Saloon - Bicycle Thieves

Artist: Saloon

Song: Bicycle Thieves

Album: What We Call Progress (2002)

A pretty song from a Reading, England art-pop band. Unfortunately I can't really make out any of the lyrics. You can listen to the track on the website of their label, Darla.com. Here's also a review of the album it's from (What We Call Progress), and an interview with the band.

(…) Is film important to Saloon? (‘Bicycle Thieves’ would sound great on a soundtrack.)
Michael: Well, "Bicycle Thieves" is a great Italian neo-realist film. When we're working on new material, we sometimes discuss ideas in visual terms, and these will often refer to Cinema. It's interesting to describe and understand sound in terms of related images, and in that sense music is certainly more refined - as such you need to work harder to impress people. We get a lot of people watching us with their eyes closed - if that's possible - maybe that tells us something?!

(…) In 2001, Saloon recorded their debut album. (This Is) What We Call Progress, which was engineered by singer Amanda Gomez at the Reading College School of Art and Design (now part of Thames Valley University) and mixed by Andrew Prinz of Mahogany in his New York studio, who also designed the sleeve. The album was released in April 2002 to mostly favourable reviews including the Sunday Times in the UK who listed it amongst their top 10 of the year.

(…) Think of all the best British bands from the 1980s and you have the basis for Saloon. Think New Order, The Cocteau Twins, The Smiths. Revel in the hint of a Wedding Present thrash-out in 'Le Weekend'. Wallow in the My Bloody Valentine bit in 'Static'. And then...
And then ask me what's so special about this , if I can so easily and effectively refer it to the past.

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The Hentchmen - Thief On Bicycle

Artist: The Hentchmen

Song: Thief On Bicycle

Album: Form Follow function (2004)

Formed in October of 1992, the Hentchmen were one of the most popular live acts in lower Michigan throughout the '90s. Featuring organist/vocalist Johnny Volare, guitarist Tim V. Eight, and drummer Chris Handyside, the band performed a primitive garage band sound that utilized few instruments and referenced their heroes in '60s music. (---)

Editorial Reviews

Entertainment Weekly

"This long-running Detroit trio tosses off raucous, unpretentious hip-shakers that hit the G-spot other garage bands missed..."

Time Out NY

"...their music is just first-rate party rock...The Hentchmen will always be in style."

Product Description

One of Detroit’s least-kept secrets, The Hentchmen began playing together a dozen years ago, when they were in high school. It was the height of the grunge era, and The Hentchmen stood out like a sore thumb. Their rootsy, melodic, unaffected and more-surf-than-turf style soon made them one of the leading lights of Detroit’s nascent garage scene.

Throughout their history, The Hentchmen have stuck to their musical guns, eschewing trends, focusing instead on perfecting "Hentchmusic" with every song, every show, every record, every tour. Their infamous live energy is perfectly captured on Form Follows Function. Every song is as catchy as the common cold: the lyrics, the fanatical guitar playing, the tasty beats, the dance-y strains of the farfisa. With Form Follows Function, The Hentchmen have reached a new high mark.

Miracle Mile - Bicycle Thieves

Artist: Miracle Mile
Song: Bicycle Thieves
Album: Bicycle Thieves (1997)

This British group is primarily the genesis of singer-songwriter Trevor Jones. In the mid-nineties, after working with co-producer Steve Davis, Miracle Mile self-released its debut album Bicycle Theives in 1997. The duo added Les Nemes on bass, Trevor Smith on drums and Phil Smith on saxophone and keyboards. Mark Hornby would replace Phil Smith on the ensuing tour. Touring throughout Britain ensued with enthusiastic reviews for the contemporary pop sound in the vein of Beautiful South and Crowded House. The following year saw more touring and the release of Candids in 1998. But by that time Trevor Jones had grown weary of touring and opted instead for more studio work. Continuing work in 1999 on new songs, but Steve Davis departed the band citing time constraints and family priorities. Replaced by Marcus Cliffe, Miracle Mile released Slow Fade on MeMe Records in 2001. The album was noted for its simpler and more intimate sound, with good reviews in British music magazines and weeklies such as Mojo and Time Out. In the summer of 2001, the group returned to the studio for work on another album. Inspired by the Daniel Lanois album Acadie, the album took a slight country sound in its framework. In the spring of 2003, the group released Alaska on MeMe Records. The group contemplated doing live shows after Cliffe's tour with Mark Knopfler was cancelled due to the guitarist's motorcycle accident. ~ Jason MacNeil, All Music Guide

