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I've been away for a while. Have you noticed? It's summer and the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a computer all day, especially while on holiday from work. But alas, that has sadly come to an end. Not before an exciting weekend in Derbyshire, however. For the most part, I managed to keep my identity a secret from most of the people I met over the weekend, though I did reveal myself to a couple of bands I've reviewed in the past. This post may give my identity away entirely.

What is there to say about Indietracks that hasn't been said a hundred time over? This was, admittedly, my first experience and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that it surpassed every expectation I had. It was the perfect ending to the two weeks I had spent prior, all of which was spent with a group of people I genuinely admire and love. This is far from a review of the festival or any of the bands I saw, so feel free to stop reading now if that's what you're looking for.

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I remember the feeling I had when I first got off of the train at Swanwick Junction. There was a mix of Northern Spies' “Swanwick Junction” and Lisa Bouvier's “Every Year Until We Die” mashed up inside my head. It was electric. The atmosphere was full of excitement. Spearmint was playing on the outdoor stage in the distance but my head was reeling. From the moment I stepped off the train there were friendly faces everywhere I turned, people I haven't seen in ages or friends I was finally meeting for the first time. Every step I took I was greeted by another friendly face. There were countless hugs and smiles and a very giddy washed over me. It got to the point where I had to yell out “I'll see you later!” when I saw another group of friends for fear that I would miss all of the bands entirely.

We did arrive late and had missed Teen Canteen and, by the time we were situated up on the hill, all of Spearmint's set. I continued to see more and more friendly faces as we sat listening to The Chills and watching the sun set slowly behind the stage. Allo Darlin were magical – the entire crowd was singing along. “Woody Allen” will never be the same to me ever again. The rest of the night was a blur of owls, laughter, and the best company imaginable.

I had looked at the schedule a few times when it originally came out, but I purposefully arrived on Saturday without any definite plans. There were a handful of bands I wanted to see, but nothing that I was going to be running between stages for. It was a sweltering hot day and, after being late again, missed Lonely Tourist on the train. I had luckily seen Paul play in Bristol a few nights before, but that more or less meant that I wasn't going to experience a train set this year. We settled in with milkshakes and watched The Royal Landscaping Society who, in the end, sounded wonderful. I drank strawberry cider (read: pure sugar) while the ever entertaining MJ Hibbett & the Validators were on stage. We caught the last few tracks of Thee Ahs who, in my personal opinion, sounded better than they had at NYC Popfest in 2013 (and they were great then!). A lot of time was spent in the train bar, the merch tent, and the railway museum in an effort to avoid the heat and the sun. How did anyone manage to survive in the church on Saturday? I had never seen The Spook School before so yet another burrito was consumed while we sprawled out on the grass and enjoyed Niall's commentary. We stayed put to watch The Popguns for a bit before venturing off to catch Dean Wareham at the indoor stage. It was a bit of an unreal experience to hear Galaxie 500 songs being played live in front of me. The highlight of my day, however, occurred as the sun was setting: the indiepop singalong on the beach. What a delightful experience – sitting in a beach chair in front of a giant sandbox, singing along to The Just Jones with a large group of people. MJ Hibbett even performed an entirely amusing Indietracks-inspired rendition of “Boom! Shake the Room” which had everyone laughing. The night ended with more owls and a brief stint at the Ready Steady Girls DJ set in the Marquee. What a dusty and joyous occasion.

