Best Coast - California Nights (Harvest / Virgin, 2015)

Best Coast
California Nights
Harvest / Virgin
2015

Rating: 7 green straws out of 10

Best Coast signs with a major label and their sound gets considerably more polished.  Surprising?  Of course not.  It's also not a bad thing in my opinion - the pop songs Bethany Cosentino has been writing all along could have easily gone this route if the money had been there - the only reason this band was ever considered "indie" in the first place was because they didn't have the money behind them to be otherwise.  Songs like "In My Eyes" or "Run Through My Head" are no different than something Kelly Clarkson would release, they're just coming from a band with more street cred.  The thing is though, those two songs are catchy as shit, as are many others on this album, and in the realm of pop music that's all that really matters.  The only thing keeping this band from being all over top 40 radio at this point is purely luck (and/or getting the fat envelopes of money into the hands of the correct station managers).  God knows if it was 1985 a band and an album this polished and likable would be everywhere; guess we'll just have to wait and see what 2015 holds...

The Records - Starry Eyes 7'' (Virgin, 1978)

The Records
Starry Eyes 7''
Virgin
1978

Rating: 10 award winning plays out of 10

This Records...um, record is one of the gold level members of the power pop pantheon of perfection.  Ask anyone in the know, and they'll all name-check "Starry Eyes" in any list of best power pop songs ever, and the b-side "Paint Her Face" is rad too.  Their first two records ("Shades in Bed" and "Crashes") and any singles associated with them are well worth the purchase if you come across them. 

The Thrills - Let’s Bottle Bohemia (Virgin, 2004)

The Thrills
Let’s Bottle Bohemia
Virgin
2004

Rating: 7.5 special galaxies out of 10
 
No sophomore slump here – this new Thrills record is just as good if not better than their debut…I’ve been listening to it a ton since I got it. With poppy hooks like they have, how can you not? Even if the album was crap, I’d be tempted to rate it well based solely on the fact that they have a song called “Whatever Happened to Corey Haim?”, and it’s a damn good and catchy song at that. If you liked the last album, this should be right up your alley; if you’ve never heard them before and like catchy Beach Boys and Byrds-inspired pop music, get thee self to a record store post haste. If you can give me a better band from Ireland channeling sunny California pop music, I’ll take it – but for now, I’ll stick with The Thrills.