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Throw Me the Statue

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Who? A Half Moon Bay, California native, Throw Me the Statue creative force Scott Reitherman relocated to Seattle and began self-releasing CDs of buzzy, lo-fi indie pop in 2004. Friends, including Pedro the Lion alum Casey Foubert eventually pitched in to help as Reitherman added instruments including drum machines and glockenspiels to round out his sound. A full band finally came into shape in early 2007 as TMTS’s debut album Moonbeams was set for release on Reitherman’s Baskerville Hill label; a wider release drops this week via Secretly Canadian.

What’s the Deal? Imminently hummable from the first programmed drum beats and piano of lead track “Young Sensualists,” Reitherman dabbles in a little bit of everything — introspective musing on “Stupid Stone,” sugar-high rushes on standout “Lolita” — and does all of them with aplomb. Reithman’s one-man model and his shambling, rollicking tunes gets him compared to Guided By Voices a lot, and it’s a fair comparison if you throw in the Shins’ ear for pop hooks and the fun side Andrew Bird’s sophisticated ambition. Equally affecting is the title track, which takes its foot off the gas and proves that Reitherman can even make melancholy sound tempting. The expanded lineup, which includes Aaron Goldman, Will Cone, Joe Syverson and Jarred Grimes, has already opened for label mate Jens Lekman and will stay on the road for much of 2008.

Fun Fact: Wondering about that name? Reithman claims TMTS was originally the name of a mixtape he made for a friend while still living in California. As for Moonbeams, it’s also the title of an album by jazz legends Bill Evans, though no word on if Reithman meant it as an homage. CHAD SWIATECKI

Now Hear This:
Throw Me the Statue – “About to Walk” DOWNLOAD MP3

On the Web:
Throw Me the Statue at MySpace