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Aberdeen | |
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| Origin | Los Angeles, California |
| Genres | Twee pop |
| Years active | 1993–1995, 2001–2005, 2011 |
| Labels | Sarah Records (1994-1995) Sunday Records (1995) Tremolo Arm Users Club (2001-2005) LTM |
| Past members | John Girgus Beth Arzy Jenni Fields Brian Espinosa Jonny Joyner Kelly Davis |
Aberdeen was an American twee pop group.
The band formed in 1992 and in 1994 released two singles on the seminal British label Sarah Records; they were one of the only American acts on Sarah. Aberdeen also released recordings through Sunday Records and guitarist and co-founder's own label The Tremolo Arm Users Club. They disbanded shortly after Sarah Records folded. They reformed in 2001, signed to Tremolo, and released a full-length album, Homesick and Happy to be Here , two singles, and a maxi-CD (see discography below).
In 2002, the band embarked on a US tour with Robert Wratten, playing solo acoustic performances as Trembling Blue Stars. In 2003, the band again played with Robert but as Trembling Blue Stars for a series of Los Angeles shows at Cafe Club Fais Do-Do.
Possibly the band's biggest exposure came when one of their songs, 'Sink or Float' was featured on Buffy the Vampire Slayer . The song was also included on the UK edition of the series's second soundtrack album, Radio Sunnydale .
Aberdeen broke up again in 2005 as their members drifted to other projects, though they released a career retrospective CD, What Do I Wish for Now? (Singles + Extras 1994–2004) , the following year on LTM. Lead singer Beth Arzy has also been a member of Trembling Blue Stars since 2000, and contributed to albums by The Occasional Keepers.
Aberdeen's last performances were at The San Francisco Pop Fest on 05/26/2011 and at The EchoPlex in Los Angeles, opening for 14 Iced Bears and Phil Wilson on 6/5/11. Scheduled performances at Berlin Popfest that same year were ultimately cancelled.
In 2014, John Girgus released a cassette compilation of four-track demos titled It Was the Rain: Lost Recordings 1993-1995 on UsedBinPop Recordings.
The Orchids are a Scottish band that achieved success with Sarah Records. Formed in Penilee in Glasgow in 1985, the Orchids released a series of underground singles on Sarah Records. The group's line-up comprised James Hackett (vocals), Pauline Hynds Bari (vocals), John Scally (guitar), Chris Quinn (drums), Matthew Drummond (guitar) and James Moody (bass). Their producer, Ian Carmichael, often played keyboards on their records. They changed their line up in 1993, when bassist James Moody left. Ronnie Borland, a long time collaborator and supporter of the band, then took over on bass. They went quiet after their 1994 album release, their last on Sarah Records, only surfacing in 1995 to play at the Sarah Records farewell party. After that they took a break until 2004 when they reformed.
The Field Mice were an English indie pop band on the independent record label Sarah Records. They had top 20 success in both the singles and albums UK Independent Charts.
Sarah Records was a British independent record label active in Bristol between 1987 and 1995, best known for its recordings of indie pop, which it released mostly on 7" singles. On reaching the catalogue number SARAH 100, the label celebrated its 100th release by throwing a party and shutting itself down. In March 2015, NME declared Sarah to be the second greatest indie label of all time.
Homesick and Happy to Be Here is an album by the Los Angeles pop band Aberdeen, released in 2002.
Dubstar are an English indie-dance duo, performing songs with hints of Britpop, dream pop and synth, as well as the occasional pop ballad and guitar-laden rock with industrial twists. The group was formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Sarah Blackwood joined in 1993 as vocalist.
Indie pop is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and subsequently generated a thriving fanzine, label, and club and gig circuit. Compared to its counterpart, indie rock, the genre is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free. In later years, the definition of indie pop has bifurcated to also mean bands from unrelated DIY scenes/movements with pop leanings. Subgenres include chamber pop and twee pop.
The Wake are a British post-punk, synth-pop and later indie pop band, formed in Glasgow in 1981 by Gerard "Caesar" McInulty, Steven Allen (drums) and Joe Donnelly (bass), the latter replaced by Bobby Gillespie. Steven's sister Carolyn Allen also joined on keyboards, and remained in the band thereafter. Gillespie left the band in 1983, replaced by Martin Cunning and then by Alexander 'Mac' Macpherson.
