As the cobweb-clearing continues behind the scenes of Popservations, I realized I’d neglected to post about Minipop. I discovered the San Francisco band during my visit to Buenos Aires in June, while glued to the Bitbox music channel there. (Read my original post detailing my summer fling.)

Minipop features Tricia Kanne on vocals, Matthew Swanson on guitars/keyboards, Nick Forte on bass, and Lauren Grubb on drums. Performing since 2004, the band released its debut album, A New Hope<, in November 2007.

These Bay Area purveyors of dream pop describe their sound as the “Care Bears on morphine, or marshmallows on Xanax.” I’m not quite sure about such pharmaceutical associations, but Minipop does favor densely layered sounds topped with Kanne’s lovely voice (I could listen to her sing all day). Thus the band shares a similar musical space as Cocteau Twins, The Sundays, and Lush (among others). Listen closely, and bits of Belly and pieces of Smashing Pumpkins also appear here and there. (Do I miss ’90s alternative rock or what?)

“Fingerprints” is a great introduction to the aural skills of Minipop, even if the video features a horticulturist who gets a little too wrapped up in her work:

For another side of Minipop, check out the clip for “Like I Do.” Band members encounter a giant menacing cat, a winged unicorn, and ride along in a convertible, a submarine, and a rocket ship. That Xanax association is beginning to make more and more sense:

Purchase Minipop – A New Hope via iTunes or Amazon (CD, MP3).