beats for beginners

BEATS FOR BEGINNERS

DON'T FLY INTO THE SUN
Don't Fly Into the Sun
PREVIEW ALBUM
01. Summer Lovers
02. Technology
03. When Robots Attack
04. Don't Fly Into The Sun
05. Kill All DJs
06. Mechanical Man
07. Need You Tonite
08. Little Rock and Roll Ghost
09. Something To Say
10. Pick Up The Phone
11. Death Of A C-List Celebrity
12. You Can't Kill A Dead Man
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What the press is saying:

... Wethinks the New Yorkshire quintet's singer songwriter-guitarist-producer is Beck's English proxy, and his band is the bastard love child of Radiohead and Fountains of Wayne (their rocky, poppy "Little Rock & Roll Ghost" should be this summer's "Stacy's Mom"). Throw in some divine riffage, instrumental scores, Pink Floydian atmosphere (the title track), Alex Chilton acoustic balladry ("Need You Tonight") and druggy, pubby Happy Mondays spin-offs ("Mechanical Man"), and the Beats will twist your melon, man ... And so it begins.
The Calgary Herald
July 4th, 2005
"Listen Up" (Column)
...The good news is that he has, and he has done with such style and variety, that those wanting to pigeonhole Beats as 80s revivalists will find themselves speechless. From the Beatles to Bowie, from Blondie to Pink Floyd, from the echoes of the Sheffield electro explosion of the 80s to the eyeliner of glam, Mike TV has whipped together a heady mixture of influences and sewn them together with originality, inspiration and thoroughly British imagery.... Don't Fly Into The Sun is one small step away from being a pop classic. The search for the best debut out of Manchester this year is officially over.
BBC online
BBC interview with Beats for Beginners
If Judy Jetson and Captain Caveman had a baby that grew up and started a band, it would sound like this. Whiny British vocals, computer-voice effects, guitars and space guns are the trademark sounds behind the first release for this five-piece band that has found a balance between retro melodies and futuristic sounds. Lead singer Mike TV enjoys giving out free advice on Don't Fly Into the Sun and wins the master of the obvious award on You Can't Kill a Dead Man, both of which would be a nice accompaniment to a sunset. Need You Tonite sounds like the soundtrack to a '60s romance — just try not to picture your parents on their honeymoon. With tracks ranging from mildly danceable to downright dreamy, this is a perfect disc for flipping pancakes on a Sunday morning.
Uptown Mag Shannon Ander
Picture yourself driving through cottage country near Gravenhurst, with the top down and with no real destination. Don't Fly Into the Sun would be blasting through your expensive speakers, (subwoofer and all) and your best friend would be adding a two­part harmony while you sing along to every song. It has all the qualities to be the best summer driving record of 2005. It's got fun, kitchy lyrics about robots, aliens with technological advances, and killer robots. "We've replaced monkeys with robots and guns." The beats and rhythms encourage dancing and it's pretty much mandatory on "When Robots Attack" and "Summer Lovers". Don¹t Fly Into the Sun is a kitchy electro-pop record that doesn't sound like the Postal Service at all. It maintains the simplicity of a '60s pop record with a few modern electronic tricks that keep it fresh and bubbly.
Pulse Niagara
June 9th issue
Jordy Yack
...The sound is like the Beatles wrestling with Air. It's so very Manchester - just listen to some of the accents come out. The whole thing is rife with great beats - go figure I guess. The way Mike TV dips through his lyrics is a beautiful thing. Perfectly-placed reverb, odd dissections of syllables, trip out songs, raging rave dancers, mostly a drug-induced experience full of colours and images and fanciful rhymes and noises. Absolutely movie soundtrack matierial. As it goes on, I hear a bit of Ladytron, newer Dandy Warhols, and video games hah...
Cord Mag
Andy Scheffler
Tabloid fatigue never sounded so good as on this warm and woozy song by the Manchester synth-pop quartet, whose 2004 debut has only now reached these shores, courtesy of the tiny Toronto label Aporia.
The Globe and Mail
27 May 2005
R34
Robert Everett-Green
contactmusic.com interview