So this week’s live music picks will be playing at The Clubhouse in Tempe on Saturday. So whether you are lucky enough to be in the crowd or can't make it on Saturday, this is your opportunity to get in the mix. Best Coast, with co-headliners Wavves will take center stage at Saturday's Clubhouse performance. The term surf-pop would be a great way to describe their sounds (especially Best Coast) and for Wavves, noise-pop would be appropriate. Now all “pops” aside, what is an actual description that most people can understand of these two fresh bands on the scene? Let’s discuss!
Best Coast is comprised of a trio from the California city of Los Angeles. Their lo-fi (not overly produced, enhanced, etc.) sound attracted many new fans with its infectious laid back instrumentation and vocals. Their first full-length album (Crazy For You) was released last summer and created a steadily growing buzz for the fairly new ensemble. Lead Singer Bethany Cosentino has a voice which perfectly purveys the lullaby of unrequited love, which is essential as the band lyrics center around boys, love, and the like. At the top of many various best of 2010 music lists, Best Coast certainly has enthralled many a listener, and I was certainly no different. The real thing that pulls you in is the magic simplicity of the instrumentals and the arrangements which only solidify its meaning. Anyone can relate to liking someone from afar or that fervor that encompasses a new relationship in its beginning stages. It’s these emotions which connect the listener to the vocalization of Bethany’s love and heartbreak. And it's not sappy, which definitely makes it relatable and honest. The song “When I’m With You” is definitely a testament to this:
Performing with Best Coast is the band Wavves, also of California design. Their recently released “King Of The Beach” has put the band on the radar of many a listener once again. While the sound of Best Coast is the embodiment of a lazy afternoon of day dreaming, Waaves is a slightly louder confection of sound. With harsher musical harmonies, its catchy (and noisy) disposition is the perfect soundtrack to messing around with friends and blowing off some much needed steam. Their boyish charm is met by catchy lyrics and an energetic tempo. They would make good background music to a party filled with laughter and good people, where there is so much commotion that it's hard to even hear the person standing next to you. It’s that good time that translates into their music and takes people away even if they are engaging in the most mundane of tasks. “Post Acid” is one of those tracks, that infectious sing-along that makes you forget about your problems:
Bottom Line: Both of their sunshiny California sounds can brighten any dreary day, and their infectiously catchy tunes will have you humming long after they’re finished.
