The Sugarplum Fairies are an Austrian indie pop/rock duo who mix hushed, melancholic English-language female vocals with jangly, often acoustic guitars over spare folk-rock productions. Comprised of Vienna natives
Silvia Rider (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. Frequently mentioned as a point of comparison by critics,
Mazzy Star, a similarly styled female-singer, male-guitarist duo from the 1990s, are also cited as an influence.
The Sugarplum Fairies debuted in 1999 with Flake, released by Starfish Records. The duo's next two albums, Introspective Raincoat Student Music (2003) and Country International Records (2006), were also released by Starfish; notably, the latter album was produced in Nashville by
Ken Coomer, well-known for his work with
Wilco. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
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Chinese Leftovers
Flake