Blonde Summer

"I'm Instantly in love" - Kat Corbett - KROQ

A radiant blast of indie-rock done in the ’90s way — with sharp vocals, insistent rhythms and churning guitars, all slathered in irresistible hooks. The five-song debut is the brainchild of singer-guitarist Chris Pope and guitarist Matt Reid, who sequestered themselves in Joshua Tree to write and then joined up with bassist Chis Livingstone and drummer Stephen Kurshner to record at Aaron Espinoza’s studio, the Ship. The results make me think Blonde Summer could tour alongside Sunny Day Real Estate, or be the sunniest band on Jade Tree. Bright and brainy, just the way we like it. - Buzz Bands

What's better than seeing new wave rock quaret Kitten play a show with 60's surf-indie band Blonde Summer? A $5 happy hour on food at drinks at Saint Rocke, one of the best venues of the South Bay area. If you're not familiar with the bands, Kitten sounds like The Smiths if Morrisey was replaced with Karen O of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Blonde Summer has an acid-washed, Southern California alternative sound. They will be playing at Saint Rocke in Hermosa on December 8th, doors open at 5pm so come early an enjoy a couple sundowners before the show starts at 8pm!!

-Jenna Putnam - The Deli

I'll be honest. I've never heard of Blonde Summer before. Nor have I heard anything beyond this one song. (You can check out their Myspace if you'd like to hear more).

But this is one great song. It's nothing particularly new-sounding, nor earth-shattering ("Am I here, or am I just your atmosphere?"). But there's just something about those first 45 or seconds of guitars that will hook you in and not leave your head for hours. Seriously. I've listened to it about 5 times in a row. Enjoy. - The Indie Sea

Big thanks to Indie Rock Cafe for including Ten Million Lights in the their list of Best Fall Releases and calling it “Fantastically catchy music” along with other amazing artists like Great Lakes, Sunset, So So Glos, Fox in the Henhouse, The Brute Chorus and tons more.

Styzer from Hits In The Car in Denmark also listed Ten Million Lights and linked to the debut single Kill Yr Idols along with great tracks from The Wonderland Washouts, Blonde Summer, and Radical Face. - Ten Million Lights

if you like Shout Out Louds, Death Cab For Cutie - In the Age of Lasers

Although their songs carry the focus of a band that's been at it for years, Blonde Summer is brand new. It would be easy to slap a label on Chris Pope, Matt Reid, Chris Livingstone, and Stephen Kurshner and call them surf-rock inspired, slightly lo-fi, indie rock, but such classifications wouldn't do their sound justice. Eleganza is much more well-crafted than that.

Below, an acoustic session filmed by Miguel Sabogal at Ace Hotel NYC during CMJ 2010.

"Scared You'll Get Hurt"


Download: Cathode Ray

Buy:
Their EP Eleganza is available for purchase via bandcamp - From A to Beat

Singles
Kid Cudi – “Scott Mescudi Vs. The World” (Ft. Cee-Lo)
From Man On The Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, out 11/9 via G.O.O.D.
The Decemberists – “Down By The Water”
From The King is Dead, out 1/18 via Capitol
The Hairs – “Balding College Girls”
From Hairs Make Music
The Pass – “Criminal”
From Burst, out now on Bandcamp
*Blonde Summer – “Blonde”
From Eleganza, out now
Air Waves – “Knockout”
Dungeon Dots forthcoming from Underwater Peoples
The Soft Moon – “Tiny Spiders”
The Soft Moon out 11/16 on Captured Tracks
Gun Outfit – “Guilt and Regret”
The Dim Light is out via Post Present Medium
Wise Blood – “Rot My Brain Away”
“Solo [‘4’ Claire]” / “Rot My Brain Away” via Transparent
Benoit Pioulard – “Shouting Distance”
Track 6 off Lasted, available now - Tale of the Tape

Lots o’ music in today’s Pick Your Poison, a little more than normal. That just means more highlights for you to download. My personal picks for today include tracks from So So Glos, True Womanhood and Weekends. There’s a brand new cut from Deerhoof as well, definitely worth your time, and Philadelphia Grand Jury do a remarkable cover of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”.

