Averkiou‘s “Wasted and High” 7-inch totally took me by surprise. Whenever I see a band that is from Gainesville, FL, I expect a bunch of dudes with beards, doing their best to sound like Dillinger Four. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I sure as hell don’t expect to hear shoegazey indie rock from the land of No Idea Records and gators.

Averkiou (pronounced av-er-kyoo] have proved me wrong. Let’s examine what’s in the mix shall we? Some loud and fuzzy guitars. Lush and dreamy melodies, similar to the best Ride or My Bloody Valentine songs. A somewhat blissful and stoned energy placed on top of a wall of noise. Averkiou have combined all those elements for this 7-inch. The title song, along with the b-side “No One’s Holding A Gun To Your Head” are incredibly well done rock gems.

The band’s 7-inch is now available through our pals at Sound Study Recordings. The baby blue colored 7-inch that I received is limited to 350 pressings, while the clear vinyl is limited to 170.

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart were almost another band I ignored due to the insane amount of hype and oh-so-fickle blogger love they’ve been accumulating over the last few months. I decided to give the band a chance after all and the first song I heard was “Young Adult Friction” from the band’s 7-inch of the same name. A mix of upbeat drum beats with some keys and dreamy female background vocals thrown in, the song is pure pop bliss. It’s the kind of song you instantly fall in love with. The one that rips a hole in your brain and takes up a residency in one’s temporal lobe til god knows when. I describe it as Belle and Sebastian after they grew a pair, perhaps (Note: I’m not saying there is anything wrong with B&S. Back off!). Equal parts My Bloody Valentine and The Smiths, TPOBPAH (ooumph!) have the potential to make sad bastard, longing- for-love shoegazing pop all the rage again.

Picked up my copy of this 7″ on red vinyl at good ol’ Generation Records for like $4 or something. I recommend you do the same.

Check out a video of the band performing “Young Adult Friction” on the ever-entertaining (in all the wrong ways) Carson Daly Show.

I’ve been singing the praises of Cloak/Dagger for quite some time now. Their 2006 full-length We Are (which was my #1 album of that year) is still constantly played on my iPod, turntable, cd player, what have you. Now the boys are back with a brand new “untitled” 7-inch for Jade Tree Records. And jesus christ, they’ve done it again. Cloak/Dagger can do no wrong!

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For the past few days, I’ve been overwhelmed and beaten down by the flu. The bastard has stolen my will to move and my income. A real son of a bitch, that flu is. Through the aches, the fevers and the fever blisters, I’ve found my beacon of light ladies and gentlemen. And it’s got soul. Oh yes, it’s got soul. Eddie & Ernie’s “Bullets Don’t Have Eyes” will cure what ails you better than any kind of chicken noodle soup or self-help book. If you’re like me, you’ll probably keep the 7-inch on the turntable all day, endlessly moving the needle back to the beginning to play it again and again.

The only way to properly describe this song would be ‘bottled and recorded perfection.’ The kind of soul music that gets ear drums peaked and rejuvenated. I’m not a religious man but somebody was looking down on this duo when they recorded this one many years ago.

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Guest 7-Inch Corner! Woo-hoo! For this column, our friend Matt Farro of Bright Light Fever talks about D-beat legends His Hero Is Gone and their “The Dead Of Night In Eight Movements” 7-inch, released by Prank Records in 1996. Onward my friends.

Band: His Hero Is Gone
Title: The Dead of Night in Eight Movements
By Matt Farro

There used to be a record store in Sacramento, CA called Hindenburg Records and that’s where I first got this 7-inch. It was like walking into someone’s house, and they had everything a sweet (angry/evil) young boy like me could want. It felt like it was run by total elitists, and it probably was. I don’t remember anyone saying anything to me any of the times I went there. I never saw it packed with people, but I think they used to do shows there too.

I went to see His Hero Is Gone at Gilman Street before I bought this record, and for that point in time, they were the perfect band for me. It felt like they were my secret, and I had to run out and buy whatever I could find of theirs.

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