Last time I signed up for eMusic I stumbled upon a group called Trademark. Their music, while still synthpop, is different than most of what I've been listening to lately. People like to compare Trademark to the Pet Shop Boys, but I don't think the similarity is very strong. The instrumentation seems more simple and limited than bands like Universal Poplab, Foxglove Hunt, etc., and yet there was something really appealing about the clips I heard on eMusic. So, I downloaded the 18 best-sounding songs from their two albums and two singles that eMusic has available.These songs have grown on me quickly, and Trademark is now one of my favorite new (to me) bands. I classify Trademark's music as "Geek Pop." The lyrics on most of the songs are gloriously nerdy, which adds an element of fun and humor to the music. But unlike other geeky bands like They Might be Giants (whose music I also enjoy), there's real beauty in many of Trademark's songs. For a taste of one of Trademark's best songs (and one of their more mainstream ones), play their music video for "Come to Love" that you'll find below:
Here's what I think of the songs I have by them, most of which are from their albums Raise the Stakes, and Want More:
5/5 stars: Come to Love, Sine Love, Interim
4/5 stars: Toe the Line, It Wasn't Right, Where You Went Wrong, Helpless, Stay Professional, Hold That Thought, Stuck in a Rut (a strange sounding song, that I really like for some reason), More Than I Deserve, Three Strikes
3/5 stars: All Too Late, Square Wave Anger, I'm Alive, My Life in Stereo, Unemployed, Trust in What you Know
Official Trademark Homepage
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