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HOLY MICROPHONE
Goodbye Television Girl
Exclaim, November 2005
Toronto’s Holy Microphone play music that unfurls with slow rolling-tempos and lazy, echoing tunefulness. Throughout the disc Goodbye offers refined pop melodies and skilful songwriting. With their solid melodies, the group’s songs occasionally reference the Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo and the Verlaines. Free from the weight of Montreal hype, Holy Microphone have offered up one of the more engaging Canadian pop albums this year. (Rubber Road, www.rubberroadrecords.com)
Rob Nay
- Exclaim! magazine
By: ChartAttack.com Staff
HOLY MICROPHONE Goodbye Television Girl Rubber Road)
With the passport style cover art for debut CD Goodbye Television Girl, Toronto's Holy Microphone give fair warning that you're in for a trip. Despite a heavy 1960s British and American influence, the band are home grown, the joined forces of Chickens guitarist/vocalist Fred Robinson and 3/4 of '90s rockers Knockout Pill. And their collective experience shows — the disc doesn't have the feel of an indie debut, with crisp production and not a single track going to waste. This is retro garage rock without the snarly norm that's currently inescapable and there's not a dance beat in sight. Instead it's pure pop jangle with a Lou Reed shuffle. David McDougall
- Chart Magazine
"Quite simply, Goodbye Television Girl is one of the best albums that I've heard this year."
Holy Microphone, Batman, I've found a great band and album.
Holy Microphone is a Toronto combo formerly known as Hannah featuring Mark Gabriel, Debbie Lillico (Cool Trout Basement) and Kirk Hudson (Wayne Omaha) -- all alumni members of Knockout Pill -- with guitarist Fred Robinson of The Chickens/U.I.C. and bassist/guitarist/producer Duncan Blair from The Mummers. The group had the release party for its Goodbye Television Girl debut album last Tuesday at the Horseshoe Tavern, and everyone I talked to in attendance was as enthusiastic
about it as I was.
Gabriel handles the majority of the vocals, while Lillico trades off with him at times and Robinson takes a very rare vocalturn on All The Leaves, which features a wall of guitars. Live, Gabriel's voice sounds a lot like David Lowery of Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven. But the resemblance isn't as noticeable on the disc, which was recorded at Peter Hudson's Hallamusic studio.
Album opener Illuminate The Girl reminds me of the pop parts of the Velvet Underground's debut album, while the slower The Weekend Tomorrow has hints of VU acolyte Dean Wareham's Galaxie 500 and Luna. The disc-ending Sally's On Fire has a big drum introduction and I heard elements of Television (yet another New York band that owes a debt to VU) when the band opened its show with it.
Somewhat jangly and rootsy power pop sounds shine through on Lesley, Sister Song, Feathers and Beatle Bob, a song dedicated to the odball St. Louis scenester who travels across North America to do some bad dancing at the front of the stage for bands he likes. I know a lot of people hate Bob, but there's no way that you can hate this song, and I'm surethat the mop-topped, '60s-suited one would enjoy cutting a rug to it.
For what it's worth, I was captured on film talking to Beatle Bob on a bus in Austin this past March at South By Southwest. A crew is making a documentary on him, so I could be appearing at a low-budget film festival near you sometime.
Quite simply, Goodbye Television Girl is one of the best albums that I've heard this year.
Unfortunately, the www.holymicrophone.com web site isn't operational at the moment. But that should hopefully change soon. In the meantime, if you're interested in buying the album, it was just released in Canada by Maple/Universal-distributed Rubber Road Records, which can be contacted at rubberroadrecords@gmail.com.
posted by Steve McLean at 8:18 PM 0 comments
- STEVE McLEAN blog review
I love this record! It reminds me of that Pebbles and Bam Bam classic song; the whole record makes me want to ìopen up my heart and let the sunshine in. - cfny the edge dj loves the cd
Goodbye Television Girl, features catchy and unpretentious songs that'd likely appeal to PAUL WESTERBERG or PIXIES fans. - Tandem Magazine
Discography
•Full length debut album "Goodbye Television Girl", released across Canada, charted well on college radio. Features the single "Leslie" as heard on the 102.1 EDGE and the single "Beatle Bob", presented by CBC 3 host Grant Lawrence.
•"Stand On Guard For Thee" compilation in support of our Canadian troops over-seas features the single "Raise Yer Guns"
•Media EP "Raise Yer Guns", featuring the single "Raise Yer Guns" with 4 remastered tracks from the full length debut album.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
Holy Microphone are striking down upon thee from
above with their unique brand of thumping indie garage pop. Mark Gabriel (Knockout Pill) leads the charge on his thundering bass, spinning the yarn and turning a phrase. Flanked by Fred Robinson(UIC, The Chickens) and Duncan Blair (Mummers, The Dickens). Tethered together by Ben A. on drums, they let fly their soaring screaming pop hooks. From car stereo or the AM tower, Holy Microphone will leave your ears ringing with catchy tunes reminiscent of the Flaming Lips, The Replacements or The Pixies, with a little Crazy Horse thrown in for good measure. Don't miss the carnival when it comes to town and stay tuned for their up coming 2nd full length release.
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