THE HEAVY BLINKERS | HALIFAX | CANADA

The Heavy Blinkers have been creating increasingly sophisticated and orchestrated pop music since their 1998 debut Hooray for Everything! While this album hinted at what was to come, the Heavy Blinkers truly blossomed on their self-titled second record, The Heavy Blinkers, a record filled with 21 jubilant pop songs. Their next album, Better Weather, expanded the Blinkers' sound with additional strings, horns and choirs, collecting the group accolades in the British press and from fellow musicians such as Sean O'Hagan and Sondre Lerche. The band's fourth record, The Night and I are Still So Young, is a stunning melodic achievement and the group's best, and will be released on Endearing in early 2004.

"Maplewood" and "Tribute to Sparrow" are new recordings from the band that will not be on their upcoming album. Veranda Celeste is an instrumental track from The Night and I Are Still So Young.

ORWELL | NANCY | FRANCE

With the international success of bands like Air, Tahiti 80 and Phoenix, French pop has excited music fans all over the world. Orwell's debut album, Des Lendemains, is no exception. First released on Quince Records in Japan, releases in Europe (on Europop 2000) and North America (on Hidden Agenda/Parasol Records as Following Days) soon followed. Featuring collaborations with guitarist Mederic Gontier from Tahiti 80 and multi-instrumentalist Mehdi Zannad (a.k.a. Fugu), the album demonstrates Orwell's sophisticated melodies and gentle baroque pop.

The three tracks here include "Attic's Ballad" written specifically for this EP, a new recording of "Monorail", and an alternate mix of "Everywhere" from the band's forthcoming album. Sung in French and English, the band's songs include both sixties orchestral pop and eighties new wave influences.

Credits:
Jason MacIsaac: piano, hammond, banjo, accordian, vocals
Andrew Watt: wurlitzer, piano, rhodes, vocals
Ruth Minnikin: vocals
Trevor Forbes: bass, vocals
Greg Fry: drums, percussion

With:
Mike O'Neill, Matt Mays, Jill Barber, Rose Cousins: vocals on "Tribute to Sparrow".
David Christensen: sax, flutes, clarinets
J. Ball: guiro, shaker
Dale Murray: pedal steel, lap steel, guitars
Paul Aucoin: vibes, marimba
Anna Plaskett: french horn
Kristie Ibrahim: grand marimba
Jan McCharles: classical guitar, all star Hawaiian strings, all star Hawaiian horns

Song 1 by Andrew Watt, Songs 2 and 3 by Jason MacIsaac

Credits:
Jérôme Didelot: vocals, bass and guitar
Alexandre Longo: keyboards and backing vocals
Thierry Bellia: bass, guitar and vocoder
Régis Nesti: drums and percussion
Alexandre Rabin: trombone
Flute in "Attic's Ballad": Barbara Bouquet

Attic Quartet:
Sarah Tanguy: cello
Anne Masson: viola
Pascale Ramboarina: violin
Clara Ragot: violin

Songs by Orwell, recorded in Nancy (summer 2003) by Orwell with the precious help of Sébastien Fetet and Christophe Inglebert. Mixed by Orwell and Sébastien Fetet.

Links:
The Heavy Blinkers homepage
Endearing Records homepage