California Wives - Affair EP (320)

Well. I wasn't expecting this.

I initially heard this band because I saw that they were opening for The Helio Sequence at a show I'm going to in January. Needless to say, my love for The Helio Sequence impelled me to check out the opening bands, and what I found was pretty awesome.

California Wives are a band that is still in the process of publicizing their music, and I thought it would be nice to contribute to that. Their music is what could best be described as shoegaze done by a pop band. They don't have the thin and foggy sound that similar bands like Wild Nothing have, but they seem to have absolutely no apprehensions about cranking their phase shifters to 11. The melodies that their multiple vocalists spin over the hazy guitars are catchy but leave a sizable distance between themselves and the listeners. The Affair EP, which is the most representative selection of their songs available, is really worth the short 21 minutes it will take to listen to it.

You can acquire it here and purchase it here.

Pomegranates - Everybody Come Outside! (V2)

If you ask Wikipedia what pop music is, you'll get this.

Pop music (a term that originally derives from an abbreviation of "popular") is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented towards a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short and simple love songs and utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.

I think that, however articulate this definition may be, 'pop' has come to mean a whole new thing in relation to modern music. And yes, genres are something that people love to hate. Hell, I posted an album review a couple of days ago while using the term slowcore. What the hell is slowcore? (Click here to find out.)

Well, the fact is, these things exist as a way for us to communicate the sounds of a particular piece of music or art to other people. Genres, as silly as they seem, serve those of us who can't describe the way something 'sounds' accurately. I don't think that Seurat said to himself one day, "And now I will create Pointillism." It was Seurat being Seurat. Don't quote me though.

So. That said, Pomegranates are indie pop. They are basically soft rock with catchy lines and plenty of hooks thrown in. Isn't that what people usually say? Hooks, lines, riffs, themes, melodies?

2009's Everybody Come Outside! is a sonically rich album, full of swelling guitars, textural melodies and the poignant croon of frontman Joey Cook's falsetto. The album, their second LP released on Afternoon Records, will take you places that pop doesn't always take people, places that seem emotionally relevant, places that seem awkward, places that seem hopeful, and places that seem like they are just happier than they should be. These guys are rising in popularity, due to some really lucky breaks, and more importantly, a cohesive artistic direction that is heading towards something great.

Download here, buy it here.

The high school swimming pool never seemed so far away.

Suuns - Zeroes QC (V0)

Do you know what something awesome sounds like?
No, seriously, do you?
No, that wasn't nearly as awesome. Neither was that. Oh shut up, you didn't nearly enjoy Sgt. Pepper's or Pet Sounds enough to actually say that honestly.
This here, this is fucking amazing.
Pie IX might as well be named as one of the greatest 3 minutes of sound ever put into a recording. Yeah, I said that, and yeah you're going to disagree now but you wouldn't disagree if I didn't say it so you can just go and cry in shame, you easily influenced swine.
You need this in your collection now because its the only way to redeem yourself. You need this mess of sludgy tones, pop goodness, and passive shoegazing.

Download what's going to pretty much be the best album of 2010 (for me) here.

of Montreal - False Priest (V0)

Me: Holy shit, look who it is…

Disappointment: Hey! I haven't seen you since like… since WOMEN released their second album?

Me: Yeah, that's probably the last time. So when did you get here? Track 2?

Disappointment: Nah, I got here before the album even started. I'm gonna have to go soon, but I'll be back a bit later.

Me: Why? If you're already here you might as well stay the whole time.

Disappointment: Well, when track 3 starts I'll have to go and pick up embarrassment from his loft in the city.

Me: Loft in the city? The fuck is he doing there?

Disappointment: I don't know, something about dogs. I don't really listen to him; he's just not worth hearing anymore.