Swim Party :: Pixie Dust on the Blood Range

Sounds Like: dancing to the great indie waltz

RIYL: Calla, Maritime, 764-HERO, Band of Horses

A Few Words: Some of my favorite bands are the ones unknown to others. Obscurity lends a particular allure. Of course, sometimes these little-known bands are off the radar for a reason--and by all accounts should remain buried. Yet I can hardly describe the excitement I feel when I'm introduced to a band who is very clearly about to get a break (or at least deserves to get bigger). I felt it when Flake Music became The Shins, and when Duck and Cover got a hold of a little EP by Vampire Weekend two years ago. This giddiness is welling up again as I listen to Pixie Dust on the Blood Range.

Hailing from California, Swim Party employs smooth, calculated riffs reminiscent of American Analog Set, but isn't satisfied with moody grooves alone. Instead of sinking easily into the musical equivalent of a rainy Sunday, they quickly pick up the tempo. Power chords pose for transitions rather than stand up as songs themselves; hooks are as tight as hipster stovepipes. And although it sounds clean and controlled on the stereo, I get the impression this is a band who rocks the floorboards of any venue. The energy and complexity of Pixie Dust contributes to create an album I've returned to many times.

I recently received a few tracks of their album, Pixie Dust on the Blood Range, in a frantically worded email from a friend in San Francisco. The tone was typical of a girl in possession of great music: she was eager for everyone else to listen. Therefore, I'm passing it on to all of you--all 30 of you avid Duck & Cover readers.

Band :: Swim Party

Album :: Pixie Dust on the Blood Range

Song :: Said the Captain

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