Goiles! Who doesn’t love ‘em, eh? Well, Stephin Merritt doesn’t love them (he enjoys boys), and given his famously irritable personality, he might not even like them, but he’ll have to deal with a pretty hefty dose of the twee British songstress variety of lady later this month when Tender Trap open for The Magnetic Fields during a short spree of UK dates. Here’s hoping the girls in Tender Trap don’t turn up the volume too loud and make Mr. Merritt scrunch up his face and stick his fingers in his ears — it’s never a pleasant site.
Why Tender Trap, though? Well, they’re something of a cutecore super group, sporting ladies and a lad from bands like Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, and up until recently, Allo Darlin’, but they’re also releasing a new album in July on the Fortuna POP! imprint titled Ten Songs about Girls that they need to promote! Joining existing members Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey, Katrina Dixon, and John Stanley for this outing is Betty and the Werewolves singer and guitarist Emily Bennett (replacing outgoing member Elizabeth Morris). Tender Trap recruited Brian O’Shaunghessy to record the album after hearing his production skills on the last Comet Gain album. Ladies just eat that shit up.
For a taste of the new album right now, check out the first single, “Love is Hard”, streaming below. After checking it out, it’s safe to say their live performance won’t be upsetting Stephin’s delicate eardrums, though it could create the urge to sway back and forth politely while smiling widely. You have been warned.
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Tourdates:
04.24.12 - Brighton, UK - Komedia *
04.25.12 - London, UK - Royal Festival Hall *
04.27.12 - Manchester, UK - Royal Northern College of Music *
06.06-08.12 - Brighton, UK - Indietracks Festival
* The Magnetic Fields
• Tender Trap: http://listen.to/tendertrap
• Magnetic Fields: http://www.houseoftomorrow.com
• Fortuna POP!: http://www.fortunapop.com