Cementing The Seams

Vacation are hard to peg. Aesthetically I think we're supposed to assume that they are a pop-punk band. Musically, describing them that way would be horribly innacurate.  On their self titled LP, Vacation draw from a lot of diverse decks.  Sometimes it's undeniably pop-punk. At others their lo-fi garage pop sound dominates.  Some parts even sound like big ticket indie rock, but somehow, every song sounds like all this shit at the same time. I don't know how they do it, and I really don't know how to describe it, but I can tell you that you're gonna like it.  

Stream and Download from The Recording Label

Buy it from Mandible Records

LVL UP comprises members of the NY emo band SIRS and lo-fi acts like Weird Korea and Morrison Brook.  They play throwback indie rock that sounds like Pavement (I'm sorry I compare everybody to Pavement), or a baby wrought from Modest Mouse and Superchunk.  "None of these bands sound the same" you might say.  OK then. "Space Brothers" is a jangly jamfest that will make your inner angsty teen grin like a nostalgic idiot. Or maybe that will only happen to me.

FFO: Modest Mouse, Superchunk, The Wrens, The Gifted Children

Stream at Bandcamp

Get it.

Smug Brothers are another excellent lo-fi indie-pop group from Ohio who take their cues from the likes of Big Star and Guided By Voices (with whom they evidently share a drummer).  The 18 songs on "Fortune Rumors" float around from different eras and influences to give the whole album a lot of variety, but maintain its simplicity well enough.  Some songs are decidedly Beatles-esque while others sound like Superchunk.  If you dig anything the Tinhorn Planet has been releasing lately then you should check this out.

FFO: Guided By Voices, The Gifted Children, The Strungs

Stream and download at Bandcamp