At the start of the year, the fickle inhabitants of blogs-ville went a little loco over a track called Girls FM by Happy Birthday, a band fronted by Vermont-based Renaissance man Kyle Thomas, the talent behind Tally Ho! favourites King Tuff.
Just like the saccharine sentiments the title implies, Girls FM has hooks that cut deeper than The Raspberries ever could but its cocky Casanova boasts are betrayed by an inherent frailty that suggests it was made to soundtrack the first-date-nerves of 16 year old virgins the world over...not sure what that says about us but its awesomeness can not be denied.
Well Sub Pop agreed and signed the band; which also consists of Thomas' Vermont homies Chris Weisman and Ruth Garbus; with the proviso that they deliver an LP's worth of honey-dripping, teeth rottingly sweet power pop.
Not ones to disappoint, the resulting album, Happy Birthday is the best thing we've heard so far this year. Released in the UK on 15th March, it's been on the stereo non-stop, bleeding 70's pop perfection into Tally Ho! HQ and as we mourn the passing of Alex Chilton, its a poignant reminder of the power of the genre that Chilton cut his teeth in.
Listen to Girls FM on their myspace here or visit Sub Pop's home page here to score a freebie in the form of LP highlight Subliminal Message.
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