Andrea DomanickYou know that autumnal mix of optimism and anticipation that arrives with the electricity in the newly-crisp air? That's what Grouplove's debut full-length, Never Trust A Happy Song, sounds like.
The work dropped Tuesday on Atlantic Records, just in time for fall, following a year of hype for the L.A.-based quintet that included being featured in Taco Bell commercials and on the FIFA 12 soundtrack. Here's their single “Colours:”
Grouplove – Colours by Atlantic Records UK
Tomorrow night, Grouplove opens for Irish dance-rock darlings Two Door Cinema Club at the Wiltern. You already know that we at West Coast Sound are arbiters of cool, so believe us when we tell you that Grouplove is about to get huge. Here are our top five reasons why.
Fans went nuts for Grouplove at last month's Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco.; Credit: Andrea Domanick
5. Their performance at Outside Lands rocked.
Their show at the San Francisco festival last month convinced us they're one of L.A.'s best new live acts. We wrote:
Their Outside Lands gig was easily the most joy-filled set of the entire fest, and it was hard to tell who was having more fun: the band or the crowd. Grouplove just might represent the death of irony in L.A. music, and we couldn't be more ready for 'em.
Again, don't forget that we know what we're talking about.
4. They've got good genes
Drummer/producer Ryan Rabin's dad is guitarist Trevor Rabin of Yes. Real talk.
Blowin' up; Credit: Andrea Domanick
3. Their big, soaring songs come with a car-commercial-ready vibe.
Love 'em or hate 'em for it, since the record industry died ads are how bands make it these days.
2. Their cult-like fanbase is cult-like.
When we caught Grouplove at Outside Lands, we thought we'd arrived at the wrong set; the midday crowd at the modest Panhandle stage was so vast and tightly packed that the band could barely be seen from the back. Their fans knew as many lyrics and went as nuts as those for any of the fest's headlining acts. They're also really into making Grouplove fan art.
1. It's time to trust a happy song.
Not every L.A. artist has to be pissed off or ironic; Odd Future and Ariel Pink handle that just fine. For this reason, we're happy to make room for some of Grouplove's childlike joy and sincerity. Their brand of folkie orchestral pop borrows equally from groups like the Pixies and Architecture in Helsinki, but serves up its own distinct reminder that we are, after all, living in a city of sunshine.
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