Matthew Stead does lots of things like singing, guitar, ukulele, glockenspiel, Andy Botterill plays bass guitar, Simon Bish bangs the drums, plays mouth trumpet and sings, Leo plays guitar and sings too. Sometimes we're joined by Abby Stead doing some singing, Joe Mansfield playing violin, and Jeremy West on his trumpet.
A Fine Day For Sailing
‘Honeylands’
(Pop Noise Records)
****
Bittersweet lyrics and gorgeous melodies care of Exeter band, fronted by the genius songwriter, Matthew Stead. ‘Honeylands’ represents the traditional indie sound, reflecting the likes of Television Personalities, but with its own warmth, going straight for the heart. The beauty of these songs is made more vivid by the imperfect approach with which they are played. There’s more soul here than in any current so-called soul or R&B. There should be more bands like this in our area.
Arash Torabi - 247 Magazine
A Fine Day For Sailing
Honeylands
Album, Pop Noise Records
Helmed by Matthew Stead (once of the brilliant Mighty Stars) AFDFS have, in debut album ‘Honeylands’, made a lilting, coquettish, cellos and cymbals confection reminiscent of ‘Tiger Milk’-era Belle & Sebastian -although its roots reach even further back. To a time, in fact, when boys in Smiths t-shirts woo-ed girls who liked The Cure, late-night TV meant watching the test card, and courting meant bike rides along the river (the 21st century making a cameo in the giddily escapist ‘Hero Of The Home Counties’ and its “Hello Stelios, take me far away”). Winsome, Blue Dragon Noodles-flavoured fare casting about for a Diablo Cody screenplay and as heartfelt a lament to lost youth and the death of real indie as you’ll ever hear: “You just don’t kill me anymore/You’re not an indie kid no more.”
Anna Britten
Four stars
www.myspace.com/afinedayforsailing
Influences
The Television Personalities, Yann Tiersen, Orange Juice, Pavement, Beulah, The Smiths, Biff Bang Pow!, Sea Urchins, Brian Wilson, Felt, The Magnetic Fields, Belle and Sebastian, Morrissey, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake, Elliott Smith, Camera Obscura, The Field Mice, Teenage Fanclub
Sounds Like
Moldy Peaches, Television Personalities, The Concretes, Camera Obscura, Felt, The Field Mice, James Iha, The Magnetic Fields, Belle and Sebastian, Nick Drake
Read the full article here:
http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?u=1435107
NEW ALBUM: 'MY BABY LOVES POP MUSIC' - OUT NOW
A FINE DAY FOR SAILING 'MY BABY LOVES POP MUSIC' LP POP NOISE 023.
New 11 track album includes 'God Bless New York','Honeydew and F*** You', 'Me and The Girl' (new version), 'A Fine Day For Sailing', 'My Baby Loves Pop Music pt.1 & pt.2', 'True Love (it hurts)', 'Emma-Louise '(new version), 'V.I.L.L.A.G.E. I.D.I.O.T.' (new version). 'Without You', 'Blanket Girlfriend'(new version).
BUY NOW £6.00 (INCLUDES P&P)
A Fine Day for Sailing are a pop band from England. They have been together a little over a year and are already on their third album. They realise the beauty of the three minute pop song, the fun of breathless short bursts of proper P-O-P! They also create pocket symphonies of short, shimmering beauty. They like to kill you with their hooks. They have been called 'godlike geniuses of pop', but say themselves that they are just four boys who know how to cook up a good tune. Who knows what they'll do next?
A FINE DAY FOR SAILING "HONEYLANDS" DEBUT LP POP NOISE 019.
BUY NOW £6.00 (INCLUDES P&P)
A FINE DAY FOR SAILING "ME AND THE GIRL" 3 TRACK CD SINGLE, ME AND THE GIRL, VILLAGE IDIOT, IS HE THE ONE THAT YOU WANT.
I love your new lovely pop tunes!! I am enjoying the wonderful time with your songs!! Heartwarming acoustic and happy fine singing are making me lovely smiles!!
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