Having trawled the internet, I have been unable to find out any more about this artist than this:
Grant Lindberg is a solo artist out of Minneapolis, MN. He has been called “a poor man’s Matthew Sweet in a box.” He has been several bands including Avenue, The Methods and Alceon.
I am not sure that I personally would call him a poor mans Matthew Sweet in a box, whatever that means? Grants music is full of vibe and energy, depth and richness and for those of you that like some crunching guitars in your mix of power pop, you will love this.
You can find three of Grants albums, including this one and an E.P over on his bandcamp page, all really worth taking time out to listen to, in the meantime, if I manage to find anything else out about the man and the music, I shall post it here as soon as!!!
The Prisoners were a mod revival/1960s garage band formed in 1982 in Chatham, Kent, England. They were a regular live fixture on the London "psychedelic revival" mini-scene of the early 1980s, and often toured with sparring partners The Milkshakes who included Billy Childish on guitar. The Prisoners' sound combined catchy, retro flavoured melodies, punky guitar riffs, a Steve Marriott-esque vocal style and a lead instrument of the then-unfashionable Hammond organ. The Prisoners never met with much commercial success during their original lifespan but have latterly been likened to Paul Weller and The Charlatans. Indeed Tim Burgess of the Charlatans has cited the Prisoners as a major influence.
The band's lineup was: Graham Day (vocals and guitar), Jamie/James Taylor (hammond organ), Allan Crockford (bass) and Johnny Symons (drums).
Probably one of the greatest power pop albums you will ever get for free! I love this album and still can't understand why the band gave it away for free, it really is a classic from start to finish. If you don't have it, get it, you'll love it!
"The Martial Arts are in a blissful time warp that traps bands between the 60s and the present day. Equally excellent, check out both "Summer Tweed" and "Finale" to get your daily dose of radiant, sunshiny indiepop." -LOOSE RECORD
“As fortune would have it this album landed with me a matter of days after I narrowly missed seeing them live. A shame really as this is a thoroughbred collection of quality guitar driven pop. The production coupled with a generous use of keys - from theremin to synths - keeps the sound fresh making the influences harder to pin down. 'Contemptuous Disdain' is good example that mixes everything up well and even features a hint of ska. Upbeat opener 'Murry & Audree' is reminiscent of 60s beat but could just as easily be pulling from mid seventies Flamin' Groovies. Not that it matters, it’s three and a half minutes of timeless pop. Don’t Want to Talk continues in the same vain. Four songs in and 'Frost' changes tack a bit - a not quite ballad anchored by piano. Straight away 'Mod Val' kicks in and accelerates away as the guitars are reasserted in something of a punk out. 'Summer Tweed' is another stand out bit of tunesmithery from Paul Kelly - California style pop conceived in Northern Europe. Talking of which, this would have probably been my album for the summer months if it was not already pissing October.” - IS THIS MUSIC?
“Jaw on floor, dancing boots in turbo, absolutely marvellous, marvellous stuff. Expect great things - if not, you’ve only your damn selves to blame.” - THE SKINNY
“I’ve had this album on repeat since I got it!” – Lennart Wrigholm, Musiklandet.se
“An enchanting pop explosion” – Lisa Olaison, Sundsvalls Tidning
“Buy This Record!” – Dalademokraten
“The Martial Arts are the creators of this years indie summer” – Arbetarbladet
“Amazing melodies....the sky is the limit for The Martial Arts” – Groove Magazine
“Almost perfect” - Falu Kuriren, Borlänge Tidning
"An extremely recommendable disc for all" -blondie.cl
"The first words on this great album, are also my last - “Listen up to good advice” - listen to The Martial Arts." -Will Campbell, sohostrut.co.uk
Now the leaves are falling and the days are cooling, it is nice to have something that warms the heart and ears a little!
This Feels Like Summer is the 7th installment of Popscene MNL's mp3 compilation series. The title of the current collection is also the title of the most recent track by Carnival Park.
Time flies by so fast when you're having fun. After two years and eight compilations, we've made new friends and reacquainted ourselves with old ones. Hard to believe, but this is our story so far.
