Shelflife was started in the early 90s and has continued to release indiepop in a late 80s/early 90s style, sometimes with jazzy/bossanova hints. The music can often be described as cute or twee, but I don't mean this as an insult. It's just delicate pop made by people who put music before fashion and don't care that they don't sound hard, heavy or rock 'n' roll.

The label recently released a 6 track CD EP by Souvenir, a Spanish band who sing in French. The music includes elements of old-school twee indiepop, bossanova and 60s style pop, and one of the tracks is a French cover of the Beach Boys' Girl Don't Tell Me.

Moving Pictures have an 8 song CD on Shelflife, Joie De Vivre. This combines twee janglepop with childlike vocals and a jazzy sound. I Like The Way You Are is jazz-tinged in the way that Blueboy were jazz-tinged, but Moving Pictures have more of a sweet/cute sound.

Picnic Basket is a 19 track CD including old-style indiepop bands from Greece, Spain, Japan, Australia, USA, Brazil, Peru, UK and France. I recognise some of the bands from the early 90s - Impossible Tymes, The Pearly Gatecrashers, One Night Suzan, Kissamatic Lovebubbles, PO! and Southville (and also Lysa Gora, but I've only heard of them, not heard them). The rest (La Pequeña Suiza, Chain Letter, The Maybellines, Flower Bellcow, The Skywriters, Jarond, Starblind, Sushi, Resplandor, The Melody Unit, Pinkie) are new names to me and this comp shows that 80s/early 90s style indiepop is well and truly alive! Note that Pinkie, although a new band, is actually the new band of Alex from Brighter!

info@shelflife.com

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