The Amplifetes – Fokker

*Blonde Summer – Cathode Ray

Dearling Physique – Discipline Your Hands

Deerhoof – The Merry Barracks

Gamma Gamma Rays – Roam

Giant Sand – Fields of Green

Head Like A Kite – Diamond Paint

KAV – Mr. Nice (ft. Howard Marks)

Philadelphia Grand Jury – 99 Problems (Jay-Z cover)

So So Glos – Fred Astaire

True Womanhood – Dream Cargoes

We Can’t Enjoy Ourselves – Put Your Blue Dress On
We Can’t Enjoy Ourselves – A Charming Man

Weekends – Jerk Center

Whitey Morgan and The 78s – I Ain’t Drunk - Faronheit

So let's decompress a little with this last song of the week. Some sweet surfer rock, brought to you by Blonde Summer. I really enjoy the jangly guitar riff and smooth vocals. To me this song does kind of sound like a summer afternoon. Think that sounds corny? Well guess what guy, I dun curr. The track comes at ya off the band's Eleganza EP. Pick it up now, and relive the summer sun (instead of this fiendish windy rainy crap). Enjoy "Cathode Ray"! - Music That Isn't Bad.

Excellent track that can be found on the band’s debut EP Eleganza. - Hits in the Car

This Blonde Summer track doesn’t hang about. ‘Cathode Ray’ kicks in straight from the offing with some nice surf rock beats and jangling guitars. It sounds a bit ‘Wave of Mutilation’ at times, which can only ever be a good thing in our slightly bleary eyes. The song is taken from the band’s ‘Elegenza’ EP, and is a beam of sunshine straight to your ears. - Bowlegs Music

Smooth L.A. indie-rockers bring the pretty hooks home to the mess. - Grubtunes

Recent Releases We Almost Missed, Vol. XIII: Ghosty, Josiah Wolf, Jim Bryson & Weakerthans, Suns, Perfume Genius, Blonde Summer - Indie Rock Cafe

Quite how Blonde Summer, a four piece from LA, remain unsigned is a mystery to me.They play sunburnt indie rock. It's a slightly raw and sun-tinged surf rock sound which doesn't necessarily tread a new path (they've certainly listened to the Pixies before). Whilst it may not break down new boundaries, it sure pulls at all the right heartstrings. They pack a mighty punch and their hooks that will leave you hungered for more.

I've had a couple of their tracks constant repeat since coming across them earlier this week. Sadly they only have a couple of tracks available at the moment and just the one EP available on itunes -Eleganza (go buy it).

They played CMJ in October and I'm almost certain it's just a matter of time before they get picked up and move onto big things. - Sound of the Overground

Eleganza is the debut EP from the Los Angeles indie group Blonde Summer. Singer Chris Pope and guitarist Matt Reid slipped away from the glitz and glam of LA and found inspiration in 60's surf rock and the desert rat locals of Joshua Tree while crafting Eleganza's collection of drifter-esque indie rock songs.

Blonde Summer teamed up with Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart, Admiral Radley) at The Ship studio to create the "indie rock bliss" that would become Eleganza. The 5-song EP kicks off with the dance worthy "Cathode Ray," which immediately sets the tone of this promising debut. Chris Pope's vocals on "Scared You'll Get Hurt" float as if they've got wings and the musicianship of "Blonde" is reminiscent of 90s indie rock pioneers, The Pixies.

There's a nice vibe running through the featured track that takes it beyond 'comfortable indie format' and the guitar work builds in a manner that suggest these guys can move beyond the safe confines of pop. - Beehive Candy

Blonde Summer make a hybrid of lanky pop/punk that seems like it could travel in any number of directions at any time; a lot of times it does. Whether it’s descending into a melted shoegaze, or ascending into an airy bridge, the band expands their songs three-dimensionally, without losing sight of what it is they set out to do.

The band’s debut EP, Eleganza, was formed somewhere out past the churn of city life, and it has all the hallmarks of a band unfettered by expectation; it’s loose and active, and a great introduction to the band. It was released this past August.

Blonde Summer has a few dates lined up over the next month (and by few I mean exactly three), all in their native California. If you’re out on the West Coast, go and see what they’re all about. And grab their Eleganza EP over at the band’s Bandcamp page for $5. - Tympanogram

The Japonize Elephants: "F**k the Farmacia" [mp3] from Bob's Bacon Barn

Josephine Foster & the Victor Herrero Band: "Los Cuatro Muleros" [mp3] from Anda Jaleo

Lord Huron: "Mighty" [mp3] from Mighty EP

Mutual Benefit: "Moonville Tunnel" [mp3] from Spider Heaven

Roman Photos: "Decline" [mp3]
- Largehearted Boy

Every day, Daily Downloads offers 10 free and legal mp3 downloads, plus free and legal live sets from around the internet.

