Distraction... Video Alphabet "S" Part 1

Finally... it's here... the video alphabet goes on!

S is for Saint Etienne - "You're in a Bad Way"



I love this band! Their music is bright and clever and clean -this is perfect pop! I am not a fan of pop music in the sense of radio top 40 dribble, but in the sense of well crafted, catchy, quirky, 3 minute pop songs about life, love, girls, books, etc... on Earth Joe we'd hear a lot of Saint Etienne and everyone would drive Vespas and Mini Coopers to meet dear friends at cafes where they'd pass entire days idly chatting and sketching or picking at a guitar. There's more to this Earth, but I'll stop now.

"Nothing Can Stop Us Now" ...another gem from Saint Etienne!



S is for Sambassadeur - "New Moon"



Speaking of perfect pop... the Swede-Pop is an addiction of mine for some time now, and this band is one of my favourites. Gothenberg's Sambassadeur formed in 2003 when guitarist/songwriter Joachim Läckberg, vocalist/guitarist Anna Persson, and guitarist/vocalist Daniel Permbo were all studying in the town of Skövde, and later they added bassist Daniel Tolergård to complete their lineup. They have a large following at home and aboard, especially in the UK. Their 2006 Coastal Affairs EP had its song, "Kate," featured in a commercial for Payless Shoes in the U.S. that summer.

My favourite track is "Subtle Changes" but all I could find is a live version. The picture's dark, but the audio is decent. It's a beautiful song!



S is for Scanners - "Lowlife"



I discovered this moody pop quartet from London via a Dim Mak Records sampler we were giving away at Music 4 Less back in 2006. This "Lowlife" single was released in spring as a teaser for Scanners' full-length debut, Violence Is Golden, which arrived that summer. Scanners consists of singers/guitarists Sarah Daly and Matthew Mole, guitarist/keyboardist Amina Bates, and drummer Tom Hutt. Not to discredit this band's talent and work with this statement, but I count them in that category of new bands making new old post-punk sounds. I love it though! Good stuff.


S is for The Seahorses - "Blinded by the Sun"



As much as I enjoy The Stone Roses, guitarist John Squire's band The Seahorses are a band I favour so much more! This track was always my favourite of theirs, but I had a hell of a time finding a video that the embedding wasn't disabled, but fortunately I scored this version from a lyrics site. I just dropped the code for the lyrics that were formatted to scroll in a window beneath the video.

Well, that's part one... stay tuned for more. Lots and lots of "S" bands to come!