Fighting Smiles – Jonquil (Free Download / Buy)
Get Up – Jonquil (Free Download / Buy)
Though it’s far easier than in the past, it’s still very difficult for an indie/pop band from the UK to reach a widespread US audience. Even with a major label backing, many artists (e.g. Mika, Bombay Bicycle Club, Biffy Clyro) haven’t been received in the US quite the same way as they are across the pond.
That’s not to say that there aren’t any to take note of, quite the opposite in fact. But with bands like Muse, The Fratellis, The Arctic Monkeys, and Bloc Party, the UK typically sets the bar pretty high. For every Hot Club de Paris, there’s another hundred UK bands that you won’t hear, not because they aren’t good enough, but because they aren’t playing shows here.
Jonquil hail from Oxford, England, right in the middle of the hotbed. I was urged to check them out from a friend and was left very impressed. Before I even began to listen to their tracks on Myspace, I took a look at their influences. They list a bunch of bands, but provide pictures of their primary gods. David Byrne, Neil Young, David Bowie and Stevie Nicks.
Jonquil impresses with their ability to use haunting backing riffs on keys and/or guitars as foundations for their songs. They remind me of an afrobeat version of The Shins, combining excellent harmonies and various accompanying instruments which, when layered over the aforementioned backbone track, makes for very cool music. The reverb-filled, almost jammy lead guitar screams Vampire Weekend and Suckers while remaining original and absolutely thrilling.
“Fighting Smiles” is the best song I’ve heard in a while. It serves as a platform in which Jonquil provides examples of what makes them so special. The song is catchy as hell and makes me want to skip on a rainbow.
Sadly, Jonquil hasn’t announced any plans to tour the US in the near future. That said, they are signed to New York’s Dovecote Records, who also works with Hooray For Earth, Bad Veins, and Cast Spells, so I’m sure we’ll be getting a hefty injection of Jonquil’s addicting tunes very soon.