Sunday was clashes galore! I still didn't have any definite plans, but there were more bands I hoped to catch than on Saturday. It seemed as though Sunday was a day full of seeing friends play. Luckily, the heat wasn't nearly as intense and I actually wore my jacket for a good portion of the morning, though that may have been because I was feeling a bit under the weather. Despite feeling a bit rough, we arrived on time and caught The Swapsies perform a great set to really kick off the day. Some incredibly lively people were already dancing in the front row, though it took me a bit longer to recover from the night before. I caught the last few songs from The Thyme Machine which, from all accounts, was an great performance. I'm a bit sad I missed the Tunnock's! I did happen to see two of the members underneath the outdoor stage a few bands later picking up the aftermath of their confetti cannons, which they admitted to doing happily. I braved the church to finally see Watoo Watoo perform after months of waiting. The Wendy Darlings were just as good as I hoped they would be. The Very Most didn't disappoint, either! I managed to sneak into the church to catch the last bit of The Yearning's set and only wished I had been there for the entire thing. I meandered back into the merch tent to chat with friends and saw Martha perform a great acoustic set. The tent was so full I'm not sure I could have left if I even wanted to! I really love Sweet Baboo so I happily took a seat in the grass for a while before the double-bill of The Just Joans and Withered Hand on the indoor stage. The Just Joans seem like an Indietracks staple these days, even more so considering how many times I heard or sang “If You Don't Pull” throughout the weekend. And Withered Hand has managed to put out one of my favorite albums of the entire year, so hearing and singing along to “Fall Apart” surrounded by all of my favorite people was, quite possibly, the highlight of my entire weekend. I wish that moment could go on forever.

Admittedly, I only half-listened to The Hidden Cameras. There was a lot of drinking and laughing among my little group, including several goodbyes that had some of us in tears. We had spent a great deal of time together before this weekend, after all. It was bittersweet, but most of us went to dance our cares away during Tim's Daytrip disco set. I finally saw some people I hadn't managed to run into all weekend (looking back, there are some people I didn't see at all – despite being 10 feet away from some of them during various sets), danced my drunken heart out, and only vaguely remember getting on the last train. Most of the goodbyes could wait until Monday morning.

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I like lo-fi, fuzzy pop with a heavy dose of punk now and again. Perhaps not as much as Trev Oddbox does, but I enjoy it nonetheless. And I am a bit sad to hear about the end of Ace Bushy Striptease.

Once I got past the band name, I was hooked. If you're never heard Ace Bushy Striptease, I believe that Slurpt, the band's six (and final) album available now via Oddbox Records, will convince you of their worth. There are elements of punk, garage, and pop all blended into a listenable package. There is a maturity in these songs, but the band hasn't lost their lofi and pop-punk sensibilities. The five-piece band, based out of Birmingham, have created quite a cult following in the UK over the last several years and will definitely be missed.

There's more indiepop in Liverpool than people may realize. The Swapsies are located in the city but they certainly have good company.

Named after the American Democratic politician Hillary Clinton, Hillary and the Democrats are a four-piece indiepop band that call the Merseyside area home. The band, consisting of Stephen Morse, Chris Norman, Paul Abbott, and Jim Fitzpatrick, formed sometime around 2008 and the first release I could find, EP de Paris, found its way into the world in 2010. Since then, the band has released several EPs and singles, though it was the Den Svenska EP, released in February of 2012, that I first heard. There was no turning back from there.

Back in March, Hillary and the Democrats released a new single, Local Residents. I'll let you in on a secret, though: if you download the single there's also a free bonus track! If you've heard anything by Hillary and the Democrats before, these three tracks fit right in with their previous releases. From the very opening riff of “Local Residents,” the tone is set.

There are a lot of things about Elefant Records that I enjoy. Aside from their reliability and constant output of top-notch pop songs, they have branded themselves in a very memorable way. There is a niche that they are certainly fulfilling and, more often than not, that niche consists of Spanish artists and bands that encompass that 60's girl group-inspired sound.

Everyone loves 60's girl groups, so who doesn't love that same sound with a modern twist? That's where bands like The Carrots (how great is “Crystal Lake”?), The School, and The Yearning come in.

The Yearning is one band that I'm awfully excited about seeing at Indietracks and their debut album has been one of my most anticipated LPs in who knows how long. I remember hearing “Everybody Knows (I'm Still In Love With You)” and instantly falling in love with the band's sound. I played the song on repeat over and over and over again. I'm not exaggerating. I lost track of how many times I've watched that silly flight attendant video. I even think the video distracts from the song, but that hasn't stopped me.

