Track Marks: How Bedroom Eyes Became This Week’s Biggest Band In The World

Welcome to another edition of Track Marks, in which your Idolators perform an autopsy on the latest band burning up the MP3-blogger charts.

Artist: Bedroom Eyes Hometown: Östersund, Sweden Album: Embrace In Stereo EP First blog mention: A Nov. 15, 2006, post on Milk Milk Lemonade that compared the band to It’s A Shame About Ray-era Lemonheads. The Build-Up: The Milk Milk Lemonade post was quickly followed by mentions on Indie MP3, Bedroom, and Hot Stof. The Dam-Break: Now that bloggers’ desks are clear of year-end recaps, they’re getting back to posting new music; in the past 10 days, 10 blogs have posted tracks from Embrace In Stereo, including The Yellow Stereo and who killed the mixtape? “Dancing Under Influence” is now in the top 10 of the elbo.ws chart, and “Motorcycle Daydream” isn’t far behind. Odds of Backlash: 6-1. The EP’s been out since September (forever in Internet time), so someone will probably try and be the first on their block to act all contrarian. Are They Worthy?: Yes. Chalk it up to our soft spot for Swedish pop, but how can you not appreciate a band that name-checks Ricky Gervais andNick Drake in its lyrics? Not to mention that “Dancing Under Influence” isn’t one of the brightest pop songs we’ve heard in a while. It has all the essentials–handclaps, background choruses of “ahhs,” a dueling-banjos intro–and a raucous beat. The other songs on the EP bear out Bedroom Eyes’ potential, too, with “Motorcycle Daydream” and “Blueprint For Departure” taking their cues from the prime mid-’80s era of indiepop, then adding some trumpet flourishes.

Bedroom Eyes – Dancing Under Influence [MP3, link expired] Bedroom Eyes – Motorcycle Daydream [MP3, link expired]Bedroom Eyes [MySpace]