Cancel The Astronauts

Dear CTA,

I hope this doesn’t come as a shock to you, but I feel I really must confess my true feelings; I’m holding you responsible for a dreadful loss in my life. I’m very sure I’ve lost bits and pieces of my mental processing capacity over this EP of yours. You see, I’ve listened to I Am The President of Your Fan Club (and Last Night I Followed You Home) about 27 times now. Thanks very much for sending it to me (and for the extra copy to give some lucky reader!) But honestly, I think I’ve gone down the rabbit hole or something, because I’ve been hearing tracks off it just about everywhere.

On Sunday when I tuned into The Waiting Room’s show on WOXY.com your song was the third one out. Back on June 5th I heard it on the Hype Machine’s page, …well me and about 40 other people “hearted” it – I hope that doesn’t get you on the dreaded list of “chart manipulators”! June 15th I swear I heard you on “BBC radio 6 Introducing with Tom Robinson”! Later on, I clicked on my usual morning blog read at Song, By Toad and there you were again. Well, you were trying to be there at least. We got you sorted in the end. And that very day, (what did you boys do, buy the whole freakin day in the UK? Is that even possible? How much?), I heard you on Steve Lamacq’s BBC Radio 1 In Music We Trust show. Fuckin – A! I got your CD in my post box in early June and it’s currently stuck in my car’s player so when I get sick and tired of “This American Life” on NPR it’s you who get me back on track. Oh that’s not all… I’m begining to think you all are stalking me because it started way back in April when Jim Gellatly had you on his podcast at Radio Magnetic and Brave New Frontiers featured you on their podcast as well. You didn’t know I was a huge Progressive Country fan, did ya? (oh, right, as you were stalking me, I guess you did know.)

Your record is the direct cause of my mental instability and you’ll have to pay somehow for it. Whether you’re in cahoots with my wifey or with the entire music playing populace of the UK, you’ve just about done me in. It would have all gone so much easier if I Am The President of Your Fan Club (and Last Night I Followed You Home) hadn’t turned out so well. That title track, … Matthew, couldn’t you have just croaked a little instead of singing? And those synths… gawd are they good on that! As far as indie-pop goes, well, the stops and starts in that song just kill me! Yeah, you pretend to be all innocent and unassuming, but I’m onto you. You know what you’re doing when you write a good pop song. “Late in the City” is another tricksy one, isn’t it? It pretends to be just this simple little ditty but each time I listen to it I hear some part that I didn’t pay attention to much before. Vocally smooth, with a keyboard riff that offsets a really good, moving bass beat, “Late in the City” might just be my favorite track. Yep, it’s very danceable. Then the whole thing turns a dark corner on Let’s Go Expo. It’s got a slow, confessional tone for most of the song and then just runs right off the track at the end. Building to a climax, there’s a nice soaring guitar bit and then a smooth let down with a gorgeous last note fade-out. Whew, do that to me again, ok?!?

So, CTA, just make me one promise? Give me fair warning before your next record comes out. I’m gonna need to take a long holiday to rest up for it and I’d like plan ahead.

mad as a hatter, but all yours,
xoxo
Tart

Cancel the Astronauts are (according to their MySpace page):
Matthew Riley – Vocals, Guitar, Songs and Tracksuit Trousers
Kieran McCaffrey – Guitar, Guitar and Guitar
Michael Craig – Synth, Worrying, looking awkward and Worst Hair
Neil Davidson – Bass and Height
Chris Kay – Drums and Vests

- www.loveshackbaby.net

The Edinburgh boys of Cancel the Astronauts deliver five pop-perfect tracks in their energetic EP I Am The President of Your Fanclub (And Last Night I Followed You Home). Matthew Riley’s vocals are flirtatious if slightly worrying (see album title) and most often than not, the album conjures up both the The Strokes and Star Wars in fell swoop. ‘Country Song’ will have you twirling and stomping around in your Converse dance shoes and ‘Late in the City’s playful rock ‘n’ roll leaves you wanting to know the end of it lonely love story. Accessible, seriously fun Scottish indie pop that boogies.


By Kelly Smith @ is this music

July 2009
- is this music - online

Cancel the Astronauts - I am the President of your Fanclub EP
Posted by Stephen Toman, Tue 14 Jul 2009

Two-chord melodic guitar riffing opens the title song on Cancel the Astronauts’ debut, quickly joined by all-white-notes on the keyboard playing. Propelled by rollicking heavy-on-the-toms drumming and topped off with songs about being in love, this is joyous stuff. Simple phrases are repeated until they stick in your head for days as keyboards emphasise the nursery-rhyme simplicity of the songs. While hardly groundbreaking, the band are clearly enjoying themselves. The fact that they recorded and released this five song EP themselves not only shows their dedication but also means that plenty of other people will be infected by their buoyant enthusiasm. A feel-good summer record then, careful you don’t spill your pear cider as you bob along with these fruity numbers.

