With Surfer Blood’s 2010 debut, Astro Coast, a beam of light shone from the otherwise emotionally empty town of West Palm Beach. With the lazy, yet somehow upbeat vocals of lead singer John Paul Pitts, tracks like “Swim,” “Harmonix,” and “Anchorage” strike a perfect balance between the laidback atmosphere that goes with sipping daiquiris on a cruise ship (which is what you could have done had you caught their 2010 performance on Bruise Cruise) or the electricity of dancing rhythmically at one of their shows.

Onstage presence--even offstage.

With influences like The Pixies (who Surfer Blood recently toured with) and The Smiths, it’s easy to understand why the band is one of the best to emerge from the annals of indie rock in quite some time. The originations of the band began with John Paul Pitts and drummer Tyler Schwarz, who met each other at Dreyfoos School of the Arts. Although Pitts admits that, “Tyler and I kind of didn’t like each other,” their rapport altered once they started playing music. It was not until Ultra Music Festival in 2009 that all of the elements for forming Surfer Blood fell into place, as that is where they met guitarist Thomas Fekete.

A Floridian color scheme.

From there, Jabroni Sandwich was created–and quickly replaced with the name Surfer Blood, which Pitts says stemmed from Schwarz being “just wasted and yelling the name over and over.” Proof that one’s best thinking is done while drunk. Once fellow members Kevin Williams and Marcos Marchesani (who generally only tours with the band) entered the equation, Surfer Blood catapulted to the forefront with a little help from New York City’s CMJ Music Festival.

Cover for Surfer Blood's EP, Tarot Classics.

The latest offering from Surfer Blood, Tarot Classics, is a small collection of songs that will hopefully serve as a transition to their next full length album. Though Behind the Hype has fingers crossed for more of the same vibe featured on Astro Coast, Tarot Classics indicates a subtle shift in sound and content. The single “Miranda” is, in many ways, reminiscent of “Harmonix” in terms of lamenting a love gone wrong. In a languid rehashing of life with some ho named Miranda, Pitts  intones, “We just let each other down to let each other back in.” It’s a statement that accurately summarizes so many relationships.

Pitts and Fekete...getting ribald.

Other tracks on the EP include “I’m Not Ready,” “Drinking Problem,” and “Voyager Reprise,” as well as remixes of all four of the aforementioned songs. Anyway, we here at Behind the Hype thought it necessary to bend down on one knee and propose a lifelong devotion to the dudes from Surfer Blood–or at least as long as it takes for them to disappoint us with such high expectations.

CSS has never been a band to be trifled with. Their recently released third album, La Liberaciòn, is a testament to the Brazilian quintet’s unwavering devotion to creating music that defies expectations and ordinary dance floor beats. Comprised of lead singer Lovefoxxx, producer/founder/drummer Adriano Ferreira Cintra, guitarist/drummer Luiza Sá, guitarist Ana Rezende, and guitarist/drummer Carolina Parra—all hailing from São Paolo—CSS is by far one of the most refreshingly zany bands to materialize in a long time.

Back of album cover

La Liberaciòn opens with the earnest and succinct “I Love You.” Lovefoxxx urges you to “feel the beat of my heart” for most of the song. It is, in many ways, similar to the sort of simplistic introduction (“CSS Suxxx”) that appeared on their 2006 debut, Cansei de ser Sexy. Naturally, with five years having passed, the band—fun-loving though they may be—has noticeably matured. A fact that is evident on “City Grrl” (that’s just the norm for spelling “girl” now) featuring the always over the top SSION, wherein Lovefoxxx notes, “In the big city, nothing hurts”—presumably because everyone is numb to the incongruous stimuli around them.

In a tree

The first single from La Liberaciòn, “Hits Me Like A Rock” featuring Primal Scream/The Jesus and Mary Chain frontman Bobby Gillespie, is even more addictive than their legendary first single “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex,” which is a fairly incredible feat.