Sleeve design by Manny Gallo of Sodajerk/ Sunday Picnic Love Affair.
I realised today that I have been wearing Ben Sherman shirts for 32 years, I had my first one at the age of 12, a black and white paisley patterned shirt, brilliant for a 12 year old Mod, I now have a wardrobe filled with various plain and patterned designs, so I thought it was time I paid homage to the man and his shirts and a staple part of fashion since 1963.
Mr Ben Sherman
Arthur Benajmain Sugarman was a born in Brighton, East Sussex in 1925, at the age of 20 he emigrated to America and attained American citizenship, he changed his name to Ben as this is what his family called him and changed his surname to Sherman as he deemed this to be a good strong American name.
Ben married the daughter of a Californian clothes producer and raised a family in San Fernando Valley and started working for his father in law.
When Ben's mother fell ill, he relocated his family back to Brighton in England to care for her. Having no work when he returned he decided to start up a clothing company with the experience he had gained in the states, he started this in a rented factory in Bedford Square and started work producing the shirts we know and love so well.
Brighton and Hove buses name their buses after famous residents from the town, here is Mr Shermans bus tribute.
The Mods who had a sharp eye for italian designs and styles soon embraced the design and wore the shirts with their tailor made suits and skinny ties. Orders soon overtook Ben Shermans production capacity, it is famously quoted that in 1970 he ordered a million yards of Oxford fabric, a quater of a million yards of gingham fabric and a quarter of a million yards of striped material from an American fabric mill.
Sherman’s shirts with their button down collars and a button on the rear of the collar were an instant success. Soon he opened a showroom in Carnaby Street, London, and a shop in Duke Street, Brighton. Another two London shops followed. Sherman’s success was too much for the Brighton factory and production was moved to Northern Ireland in 1969.
Ben Sherman had some great adverts in the 70's. There is another one with a vicar that is rather amusing but not embedded, so here is the link; BEN SHERMAN VICAR ADVERT there are several more on youtube to watch too.
Ben sold the company in the early Seventies and moved to Australia to start new ventures. He died aged 62 in 1987 after a heart bypass operation. But the business lives on and is particularly associated with Mods. The stylish and popular shirts are unique in design and high in quality.
The company was sold to Oxford industries in 2004 and it is heartening to see that they have kept some of the humour in their advertising as this advert shows.
Now having existed for nearly 50 years the Ben Sherman shirt and brand have been adopted by almost every youth culture or style movement of the last 5 decades, from the mods, to Two tone and ska, to brit pop and is today still worn by the current bands and style leaders of the current decade, this is surely testament that Ben Sherman gave us one of the most iconic pieces of clothing in modern times and now I have to go and do some ironing!
The Lance come from my adopted home of Sweden, up in Borlänge, home of the Peace and Love festival.
The band have a great 60's feel to them and remind me a little of early Mando Diao, which is no bad thing, I hope to catch them playing around Västra Gotaland in the near future.
The Lance formed in January 2007 by Olle Hägg and Gustav Good. They had no jobs, no money and nothing to live on and The Lance was a simple act of desperation and an insane obsession for rock n roll music. When they started they had two screaming guitars but still needed a bass guitar to back them up and keep the rhythm. Their friend Micke Bojfeldt was the only one they knew who could play a mean bass guitar and talk rubbish at the same time so he was their obvious choice. Although they knew from previous experience that most drummers were idiots, they found this guy Dan Lif in a basement in Borlänge, Sweden. They put him up for a quick audition and he totally blew their minds with his rhythmic and frenetic style of swinging the sticks. They were then a quartet and became The Lance.
The Lance was the obvious band name because it’s nonsense. A lot of things The Lance does is nonsense and nonsense is what they can identify themselves with. The true meaning of the Lance is “four stupid fools”. Handsome and clever fools.
At the first rehearsal they all sat down in Dan’s basement with only old guitars and old amplifiers at hand. They didn’t have any freaky effects or any overdrive pedals, just turned the volume up and suddenly had their own sound. Raw, natural drive with some help from electricity.
About a year later here they are with the same old raw sound, same old style and the same members. They’ve done a number of recordings in an old, small studio in Borlänge.
