There are seemingly hundreds of contemporary indie pop bands that claim the bubblegum music of the 1960s as a prime influence. Few, however, manage to accurately reflect that sound in their own music, usually through an inability to lose the protective layers of irony and hipster cool long enough to actually write a bouncy two-minute pop song with enough hooks and harmonies to appeal to a discriminating Monkees fan. Then there are the Bicycles. This Toronto quintet has the bubblegum sound nailed, but there is also a spiky D.I.Y. quality to their music that connects them to like-minded acts such as the Apples in Stereo or Of Montreal.
Buy CD
© 2008