By some trees

“Echo of Love” has this strangely folk sounding beat, or as folk sounding as people from Brazil can get. “Just let it go, enjoy it while it lasts” is the message CSS wishes to convey on this track, an aphorism that goes hand in hand with the album’s title. “You Could Have It All” slows the pace of the album down a bit, while still maintaining one of CSS’ archetypal electro beats. It is also one of the more narratively structured songs, with Lovefoxxx painting the following picture: “We met in the music shop, they were playing our favorite band. After years of walking hand in hand, we were too busy to hang with our friends.”

Performing with that distinct logo of theirs

“La Liberaciòn” is a rock song with Lovefoxxx’s typical brand of enthusiasm as she sings in her mother tongue, “I’m tired of hoping/Ran out there today/Screaming a crazy, crazy poem/Naked down the street smiling.” My Portuguese may be a bit off, but I think that’s how Lovefoxxx generally sounds when she speaks English. “Ruby Eyes” vaguely compares to an Elvis Costello song if Elvis Costello wasn’t so whiny and sang songs about smoking joints. “Rhythm to the Rebels” asks, “Wanna break some rules? I’d love to.” It’s one of the more abrasive tracks on the album.

Album cover

“Red Alert” featuring Ratatat tells the tale of a girl who is “all dressed up with nowhere to go, feeling the rhythm of casual love.” The song has a somewhat melancholic backbeat that presents an interesting dichotomy to obsequious lyrics like, “Tell me what you want and I’m ready to go.” Perhaps the contrast is meant to show how empty the concept of love is in the modern age.

Oh Lovefoxxx

The second to last song, “Fuck Everything,” showcases CSS’ particular flavor of humor. Lovefoxxx complains, “Nothing ever happens in this neighborhood. I wanna rip my eyes out.” The song is barely two and a half minutes and features a brief pause of silence in between the album’s closer, “Yolanda,” before which Lovefoxxx is compelled to tell you, “Hi, my name is Lovefoxxx and I’m 12 years old. I like going to the pub with the gays, I like buying pencils and pens, I like cooking, and I like…cookies.”

Performing in the most amazing garb/against the most amazing tableau I have ever seen.

So, basically, La Liberaciòn, completely outshines CSS’ sophomore album, Donkey, and nearly eclipses the group’s irreverent and unprecedented first album, Cansei de ser Sexy. Here’s hoping the fourth album gives us a collaboration with Lovefoxxx’s former fiancé, Simon Taylor of The Klaxons.

There are a gross amount of New York bands to sift through, but The Rapture is one of the few that easily stands out. So it’s surprising that the trio (formerly a quartet before bassist Mattie Safer quit), consisting of Luke Jenner, Vito Roccoforte, and Gabriel Andruzzi (are you picking up on the Italian vibe yet?), waited an obscene five years to release their third full-length album, In The Grace of Your Love.

Album cover for In The Grace of Your Love

The much anticipated album opens with “Sail Away,” an appropriate title to kick off a record that features a body of water on its cover, and to usher you into the world of dance beats and ambrosial vocals through which you’ll be floating. In his ardent manner, Jenner decrees, “These people, they don’t know how it feels with you/I look away/I see sadness, I see pain/But with you I see hope.” Already gutting you emotionally on the first track, The Rapture continues the motif on “Miss You.” Though this time, the band uses the reverse pattern of upbeat music with lyrics that lament:

“Always thought I could forget you, but I can’t forget you. When I see your face it just tears me up inside. I wanna run, I wanna shake off this feeling I have for you. Why can’t you let me go? What did I ever do to you?”

The troika that is The Rapture

“Blue Bird” is the first track on the album to set a tone that isn’t about either love starting anew or love gone wrong. It’s more like a motivational assertion, repeating, “I’ll see you on the other side.” Who knows? Maybe The Rapture’s hoping for this 2012 thing to pan out. Anyway, track four on the album, “Come Back to Me” is the point where my brain almost exploded because of how staggering the combination of the plainspoken cadence and electro sound is. The chorus of “Come Back to Me” inquires sincerely, “Aren’t we all children?” The answer is obviously yes.

One of those glossy press photos

Next up is the track for which the album is named for, “In The Grace of Your Love,” beginning with strong percussion and keyboard stylings. The message of the song seems to express that rare relationship where love is unconditional: “In the grace of your love, you don’t turn me away.” Track six, “Never Die Again,” is one of the more lackadaisically toned songs and serves as a good midpoint to bridge us into the latter half of the album.

