Buggy
Weevil are not a beetle, nor an Beatle. Rather Weevil is a British twosome, Johnny Weevil and Tom Betts, who make pop music with a playful, experimental bent. They sing and program their computers to make music using the many instruments they can play. The liner notes list "thumb piano, xylophone, camera film pot full of brown rice, toy guitar, drums, radios, penny whistle, customized drum machines, guitar, melodica, synthesizers, clarinet, dulcimer, samplers, harmonuim, harmonicas, piano" as the things they used on their new full length album, Drunk On Light.
Both the boys had been in indie-rock bands before forming Weevil in 1999 in South London - they cite as their influences Pavement, MBV, Ride, Pixies, Red House Painters and New Order, as well as the WARP label. So... they take pop, shoegaze and electronics, then distill it down to this amalgam that is at turns catchy, poppy, buzzy, clamorous, with pretty harmonized vocals, clicking and booming drum machines and driving in the dark basslines. Actually, what their sound reminds me of most is Germany's Notwist - a particular favorite of a number of my friends - and I think that's a great thing.
Their album is available in the UK on Wichita Recordings - the same folks that brought you Bloc Party, Giant Drag, Her Space Holiday - and should reach these shores at non-import prices come June 21st. You can pre-order it from Insound or you can buy it from the Wichita store, here. Check out their site for more information on the CD, hear samples of more songs and check tour info (they're doing UK dates in July).