Hi Steve, hope you're well!My names Miles, but I'm emailing on behalf of my band Orchidelia. We’re a power pop group from Sheffield, England. We have just released a new single, "You’ll Never Know," but really we’re just emailing to say hello and introduce ourselves. We’re all pretty young, 20/21 [emphasis mine -- S.S.], and we love power pop so it’s great that you’re blogging about it, keeping the torch burning.
There’s not many young bands who play or write this sort of stuff, fewer who market themselves as being “a power pop band”. Most people we’ve spoke to don’t even know what it is, they think it’s a term we’ve invented. It’s a shame because there’s a timeless quality about the music, but it doesn’t seem to be connecting with a mass audience like it once did. It could all change though! But yes, we just wanted to let you know we exist, and we’d love to hear back from you!
Frankly, they had me at "from Sheffield, England." 😎
Seriously, I can't tell you charming I find the above, including the song, which is a terrific piece of earworm pop craftmanship. And the fact that they're youngsters doing stuff like that is, as you can imagine, downright inspirational in my book.
Oh -- I should add that Miles assured me the single "is out everywhere," which I assume means at all the usual streaming/download sites. So what are you waiting for?
Good song and pretty well produced in most respects. My one complaint is the way the rhythm section is recorded: the drums are kind of thin and clunky, particularly the snare, and I can't really hear the bass guitar - there's no solid bottom end. Still, thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteMost of the current music you post I find derivative and forgettable. This at least is derivative and memorable. Catchy, gets in and gets out. Not bad.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm always going to give a "new" band a listen. I sought out their live videos...there is something there but they need to woodshed their sound.
ReplyDeleteI know this may be to high a standard but listen to REM's first album, Murmur ...
rob
I watched one of their live videos too. They're amazing for their age.
DeleteLive, Radio Free - Athens. 4 college age kids. Amazing lyric and arrangement -has to be close to the best debut albums
Deleteafter Moby Grape 😉
Sorry guys, you seem sweet but this isn't very good. The production sucks. The song has awkward moments. Sounds more like tenth-rate Queen than powerpop. There is, nevertheless, some promise here. Lotsa luck.
ReplyDeleteVR
Hate to say this but the Bee Gees were around 17/18 when they wrote their first hit - New York Mining Disaster. The Orchidelia have some work to do - hope they realize that -Glenn Frey, who lived aboveJackson Browne said Jackson would bang out the same chords for Dr. My Eyes for days on end driving him crazy
ReplyDeleteThere's just no pleasing some people, apparently. 😎
ReplyDeleteSeriously kids -- play nice, will ya?
Mt ex-wife's slogan: If you don't have anything nice to say, sit next to me.
DeleteBy the third listen I am all in. Love the vocals. Sure it is a little on the rough side in places but a solid beginning. When you say Live, Radio Free are you talking about REM? Or somebody else.
ReplyDeleteREM / Bee Gees - all in their teens when they debuted
DeleteI agree with Steve! Give these guys a break. They are WAY more accomplished than I was at that age! (Or now, truth be told). Good song, good arrangement, good harmonies. Reminds me of some of Ray Davies stuff, and that is high praise. There’s a lot to like here.
ReplyDeleteJai Guru Dave
MOZART WAS COMPOSING BY FIVE YEARS OLD!!!!!! THESE GUYS SHOULD LISTEN TO OTHER ARTISTS FROM WHOLE DIFFERENT AREAS AND ERAS WHO SOUND NOTHING LIKE THEM AND SOMEHOW BE LIKE THEM!!!!!
ReplyDeleteJeezus.
C in California
I gave it two spins, but I'm not sold. Ray Davies' dad played him Big Bill Broonzy records, but from this small sample I'd say these guys were raised on Panic at the Disco and Fallout Boy. Good luck to them, but too theatrical for me.
ReplyDelete