The Bicycles

A band like are going to be far too twee for a lot of people. To sort out which side you fall into, do you think ‘The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly’ is a great or terrible title for an album? If you think it actually sounds pretty good, you’re probably going to like the music too.

The Bicycles are four guys and a girl from Toronto who pay homage to “the bubblegum popstars of yesteryear” like The Kinks and Brian Wilson. For those of you who enjoy more modern comparisons, we’re looking at somewhere halfway through the Of Montral back catalog. There’s the flashes of insanity that made their early albums a lot of fun, and the songwriting and polish that shines through on their newer works. We’re talking about lots of handclaps, a tamborine and a ton of 60s flavoured melodies. Music doesn’t really come in a much more fun form than this.

It seems that The Bicycles have built up quite the following in Canada from their live shows, performing with Feist, The Constantines and the aforementioned Of Montreal. Their shows also sound like a lot of fun, making use of “matching outfits, lifesize cut-outs, amusing banter, and choreographed hi-fives”, which I think you’ll all agree are missing from far too many shows these days.

MP3 The Bicycles – Gotta Get Out
MP3 The Bicycles – Paris Be Mine
MP3 The Bicycles – I Know We Have To Be Apart

The Bicycles: Website || Myspace