Love Is a Wave

VINYL FORMAT. Crystal Stilts burst out of Brooklyn in 2008 to become one of the most talked about bands in years. Perfecting a sound that ably mixes post-punk gloom with classic 60s pop and garage, Suicide-ish 50s buzz/twang and a dash of 80s jangle, Crystal Stilts capped the year with the release of their amazing debut album, Alight of Night. Rightly recognized as one of the best albums of the year, it won rave reviews all over the place. Tours with Vivian Girls and Love Is All only added to the excitement, building anticipation for Crystal Stilts' next record.

We're thrilled to be able to bring you this ace single, featuring two brand-new songs not to be found on their album. "Love Is a Wave" is a firm favorite of the band's live show, a perfect two-minute pop nugget in the best punk rock tradition. Fired by an insistent fast-strummed riff, an eager beat and barely-contained feedback, "Love Is a Wave" is an instant classic that stands tall with tunes like "Never Understand" and "I Heard Her Call My Name" in the noisepop pantheon. B-side "Sugar Baby" is no slouch either, sounding for all the world like The Clean if they had been produced by Lee Hazlewood back in Arizona in the late 50s. With a spookily evocative keyboard line, breathless backing vocals and undistorted twang, "Sugar Baby" could be from 1959, or 1969, or 1989. But it's pure 2009, and another great example of how Crystal Stilts have managed to mine rock's past and create something entirely new and crucial for today.