Firestation Records presents POPFEST BERLIN
a two nights festival – celebrating indiepop and beyond!
26/27 September 2014 at Grüner Salon
Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 2, 10178 Berlin
with: spearmint • The Popguns • Trambeat • The Understudies • Fire Island Pines • The Flatmates • LostTapes • Loor A Los Heroes • Woog Riots live!
MORE POP less shit!
#1 FIRE ISLAND PINES
You may remember these guys from last years Popfest Berlin (of course you do!) This year Fire Island Pines come with their debut album „True Grit“, which was released at Firestation Records just some weeks ago. While they clearly knew their Smiths, Pulp and Felt on their earlier releases, now they have created something that is entirely their own: a rich sonic lather foaming with existential anguish and bittersweet urgency.
#2 LOST TAPES
„Pop with guitar and everything from South Spain“, this is Lost Tapes! Pau Roca (La Habitación Roja, Fantasma#3 and Litoral) and RJ Sinclair (Tokyo Sex Destruction, Lions Constellation and It’s not not) started with homemade computer recordings to recover their lost mix tapes with renovated songs. In their cassette players were groups like Ride, The Chills, The Go-Betweens, The Pastels, Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, Spacemen3 and The Field Mice from labels like Creation, Sarah, Slumberland Records and Bus Stop Records, among others. Damn fine taste, and so is their music!
#3 THE POPGUNS
The Popguns are back! After a 15 year break the six piece indie pop band from Brighton hit the stage again. In three weeks, after NYC Popfest and Indietracks, they will finally arrive in Berlin for the first time! Reformed, reloaded and revitalised, the ‚Guns‘ promise a volley of indie rock classics from their earlier years – pitched between C86 and Brit-pop – combined with a barrage of brand new material recorded in 2014.
#4 WOOG RIOTS
From Lo-Fi to Disco! That’s the title of the latest album of the German/Italian duo Woog Riots and describes perfectly their sound: a unique mixture consisting of quirky indie pop, some folk influences, boy/girl vocals with a Lo-Fi attitude of singing, electronic beats and synthesizers – in a word: tweelectro!
#5 SPEARMINT
“It pains me to live in a world where no-one has ever heard of Spearmint” says Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character in the independet movie “(500) Days Of Summer”. We totally agree! Half Brit-pop and half twee, that’s Spearmint! Spearmint are a London-based indie pop band, founded 1995. Since then they have released 8 albums and many singles on their own label hitBack. Spearmint have recently released their new album, News From Nowhere, and are looking forward to playing in Germany for the first time since 2006.
#6 THE UNDERSTUDIES
The Understudies came together in 2008 and after single and EP releases on Odd Box Records, they have just released their debut album which features A Little Orchestra. It’s out on vinyl from Firestation Records. „Fragile and robust in equal measures in the grand tradition of British guitar bands like The Smiths they stand out as unique in London’s indiepop music scene“
#7 THE FLATMATES
The Flatmates were formed in 1985 in Bristol, UK, in the white heat of what has become known to historians as the C86 movement or ‚The Scene In-Between‘ – their simple aim to make classic pop tunes which combine the cool and charm of The Ramones and The Ronettes. Unfortunatly back then they didn’t get the chance to record that classic album they knew was in them, and went their separate ways in 1989. Now, 25 year later, The Flatmates returned with a new line-up (original members Martin and Rocker were joined by Swedish lead singer Lisa, bassist Verity, and drummer Brian) and the band is finally recording that classic debut album and coming to Berlin!
#8 TRAMBEAT
Trambeat formed in South London in 2012 and comprises live horns, female vocal harmonies, Hammond organ and rap. Their music is strongly influenced by the heavy soul sound of 1960s Detroit, Jamaican ska and reggae and old-school hip-hop. It takes from the past but adds a lot of the modern. Heart wrenching songs of love and loss coupled with an infectious dance beat and hooks aplenty.
#9 LOOR A LOS HEROES
Loor A Los Heroes is a 4 piece Jangly Pop band from Ashton. Cast yourself back to 86, add some Motown drums, postcard androgyny, vocal harmonies galore and great shoes. Listeners with a catchiness disposition, avert your ears now!