- The Skiny - online

Another Edinburgh group...wow...seems like the north has finally awaken! Cancel The Astronauts (CTA) are from Edinburgh and besides a really catchy name they write great power pop tunes. They've just sent us their second EP titled Funny for a Girl, which you can stream/buy from their bandcamp page (link at the end of the post) or you can hear the whole EP below. It is true that whatever comes from Scotland immediately grabs my attention, but CTA are worth the initial excitement. Powerful melodies, full of fun and energy that will get you going in no time. Enjoy! - athens66

Personally I am loving it, then on comes the first band of the evening, cue Cancel the Astronauts bounding on stage. My first thought is, 'the singer is wearing trackie bottoms, wtf?!'is this going to be some kind of Stone Roses/Oasis-wannabe bollocks'. How wrong I was, so very fucking wrong. Instead I was treated to one of the most surprising live treats in ages. They play disturbing indie, with a touch off-kilter glamour. At that moment I just remember thinking these guys were for me. I know I must like a band when I find myself singing their songs, badly I might add, the following day. For me that song was 'I Am The President Of Your Fanclub', not since Pulp's 'Babies' has there been a tune which is both perturbing and an indie pop gem, all at the same time.
I have been pestering these guys to do this for me for a while now. Now that their excellent new EP is out, they've stepped up to the plate and now they become the twenty third entry into the 'legendary' Scots Way-Hay club. Interview follows. - Scots Way-Ha

Fighting their way into an alphabetical pole position is Cancel The Astronauts with She Said She Loves Somebody Else. A hyperventilating swoosh of pop perfection, the Edinburgh ensemble’s Korg-led melody rings out like James caught in a psychedelic meteor shower. Once it’s reeled you in with its inane shout-along chorus, you’ll never want this frantic spectacular to leave your lugholes. Podcast follows. - radar Scotsman

A bit over a year since I babbled incoherently (seriously, you think I'm bad now? Go read posts from a year ago, I made no sense) about their first EP Cancel The Astronauts have finally gone and released another one. What's it like? I'm glad you asked, I'll try and babble a bit more coherently about this one.

Title track Funny For A Girl bubbles along nicely enough, but has its upbeat indie pop rump shaking thunder stolen a bit by the track that follows it, She Said She Loves Somebody Else. Where Funny For A Girl inspires head bobbing She Said... notches things up to full on arm flailing and shape throwing.
So far so good, although the neighbours might confuse the dodgy dancing with some kind of fit, so draw the curtains first. I like a Korg as much as the next man, but there is only so much I can take, so it is no bad thing that it mostly slips into the background for Things I Shouldn't Tell You. The song itself goes through a few changes of pace too, with fast bits, slower bits, and a bit of tenderness all taking turns at the forefront.

Standing Still keeps things slow and tender for the most part, right up until everything kicks off briefly towards the end. Probably my favourite thing on here. What it lacks in sing along and catchiness value it more than makes up for in heart, and goes a long way to showing that Cancel The Astronauts don't just do bubbly indie pop.
Listen rounds out the package by bringing back the catchy melodies and inspiring more shoogling of body parts in a vague impression of dancing, and finishes off the EP nicely.

All good stuff, hopefully we don't have another year for more new material either
- http://blog.ayetunes.org.uk

Not so long ago we featured this Edinburgh-based band in our "Unknown Pleasures"-section, then there was an interview and now there's the new EP.
Are we groupies then?
Well, if they were nice looking girls I guess it was debatable but as it's only a bunch of Scottish boys I guess we do it for the music.
Nah, serious this new EP just reminds us of the fact that this is a band with lots of potential.
Somewhere you can say it's The Wedding Present versus Belle & Sebastian as somewhere it's catchy indiedreampoptunes that you can jump to, from time to time there is a nice guitaroutburst (especially on "Standing Still").
I could tell you they're the best band I ever heard but then you should think that I'm working for the NME or that I'm just talking bollocks so let me put it in other words : I heard a lot of unsigned bands (perhaps too many as after all the majority of them is crap) but Cancel The Astronauts would be worth getting my money on, if ever I had some that is.
Check 'em out if you're into intelligent jingle-jangle indiepop.
- THE ORIGINAL SIN

Edinburgh quintet Cancel the Astronauts are preparing for the imminent release of their EP, which is guaranteed to put them on the indie-popping map nationwide when it comes out. They write instantly affecting, bittersweet songs about love, death and disco dancing - you know, important things like that. It's jaunty, fun, gimmick-free and utilises that classic new wave line-up (drums, guitar, synth, bass) and, oozing crate-loads of positive energy through its major keys and sweet, upbeat melodies, offers the perfect antidote to these sour times. While their hilariously self-deprecating singer Matthew is a bit of a hit with the ladies, the bands' collective charms will win your heart for sure, talent dripping from all their pores like infectious beads of sweat. Yes, there's something immediately arresting and accessible about Cancel The Astronauts. Check out their EP on myspace for positive proof that they've got what it takes to go all the way - http://black-spring.com/limbo/limbo-068-marina-and-the-diamonds-cancel-the-astronauts-my-cousin.html