Tuesday, March 2, 2010

On the surface we swim


The history of popular music in New Zealand is a rich and truly interesting one, and recent posts at Songblague have been indicative of our collective appreciation for what the country has to offer.

From the springboard of Flying Nun's cult success came new efforts at tapping the well of pop in New Zealand, and one of the best and brightest labels to nail down the niche has been Lil' Chief Records. Through hard work and some undeniably compelling bands, Lil' Chief eventually caught Sub Pop's ear in the US, and one of the first bands Sub Pop brought Stateside was the Ruby Suns. Their second Sub Pop effort, Fight Softly, is out today, and it's the kind of thing you need to hear if you're at all into the bright and bubbly soundscaping that's become the norm. I've long thought of The Ruby Suns as a gateway drug of sorts for people who can't quite find Animal Collective accessible, and "Cranberry" puncuates this point with enviable zeal.

The Ruby Suns - Cranberry

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