{"title":"Tops","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Four Tops is a U.S. vocal male soul quartet that was formed in 1953 in Detroit as The Four Aims. They gained recognition by backing Carolyn Hayes on her single debut in 1955. With the same lineup for over four decades, they became the main male vocal group for the renowned signwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland during the 60s. After their departure from Motown, they continued to have charting singles with ABC Records into the late-1970s. Since then, they have recorded for various labels including Motown, Casablanca Records, and Arista.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 as performers, The Four Tops are sometimes credited as \"The Four Tops.\" The original members included Lawrence Payton (1953-1997), Levi Stubbs (1953-2000), Renaldo \"Obie\" Benson (1953-2005), and Abdul \"Duke\" Fakir (since 1953). Theo Peoples joined in 1998 and Ronnie McNeir joined in 2000. Roquel Payton has been part of the group since 2005.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith an impressive history spanning several decades and multiple record labels, The Four Tops continue to captivate audiences with their timeless soulful sound led by Duke Fakir alongside current members Theo Peoples and Ronnie McNeir.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"picture-you-staring-10th-anniversary-deluxe","title":"Picture You Staring (10th Anniversary Deluxe)","description":"\u003cp\u003eA cornerstone of the Arbutus catalogue, this deluxe LP features a multi-page photo zine, huge party poster, and sky blue colour vinyl. Topa were formed in Montreal in 2011 when song-writing duo David Carriere and Jane Penny decided to join forces with drummer Riley Fleck. Delivering a raw punk take on AM studio pop, Picture You Staring is a lush array of timelessly crafted songs. Singer Jane Penny gives a new voice to the silent girl at the edge of the circle, disillusioned but honest and unpretentious, a tone complemented by David Carriere's seamless guitar playing and the measured drumming of Riley Fleck. Tops' subtle arrangements are delivered with a cool restraint that blend with the individuality and self-assured desire of their female lead. \u003ci\u003ePicture You Staring\u003c\/i\u003e gathers strength through intimacy. Self-written, recorded and produced at Arbutus Records' studio in Montreal over the course of a year, this album contains 12 impeccable examples of pop craftsmanship that will reward repeat listeners.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arbutus","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50425841910091,"sku":"2195142","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/64fe9552-c1f6-b60f-4c4f-4e5d7aff7b05_b0c0a094_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726794472"},{"product_id":"sugar-at-the-gate","title":"Sugar At The Gate","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor \u003ci\u003eSugar At The Gate\u003c\/i\u003e, their third and most ambitious album to date, Montreal's Tops peaced out to LA. They lived and recorded at Glamdale, a mini-mansion and former brothel located in the Jewel City, Glendale, CA. The unassuming record unfolds slowly, taking time to reveal itself. Like nearly everything Tops does, multiple meanings overlap with the album's title referring to orgasm, but also to carrot chasing, gatekeeping, and the social contract. Layers of sarcasm and sincerity seem to enfold the group like flower petals, yet Tops' flawless musicianship and profound grasp of pop fundament are the surest sign that at the core, it's all as real as it sounds. The album moves from the Mac DeMarco-esque jangly guitars of \u003ci\u003ePetals\u003c\/i\u003e to \u003ci\u003eDayglo Bimbo\u003c\/i\u003e which is like a Kim Gordon fronted Sonic Youth track.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Black Vinyl with Download.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP+ - Limited edition sunny yell-o vinyl with Download.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arbutus","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50442112500043,"sku":"1009593","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/32ba6e87-de5c-4dc5-ac7b-260091d5c21f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726992445"},{"product_id":"anything-the-hollow-sound-of-the-morning-chimes","title":"Anything \/ The Hollow Sound of the Morning Chimes","description":"\u003cp\u003e‘Anything’ and ‘Hollow Sound’ were originally released in 2015 as stand-alone digital-only singles. Anything is a super smooth and delicate nugget whilst Stereogram reviewed The Hollow Sound of the Morning Chimes as a precise, elegant song, even though it sprawls over seven minutes, and it sounds something like Slowdive trying their hand at hotel-lounge jazz. It’s rare to hear a song that’s this smooth and this woozy at the same time.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arbutus","offers":[{"title":"Black | 7\"","offer_id":50452182008139,"sku":"1131849","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/222162dd-0ec7-438f-b71f-77c3aa30c35c_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727143341"},{"product_id":"i-feel-alive","title":"I Feel Alive","description":"\u003cp\u003eMontreal dream-pop four-piece Tops release their fourth album. \u003ci\u003eI Feel Alive\u003c\/i\u003e was recorded in a basement studio in Montreal with keyboardist Marta Cikojevic, who joined the band as a live member in 2017.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTheir trademark sound of beguiling melodies over soft-rock grooves, with touches of '80s sophisti-pop and a contemporary experimental palette is intact, but bolder and more expansive. The songs manage to be both immediately catchy and deceptively deep, with Penny's literary lyrics adding an extra dimension to the pure pop hooks. Satisfying yet far from predictable, this is a record to be savoured, revealing itself slowly, gaining power and poignancy with each listen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeneath the soaring melodies and crisp production, I Feel Alive balances the giddiness of a new relationship with the agony of leaving old things behind. It's an introspective record that you can dance to, music that hits in an immediate rush but sticks around, lingering like the memory of a perfect doomed love affair-both the joy and the pain, until it becomes a part of your life forever.