popup - Chinese Burn
'Chinese Burn' is the a-side of popup's new single released today on art/goes/pop.
It's a limited 7" affair, so if you want one (and why shouldn't you) then I recon you'd better be quick.
popup have been getting a fair bit of national radio play recently, and quite right too.
Although 'Chinese Burn' isn't exactly representative of popup's sound, I kinda had to go with this track as it's possibly my favourite... so there.
Amongst other tracks I could have gone for there's the wonderful debut single 'Lucy, What You Trying To Say', where you'll find them in their more usual guise of peddlers of fantastic indie-pop tunes that any floppy fringed boy with an ear for The Pastels etc would sell his soul, Rickenbacker and Granny for.
They've been called the Scottish Arctic Monkeys... I can see the reference point for that, singing in your natural tongue about what you see around you in everyday life, but to be honest I think popup have a lot more going for them.
For one, they have such a wonderful range of influences, from jangle-tastic Postcard era Orange Juice through to the indie-tastic saviours of indie-pop The Pastels to balls out blistering riff monsters (like the above 'Chinese Burn') via Arab Strap and everything in between, but without sounding muddled and contrived.... everything sounds like popup!
And secondly, from the contact I've had with them they just seem so bloody nice and friendly...
Another thing is their work ethic, they do a stupid amount of gigs, and that has led to them being asked to go and play this years SXSW, where they will be playing 21 gigs... bloody hell!
Lucky Texas.
Admittedly, I know that's a little lazy of me mentioning Arab Strap etc above, but it's not just the Scottish brogue, it's the attitude and lyrical content... honest! But I do only seem to have mentioned Scottish bands... I guess that could be seen as a bit of a generalisation, but all the aforementioned bands have one thing in common, their greatness.
Scottish independent music has evolved on a totally different tangent to it's other UK counterparts, I don't really know why this is, maybe you could help me out here, but one things for sure, I'm so glad it has.
popup are...
Singer & guitarist Damien Gilhooley, bassist Michael Cross, guitarist Nicholas Giudici and drummer Adrienne Giudici.
And they make great music.
Visit - popup
Visit - popup @ MySpace (brilliant video too)
Visit - art/goes/pop
Visit - art/goes/pop @ MySpace
Simon
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