I recently heard about some studies mentioning a correlation between being an unhappy teenager and listening to a lot of music. I wasn’t too chipper as a kid, and much of my adolescence was spent with headphones on. However, try as I might, I never really felt much of a connection with all the male-oriented alternative rock I was surrounded with, as angsty as it was. I just wasn’t angry enough. I was nearly out of high school before I heard anything that sounded like Heavenly or the Pastels, twee bands with soft hazy female vocals that, while not brash, weren’t passive at all. It was sincere, but not weepy. I definitely needed this stuff at the age of 14.
Last year I heard a song called “Absolutely Everything” by a San Francisco band named Brilliant Colors, that soon became one of my favorites. The band just came out with a new album, entitled Again and Again, and it has promptly been added to my twee playlist. The music is sunny and jangly, the perfect album to shake your hair to on a summer night. Songs like “Hey Dan,” and “How Much Younger” will soon make their way onto all of your mix tapes. “Cult Face” is sweet and bouncy.
The band will be playing tomorrow night in San Francisco at Engine Works, and August 6th at the Think and Die Thinking d.i.y. music festival in San Jose.
About the author
rock - Michal is attempting to model most of her lifestyle choices on Belle and Sebastian lyrics. She'll tell you how it goes.