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The A-Sides

Who? Following their highly-regarded 2005 full-length debut, Hello, Hello, “Philebrities” Jon Barthmus (vocals, guitar, keys), Mike Fleming (bass, vocals), Patrick Marsceill (drums, vocals), Charlie Cottone (guitar), and Christopher Doyle (keyboards, guitar) kept perfecting their catchy anthemic pop, traveling from their Pennsylvania base to play live with the likes of British Sea Power, the National, We Are Scientists, and the French Kicks. Their upcoming sophomore LP, Silver Storms, is forecasted for a September 18th release on the Vagrant imprint.

What’s the Deal? Though the album is named Silver Storms, musically, the A-Sides’ atmospherics are closer to the sprawling sound of the Shins mixed with Modest Mouse’s mastery of rhythm. Over the course of 11 tracks, the album delivers eclectic indie pop, replete with shimmering guitars, kicky drums, and crashing waves of sound. “We’re the Trees” cruises on a great skittery riff (strangely reminiscent of the Kids in the Hall theme) and the dreamy “Through the Ocean” plays up the band’s harmonic lilt, but stays anchored with an insistent beat. Attentive touches, such as the flourishes at the beginning of “A Florida Grove,” add to the band’s guitar-driven, layered production.

Fun Fact: Patrick Marsceill’s dad played keyboards in an ’70s rock band called Ox, which sounded a lot like Long Island, NY hard rock act, Mountain. They issued one single before breaking up.

Now Hear This:
The A-Sides – “Diamonds” DOWNLOAD MP3

On the Web:
The A-Sides at MySpace
a-sides.net

Talk: Will Silver Storms reign on your iPod?

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