The Clientele

Retrofitted pop band the Clientele had obvious roots in the hazy, autumnal glare of Galaxie 500 and Felt. Just as those bands took their Velvet Underground and Television records to heart without being derivative, the Clientele were able to chalk up an extensive discography riddled with lush melodies of their own without sounding like a tribute band. Think of your favorite '60s pop band and odds are they're in the Clientele's blood. The London-based band formed in mid-1997, consisting of Alasdair MacLean (guitar and vocals), Innes Phillips (guitar and vocals), James Hornsey (bass), and Howard (drums). Mark Keen replaced the academically occupied Howard toward the end of 1999; Phillips left early on to form the Relict, a loosely membered unit that has occasionally casted those in the Clientele. Since debuting on the Fierce Panda label's Cry Me a Liver compilation, they released a slew of singles, compilation contributions, and EPs in short order. Most significantly, March Records released A Fading Summer in 2000, an EP that harvested some of the band's hard-to-find singles sides and a couple new recordings. Later that year, the full-length Suburban Light (another compilation of previously recorded material) was issued by Pointy. The band hooked up with Merge in early 2001, who issued Suburban Light in the U.S. months later. The Lost Weekend EP came out on Acuarela in 2002, which was followed a year later by their first full-length and Merge debut, The Violet Hour. 2005 saw the release of Strange Geometry. In 2006, the band added keyboardist/violinist/percussionist Mel Draisey to its ranks. God Save the Clientele, which featured production by Mark Nevers of the band's U.S. labelmates Lambchop, arrived in spring 2007.