The Sugarplum Fairies are an indie pop duo from Vienna that now calls Los Angeles home. Somewhere between Hapsburg and Honkytonk, swaying palm trees and swirling dark espresso, airy minimalism and waltzing americana, the Fairies play melancholic songs on sparkling instruments. Think of an evening gown captured in Kodachrome. Gustav Klimt on Route 66. This is music for when you've been up all night but are still in control. Nico and Leonard Cohen singing duets on accordion and '58 Les Paul out by the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
On their upcoming album, The Images We Get, Silvia Ryder (vocals) and Ben Bohm (guitar, background vocals) have crafted another expansive collection of austere Angeleno pop. This time around Ryder's unadorned voice and Bohm's precise guitar are joined by Ken Coomer (Wilco) on drums, Jebin Bruni (Public Image, Ltd., Fiona Apple) on bass and keyboards, Danny T. Levin (Rilo Kiley) on horns and The Calder Quartet. The album was mixed by Todd Burke (Belle & Sebastian, Ben Harper) and mastered by Pete Lyman (Daniel Johnston, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club).
(Paul Dichter)
The Sugarplum Fairies are comprised of Vienna natives Silvia Ryder (vocals) and Ben Bohm (guitars, background vocals), supplemented by an array of rotating guest musicians. The sound of SPF bridges the transatlantic gap with an amalgamation of European guitar pop and Americana folksiness, all tied together by Ryder's sultry, hypnotic vocals. In contrast to the conceptual lo-fi approach of their acclaimed sophomore CD "Introspective Raincoat Student Music" SPF's latest release "Chinese Leftovers" veers from sleepy shoegaze pop to bouncy D.I.Y. indie rock, all with a subtle infusion of country-noir and the occasional hint of eclectic Vaudeville.
For "Chinese Leftovers" SPF have teamed up with Joey Waronker (Beck, REM) on drums, Gus Seyffert (The Bird And The Bee, Sia) on bass, Jebin Bruni (P.I.L., Aimee Mann) boards and Martin Tillman (Dark Knight, Rickie Lee Jones) o and various other extraordinary musicians. The CD was mixed by Todd Burke (Belle & Sebastian, Ben Harper) and mastered by 3 time Grammy winner Gavin Lurssen (T Bone Burnett).
Press Excerpts:
"The icy European glare of Ryder's downbeat vocals have a self conscious theatricality about them, which make the finest moments on this album, the wonderful 'Head or Tail' in particular, a delectable mixture that is part Emma Pollock's resigned pop sensibility, part Hope Sandoval's pretty sullenness and part shimmering Cardigan-esque pop.
Their most epic moment 'Hold On To Me' (lighter-waving sway, big simple chorus, swirling sad strings and guitars that build into a blustering crescendo …it's something like The Delgados at Wembley Stadium) has already been featured in TV's Grey's Anatomy which is surely the green light to mega sales and exposure. However those that do go on to investigate this band further will be treated to far greater rewards." (Americana UK)
"You won't want to listen to this on your own. Trust me. Get on the phone or log on to your favourite internet social network site and gather up a bunch of friends and head to the beach or the park or something and pop this cd in the car stereo because this is the kind of album that's so charming, you'll want it to be the soundtrack for your next fond memory. Honestly, it's so lovely, it'll give you the same kind of warm glow you get when you flick through an old photo album…This is such a beguiling record, it will really cast a spell over you, so get your friends together and go out and make 2009 a year to remember because if you do, Sugarplum Fairies will never let you forget it. Bless them. Highly, highly recommended." (Incendiary Magazine)
"Comprised of Vienna natives Silvia Ryder (vocals) and Ben Bohm (guitar, background vocals), the Sugarplum Fairies draw influence from French cultural icons such as Françoise Hardy, Anna Karina, and Jean-Luc Godard, as well as the Velvet Underground, John Lennon, and Lee Hazlewood. The thing is, they sound like a bit more chic and upbeat version of Mazzy Star meeting Ivy on the left coast for some beatnik bluesy fun. It's fabulous pop that even has an accordions in it, which kind of makes sense w/the whole French influence being prevalent." (Pop Stereo)
"The recent success of The Bird and The Bee may very well have set the stage for the future success of Los Angeles, California's Sugarplum Fairies (Bird and The Bee bass player Gus Seyffert even plays on this album)…Nevertheless, since we last heard from this band they have managed to accomplish a lot. Various hefty sources have begun covering their music and a song was even featured on the television show Grey's Anatomy. Chinese Leftovers finds Silvia Ryder and Ben Bohm (the two main individuals in the band) in fine form. The songs are, once again, strong and resilient.and the nice slick sound suits the band well. This eleven song album is bound to connect with the band's fans as well as bring in legions more. Cool, smooth tracks include "A Story, " "Head or Tail," "Mercy," and "Polaroid." Good stuff. (Rating: 5) (Babysue)
"…a couple of listens reveals a beguiling mix of ingredients: woozy melancholic folk predominates, but with a bit of jangly indie pop, an undertone of shoegaze and an occasional dollop of country-noir.
There are a couple of tracks that instantly jumped out at us, the title track itself and Head or Tail are both excellent, leaving you feeling like you should be laying under a tree half-watching the sun filter through the branches, not sure whether you're asleep or awake." (Mad Mackerel)
"…made up of the LA by way of Vienna, Austria the duo of Silvia Ryder and Ben Bohm, along with their revolving coterie of musical talent, have gotten pretty good at making the hazy dream pop that they've been crafting for several years now. This time around, the additional players include the talents of Joey Waronker on drums, Gus Seyffert on bass, and Jebin Bruni on keyboards, amongst many others…constructed primarily from a base of slow chiming acoustic guitars and Ryder's whispered, almost hypnotic lead vocals, the band keeps things down tempo and to an extent low key as well. For me, the first listen conjured up images and memories of when Mazzy Star and Luna were on top of their game back in the 90s. Subtlety seems to be the name of the game here, in both the composition and arrangements of the eleven tracks that make up Chinese Leftovers to the way that this album seems to sway from one song to the next." (Striker Bill)
"…If the Cowboy Junkies and the Raveonettes were locked together in a cupboard with nothing but an acoustic guitar a bottle of cheap wine and well thumbed copy of the Belle & Sebastian biography they'd end up as the Sugarplum Fairies." (The Devil Has The Best Tuna)
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