Narrative: The band participates in an experiment involving dozens of helium balloons. It goes awry.
Performance: During an experiment in an open field.
Song: Ridiculously feel-good pop. A Third Eye Blind melody stuffed with Beach Boy harmonies.
Why You Should Watch It: As all good bands with a sense of self-promotion would, these guys approached me at Warped Tour ’04 (God, I’m old…) with an album and a plea: “Please, check this out. Even if you don’t like it, it’ll brighten your day.” I paraphrase, but they were spreading some serious love around. Unenthused (I was a surly teenager at Warped Tour, pretty much incapable of any thuse at all), I brushed it aside and moved on. I think a bought a crappy book from some forward thinking religious group instead. Anyway, it was a mistake and I’m proud to say I now own almost every track this band has released – including the album I originally turned down. They’ve been struck with bad luck and bad timing, getting signed to the debacle that was MySpace Records – and have constantly been stuck trying to sell that sunny demeanor that struck such a boring chord with me to a generally dour scene. With their third full-length “QU,” the record this cut is from, they seemed to realize that they’ll probably always be a little more mature than their target audience, and the result is wonderfully complex, mature pop that sees only this track really return to their more straightforward days.
For a perfect summer track, try “Song In My Head” from their MySpace Records debut, “A Different Light.” There’s a low-budget cleverness that runs through both these videos, and while the one above is definitely prettier, this one had a concept that stuck with me for a while…
If these tracks perk your ears, hit up YouTube and check out tracks more tracks from “A Different Light,” and “QU.”
In the words of the band: “Try it. Even if you don’t like it…”
By: Chris Cullari | Beat-Play Ambassador Los Angeles | @ChriswithMWL|Music Without Labels & Beat-Play, LLC