Call and Response - Myspace
What has cheery pop tunes, a xylophone, and great vocal melodies? The answer is Bay area music ensemble Call and Response. These guys are not new, they've been creating music together since 1998 but they were unknown to me until a good friend put them on the hi-fi while we were attempting to win our rent money playing in an online internet poker tournament. The sweet sounds coming out of the speakers did create a bit of a distraction, but they ended up being cheerily consoling when we busted out in 26th place. Upon first listen I thought I was listening to a lost Stars or Stereolab album, with the female vocals right up front and the rest of the instruments sitting so perfectly mellow behind them. But then I realized that Call and Response actually precedes Stars in musical history, and is a bit younger than Stereolab. And that remains the best way of describing this band, they sound slightly more modern than Stereolab but not as "indie-Montreal" as Stars.
According to their website they don't have any tour dates lined up anytime soon, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't pick up their album, put some headphones on and close your eyes. I promise that no matter what mood you're in, their cheerful tunes will leave you with a smile on your face.
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