section sets a Ned’s Atomic Dustbin like lightening pace. Guitars twang menacingly and the drummer plays until the veins break to the surface. Aural heroin then, the only side effect being the repeated cries from downstairs neighbours to borrow the enchanted grooves. KD

Nada Surf - Hyperspace

Album: The Proximity Effect
Year: 1998
Buy: The Proximity Effect

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They may have been just another female fronted band but Sleeper’s music only told half the story. In Louise Wener the band had a bolshie spokesperson unafraid to warble on about the topic of the hour. While this guaranteed plenty of column inches in Melody Maker for a brief time their music also made an impression. ‘Smart’ their debut was a mixed affair but it was speckled with some genuine moments like ‘Inbetweener’, ‘What Do I Do Now’ and ‘Vegas’. The latter was one of a host of singles released from the album and featured Graham Coxon on saxophone. It begins all vaudeville like before quickly returning to indiepop type. Wener’s vocals are charismatic as the tempo zig-zags from soulful reflection to final wipe out which features a descending volley of marching chords. The song tells the story of a desperado willing to throw it all away for a brief sojourn on the rip in Las Vegas. Despite the minor chart successes scored with ‘Smart’ the follow up ‘The It Girl’ failed to build on the momentum and Sleeper disbanded in 1998. Wener has since gone on to become a successful author. KD

Sleeper - Vegas

Album: Smart
Year: 1995
Buy: Smart

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Ethereal is about as apt a word you'll get to describe the Plague Monkeys. Take singer Carol Keogh who sounds equal parts Liz Fraser/Dolores O’ Riordan and add in an equally capable band who invent chords at will to hang majestically in the air like a glider and the result is the aural equivalent of whipped cream. Somewhat inevitably the trick wears thin after a number of tunes but taken in moderation the effect can be truly exhilarating. This Irish band have habited the fringes for several years, all they need is a director with an ear for moody atmospherics and the world could yet be their oyster. The vocals on ‘White Feathers’ are soft yet powerful and the guitar ambles advance and retract with a regularity that is close to hypnotic. It will probably flit in and out of your life with undue haste but the time you spend together will be icy cool. KD

The Plague Monkeys - White Feathers

Album: Surface Tension
Year: 1999
Buy: Surface Tension

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Try and peruse the Unbelievable Truth’s website (http://www.unbelievable-truth.com) and you won’t learn a jot as it seems the memories held aren’t the best. Perhaps the root of the bands rise and fall lay in the fact that the chief songwriter was none other than Andy Yorke, brother of Radiohead frontman Thom. Comparisons were always going to ensue and while the 2 bands share a gift for precocious songwriting there is no definable bridge to link the siblings output. The Unbelievable Truth were always an enticing prospect in their own right and their debut ‘Almost Here’ was a quiet revelation. The singles it spawned were universally strong which is always a good indicator of scope of talent at work. ‘Solved’ boasted several strong b-sides with ‘Yesterday Never Leaves’ being the prize catch. Understated acousticism rarely sounds this good, Yorke’s vocals are touching and the delicate strings add up to what could be a perfect shifty disco. Put this aside for quite reflection, as you attempt to figure why the best things in life often go unnoticed. KD

The Unbelievable Truth - Yesterday Never Leaves

Album: Solved EP
Year: 1998
Buy: Solved

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If you are going to model your artistic ambitions on someone then it makes sense that you choose the best. Jellyfish practised at the altar of Beatledom and ended up leaving us with a near bounty of wonderful moments. None more so than ‘The King Is Half Undressed’ a song with more directions than a GPS navigation system. The clatter and sparks that rush about are beautiful realised, drums shudder, bells toll, voices harmonise and the tune scuttles from one glorious peak to the next. Too bad then that the band only scored minor success and ended up splitting after 2 critically lauded albums. Surely here was a band that could have become the thinking mans ELO. KD

Jellyfish - The King Is Half Undressed

Album: Bellybutton
Year: 1990
Buy: Bellybutton

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Boston’s Drop Nineteens looked east for their inspiration, namely the UK’s burgeoning Shoegaze genre that produced a plethora of bands who were low on conversation but high on blissed out chord dalliances (Ride, My Bloody Valentine, Swervedriver). ‘Winona’ is their most notable achievement, featuring a precocious mix of dense guitars and distant yet affecting vocals. Being the rock chick that she was Ms Ryder probably would have given it an admiring glance at the time. The video had the Drop Nineteens perched around a summer table engaged in childlike adventures with their food. While this may sound mawkish it worked perfectly in the context of the searing histrionics going on in the background. The song still sounds effective 14 years on, of its time but saddling nicely up alongside today’s version South Ambulance. KD

The Drop Nineteens - Winona

Album: Delaware
Year: 1992
Buy: Delaware

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Despite the fact that electronic purveyors (& brothers) Orbital were named after a road the duo were capable of instantly weaving a rich landscape of sound. Live, they stood imperious on stage bobbing as the headlights from their head garments swung in time with the rich tapestry emanating from the banks of electronic gizmos in front of them. Their early albums continually provided swansongs that took on an epic slant pushing the boundaries of electronica in a swirl of hazy melody. Check out ‘Belfast’ and ‘Out There Somewhere? Pt. 2’ for an acid trip through space to remember. ‘Attached’ is on a different plane altogether, an ambient masterpiece that if it had been about in the late seventies could have given Spielberg an even more fitting soundtrack to the finale of Close Encounters. Otherworldly and diverse it is underpinned by a beat that just falls just short of danceable. Any chill out album without it is sorely lacking. KD

Orbital - Attached

Album: Snivilisation
Year: 1994
Buy: Snivilisation

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