Finally, the anticipation is over and Dreamboats & Lemonade is finally here. The girl group influence is there in full force in songs like “Dreamboat,” “Dance With Me,” “Lemonade,” “How Will I Know?” and so many more. But there are some surprises as well. “Marry Me In The Morning” sound more like a movie score. Am I in a American Western? Is this the montage with the cowboy riding across the open plains at night?

Looking for more songs to add to your summer mixtape? Let me introduce you to Glaciers, a dreamy pop band from Melbourne, Australia.

Glaciers began around 2012 when schoolmates Sim and Nals first met and discovered they had similar interests. Eventually, the band grew into their current form when friends Tom and Tilly joined to add drums and bass.

As I've been dancing around the kitchen to this track for the past few days, it's only fair that I finally share and let you in on the excitement. Be prepared to want to sing along by the end.

Why We Love is a brand new band from Bristol, formed from the ashes of The Adelines. Joe, Rachel, Anthony, and Matt (playing guitar, bass, guitar, and drums respectively), want to make “Music to make you dance. And make you cry.” With their very first single, I can say with confidence that they've already completed one of their goals.

It's summer. It's time for upbeat, catchy tunes to listen to while you're aimlessly driving around or sitting on the beach. It's all about ice cream, sunshine and being carefree. And Why We Love's “Patina” is definitely what I want to be listening to while doing all of those things. Moments of anticipation before the crashing cymbals return, the Beach Boys-esques backing vocals around the 3:00 mark, a strong hint of powerpop. What more could you ask for?

After one listen to the new Owl & Mouse EP, one word comes to mind: perfect. These vocals are delicate, the songwriting as strong as ever, and the overall composition of these heart-breakingly beautiful songs make Somewhere To Go the perfect EP for a cosy, rainy day.

Owl & Mouse, which started as a solo recording project as Austrialian-songwriter Hannah Botting, has transformed into a full band featuring sister Jen Botting, Emma Winston, and Tom Wade. Owl & Mouse has released a CDR on Haircut Records, a split 7" picture disc with Black Tambourine on Hangover Lounge Records, and recently a 4-song 7” EP on Fika Recordings.

“Don't Read the Classics” immediately captured my literature-loving sensibilities, but I was hooked from the very opening lines of “Don & Anna.” Hannah's vocals, beautifully flowing over her ukelele, is at times reminiscent of Allo Darlin's Elizabeth Morris. But Hannah's voice is all her own and the melodies captured throughout these four tracks are warm and inviting, oftentimes despite the sadness of the subject matter. Each song seems to have an overabundance of personal references, ranging through emotions of bitterness, hopelessness, melancholy, and so much more.

Happy Release Day, Hi-Life Companion! Today marks the release of the new album from The Hi-Life Companion, Our Years in the Wilderness. At the very core of the band are brothers Matt and Jonathan Troy but also includes members Mark Freeth, Sarah Eales, Dury Loveridge, Jim Cornick, and Lucy Rogers. The band recorded the album in their home city of Bristol over the past several years as a follow up to their debut Say Yes!, released on Plastilina Records in 2010. The Hi-Life Companion have also released a single on Cloudberry Records and have been featured on compilations such as the Eardrums Pop A Good Crop and WeePOP! Records' Spring Forward!

The songwriting throughout this album is incredibly rich and fulfilling.From gorgeous guitars and eloquent violins to the marvelous additional vocals of Lucy Rogers, every track is masterfully crafted.

According to the band, the album is meant to be a series of stories touching on various themes such as the nautical history and west-coast location of Bristol ("I Served on Ships" + "Meet Me at the Pier") or innocent childhood crushes ("Sabatini") to name only a few. The songs incorporate the use of “local myths and legends and blurred memories of places, times and events.” There's a real maturity and intelligence found throughout these songs and it does, from start to finish, feel like a large book of comprehensive stories. In a way, this album is a modern day take on the oral traditions of the past, a means to pass along these tales to others. And it's a wonderfully gratifying way of doing so.