An earlier incarnation of The Rapture, with a bee, monkey, and duck (?) thrown in.

“Roller Coaster” is a palpably more melancholic song as Jenner repeats the words “roller coaster” over and over again before rehashing, “‘Your life’s a roller coaster,’ she said. ‘And I want to get off. It’s just hurting my head and I want it to stop.’” “Children,” however, immediately picks up the light-hearted tone again. I suppose any song called “Children” would have to do that–unless it was like some creepy observation from a pedophile’s perspective.

Luke Jenner, performing with his hair all tousled and shit.

Before you know it, we’re at track nine, where the question duo commences. “Can You Find A Way?” asks: “Can you find a way to love yourself? A way to let yourself go? Maybe if you tried it, you would even like it.” The second question in this brief series of question songs comes at track ten and asks: “How Deep Is Your Love?” And it briefly mirrors the opening to what a modern day Haddaway song would sound like, giving you some indication of how goddamn good is.

Gabriel Andruzzi, the man with the (musical) plan.

With every song averaging at about five minutes, stopping at the eleventh track, “It Takes Time To Be A Man,” appears to be a wise decision. The momentous finale is the closest The Rapture will ever get to sounding like the Steve Miller Band. Of course, with a title like that, it’s not shocking that there’s a vibe of Steve Millery (a noun that should be real). The random and lazy sounding arrangement on this song creates the ideal effect to conclude the Philippe Zdar produced work of genius.

The Strokes’ genre-defining debut, Is This It, was released on July 26, 2001. The album, in many ways, heralded a new era in the indie/garage rock scene. Ten years later, Stereogum saw fit to honor the album with covers worthy of the originals themselves. I mean, we all know tribute albums generally blow, but Stereogum really proves that theory wrong.

Album cover for Stroked

Commencing the album is Peter, Bjorn and John with “Is This It.” The robust opening riff is elongated before the raspy voice of Peter Morén croons, “I can’t think ’cause I’m just way too tired.” The earnestness of the question “Is this it?” is also more pronounced in the PB&J rendering of the song. BtH gives it an 8/10.

Looking a bit Strokes-esque in this pose.

Following “Is This It” is Chelsea Wolfe’s “The Modern Age,” an ethereal and sultry monotone that will lull you into a state of semi-consciousness. BtH gives it a 7/10.

I think this photo of Chelsea Wolfe gives you some idea of how intense "The Modern Age" will sound to you.

Frankie Rose’s version of “Soma,” a slowed down, clearly enunciated, sort of garage meets electro blend form of the original, picks up the pace of the album. The blending of guitars, combined with the initial drum beat will have you replaying this track a few times. As the former drummer of Crystal Stilts, Frankie knows the importance of percussion in a song. BtH gives it an 8/10.

Frankie Rose: A scene queen of NYC, just like The Strokes.

Real Estate, another Brooklyn-based band on the album, contributes its distinct sound of psychedelia to the track “Barely Legal.” Lazily droning the lyrics, “I didn’t take no short cuts, I spent the money I saved up,” it’s easy to see why Stereogum assigned the band to this song. You can almost detect a hint of genuine emotion when lead singer Martin Courtney says, “I wanna steal your innocence, to me my life don’t make sense.” BtH gives it a 6/10.

Real Estate stuck their claim on "Barely Legal."

Wise Blood (so close to being Surfer Blood–if only that’s who Stereogum had chosen instead) sings a surreal version of “Someday” that is something of a decimation of The Strokes’ crowning achievement on Is This It. Sounding like a slurring drunk, Chris Laufman makes the song seem far longer than it actually is. BtH gives it a 5/10.

Chris Laufman of Wise Blood

One of the most standout, memorable tracks on Stroked is Austra’s “Alone, Together.” In typical form, lead singer Katie Stelmanis transforms the song into a dramatic, almost operatic lament. Stelmanis herself stated,

“This song was really hard for me to cover because in my opinion the greatest things about it are the performance and the production. It took a while, but ultimately I just made it sound like an Austra song, which is to be expected!”

BtH gives it a 10/10.

Only Austra could turn "Alone, Together" into a lush symphony.

