CD $15.18

Building on the promise of their introductory split EP with Blanket Music, Happy You Near finds the young band at play, trying on musical ideas like masks at a costume party, creating music for the sheer joy of it. It also unveils the complementary vocal talent of Workman on three tracks. It is a refreshing and playful album that remains entirely sophisticated and unpredictable. Years from now people might just look back on this unassuming release and see it as a milepost in pop music. Yes, it is that good.

MP3 $9.99

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Blanket Music and Noise for Pretend come from Portland, OR., a city renown for its livability and astounding number of bands per capita. The stakes are high in Portland: You can be good and not get noticed. You can even be great. What these two bands attempt to do, therefore, is to be great and to be different. Both share an affinity for popular jazz idioms: bossa nova signatures and 60's noir, and both put their own spin on sophisticated pop. Noise for Pretend's uncanny swagger and cool musicianship recal...   [ read more ]

MP3 $9.99

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