Let me end 2007 with hollAnd, one of my favorite all-time bands, who I first wrote about on 3hive in May 2004, although it’s not so much a band as it is one Trevor Kampmann, musician/producer/former-child-TV-actor extraordinaire. A dozen (or more, depending on how you count) releases, along with even more production credits, over the last dozen or so years. From the day I bought the Sea Saw (his first moniker) seven inch Stereo on a whim at No Life Records in LA until the recent release Love Fluxus and my new favorite hollAnd song “French Grass” (replacing his cover of Human League’s “The Lebanon”), I’m man enough to say it’s been a love affair.
Air Miami
Having previously confessed my love for Mark Robinson, founder of Teenbeat Records and driving force behind Unrest, Flin Flon, Air Miami, among others already listed elsewhere on these pages, I must share my excitement over the Teenbeat release of two previously unreleased Air Miami albums, Fourteen Songs and Sixteen Songs. Robinson started up Air Miami with fellow Unrest member Bridget Cross after that band’s breakup, and “Airplane Rider” is the single that preceded their 1995 LP Me, Me, Me. I still use their wonderous song “World Cup Fever” and all of its remixes to help me get through non-World Cup summers.
Bossanova
More Canadians, eh? I’ve been sitting on Bossanova for a while now, ever since their debut album Hey, Sugar was released on Teenbeat way back in March. Please accept my sincerest apologies for hiding this Vancouver band’s catchy pop sensibilities for so long.
Mark Robinson
Like Sam says here, I, too, have been impressed with eMusic’s recent additions, which have allowed me to get a bunch of albums I should have already had, but just never got around to getting. Like more Mark Robinson, founder of Teenbeat Records (not the teen mag), member of Unrest, Air Miami, Flin Flon, Grenadine, Olympic Death Squad, and all around swell guy. I’m a big fan of his work and probably should have shared this long ago, so like Sean says, shame on us!
Phil Krauth
From the Teen Beat website: “Phil is Teen Beat’s Leonard Cohen.” Lloyd Cole is my Leonard Cohen (he’s my Bob Dylan as well, for that matter). Who’s yours?
FLIN FLON
This is what drum ‘n’ bass should be. Yet another offering from Mr. Teenbeat himself, Mark Robinson. Nothing new to the viewers of CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” where “Floods” serves as the opening music. (Not to be confused with Flin Flon, the sixth largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba.)
The Fontaine Toups
Versus’ Fontaine Toups, perhaps the most underrated, indie female bass player, debuts her new band, carrying on where Versus left off.