Sad Day For Puppets

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Heard this group by chance on the Steve Lamacq Radio 2 show on Wednesday night. They're called Sad Day For Puppets and they're from Sweden, which is always a good start.

Myspace page:
profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=154805278

They areIndie/Pop/Shoegaze and here's how they describe themselves:

Sad Day For Puppets was formed in 2006 in Blackeberg, a suburb to Stockholm (Sweden), by Martin Källholm, guitarist and songwriter. The natural focal point of the band is singer Anna Eklund, in its turn leaning on Marcus Sandgren's ringing and fuzzy chords. Most of the band's influences can be traced back to the early nineties, when they all were teenagers. This period has made it’s mark on the band. The guitars are once again allowed to roam free and shine. The music is all about shimmering layers of guitars, intertwined feedback melodies all dreamy and grand and sad, and ethereal harmony vocals. The band started working on the debut album as soon as “Just Like a Ghost EP” (April 2008) was out, and this time the guitars have an even more prominent place in the overall sound. There's guitar feedback, fuzzy distortion and big harmonies working as a fond (?) for the voice of Anna.

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Not that I'm trying to push this band or anything and neither am I their UK agent, but also I don't want to say "Told You So" later in the year when they're absolutely massive.

Their debut album "Unknown Colors" was released in Sweden only in 2007 and will be out in the UK in May.

Here are some reviews of their current single (7" vinyl only) called "Marble Gods", released the same day as Radio Wars:

www.thefugitivemotel.org.uk/?p=957

www.allgigs.co.uk/view/review/3539/Sad_Day_For_Puppets_Marble_GodsBig_Waves_Single_Review.html

www.theregoesthefear.com/2009/01/bands-to-watch-74-sad-day-for-puppets.php

www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jan/26/new-band-sad-day-puppets

soundsxp.com/artman2/publish/singles/Sad_Day_for_Puppets_Marble_Gods.shtml

www.contactmusic.com/new/home.nsf/singlereview/sad-day-for-puppets-marble-godsx11x03x09

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Sad Day For Puppets' second album 'Pale Silver & Shiny Gold' was released on September 6, and if course I bought it straightaway.

It has had some great reviews already - four stars in Uncut and lashings of praise in NME, who said that the band "gleefully flit between serene balladry and ear-fracturing noise for their not-so-difficult second album". Music Week went one better and described it as "one of 2010's foremost indie underground hits".

If you like walls of swirling guitars interspersed with fragile female vocals, this is for you.

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2011 UK Tour Dates:

Friday, February 4 - Nottingham, Bodega
Saturday, February 5 - Leeds, Nation of Shopkeepers
Sunday, February 6 - Glasgow, Captain's Rest
Monday, February 7 - Manchester, Moho Live
Tuesday, February 8 - London, Sonic Cathedral @ The Social
Wednesday, February 9 - London, Proud Galleries
Thursday, February 10 - Portsmouth, Cellars
Friday, February 11 - Birmingham, Flapper
Saturday, February 12 - Brighton, Jam

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As you can see, I've been touting this band for four years, and they have just released their first ever official video in advance of the release of their third album 'Come Closer', out in early May.

The song is called 'Cold Hand' and features slightly less dramatic guitars than their earlier stuff, and it is absolutely marvellous:

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Sad Day For Puppets new album Come Closer out now!

Here's what music blog thesoundofconfusionblog.blogspot.co.uk
has to say about the track 'Human Heart', which you canlisten to here:

soundcloud.com/haha-fonogram/03-human-heart

OK, so fans may be aware of this song already as it's been floating around on the net for a while, plus the new album by The Best Band In Sweden™, Sad Day For Puppets is already available in Japan. Clearly a country that knows good music when they hear it. In the lead-up to the European release of 'Come Closer' the band have decided to post this official stream of 'Human Heart' on their website to whet our appetites. And this is something it does in some style. There are many sides to SDFP, they do delicate acoustic tracks with more magic than most, they do blistering, guitar-fuelled shoegaze with the best that have existed, but they also never fail to come up with breathtakingly beautiful melodies to go with everything they do. 'Human Heart' is at the poppier end of the band's spectrum but it's simply glorious and, as ever, those spine-tingling vocals are enough to give anyone goosebumps. A contender for song of the year.