Trembling Blue Stars was the London-based band based music project of Robert Wratten, started in 1996. Later consisting of Harvey Williams, Jonathan Akerman, Keris Howard, Michael Hiscock, and Beth Arzy who replaced Annemari Davies in 2000. Initially begun as a side project of Wratten's previous band Northern Picture Library, Trembling Blue Stars became Wratten's main band when Northern Picture Library broke up in 1995. Wratten took the name of his band from The Story of O by Pauline Réage. Trembling Blue Stars are characterized by melancholic songs with shimmering guitars and introspective lyrics.
Language of Flowers are a five piece indie-pop band originally from Belfast in Northern Ireland signed to San Francisco indie label Shelflife Records. As of 2006 its members are located in London, Manchester and Belfast. The band's sound is characteristic of the British C86 movement with heavy use of jangling Rickenbacker 12-string guitars, airy female vocals and bright pop melodies.
Bunnygrunt are an American indie pop band from St. Louis, Missouri composed of guitarist/vocalist Matt Harnish and drummer Karen Ried.
Northern Picture Library was a British dream pop group, formed in 1993 by Bobby Wratten and Anne Mari Davies, both former members of The Field Mice. They were soon joined by former Field Mice drummer Mark Dobson.
Tiger Trap was an American twee-pop foursome composed of high school friends Angela Loy and Rose Melberg, with Heather Dunn and Jen Braun. The group recorded for K Records. The name "Tiger Trap" comes from the very first Calvin and Hobbes cartoon, and was used prior to the formation of the band by Rose Melberg for a solo set in 1991 at the first night of the International Pop Underground Convention, Love Rock Revolution Girl Style Now, inspiring the Beat Happening song of the same name. Formed in Sacramento, California in 1992, they managed to garner something of a cult following before disbanding only a year later. Their last concert took place at Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, in December 1993. Bands they played with include Heavenly, Unwound, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, Girl Trouble, Mecca Normal, Beat Happening, and Tsunami.
LTM Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1983, and best known for reissues of artists and music from 1978 to the present day, as well as modern classical and avant-garde composition. The label is based in Norfolk, England, and is curated by James Nice.
St. Christopher are a British indie pop group formed in York in 1984, who released several records on Sarah Records in the late 1980s, and have continued to release records since.
Holiday Flyer was an American Indie pop band formed in June 1993 by siblings John and Katie Conley. The band released their debut album in 1995. The band grew by one member for each of their next three records. Verna Brock joined the group for 1997's The Rainbow Confection; Michael Yoas for 2000's You Make Us Go; and Jim Rivas on, I Hope. Holiday Flyer disbanded in October 2002, with leaders John Conley and Katie Conley devoting more time to other projects, The California Oranges and The Sinking Ships.
Tullycraft is an American indie pop band from Seattle, Washington, that formed in 1995. They have been associated with the genre of twee pop; in fact, they are considered to be one of the true pioneers of the American twee pop movement. They are known for their DIY ethic, only releasing albums on independently owned and operated record labels.
Cath Carroll is a British musician
Blueboy were an indie pop band formed in Reading, Berkshire who were signed to Sarah Records and later Shinkansen Recordings. Core members Keith Girdler and Paul Stewart also recorded as Arabesque and Beaumont.
Lowercase was a band from Palm Desert, California, led by Imaad Wasif on vocals and guitar and Brian Girgus on drums. The band put out 2 full-length albums on the Minneapolis label Amphetamine Reptile before recording their last LP for Vern Rumsey of Unwound's label, Punk in my Vitamins. Tours with Sebadoh, Karp, Unwound, Hovercraft, Caustic Resin, The Lies, Faith No More, and Chokebore helped gain them a national as well as international following.
Her Handwriting is the debut album by English indie pop band Trembling Blue Stars, released in May 1996 as the first album on Shinkansen Recordings. The album is an intimate song cycle centred on the romantic break-up of frontman Bobby Wratten and Anne Mari Davies, his former bandmate in The Field Mice and Northern Picture Library. After writing several songs about the break-up in early 1995 that Wratten believed to be messy, he discarded them, but engineer and musician Ian Catt persuaded him to record material based on the break-up in his own studios in Mitcham, South London, over the subsequent autumn and winter.
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