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Freezepop - Bike Thief

Artist: Freezepop

Song: Bike Thief

Album: Fancy Ultra*Fresh (2004)

Freezepop is an indie New Wave/Synthpop band composed of Liz Enthusiasm and the Other Sean T. Drinkwater (who claims to be a clone of the "original" Sean T. Drinkwater). They formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1999. The band is named after the frozen snack. The members describe their music as "sweet and cold and fruity and plastic-y", much like the snack

biography

Fancy Ultra•Fresh is the second full-length studio album.

"Bike Thief (Schnellspanner Remix)" is featured in Downhill Domination video game.

review

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what is not, not to like, a shiny bike
no lock, no key...it's there for me
it's for real, i'm gonna steal a pair of wheels
FSU...now you can too

I know soon that someone else
will claim my new bike for themselves
waiting for their lucky day
to make a speedy getaway

I am a bike thief...

our friend the dane, he does the same, no lock, no chain
he rides around ...all over town
to travel far, without a car, he pedals hard
so join the fun...you could have one

want to get from here to there
a bike can take me anywhere
it's not mine, but I don't care
I've had enough of playing fair

i'm riding free
so come with me
we'll be carefree
say it with me

I am a bike thief...

scope it out, you'll be without the slightest doubt
you want it now, i'll show you how
go down tonite, the time is right, it's in your sights
and if you dare, it's sitting there

I know soon that someone else
will claim my new bike for themselves
waiting for their lucky day
to make a speedy getaway
want to get from here to there
a bike can take me anywhere
it's not mine, but I don't care
I've had enough of playing fair

I am a bike thief...

The Bicycles Thieves - Stolen Moments

Artist: The Bicycle Thieves

Album: Stolen moment (2002)

The Bicycle Thieves: Alistair Robinson (guitar); Martin Bloomfield (bass); Roger Hempsall (drums).

This new release from Road Goes On Forever Records represents a first in more ways than one: not only are The Bicycle Thieves our first local signing since our move to the North East, but The Bicycle Thieves are also the label's first jazz act.

An acoustic trio led by guitarist Alistair Robinson, aided and abetted by Martin Bloomfield on bass and percussionist extraordinaire Roger Hempsall, The Bicycle Thieves have established a solid reputation on the local upmarket gig circuit, performing at such prestigious local venues as Throwing Stones restaurant at The National Glass Centre in Sunderland and the local gourmet paradise known as 11, Tavistock Place.

Formed in 1997 by Robinson (by day a local newspaper journalist) and Bloomfield, who initially performed as a duo, earlier this year they recruited seasoned session musician Hempsall, whose past credits include Jeff Beck, Pete King and Shirley Bassey (among many others), since when they have expanded both their repertoire and their horizons, which the release of this debut album confirms. Alistair Robinson is also a gifted composer, and has either written or co-written (with Martin Bloomfield) nine of the 14 tracks here. The balance of the tracks are cover versions of notable tunes written by the likes of Cole Porter, Michel Legrand, Pat Metheny and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

The group name, The Bicycle Thieves, was borrowed from the celebrated Italian film of the 1950s, and has no other significance - this trio do not steal bicycles - but Martin Bloomfield, as well as dispensing excellent bass lines, is actually also adept at riding a unicycle, and has been known to combine both his skills, playing bass while wobbling back and forth. Roger Hempsall, who is also a music lecturer and actor, has played on scores of albums during his distinguished career, and brings a wealth of experience and professionalism to the band.

