Artist: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Hails from: New York, NY

Musical Style: Pop-Punk, Indie Rock

For Fans of: My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smiths

Why you should check them out:

One of the buzziest bands of 2009, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are currently barnstorming the globe on the heels of their debut album. The band’s recordings and live shows bring a spirit and sound reminiscent of the indie rock salad days of the late 80’s and early 90’s.

Background Check:

On a recent winters’ night a few friends and I braved the frigid New England tundra to check out this New York City quartet, inspired by the strength of their early singles adn 7″s. We weren’t alone! Despite sub-freezing temperatures the show quickly sold-out, leaving many fans and interested parties literally out in the cold. Inside, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, known to their fans simply as The Pains, did not disappoint. They ran through their early tunes and most of their debut self-titled album absorbing the good vibes emanating from the packed house and sending them right back out into the crowd.

POBPAH songs are short, fuzzed-out blasts of noisy pop filled with infectious hooks and boy-girl harmonies provided by keyboardist Peggy Wang and lead singer/guitarist Kip Berman. The compositions are shoegaze wall-of-sound with a punky edge, featuring keyboard swirls and distorted chords punctuated by tidy lead guitar lines and punchy rhythms. The songs tell of love and longing, and their narrators remain undaunted.

The band’s aesthetic harkens back to  the indie sounds of the late 80’s and early 90’s, and some decried POBPAH for being a bit too derivative of that era. Rather than spending time defending these accusations, the foursome has taken the opposite tact by embracing their progenitors and propelling themselves forward. Broadcasting their love for bands like My Bloody Valentine, Black Tambourine and Nirvana, the band is venturing to conquer the indie rock universe, one blog critic at a time.

Fun Fact: The band took their name from the title of an unpublished childrens story that a friend of Kip Berman wrote.

Where you can find them in cyber space:

MySpace Page

POBPAH website

On tour:

JamBase
 

Artist: Soft Pack

Hails from: Los Angeles, CA

Musical Style: Indie, Post Punk, Garage Rock

For Fans of: Velvet Underground, Yo La Tengo, Strokes

Why you should check them out:

The Soft Pack is the perfect antitdote to the malaise of stale, processed music.  They bring the rock, distilled down to it’s thrilling essentials: tight rhythms, fuzzed-out guitars, and dynamic delivery.

Background Check:

I first caught wind of this infectious West Coast quartet in their original incarnation as The Muslims. After admiting that they weren’t into their maiden moniker-and realizing it wasn’t worth the snide and sometimes derogatory remarkes it elicited-the group redubed themselves The Soft Pack. Formed in San Diego in early 2007 by old school chums Matty McLoughlin and Matt Lamkin, the full lineup coalesced a year later and subsequently relocated to Los Angeles.

The Soft Pack’s songs are exercises in kinetic energy. Jangly, repetitive versus give rise to punky, catchy choruses. The tunes are original and well-constructed, maintaining a level of looseness and rawness that translates well on stage. The foursome know their rock history as well, incorporating the best bits of bands from The Feelies and The Fall to Wire and Replacements.

The bands self-released debut 12 inch EP, which sold out immediatly, featured one-of-a-kind artwork riddled with bullet holes provided by their friends father, a former NYC policeman. Keep a lookout, though, as Kemado records is currently re-pressing the album, supplemented with new songs. The international music press has taken notice and the band has been living on the road, including a plum assignment opening a spate of European shows for Franz Ferdinand.

Where you can find them in Cyberspace:

MySpace page

On Tour:

JamBase
 

Artist: Department of Eagles

Hails from: Brooklyn, NY

Musical Style: Indie, Pop, Experimental

For Fans of: Beck, Mercury Rev, Dr. Dog

Why you should check them out:

The longtime collaboration between Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen, Department of Eagles have progressed from their college dorm rooms in 2000 to celebrating their wildly received sophmore record in 2008.   Through several notable distractions and years of minimal releases, Department of Eagles return with their most persuasive album to date. Believe all the hype dear readers, give them a few repeat listens and they are sure to sink in.

Background Check:

Listening to Department of Eagles’ recent release In Ear Park, it is increasingly evident why this album has claimed so many top positions in critics year end favorites. Some may attribute this success to Daniel Rossen’s main project Grizzly Bear, but really, they aren’t listening close enough. True, both Department of Eagles and Rossen’s alternate animal moniker have carved a place in the dreamy folk rock genre, but the fine details are what truly set this band apart. Shying away from expansive instrumentals, Department of Eagles deliver songs rooted in simple acoustic arrangements and captivating vocal melodies.

And to be fair, the Eagle did come before the Bear. The New York duo first began when Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen met as roommates while attending NYU. What began as a few simple recordings soon evolved to a full fledged release on California’s Isota Records. With their debut full length The Cold Nose in 2003 and a few scattered releases there after, the duo went on a temporary hiatus as a result of Grizzly Bear’s steady ascension to success.

Reuniting at last in December of 2007, Nicolaus and Rossen began the recording process alongside bassist Nat Baldwin and fellow Grizzly Bear bandmates Chris Bear and Chris Taylor, for what would become their 2008 hit In Ear Park.  Dedicated to Rossen’s late father, In Ear Park is an album centered on memory and nostalgia, offering contemplated narritives and multi-part harmonies while maintaining those necessary moments of optimism. Although Rossen maintains that the future of Department of Eagles is still uncertain, here’s to hoping their recent success is enough to persuade them otherwise.

Where you can find them in cyberspace:

MySpace

Department of Eagles website

Wikipedia

On Tour: 

JamBase