(Requinto Records)
Instantly addictive cross-generational mix drawing together Duran Duran, Filter and a sort of post-Squeeze ska, a description from which you might draw conclusions that it sounds Braid-ish, but it’s too upbeat – this one is seriously worth finding. The production is old-school astounding, with keyboard layers dimmed nice and low for maximum chill-down-your-spine subliminal effects, and there is no question that these guys can write circles around baloney like Gomez and whatever else the NMEs of the world are spazzing over right now. The punchline? They’re Indiana transplants making their way in Nashville, which is quietly beginning to grow a formidable altie scene around the likes of Ben Folds, and if this keeps up Nashville may as well tear down the Grand Ole Opry and erect a platform for weekly Lollapaloozas. Big thumbs up for this band; it’s not often that CD reviewers buried knee-deep in releases have something this exciting to talk about. Recommended download: “One More Time.”
