Boards of Canada + The Sundays = ?

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combine the Boring Postcards pastoralism of Boards Of Canada with the suburban whimsy of The Sundays, riding a bike past the sub post office and the kids on scramblers shouting on the wasteground. has this been done successfully? i don't mean fey indie groups with an 'electronic influence' or programmer dudes with a wistful femme singer. i mean, a proper confluence.

― gareth, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Boring Postcards pastoralism of Boards Of Canada . hmmm, I'm gonna sulk before thinking of answer Gareth.

― stevo, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Piano Magic have come closest surely.

― Tom, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i'd be interested in anything like this, so line em up. i'll ignore the pejorative description of some of the most beautiful music i know. Boring, i ask you.

― Alan Trewartha, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

before we go any further i'd just like to say i wasn't using Boring as a term, but referencing Martin Parr's collection of UK postcards from the late 50s through the late 70s that look how BOC sound. link

i don't really see Piano Magic fitting in here. i see that as something different, darker, hidden, rusting ships at dusk, close woods. nightime. what i'm looking for in the question is that daytime cold beauty of normality and semis and, oh i'm not explaining this very well

― gareth, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

oh yeah. didn't that come up on another thread.

There is some sort of emotional connection between BoC and Sundays in that they both induce that childish regression, which i guess is what you are getting at.

― Alan Trewartha, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't think Gareth was criticising Boards of Canada. "Boring Postcards" = book of retro 40s/50s/60s rural/urban postcards.

I can only really think of St Etienne but they probably fall more into the "fey indie groups" category. The last album would fit the bill though in my opinion.

― Andrew Williams, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

An alternate history of Saint Etienne, maybe, based around songs like "Hate Your Drugs".

― Tim, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Boards of Canada + The Sundays = Broadcast

― Billy Dods, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Billy Dods he no speak with forked tongue.

― Nick, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

What other bands are being made in Gareth's giant factory house?

― Nick, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I hate Gareth for coming up with what might well be my perfect band, and then failing miserably to come up with any examples that fulfill it. Sigh.

― kate, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

but Broadcast have a bit of an edge to them that doesn't quite remind me of that quotidian sense of the 'suburban,' don't they? Especially if you're ever seen their noisejam-heavy live show ..

I'd recommend IDM group Manitoba -- their album "Start Breaking My Heart." A few songs have that "post-office-bike-route" whimsy .. though ultimately they're not all that different than Boards of Canada and certainly don't hit the songwriter nail right on the head.

By that same route, you should check out Morr Music's compilation "Putting the Morr Back in Morrissey." Mark Richardson elaborates in his Pitchfork review of Manitoba.

― Dare, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Broadcast = unlistenable RoXoR thrash strobe metal noise.

― the pinefox, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

thrash metal noise. is this the same Broadcast we're talking about? papercuts/come on let's go.

― Alan Trewartha, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Minus the vocals: Four Tet? Neotropic?

Has anyone heard The Boy Lucas (on Output)? Descriptions of that record -- I think it's called, Out of the Wires -- seem to fit the bill here

― scott p., Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ah, those Boring Postcards, ahem.

― stevo, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Some of the Darla catalogue, certainly. (Which Piano Magic is on, actually). Junior Varsity KM, maybe?

― Sterling Clover, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

would be Mum if they sang more

― g, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Northern Picture Library

― electric sound of jim, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i don't mean fey indie groups with an 'electronic influence'

doh! sorry

― electric sound of jim, Thursday, 6 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

fonda 500 could have headed in this sort of direction although now it appears they want to be super furry animals. maybe if salako get more electronic, but i think these bands already have their own genre a sort of 'nature-pop/hippy/environmental music' without any measurable levels of testosterone. hood could fit in here as well.

― keith, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hood! yes! They're not particularly whimsical but there's a definite pastoralism in their electronica and twee in their indie.. They're more country than suburban though.. all those farming references etc

― electric sound of jim, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've heard the new Hood album is excellent, with some of the guys on Clouddead (!) doing production work. Anyone hear down with the scene?

― Tim, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well naturally it interests me.

Am I right in thinking Hood are from Wetherby, West Yorkshire? They certainly came into my mind while watching horse racing from there this weekend, for some reason ...

― Robin Carmody, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I finally woke up and bought a Hood record -- the new one -- after hearing the umpteenth comparison to Bark Psychosis. It's a scary comparison for me since I have an eternal chubby for BP, but I took the gamble and it makes a little sense. Haven't made my way completely through the record yet, though it does seem a little uneven. Second song instantly made me think of the missing Disco Inferno single -- or what a DI reunion single might sound like. (Yeah -- have another scary comparison.)

― Andy K., Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Synchronicity alert! I bought the Hood album yesterday as well, although I've only listened to half of it so far. track 2 is a) brilliant and b) most certainly a lost Disco Inferno number. I'm worried that this is the sort of album that is too close to my core tastes for me to be able to judge critically.