I'm going to be honest: I have World Cup fever. I've watched all but two matches so far. I mean, who can stay awake until 2am to watch these late matches? What a shame.

The Thyme Machine, which comprises of Paul Dobson, Jeremy Procter, Tom Diffenthal, and Kriss Foster, seem to be football fans themselves. They have released their football-themed EP, Playing Away with The Thyme Machine, today in celebration of the World Cup. The four song EP is comprised of silly, catchy pop songs about being the backup goalkeeper who is really only there to drive the bus, Jimmy Glass' famous goal, and falling in love at the match.

This is one of the most creative releases I've seen. The EP is being sold, according to the band's bandcamp page, “as a Corinthian ‘big head’ football figure from our collection with a download code tied around it’s neck.”

Those who attended the afternoon showcase as part of Copenhagen Popfest at the beginning of May all had such positive things to say about Lonely Tourist. The man behind the band, Paul Tierney, is a Scottish songwriter now based in Bristol who has been recording and releasing music under the name Lonely Tourist since 2011.

Considering we're 3 days into the World Cup, I thought it might be appropriate to finally post this football-related track I've been enjoying so much lately. Actually, to be fair, the entire album, Shouting At Weather, released on Tourist Info Records in March, is astoundingly good. I couldn't recommend it more.

Now, don't get confused be the title of this track. Lonely Tourist sings this ode to his footballing namesake, a man who once played for Manchester United. The song follows the footballer's career – from promising start, to being blamed for the team's League Cup defeat, to his following stretches with teams such as Livingston, Blackpool, and Stockport County. Though I won't pretend I actually knew anything before reading this article. You don't have to know anything in order to enjoy this wonderfully catchy song.

I'm still convinced that Kingfisher Bluez is underrated. The Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada based label has released singles from indiepop favorites Standard Fare, Colour Me Wednesday, and Rose Melberg, though they have an incredible back catalogue.

A personal favorite release of mine is actually from label founder Tim Clapp himself. Under the name Tim the Mute, Kingfisher Bluez released the Doctor Who Cosplay EP in the beginning of March. These songs are instantly charming in their super lo-fi and minimalistic way. They seem incredibly personal which makes them all the more endearing.

If you weren't convinced by the fact that Tim wrote a song about dressing up as the Eleventh Doctor (with the cover art of this EP to prove it), then following Tim on Instragram (kingfisherbluez) only solidifies the fun-loving sense of humor he has. He references his love for trains in the title track of the EP and you can find several pictures of trains and mushy peas there.

Despite arguments from the people who know me well, I am not an indiepop purist. Now that such a statement is out of the way, I want to tell you how much I am enjoying the debut EP from The Persian Leaps. The band, consisting of Drew Forsberg, Michael McCloskey, and Adam Brunner, call Saint Paul, Minnesota home. After listening to the EP, I never would have guessed they were from the American Midwest. The Persian Leaps began as Drew's solo project and eventually developed into a full band in 2012.

The debut EP, Praise Elephants, is very layered and multifaceted. “Hard Feelings” kicks off with a whole lot of fuzz. “Silent Treatment” is full of catchy hooks, a driving back-beat, and powerpop-inspired melodies. It makes you want to get up and move around the room almost instantly. “Exponentially Devoted” is likely the jangliest song on the EP. Although there's an obvious late 80's/early 90's influence in these songs, they sound fresh and renewed. I think the variety of songs on the EP is an important element for the band – they aren't entirely indiepop, shoegaze, or powerpop. They defy being lumped into these various genres.

Does anything need to be said about The Smittens? They are the greatest thing about Vermont (yes, I Hate Vermont, truly) by a long shot.

It has been rumored that Bodyheat has been around for five years, though they only just this week released their first recorded track. It's a bit of a double-edged sword, to be honest, because one song just isn't enough.

