Today's Swell Tune: Kick Me Where It Hurts

• Band: The Booze
• Album: At Maximum Volume
• From: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
• Sound: Somewhere Mick and Keith are arguing over whether or not this is them; mod rock
• Website: thebooze.net/
• Social: facebook

Today's Swell Tune: Greater Miranda

Greater Miranda (Agony Aunts) by MrShuffleupagus

• Band:Agony Aunts
• Album: Agony Aunts
• From: San Francisco, United States
• Sound: Veruca Salt circa 1966; mod indie pop
• Download: from bandcamp
• Contact: via facebook

Today's Swell Tune: Tick Tock

Tick Tock (The Fantasies) by Mr.Shuffleupagus

• Band: The Fantasies
• Album: Meet the Fantasies (single)
• From: Northampton, Massachusetts, United States
• Sound: A post-apocalyptic B-52s; psych-pop
• Download free: On their bandcamp page 

Mod is the New Lo-Fi: Introducing Chalk and Numbers

For the past couple of years, indie pop has been all but dominated by a Beach Boysish retro sound, almost as though everyone stumbled across their dad's copy of Pet Sounds at the same time. And as much as I love The Drums, The Morning Benders, et cetera et cetera and so forth, I think I've had enough.  Time to move past the sunny, ultra low-fi bubblegum.  Trends, by their very nature, have to evolve.

Enter Brooklyn-based twosome Chalk and Numbers.  Their more sophisticated pop rides in on the same wave of heavy 60's nostalgia but moves the inspiration from west coast to east, swapping laid-back vibes for something more swinging. Think less LA and more NYC, when hep cats were hipsters and Greenwich was Williamsburg. Think pop art. Think turtlenecks. Think Beatle boots. Skinny suits. Mary Quant. Edie Sedgwick. Artists' lofts. Motown. Mod.

Yes. 

It's time to take production back up a notch.  This is shinier, sexier, and proves that pretending you don't care means you're trying way too hard.

They're giving it away, so get the entire EP for free here

He Knew (Chalk and Numbers) by Mr.Shuffleupagus

I Hope You Do (Chalk And Numbers) by Mr.Shuffleupagus