Road Goes On Forever Records founder John Tobler notes "What interested us about The Bicycle Thieves was the fact that they play tastefully, use a lot of original material, and above all are different - their influences include flamenco music, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and Pat Metheny, and the label has never released anything like this before. We don't expect world domination before Christmas, but we are hopeful that this tuneful and melodic music will open ears and eyes which have previously ignored jazz".

The Bicycle Thieves - Bicycle Thieves

Artist: The Bicycle Thieves

Album: Bicycle Thieves (2000)

This impressive debut from the Washington, D.C.-based quartet offers all the qualities sorely absent from so much of popular music in the 90's: tight, intergrated musicianship; careful, yet imaginative songwriting and arranging; and, believe it or not, a singer who can really . . . yes, SING.

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Superhero - The Bicycle Thieves

Artist: Superhero

Song:  The Bicycle Thieves

Album: The Bicycle Thieves (2008)

 

Coming in to land somewhere between Delirious and U2 but no pale imitation of either, Superhero’s The Bicycle Thieves brings us Christian rock at its best: distinctive, sometimes melodic, sometimes brash, but always sharp. It’s an album you can leave on repeat play with no regrets as the lyrics mesh with the music to haunt your imagination.

The title track is well chosen:

 

We are all just bicycle thieves 
Looking for a new set of wheels… 

And anyway, it’s hard for me to steer 
with all these stones in my hands 
This is definitely not the way it was originally planned…

 

review

Sons Of The Never Wrong - Stylish Deb

Artist: Sons Of The Never Wrong

Song: Stylish Deb

Album: Nuthatch Suite (2005)

 

Sons of the Never Wrong are a folk trio from chicago made up of Bruce Roper, Deborah Lader, and Sue Demel. The band has been creating original "turbo-charged folk music" for 15 years to a cult-like national following. With their different take on three part harmony on top of witty, whimsical songs, Sons’ style springs from a tradition you’d swear you've heard, but this just ain't your grandpop's folk music.

 

biography

 

"Though very, very few and far, far between, it is discs like Nuthatch Suite that quickly exhaust a pundits descriptive dictionary while giving hope to the musically starved. Collectively, this hyper folk trio from Chicago are whimsical and wise folk alchemists, nudging their tradition based songs towards the edges of jazz, bluegrass, classical, oom-pah and lest we forget where it all comes from, gospel. Add all that to a literate lyricism and a vocal choreography that surpasses the usual 3 part harmony entering into jazzy syncopation and 'Nuthatch Suite' is the disc that keeps on giving. No matter how many times you listen, there's something new that catches your consciousness, making you smile, which makes choosing favorite tracks an injustius ... You owe it to yourself to hear this..." Mike Jurkovic, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange

 

A kind of Twin Peaks version of Peter, Paul and Mary, the songs are wacky, original & uplifting, combining exquisite vocal harmonies which spill and spiral all over the place, glorious melodies and...er... unique lyrical perspective

 

Little children watch them grow

of proud parents on that birth day.

In adolescence it starts to show,

that's why daddy's turning gray.

The tricycle thief that steals

the heart turns the corner on the better part.

You give your best

but they inherit a baby-sitter and an old grandparent.

Hey ho we all know we're in too deep but so it goes.

The Decemberists - Apology Song

Artist: The Decemberists
Titolo: Apology Song

Album: 5 songs (Ep, 2003)

5 Songs is a six-track EP by The Decemberists initially self-released by the band in 2001. The artwork was produced by Portland, Oregon artist Carson Ellis. The misleading title is due to the fact that the final track, "Apology Song" (originally sung into the answering machine of a friend named Steven as a legitimate apology for the loss of a beloved bicycle named Madeline), was written after the original self-produced CD was released. Lead singer Colin Meloy liked it so much that it was added to the album when it was re-released by Hush Records in 2003.