The Morning Benders give “Last Nite” a light air that The Strokes couldn’t. The angered vocals of Julian Casablancas are nothing like those of Chris Chu. But we actually think that’s a good thing. BtH gives it a 7/10.

The Morning Benders

After Austra and Computer Magic, Owen Pallett is the artist most capable of making a Strokes song entirely his own. With the lush sadness of the violin playing throughout “Hard to Explain,” it’s almost impossible to remember how the original even sounded. BtH gives it a 9/10.

With a Patrick Wolf sound, Owen Pallett wields his violin as a weapon that will attack you with bittersweetness.

Heems is another artist who suffuses The Strokes’ music with a completely different tinge. Turning “New York City Cops” into an all-out rap song (with the Jay-Z allusion “Son, do you know what I’m stopping you for?”), the hatred that The Strokes expressed for this particular authority figure in 2001 is amplified tenfold. BtH gives it a 6/10.

Heems

Deradoorian, perhaps the least recognizable name on the tribute album, is also the most recognizable in terms of being a member of Dirty Projectors. Under her solo moniker, she sings “Trying Your Luck” in a manner somewhat reminiscent of Sneaker Pimps’ “Six Underground.” In spite of the upbeat sentiment of the lyrics, she says, with sadness, “I’ll try my luck with you, this life is on my side.” BtH gives it an 8/10.

Deradoorian of Dirty Projectors fame.

Finally, to conclude the seminal Strokes release, is Computer Magic with the frenetic “Take It Or Leave It.” The song is well-suited to Computer Magic’s own personal philosophy on music. Fronted by 22-year-old Danielle Johnson (more commonly known as Danz), the most youthful songstress to appear on Stroked notes,

“I grew up listening to Is This It in middle school and high school. I think everyone my age did. “Someday” was my ringtone for my old Nokia light up phone for at least three years. I love the Strokes, but I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t. “Take It Or Leave It” has a pretty level-headed, obvious message to it, it’s one of my favorites.”

And one of BtH’s favorites as well. But that’s not the reason we’re giving a 9/10 to Computer Magic.

Danz of Computer Magic

To listen to or download the complete album, Stroked, visit Stereogum here.

If there was question as to who is the most professional rock band in music nowadays, there was no doubt after Death Cab for Cutie completed their nearly two hour long set at the Greek Theatre, Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Having been the sixth time seeing the group live, it was still somewhat shocking seeing such a high level of musicianship coming from the Seattle-based four piece.

Just after 8:30 p.m., Death Cab took the stage, opening with “I Will Possess Your Heart.” It was quite a daring move to open with a song that extends over seven minutes, probably the least popular single of their last few albums.

After roaring through six songs including “Crooked Teeth,” “Moviescript Ending,” and “Long Division,” Gibbard took the time to address an issue he clearly never thought might one day become a reality.

“I’m an Angeleno now, guys,” Gibbard said. “Never thought I would be.”

Marquee outside the Greek Theatre. Photo by Shawn Toyooka.   “Codes and Keys,” one of the strongest tracks off their newest album of the same name, lacked the energy you might expect. This was really the only sore spot of the show. The amount of energy from song to song fluctuated, sometimes extremely high and sometimes a lackluster low. This could of course be attributed to the fan feedback of what they were playing as well. When songs such as “Soul Meets Body,” “I Will Follow You Into The Dark,” and ” Title and Registration” were played, the crowd erupted into an uncontainable fervor. When the band played tracks such as “Company Calls,” “Photobooth,” and “Your Bruise” there wasn’t nearly a reaction received as deserved. Still, the band was charming, clearly wanting everyone in attendance to enjoy themselves. When someone from the crowd inevitably asked Gibbard, “where’s Zooey?,” referring to his wife, actress/musician, Zooey Deschanel, Gibbard playfully responded, “where’s Zooey? This is OUR show.” Not the best seats in the house, but the Greek is small enough where it doesn't matter much. Photo by Shawn Toyooka.   The highlight of the night came when during “We Looked Like Giants,” Gibbard dueled with drummer Jason McGerr, facing him while playing his own makeshift set, as the rest of the band jammed joyously. After briefly leaving the stage just after 10 p.m., Death Cab returned, playing four more songs to a mostly-standing crowd for the encore. Closing with “Transatlanticism,” the band delivered yet another memorable performance, amounting into one of the largest sing-alongs most everyone at the Greek had ever taken part of. In a time where music lovers are frantically looking for a band who might fill the holes of rock legends who continue to play shows to this day, those in attendance at the Greek Theatre might have found their best bet in Death Cab for Cutie.

