May 26, 2006

The Boy Least Likely To -- FREE INSTORE

The Boy Least Likely To - Saturday, June 3rd 2:00pm
With a name like the boy least likely to, it’s way too easy to throw an ellipsis in and finish the sentence with “play fingerprints” or some other slack crap, but the reality is that there are only a few other bands who would so completely qualify as “most likely” to play fingerprints. The Boy Least Likely To is a UK duo that make music that is nothing if not whimsical. Their debut release, the best party ever, was created on their collection of weird, wonderful instruments, which they’ve collected over the years from craft fairs, yard sales, and pre-schools. While perfect for your inner child (or real child) far from sounding like Raffi or some other Toys r Us spinner rack children’s music, TBLLT’s music can be as childlike as its artwork suggests, the similarity ends there. Songs about monsters, spiders, tigers, and cola shimmy between the sounds of the Beach Boys, Belle & Sebastian, 1980s indie-pop labels like Sarah and Postcard, and country disco bands everywhere. But what makes the album so poignant is the uncertainty-- still childlike, but also very adult, and deeply, humanly sad-- lurking beneath every warm synth and each sunshiny acoustic guitar. "If I wasn't so happy/ I wouldn't be so scared of dying,". This is childish adult music that is charming, precious, and cool as hell. The completed album's narrative loosely traces the arc of a friendship, or a romance-- or a party. "It starts off quite happy, then dips as all good parties do, then you get that last burst at the end," Jof, the half who writes the lyrics and sings the songs, says. The reaction has been a whirlwind, with media all over the globe going crazy on these guys (check a few of the press quotes below). Anyway, this should be a very fun, very cool, family friendly way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Pete (the music maker) says "We wanted to make a record that everyone would forget then years later, a magazine would declare it a lost classic." It’s up to us to help make sure this dream gets crushed like a bug; we can’t have to wait 20 years for record number 2.

Some recent press (I trimmed it down, but couldn’t bring myself to cut anymore of these, they’re too great.):
‘Catchy cuddle-rock’ – Rolling Stone, 10 Bands to Watch 2006
‘This pop confection sounds sort of like Belle and Sebastian playing Pet Sounds using only instruments found in a kindergarten classroom.’ – CMJ Monthly, Cover Artist

‘Twinkly, twee pop to share with your post-breakup rebound. ‘Be Gentle with Me’ is the single of the month for anyone who relates to the bald guy from High Fidelity.’ – Spin

‘A slightly twee, optimistic record…charming with its melodies and rattling with unusual noises’ – LA Times, Buzz Band

‘All zippy, twinkly and delicate…It’s like they’re distant relatives of Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh or something.’ - Jane

‘Simplistic beats with a pots and pans ethic…the soundtrack to a quaint tea time shindig’ – The Sentimentalist

‘A bunch of pretty, lo-fi songs with an acoustic guitar…full of cupcakes and ponies.’ - Spin.com, Band of the day

‘You’d need a brick in your heart cavity not to love ‘em’’- NME

‘A delightfully wonky folk-pop creation’ -Q

‘Ridiculously perfect concoctions, rooted in the Beach Boys, The Sarah and Postcard labels and, well, the Archies. The sound of a mythical, halcyon school disco, they make the Magic Numbers sound like Marilyn Manson.’ - The Guardian (UK)

‘Thank God for The Boy Least Likely To. This is what the underdog can peacefully call his (or her) own. It’s a dour and seductive mix of Death Cab For Cutie, Damon Gough, Nick Drake and Belle And Sebastian.’ - The Fly (UK)

‘Twinkly duo meddling with all the best bits of 80’s pop – Aztec Camera, Prefab Sprout, and Scritti Politti – and busy building a fanbase faster than you can say ‘the new Magic Numbers’. Banjos are involved.’ - Time Out London

Check out their website for a few song samples: http://www.theboyleastlikelyto.co.uk/music.htm