Trademark=Geek Pop

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
Buy from A Different Drum

The Foxglove Hunt-- "Stop Heartbeat"

If you like New Order you'll probably also like The Foxglove Hunt. They are definitely channeling Bernard Sumner and Co.; a couple of songs on this album sound like they were just lifted right off of Substance. As a big New Order fan, I'm fine with the imitation aspect of this CD.

I found out about The Foxglove Hunt through A Different Drum's weekly synthpop update. If you haven't signed up for it yet, you probably should. You'll get weekly emails with information about new synthpop releases, discounts, etc.

Anyway, this is fun, feel-good music that will remind you of the mid 80s. The vocalist sounds a little like Joy Electric's vocalist, only not whiney. I found that interesting, because Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric is part of The Foxglove Hunt, but he isn't the vocalist.

I really like this CD. It's one of the most consistently solid releases this year (along with Midnight Resistance and Universal Poplab).

Here's how I rate the songs:

5/5 stars: The Life Highrise (reminds me a little of New Order's "Blue Monday")
4/5 stars: A Concealed Weapon (sounds just like New Order), Business Casual, It's Not Effective, Love My Way (yes, it's a Psychedelic Furs cover), The Mayflower Compact, That's Getting Personal
3/4 stars: Don't I Know the Way, The Pure in Heart, Strength Early
2/5 stars: NONE
1/5 stars: NONE

Midnight Resistance-- "Remote"

The man behind Midnight Resistance is Niko, a former member of the band ReActivate. A couple of prominent synthpop reviewers disliked ReActivate's last album "ReActivate Your Mind," but I loved it. So I was excited to see Midnight Resistance added to A Different Drum's label.

Finally the album is available, and it's a great one. It's got lots of fast-paced, catchy songs as well as a couple of nice slower ones. Niko's vocals are much better than the singer for ReActivate.

Anyway, this is the best $12 I've spent this year. Highly recommended!

Here are the songs:
5/5 stars: A Tear in Every Moment, Recall These Days, Second Skin
4/5 stars: Edge of Time, House of Cards (really cool slow song), Wide Awake, Phoenix (reminds me of Fantazja), Cold Reading, Scars from Falling Down, A Tear in Every Moment [people theatre mix] (starts with a neat piano accompaniment then transitions into a more danceable version of the song)
3/5 stars: Remote (pretty song, but generally I don't like instrumentals), Second Skin [Sidechain Mix] (The original is so much better)
2/5 stars: NONE
1/5 stars: NONE

Universal Poplab-- "Seeds"

This is one of my favorite new CDs. If you haven't heard Universal Poplab before, give them a try.

I'm not sure who to compare them to. I hear a little A-ha, maybe a little OMD, fairly similar to Echo Image. My wife compares them to Alphaville. None of those comparisons work very well for me, but they're in the ballpark.

Most of the songs on this CD are highly addictive, and very catchy. My four year-old daughter has memorized the lyrics to several of the songs, just from hearing them in the car, and requests that I play them when we're home.

I had heard that this group likes to throw in lots of swearing (which would bother me), but on this album I only hear one (and for some reason in the context of the song it doesn't bother me).

To get a taste of their music, try listening to their version of Morrissey's "We Hate it When Our Friends Become Successful" that you can find in my Modern Synthpop Playlist in the upper-right-hand corner of my blog. That song isn't included on "Seeds," it's from a previous album, but it fits right in with the songs on "Seeds." If you want to buy the album, it's available from A Different Drum (like all other good music), and also on eMusic.

Here's my breakdown of the songs:
5/5 stars: Pearl (has a great message), Fame and Hate, Don't Believe the Hype, Touch
4/5 stars: Summer Struck, On the Run, Another Last Time, The Toast that Never Ends (slower song but still memorable), Maximum City (another slow one I like)
3/5 stars: The Way Things Work (fun song, but a little too repetitive)
2/5 stars: NONE
1/5 stars: NONE