In 5 SONGS, which actually consists of six, Colin Meloy's uniquely wonderful vocals, masterful storytelling and intimidating vocabulary come to a head - and combined with accordionistas, violinists, and your standard guitar/percussion/bass, you'd be hardpressed to find indie folk rock that sounded fresher or more exciting than this.
The songs themselves are six different stories in the ever-eclectic yarn of the Decemberists, with subjects ranging from World War II love stories ("My Mother Was A Chinese Trapeze Artist") to a heartfelt apology (Apology Song) for losing a friend's bicycle… bicycle? I think if you listen closely the end reveals that not only was the bike stolen, but so was his girlfriend.

Apology song is a solid and cheerful song with the Decemberists' excellent combination of harmony, guitar, and organ.

review

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I'm really sorry Steven
But your bicycle's been stolen
I was watchin' it for you
'Til you came back in the fall
Guess I didn't do such a good job after all

I was feeling really sorry Steven
And I spent all morning grieving
And everybody's saying
That you'll take the news gracefully
Somehow I don't think I'll be getting off that easily

I meant her no harm
When I left her unlocked
Outside the Orange Street Food Farm
I was just running in
Didn't think I'd be that long
I came out, she was gone
And all that was there was some bored old dog
Leashed up to the place where your bicycle had been
Guess we'll never see poor Madeleine again

Let this be consolation, Steven
That all the while you were in England
I treated her with care and respect
And gave her lots of love
And I was usually pretty good 'bout locking her up

Where has she gone?
Well, I bet she's on the bottom of the Frenchtown Pond
Rudely abused on some hescher's joyride
So I wrote you this song
In the hopes that you'd forgive me
Even though it was wrong
Being so careless with a thing so great
And taking your poor Madeleine away, away

The Pale Fountains - Bicycle Thieves

Artist: The Pale Fountains

Song: Bicycle Thieves

Album: From Across the Kitchen Table (1985)

“Across the kitchen table” shows one of the most influencial singer, songwriters in recent (ish) times doing what he does best! Jean's not happening is an indie classic, way before it's time, it belongs in the baggy early 1990's Manchester. A piece of rare british musical history!

A leading proponent of the "quiet pop" movement of the early 1980s, the Pale Fountains formed in Liverpool, England in 1981. They debuted in 1982 on the Operation Twlight label with the single "(There's Always) Something on My Mind," which generated such a posititve buzz that they were immediately signed by Virgin for the then-staggering sum of 150,000 pounds. However, their label debut, the lavish "Thank You," failed to crack the U.K. Top 40, despite a heavy promotional push. After an intense year in the studio, the Pale Fountains' first LP, the bossa nova-inflected Pacific Street, finally appeared in 1984; after such a relatively long absence from the limelight, the group had lost its status as media darlings, and the record fared poorly. Producer Ian Broudie was brought in to helm 1985's ...from across the kitchen table, but again success was not forthcoming; in the wake of considerable acrimony amongst the band and their label, the Pale Fountains soon split, with Head returning to Liverpool to form Shack with his brother John.

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lyrics not found

Saloon - Bicycle Thieves

Artist: Saloon

Song: Bicycle Thieves

Album: (This Is) What We Call Progress (2002)

A pretty song from the debut album by a Reading, England five piece pop band.

There's substance beyond the cheery melodies in their world, though. "Bicycle Thieves" is a slice of fragile introspection drifting through the intricate pulse of the bass and guitar (Pitchfork).

Their music is the traditional sound of guitars, strings and softly sung vocals meeting electronic beeps and whistles of Moogs, stylophones and Theremins head on. “(This Is) What We Call Progress” is record of profound beauty sounding akin to early Stereolab, very early early New Order and Mahogany. It was recorded in Leeds and mixed by Andrew Mahogany in New York at Andrew’s Simultaneous Workshop.

Unfortunately I can't really make out any of the lyrics.

biography

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interview

review

"A seductively breezy guitar lead pop gem of sorts and one of those once in a while feel good records that trips into your life.” – Losing Today.

"Saloon continue to get better. Their Snow is a bewitching pop fantasy of dreamy vocals and keyboards kept in place by a darkly romantic Krautrock riff" – NME.

"A blinder… throbbing guitar riffs, menacing violins via John Cale and stabbing moog symphonies build up to a captivating unit that takes a delicious hold of your senses." – NME.