Here’s a little lo-fi surf pop from Oregon Bike Trails, the project of Santa Monica’s Zach Yudin. The production is inch perfect capturing the 60s beach vibe that Wavves have made popular over the past year or so. They pull it off better than the majority of the competition. It is however, impossible to write 60s throwback tracks without coming off as, at best, a little contrived, so you’ll have torohypnol your inner cynic before hitting play. Just enjoy it as pure aesthetic.

There are a few tracks available on their bandcamp but it’s ‘Swimsuit’ that’s been lodged deep within the vaulted halls of my brain. That’s probably false from both an architectural and anatomical standpoint but I’m going to stick with it. You can stream and [legally] download Swimsuit below.

Oregon Bike Trails –

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[FREE DOWNLOAD]

This was the post that almost wasn’t. I didn’t want to write about this band because their sound is everywhere and they’re everyone right now. There’s not a whole lot creative, new or exciting about them but I’ll be damned if they don’t write a catchy hook. So, I guess inasmuch as I’m reconciled with writing about pop songs, I’m ok with doing this. Listen to these songs, consume them and move on. The pair of them are free at Unearthed.

San Cisco - Golden Revolver

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San Cisco – John’s Song

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And yes, before you say anything, I’ve also noticed that one of the band members (let’s call him Kyle) is wearing a native American Indian headband in the photo. Don’t shoot the messenger here, I didn’t dress the guy. That said though, it does fit with Kyle’s barefoot, freespirited, living loose lifestyle. Kyle can’t be tied down. Kyle can’t be held back. Kyle lives daily upon a dream. A few months ago he was at a party and a friend mentioned he’d love to own a dog. Kyle’s response was “can any of us ever truly own a dog?”. And I guess we can all take a lesson from Kyle. He fully understands what it means to be in touch with our own (or a completely unassociated and contextually irrelevant) culture. Maybe in their next shot he’ll be wearing a sailor’s cap. Nice one Kyle. Keep pushing those boundaries!

I know a girl. More than that (though that itself is significant for me this year) I know a girl who knows music. She said this about New Animal.

“It’s different to all the repetitive “we’re artsy surf-pop” unearthed stuff that’s everywhere at the moment. That’s probably because they’re not australian- and we all know Australians are nothing on Great Mother America (although, at least we don’t kill palestinians*). It’s definitely not happy music. It’s interesting music. I can’t really think of any music that it ‘sounds like’ but that could be because Justin Vernon is constantly on repeat on my itunes, which doesn’t leave much opportunity for me to appreciate anything other than folksy “I’ve-lost-all-faith-in-love” genres. Or maybe they’re just new and different.“

*She has retrospectively apologised for how grossly uninformed this comment was. She’s taking a Middle Eastern studies class this semester. Things are looking up.

New Animal – Nightmares of Candy Yang and the Black Italian

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Also, I recognise that I shamelessly work a Valar reference into a good portion of my posts about other bands but does the production here remind you a little bit of Make No Sound? I argue that it should. If you like what you’re hearing (or you don’t but you like the thought of a free album that you’ll never listen to) then download the full album right here. No charge.

Tonight, if you’re lucky enough to have a ticket, you’ll be seeing The Morning Benders at the Oxford Art Factory. They were almost certainly one of the most blogged about artists of 2010 and despite all my fiercest efforts to keep them off Sound Doctrine here they are. Receive this into your ears.

If you want to hear a few more tracks before you inevitably buy Big Echo then scope out their myspace. Click here for a free download of the album recording of ‘Excuses’.

In March 2011 Noah & the Whale will release their third full length record. The first, a masterpiece. The second? Quality, but they’d exchanged the upbeat folksy flavour of their debut album for something dark and melancholy. While I’m as prone to fits of pessimism as the next man, The Last Days of Spring was too much for me. It was like a funeral dirge. So that you can understand the levels of depressing we’re discussing here, have a quick look at the video to ‘Our Window’ from The Last Days of Spring

Having heard the second single ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N’ from their upcoming album Last Night On Earth I thought perhaps they were heading back to the, as Chloe Bickersteth would say, “Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding Happy Music” that blew me away on their debut.

So, knowing more than you needed to about Noah & the Whale’s back catalogue, you can now listen to ‘L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N’. SUPER BONUS! I’m also going to stream Jocasta from their first album Peaceful The World Lays Me Down. You don’t have to thank me, just sign the petition to stop the government shutting my blog down before I’m accused of a blown up rape charge and extradited to Sweden. I’m surely next.

Noah and the Whale – Jocasta

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