“Yeah, Dashboard Confessional’s good,” she admitted shyly as she sipped Budweiser from a clear plastic cup. This was an utterance that would have been slightly embarrassing even back in 2003, at the pinnacle of Dashboard’s popularity. There are rules about the type of music you can listen to you once you have firmly escaped your teenage years. One of those simultaneously tacit and verbally touted rules is that listening to Dashboard Confessional is kind of off limits. It is music for those content to continue wallowing in the woes of rejection and disappointment that seem, ironically, much more prevalent in one’s twenties than they do in one’s teens.

Chris Carraba: One of many spokespeople for melancholia

When Dashboard released that landmark first album, The Swiss Army Romance, in 2000, it was like a proclamation that it was okay to be indie, insecure, and generally a little bitch. It was maybe the first time since the 80s (with The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smiths, et. al.) that unabashedly broadcasting one’s moroseness was so widely embraced by a fanbase.

Sad people like to lay on things--bed, floor, it doesn't matter.

Although Chris Carraba started the band as a side project to his other band, Further Seems Forever, he left the group in 2001 to devote all of his time to Dashboard. All of this occurred in some of Florida’s more bowel-like cities, namely Pompano Beach and Boca Raton. But I suppose it just goes to show that, upon occasion, Florida isn’t totally responsible for some of the world’s worst music (Backstreet Boys and Creed).

As lively as Dashboard gets

Chris Carraba went on to release The Places You Have Come To Fear the Most and So Impossible under the Dashboard Confessional moniker as well, with additional members of the band not joining until 2002. However, in the wake of writing the song “Vindicated” for the Spider Man 2 soundtrack (remember when soundtracks were important?), it seemed that Dashboard had lost all of its luster to the emo demographic.

Tongue in cheek

I suppose they had all probably gotten too sophisticated to continue listening to such sentimental tripe. Subsequent Dashboard albums, like Dusk and Summer and The Shade of Poison Trees, did not chart nearly as well as earlier endeavors, particularly 2003′s A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar.

Somber

In 2009, the band showcased the fact that it still had ties to its indie roots by contributing to Diablo Cody’s offbeat zombie comedy, Jennifer’s Body. Later that year, Alter the Ending, the sixth studio album from Dashboard was released. Based on the title, one would be led to believe it could be their final musical output. Another sign of the band slowing down is the ten year anniversary re-release of The Swiss Army Romance. It appears, now more than ever, that Dashboard is content to look back on the band it was, as opposed to attempting to reinvent themselves for the future. And perhaps that is a reflection of the type of person still unashamed to admit to loving them. A prime example being yours truly. I just can’t let go of the honesty and bleeding heart nature of their lyrics. Especially in this song.

Arctic Monkeys have, as far as this listener is concerned, steadily sustained their unique indie rock sound after bursting onto the music scene with their record-breaking first album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. As far as the British charts, Whatever People Say… sold more copies than any other debut album in its first week and thoroughly examined–with a distinctly acerbic tone–the way of club culture in England.

Arctic Monkeys: Back for more.

On Suck It And See, Arctic Monkeys adopt a startlingly wholesome modulation. Considering the title of the album and where it was recorded (Los Angeles), one would expect an edgier repertoire of songs as opposed to the decidedly pop tinge saturating every track. Opening with “She’s Thunderstorms” and “Black Treacle,” the harmonized vocals of Alex Turner and Jamie Cook come across as a futuristic hybrid of Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers. It is on the third track, “Brick by Brick” (also the first single), that Arctic Monkeys deviate slightly by including heavier guitar riffs, but, come “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala,” Sheffield’s finest go right back to their homage to the late 50s and early 60s.

Album cover for the Arctic Monkeys' fourth album.

