"Tender" Bands

My two tender bands have Calvin from K Records and a cutie pop sound in common. Okay, so when I think of the characters in my latest manuscript starting a band, I think they'll sound like Heavenly. Heavenly is in part the lovely Amelia Fletcher, she of Talulah Gosh, Marine Research and Tender Trap. Born out of the ashes of Talulah Gosh in Oxford, English, Heavenly's Le Jardin CD came out in 1991, and that's where the following track is from. 1991? To me, it sounds totally modern, completely un-dated. It's just 60s-influenced innocence with a sassy modern jingle jangle and just enough fuzz. Man I love the cutie-pop. The Tender Trap songs are from a 2004 single and find Amelia experimenting with a little electro pop sound. It's still good. I will say the song about Friendster is obviously dated, but the music isn't. Really. Tender Forever is the sounds of Melanie Valera, a french gal who also likes the cute-electro-pop thing. She also plays some seriously DIY pop with Valerie Hernandez under the name Squeeze Me I Squeak. I like the Tender Forever stuff betta. Dreamy without being cloying. The sounds of a a girl living in her own head. I think these songs will definitely inform my new character, a girl struggling with a very tenuous talent.

Heavenly, "Smile"
Heavenly, "Orange Corduroy Dress"
Tender Trap, "Friendster"
Tender Trap, "Como Te Llamas?"
Tender Forever, "Then If I'm Weird I Want to Share"
Tender Forever, "Take It Off Now"

A little more info on Heavenly/Tender Trap can be found at Amelia's small site. And I love this, someone at Art of the Mix made an Amelia Fletcher mix tape. Cute!

Tender Forever has a very lover-ly website. Squeeze Me I Speak has a My Space page with songs.