Music
Press
A wash of sunshine-soaked California sounds from, er Leicester. Cut Your key acquires an accumulative effect of not-trying-too-hard charm. As the chord changes eke out nostalgia & optimism in equal degrees, highlights emerge- "Out My Pocket", "Song That Fades Away" - & Side Two of "Abbey Road" is happily evoked. - Uncut Magazine
The Junipers obviously like Macca's bouncing pop ditties & the toytown affectations of Mark Wirtz, but Cut Your Key may well catch on with fans of Goldfrapp due to it's richly-layered keyboards & relaxed charm. Radio-friendly, loveable pop with it's hair in the stars. - Record Collector Magazine
BBC4 have been running a series of programmes this year re-evaluating 1968: I'll bet The Junipers haven't missed many. In the world of these Leicester cosmic pop sprites I bet The Byrds "Notorius Byrd Brothers" is forever spinning on the gramophone, & the studes are in a state in perpetual forment. Sheena draws inspiration from noted envelope pushers The La's. Elsewhere, the likes of Gordie Can't Swim & Mortimer push fearlessly forth into a place where Maxwells Silver Hammer still clangs away joyously. Cut Your Key is sweet, faithful & far from hard work, & every nod to The Hollies & The Move is perfectly measured. - The Word Magazine
The Junipers from Leicester, they are unbelievable. So prolific, they've written 100 songs since Christmas & 90 of them are spot on, fantastic. - Music Week Magazine
Maybe a year and a half ago, The Junipers wandered out of 1967 and affiliated themselves with the great stable of bands based around London's Redbricks club night. Unlike a lot of modern bands that tip their hat to late sixties psychedelia, The Junipers decided that songs and melodies were more important than getting the right haircuts and sitting around pretending they lived in Laurel Canyon. On this, their debut album, the band have merged a melodic touch that really is second to none, with a refreshingly timeless production; taking inspiration from the golden era of recording, but never laboriously emulating. It sounds like it could have been recorded on tape, but to be honest who cares when the songs are this great? Imagine Curt Boettcher and Brian Wilson double teaming McCartney's Ram and you wouldn't be far off. Nowhere near enough bands sound like prime Harry Nilsson nowadays. - Shindig! Magazine
Discography
Albums: Cut Your Key 2008
Singles: Callooh Callay! 2008
Gordie Can't Swim 2008
So the Feeling Looms 2009
Photos
Bio
The Sun doesn't shine too much where The Junipers come from, but its warming rays can be felt all over their debut album "Cut Your Key". This English 5-piece cosmic pop outfit are a breath of fresh air that draw inspiration from the past, present & the future, creating a wall of sound by subtly utilising their collection of antique, primitive & modern instruments. They have been honing their craft since 2000; in that time they have built their own studio, recorded & given away three demo albums & now, released their debut album proper. The band have recieved praise & airplay from Steve Lamacq, Mark Radcliffe, Bob Harris, Janice Long, Marc Riley, & Tom Robinson, & had single of the week on Radio 2 in 2008.
Between them all they have a record collection to die for & have managed to draw on that wealth of sonic schooling to create a truly incredible & unique sound. "Honest, Joyful songs with sucrose vocals & chord changes pulled from a broken heart" has been the perspective of reviewers, a perfect summary of what this band are all about.
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