Returning to their roots with the inordinately long song title of “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair,” the Arctic Monkeys switch gears to a more 60s garage aura. I think The Sonics would approve. Following this track is “Library Pictures,” which blends a loungey vibe with an occasionally frenetic choice of chords thrown in randomly.

Looking all English and shit.

“All My Own Stunts” stands out on Suck It And See as the song most likely to pass for being on either Whatever People Say… or their sophomore album, Favourite Worst Nightmare. “Reckless Serenade,” one of the best variations on a mid-twentieth century pop song, possesses lyrics that also show a somewhat softer side to the writing style of Alex Turner:

“I’ve been trying to figure out exactly what it is I need/Called up to listen to the voice of reason/And got the answering machine.”

The pride of Sheffield.

“Piledriver Waltz” is a nonpareil composition on the album in that 1) It’s amazing and 2) It also appears on the soundtrack for Submarine as a solo version by Alex Turner (personally, I prefer the Submarine rendering, but the Suck It And See one is enjoyable in its own way). “Love Is A Laserquest” is another close contender for best love song on the album (after “Reckless Serenade”). “Suck It And See,” the controversially named song for which the album derives its name, is purposefully sweet (“I poured my aching heart into a pop song/I couldn’t get the hang of poetry”) and in keeping with the ironic affectation the Arctic Monkeys are renowned for.

Performing on Jools Holland.

Concluding with “That’s Where You’re Wrong,” an uptempo ditty that is the perfect counterpart to “She’s Thunderstorms,” Suck It And See is a worthy addition to the Arctic Monkeys’ prior work, though Humbug is perhaps their most under appreciated (the Ray of Light of their albums, if you will). In the long run, however, I’d like to believe that the moody, cerebral nature of Humbug will triumph over the straightforward pop melodies of Suck It And See.

In the amount of time since Death Cab for Cutie’s first album was released in 1998 (Something About Airplanes), the band has undergone many palpable changes. The music has, at times, even been upbeat and the lyrics have often strayed from the topic of love, with an emphasis on love gone wrong. On Codes and Keys, Ben Gibbard’s brainchild metamorphoses into an entirely “grown-up” band, but still maintains the subtleties of a Peter Pan complex.

From left to right: Chris Walla, Jason McGerr, Ben Gibbard, and Nick Harmer

Death Cab’s preceding album, Narrow Stairs, was sweeping and grandiose, with prodigious songs like “I Will Possess Your Heart” and “Grapevine Fires.” Now, three years later, it is clear that the band has been waiting for its fans to be fooled into believing they could only create melancholic slow jams, only to shatter those illusions with tracks like “You Are A Tourist” (the first single off the album), “Some Boys” (one of the most loveable songs on Codes and Keys), and “Home is a Fire.”

Album artwork for Codes and Keys

“Codes and Keys” itself is the best example of Death Cab for Cutie maturing musically while continuing to preserve that morose tone they are known for. With Gibbard’s knack for arcane vocals, he murmurs, “We won’t get far flying circles in a jar/Because the air we breathe is thinning with the words that we speak.”

The picture of camaraderie

“Unobstructed Views” is the closest sounding to the overall vibe of 2003′s Transatlanticism as Gibbard repeats ethereally, “No unobstructed views, just our love. Just our love.” With “Monday Morning,” the listener is left to wonder if maybe Gibbard is paying homage to his wife, Zooey Deschanel, as he sings, “She may be young, but she only likes old things. And modern music it ain’t to her taste.”

Mugging for the camera

Of course, Death Cab is also occasionally prone to the schmaltzy (e.g. “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” from 2005′s Plans), with “Underneath the Sycamore” and “Saint Peter’s Cathedral” both sharing the quality of being mildly jejune. This mood is counteracted by the closing song, “Stay Young, Go Dancing,” which is definitely sound advice for those who want to eschew the plight of aging.

Codes and Keys possesses certain characteristics from Transatlanticism

In general, Codes and Keys is just more of the same, incorporating snatches of creative progression. But that’s one of the things we love most about Death Cab for Cutie: Consistency amid the chaos.