The five-piece band calls Glasgow, Scotland home. “Silhouettes” is a jangly number that is sure to be an instant favorite by everyone who hears it. A theme that is just a touch melancholy, masked by bright guitars and endearing male vocals. I really hope it doesn't take another five years for the next track.

If you have any doubts about liking this (and really, you shouldn't - trust me on this), take this into account: the “related songs” that Soundcloud tries to play once “Silhouettes” is over are tracks by Making Marks and The Hidden Cameras. Are you convinced yet?

I’m sure just about everyone reading this has, at this point, already heard at least a portion of EardrumsPOP's Between Two Waves: The Second Wave. Words really can’t do the beauty of this compilation any justice.

The Eardrums team – Tim, Knut, Silja, and Stefan – have seemingly worked endlessly the past several months to organize and compile this 31-track, three volume collaborative effort. From what I’ve come to understand – with all the plays, downloads, and the heartfelt things I’ve seen across social media – the team must be incredibly happy and proud of their effort. It’s certainly not an easy task to organize any release, let alone one of this size.

It’s a bit difficult to write about these volumes as each song deserves its own moment of focus. I also think it’s virtually impossible to choose which volume is best. Every time I listen I hear another song that becomes a favorite. I’ve listened to each song countless times and find that each track is a true collaborative effort – you can hear so many different aspects of each band blended together. And that’s the whole point of this project, isn’t it? There’s an incredible amount of variety throughout these songs; some are heartbreakingly beautiful and some make me want to dance around the room. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy.

My personal favorites?

Vol. A Red Deer People (Sleeping Policemen and Firestations) – Early Warning System Greenland Sea (The Swapsies and Jam on Bread) – Who Needs the Bureau de Change The Restoration (Darren Hayman and Ralegh Long) – Cut Out the Noise The Saint Valentine State (Lost Tapes and Wallflower) – Moments are Moments

Vol. B The Quiet Hearts (The Very Most and Arts & Leisure) – Bluebird Coquelicot (Pale Spectres and Postal Blue) – Can’t Say Goodbye The Sarah Palin Theme Song (Onward Chariots and Sundae) – In My Scene Kitten Club (Northern Spies and Kids On Bikes) – Så Säkert Nu The Strumpets (Adam John Miller and Lisa Bouvier) – Oranges are Orange

Vol. C Ivor MacGyver (The Just Joans and The Spook School) – Saliva Franklin’s Kite and Postal Blue (Postal Blue and Marc Elston) – Mumble Edine (Fireflies and The Marshmallow Kisses) - Where The Sidewalk Ends

Those will all probably change the next time I listen, anyway. And the artwork! Let’s not to forget to mention the artwork. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Just one more successful collaboration to add to the list – the incredible pieces by Sean Mahan, Gemma Cotterell, and Eardrums’ own Knut B. Lindbjør.

Mon français est très mauvais, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the beautiful sounds of Watoo Watoo.  The French duo, Michaël and Pascale Korchia, are currently based in Bordeaux. The couple has been making music under the name Watoo Watoo for more than fifteen years, releasing several albums and EPs on various labels and playing live in the US, the UK, and France. Michaël was also a member of 90’s band Mumbly and a photographer whose artwork is featured, as mentioned previously, on the new EP from The Very Most.

Their most recent release, Une si longue attente, a CD on Jigsaw Records, is the first release from the band in three years, following the Le tourbillon  EP on Dufflecoat Records  in 2011, and their fourth full-length. It’s strong from start to finish, focusing on Pascale’s beautiful vocals, the band’s noticeable influences of decades past, and even features guitar from Seapony/Space Daze’s Danny Rowland.

Though their past releases are worth listening to, Une si longue attente may be Watoo Watoo’s best release to date. It’s detailed and layered in the most wonderful way. Michaël himself recommends the albums if you enjoy Stereolab, Serge Gainsbourg, or Young Marble Giants. There is a Young Marble Giants cover on the album, after all. Since the CD’s release, the band has played in France, Manchester, UK, and were recently announced as part of this year’s Indietracks  line up.