― Tim, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one year passes...

hmmm..Andrea Parker. Maybe Laika (Toopure Artist early ninties)..
def..morr music comes to mind

― Hayden (Hayden), Sunday, 12 January 2003 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Gareth! It has only just occurred to me that you must hear New Buffalo.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Monday, 13 January 2003 00:56 (twenty-two years ago)

That is, if the idea of 5 different versions of Broadcast's "Echo's Answer" with vocals put through an auto-tune is appealing.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 13 January 2003 01:00 (twenty-two years ago)

rattle some more Domino's, mayhaps
Hood was mentioned upthread, but...

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Monday, 13 January 2003 02:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"Mum if they sang more" happened, and fits the original bill perfectly. You like them, Gareth?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 13 January 2003 03:07 (twenty-two years ago)

how about the new ms. john soda album on morr called "no p. or d."?

― jason m., Monday, 13 January 2003 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

That is, if the idea of 5 different versions of Broadcast's "Echo's Answer" with vocals put through an auto-tune is appealing.

Hey, I liked that there New Buffalo EP. And I actually have Tim to thank for me buying it!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 13 January 2003 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Lali Puna?

Bjork is capable of taking on this task.

― christoff (christoff), Monday, 13 January 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

"That is, if the idea of 5 different versions of Broadcast's "Echo's Answer" with vocals put through an auto-tune is appealing."

Ha ha Jim is that based on their live show? Because yes it was awful, but I think the EP is really really good.

― Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Thursday, 16 January 2003 05:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, to be honest the EP grew on me, but that was my immediate reaction..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 16 January 2003 05:22 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

I can't see Broadcast fitting the bill... Maybe the subject matter of the lyrics fits, but the delivery is very different... And Harriet Wheeler can actually sing :P ... I do like Broadcast's recordings though.

BoC's stuff sounds like it was recorded in a bunker in Scotland, whereas Broadcast sounds like it was recorded in inner-city Sheffield.

"I hate Gareth for coming up with what might well be my perfect band, and then failing miserably to come up with any examples that fulfill it. Sigh."

I have to agree. But maybe its a good thing; it might be so 'right' that it would quickly become genuinely boring...

― Nat, Tuesday, 15 July 2003 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

two weeks pass...

Am I right in thinking Hood are from Wetherby, West Yorkshire?

I rented the movie Wetherby tonight. Has anyone seen it?

Gareth should obviously form a band called Boring Postcards.

― Mary (Mary), Saturday, 2 August 2003 02:23 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.livingstonemusic.net/northernlights.htm (my thoughts on Hood and Yorkshire, which I think might interest you Mary!)

― robin carmody (robin carmody), Sunday, 3 August 2003 22:53 (twenty-two years ago)

i think Broadcast is the correct answer - to all questions.

― stevem (blueski), Sunday, 3 August 2003 23:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks Robin! Any chance on getting your thoughts on Wessex over on this thread?

Dorset

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 4 August 2003 00:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Bjork is capable of taking on this task.

Bjork is capable of taking on any task, don'tcha know.

Agree with Broadcast. It's not a precise match - they do have that slightly industrial edge to them which is out of kilter with both pastoralism and suburban whimsy - but their songs do combine very cerebral electronics with Harriet Wheeler's almost dreamlike voice, so.

Hood are too cold to have anything to do with a Sundays comparison (and I mean that in a good way). He (they?) always reminded me of Arab Strap if Aidan Moffat was out on the moors in the rain instead of in a pub. Laika, mayyybe... Margaret Fiedler's voice is too ghost woman-y, though.

― The Lex (The Lex), Monday, 4 August 2003 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

C'mon it's got to be Mum.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 4 August 2003 01:31 (twenty-two years ago)

ten months pass...

It would be Mum if they sang more, or maybe even had more poignant or even discernable lyrics. The Sundays were one of the few bands I've ever loved for their ... *texture* whose lyrics were also important and noteworthy and packed some kind of emotional punch for me.

― People love Gravity and Evolution! (kate), Wednesday, 23 June 2004 09:18 (twenty-one years ago)

twenty-one years pass...

It's 21 years later... Have any bands that fit this description emerged since 2004?I'm struggling to think of anyone, even now, but I do think it's still a recipe for a great band.

Closest I can think of right now is Beautify Junkyards, but they're not quite the right sound I think.

― OneSecondBefore, Wednesday, 23 July 2025 03:12 (four months ago)

i love how everyone jumped on gareth for referencing Boring Postcards

― z_tbd, Wednesday, 23 July 2025 05:02 (four months ago)

The Parade - I'm A Dreamer

― Floyd 'The Oyd' Lloyd (dog latin), Wednesday, 23 July 2025 17:41 (four months ago)

Probably not, but maybe Nite Jewel?

― henry s, Wednesday, 23 July 2025 17:46 (four months ago)

james k get close to this at times? probably not enough of both at the same time tho...

― nashwan, Wednesday, 23 July 2025 19:03 (four months ago)

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