Best Coast has been coasting (yeah, it’s a little too clever, but I had to say it) off the success of their debut album, Crazy For You, since July of last year. Thus, it seems appropriate that they would be the latest band to hop on the iTunes Session train toward additional album sales. Although there are only a few new songs on the EP, Best Coast actually comes across as an extremely impressive acoustic/live act.

At Coachella in April of 2011.

The album kicks off with a previously unreleased track called “Over the Ocean.” Lead singer Bethany Cosentino’s usual motif of ennui and dissatisfaction remains present in the lyrics: “Flying over the ocean always makes me feel so low/I remember looking out the window seeing nothing but blue and grey.” Following “Over the Ocean” is a stripped down version of their best loved single, “Crazy For You.”

California girl makes good.

Other tracks that can also be found on Best Coast’s full-length release, as well as this iTunes Session, include “Goodbye,” “Boyfriend,” “When I’m With You,” and “Our Deal.” The standout songs are, naturally, the ones that cannot be found elsewhere, such as the band’s revamped version of the Loretta Lynn classic “Fist City,” a cautionary tale about what happens to women who fuck other women’s boyfriends.

In addition to being known as the lead singer of Best Coast, Cosentino is also known for dating Wavves frontman Nathan Williams.

Cosentino’s vocal introduction on “When I’m With You” is another highlight of the EP as she croons the opening lyrics acapella. In the interview portion of the album, Cosentino notes that she has grown more comfortable with the sound of her own voice, whereas, before, she would insist on ladening her songs with heavy guitar riffs to mask what she viewed as her singing imperfections.

The darling of L.A.

Cosentino’s self-deprecation persists throughout most of the interview, from discussing her decision to leave Brooklyn and return to Los Angeles to her incredulity over originally wanting to call the band Sun Dried (as in, yup, sun dried tomato. Because she’s Italian and likes the sun). While I’m not generally one to be bowled over by the iTunes Sessions gimmick, Best Coast delivers several propitious punches on this exclusive EP.

Discoveries in music are rarely made outside of YouTube or MySpace anymore. Usually, the music robots in the A&R departments that still exist decide what the public needs and manufactures it for them. But with Brooklyn noise pop duo Sleigh Bells, it was as though, for a split second in time, the fates saw fit to separate them from the other hipster scum pervading every inch of Williamsburg.

Got my A machines on the table, got my B machines in the drawer.

Even though Sleigh Bells somehow seems to have been around for a long period of time, the band was spawned from the frenetic mind of Derek E. Miller just three years ago. With one album under their belt (Treats, a must have for anyone who isn’t hearing impaired), the seamless collaboration between the musical and vocal stylings of Miller and Alexis Krauss make for one of the finest examples of the gritty paired with the sweet producing an ideal aural result.

Posing at American Playground in Greenpoint.

In 2008, Derek E. Miller spotted little ol’ Alexis Krauss at a Brazilian restaurant called Miss Favela on South 5th and Wythe (the restaurant, surprisingly, still exists). As Miller waited on her table, the two struck up a conversation and Miller mentioned he was looking for a female vocalist for his latest project. Krauss’ background was strictly pop (she was a member of a girl group called Rubyblue), while Miller was an adherent of experimental rock via his band Poison the Well.

So happy together.

With such diverse inclinations in sonic approach, one would think that a collaboration between the two would prove fatal and uneventful, but the resulting EP that Sleigh Bells came out with in December of 2009 negated such a theory. Featuring several tracks that would appear on Treats (“Ring Ring”–later to be called “Rill Rill”–”Crown on the Ground,” “Infinity Guitars,” “Beach Girls”–renamed “Kids” on the full-length album–and “A/B Machines”), the self-titled EP was propelled by their recent performances at the CMJ Music Festival, and garnered the attention of M.I.A.’s label N.E.E.T. Recordings.

Sleigh Bells got the notice of one, M.I.A.

After a solid year of touring in promotion of Treats (released on May 11, 2010), Sleigh Bells has taken a brief hiatus to record their sophomore album, slated to be released in early 2012 (you know, pending the whole universe not blowing up thing). Behind the Hype awaits with bated breath for the next slew of loud guitar riffs and dulcet refrains from the most loveable musical duo since, hmm, Hall & Oates maybe. That’s a big maybe though.