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ghostly International","offers":[{"title":"LP - Grey","offer_id":50461470556491,"sku":"1091250","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP- Clear","offer_id":50461474423115,"sku":"2026196","price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":50461472751947,"sku":"1087428","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50461471506763,"sku":"1087422","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50461472194891,"sku":"1087427","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Peppermint","offer_id":56304044802379,"sku":"R6988-1511","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/87d1359b-45e2-4c58-b605-5f48b9c21bb4_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727248799"},{"product_id":"empty-seats","title":"Empty Seats","description":"\u003cp\u003eTops were formed in Montreal when song-writing duo David Carriere and Jane Penny decided to join forces with drummer Riley Fleck. Since then they have become one of the most influential underground bands of the past decade, creating a space for sophisticated pop music in the indie world. Their tendency to opt towards making straight-forward, stripped down and honest recordings lets their pop songwriting shine out in the open. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith a heart firmly attached to their sleeves, their song-craft delves into the emotional intricacy of personal relationships, asking questions about power and desire. Riley Fleck’s measured drumming and David Carriere’s trademark guitar licks mesh with Marta Cikojevic’s lush keyboards. All these elements work in tandem and in service of Jane Penny’s unmistakable, wistful voice. The result of this mixture is a collection of four self-produced records and a handful of singles that cover a range of moods and a complex emotional realm while maintaining a groove and musicality. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoft rock infused pop hits flow easily, surrounded by their signature moody ballads.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ghostly International","offers":[{"title":"12\" - Black","offer_id":50476919062859,"sku":"1162309","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"12\" - Frostbite","offer_id":56981152399691,"sku":"R5349-8013","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/03adb3ae-478a-4a4e-87b5-5fd19e81e22d_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727465092"},{"product_id":"tender-opposites-10th-anniversary","title":"Tender Opposites 10th Anniversary","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginally released in 2012, \u003ci\u003eTender Opposites is\u003c\/i\u003e Tops’ debut album, now celebrating it’s 10 year anniversary with a special edition LP. A lush array oftimelessly crafted songs, \u003ci\u003eTender Opposites \u003c\/i\u003egathers its strength through delicate intimacy. These are moving songs that succeed earnestly, disregarding trends and myth-making, focusing instead on pure pop craftsmanship. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTops' tendency to opt towards making straight-forward, stripped down andhonest recordings lets their pop songwriting shine out in the open. With aheart frmly attached to their sleeves, their songcraft delves into the emotional intricacy of personal relationships, asking questions about powerand desire. Riley Fleck’s measured drumming and David Carriere’s trademark guitar licks work in tandem and in service of Jane Penny’s unmistakable, wistful voice. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Arbutus","offers":[{"title":"Yellow | LP","offer_id":50503456686411,"sku":"1152465","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Blue | LP","offer_id":50503456457035,"sku":"1152464","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/3d2c6046-700f-496c-9f82-bea0d162e923_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727796047"},{"product_id":"bury-the-key","title":"Bury The Key","description":"\u003cp\u003eTOPS — musicians David Carriere, Jane Penny, Marta Cikojevic, and Riley Fleck — write timeless music that reliably threads immediacy and depth. \u003cem\u003eBury the Key\u003c\/em\u003e, their first full-length since 2020 and with new label home Ghostly International, is a captivating reintroduction for the Montréal band:ever refined, undoubtedly masters of their melodic craft yet unafraid of evolving and testing themselves against different, at times darker tones. The album faces feelings once locked away, engaging the give-and-take between happiness, hedonism, and self-destruction. While often inhabited by fictional figures, their glowing, grooving, self-produced songs draw from personal observations: intimacy (both inside and outside the band), toxic behaviour, drug use, and apocalyptic dread. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen recording started, they noticed a shift and leaned in, jokingly dubbed \"evil TOPS,\" says Penny. \"We're always kind of seen as a soft band or like naive or friendly in a Canadian way, but we made it a challenge to really channel the world around us.\" Through the lens of a looming epoch and the clarity that comes with age, TOPS dip into amore sinister disco realm with \u003cem\u003eBury the Key\u003c\/em\u003e, giving their soft-focus sophisti-pop a sharpened edge.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ghostly International","offers":[{"title":"LP - Muck","offer_id":51870206722379,"sku":"R6671-5946","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":51870206755147,"sku":"R6671-5531","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":51870206787915,"sku":"R6671-0248","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"LP - Muck \/ Signed Print","offer_id":51897503416651,"sku":"R6671-2658","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/TOPSGI-470_3000x300_0ba03fdb-77cc-4171-8c3b-e2be380a7faa.jpg?v=1748001755"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_e61ea1ab_thumbnail_4096_f3cbf965-2681-4577-8384-a299852e6618.jpg?v=1726794453","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/tops.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}