Today's free and legal mp3 downloads:

Ben + Vesper: "An Honest Bluff" [mp3] from Honors (out January 25th)

Blonde Summer: "Cathode Ray" [mp3] from Eleganza EP

Butterflies: "Goodbye (Like a Stranger)" [mp3] from Residual (out November 23rd)

Envy: "A Breath Clad in Happiness" [mp3] from Recitation

Giant Sand: "Fields of Green" [mp3] from Blurry Blue Mountain (out on CD November 23rd, vinyl November 9th)

I Was a King: "Nightwalking" [mp3] from Old Friends (out January 25th)

Liz Janes: "I Don't Believe" [mp3] from Say Goodbye (out December 7th)

Nels Cline: "Don't Threaten Me with Your Threats" [mp3] from Dirty Baby

Pomegranates: "50s" [mp3] from One of Us (out October 25th)
- Largehearted Boy

Blonde Summer es un nuevo cuarteto de Los Angeles. Eleganza es su primer Ep, realizado en colaboración con Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart, Admiral Radley). - Planeta Pop

Whether you’re about to call it a day or just beginning yours, let “Cathode” from Blonde Summer’s debut EP, Eleganza, provide the segway.
- Parasites and Sycophants

Eleganza is the debut EP from the Los Angeles indie group Blonde Summer. Singer Chris Pope and guitarist Matt Reid slipped away from the glitz and glam of LA and found inspiration in 60's surf rock and the desert rat locals of Joshua Tree while crafting Eleganza's collection of drifter-esque indie rock songs.

Blonde Summer teamed up with Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart, Admiral Radley) at The Ship studio to create the "indie rock bliss" that would become Eleganza. The 5-song EP kicks off with the dance worthy "Cathode Ray," which immediately sets the tone of this promising debut. Chris Pope's vocals on "Scared You'll Get Hurt" float as if they've got wings and the musicianship of "Blonde" is reminiscent of 90s indie rock pioneers, The Pixies.

Catch Blonde Summer performing at Kenny's Castaways during this year's CMJ Music Marathon in New York City.
Blonde Summer is...
Chris Pope – vocals, guitar
Matt Reid – guitar
Chris Livingstone – bass
Stephen Kurshner – drums - Nerdy Frames

Blonde Summer is filling me up with all kinds of nostalgia with their debut Eleganza EP. It’s got that early 00’s pop-punk vibe to it, with just the right amount of indie-rock flare thrown in to balance it out. And the style and vibes of this album almost has sort of a Matt Pond PA thing going on at certain points, which takes me back to a much more simpler and innocent time in my life. Good times all around. I have a feeling that these guys put on a great show, so check them out if they ever come your way. Swing by their Myspace page for tour dates.
- Newdust

It’s like a transmission from heaven. All these feel good tracks make you want to swoon or get your surf board. Summer never ends in Blonde Summer’s world. All the good vibes and the energy you expect from a sunny side laid back West Coast can be found in this 5-track EP called Eleganza.

The album opens with a sure winner Cathode Ray . Beautiful melody, solid hooks and the often times atmospheric guitar screams for a beautiful movie or TV theme. Bouncy, infectious, this one deserves a top 40!

All the other tracks have the tight musicianship and clean production which is surprising since this album is self-produced. The guys did put a lot of effort in this EP. Please listen and spread the word. - Sphere Music

With all of the digital methods of music delivery available, reaching hands into the old MML post office box and finding a bubble-packed CD submission remains our favourite way to find new sounds. In the case of today's featured artist, a kind personal note was attached, leaving us with no choice but to listen in the car on our way home. Regardless of seasonal disconnect between the band name and chilled winds blowing autumn colours all around our auto-audio experience, it's a good thing we took a moment for listening. Blonde Summer is the music project of Los Angeles, California songwriter Chris Pope (guitar, vocals), along with supporting musicians Matt Reid (guitar), Chris Livingstone (bass guitar) and Stephen Kurshner (drums) who have recently put together five beautiful tracks belonging to a debut EP release titled Eleganza. Each and every song could easily serve as a highlight for featuring here, but our attention quickly honed in on Blonde as a good representation of what to expect from this new collection of music. An immediate introduction of hooks and breaks trickling unexpectedly into a sound that might have you wondering if you've stumbled into the middle of a lost number from Damien Jurado's 2002 album I Break Chairs. Excellent song from a solid EP worth paying close attention to. The next chance to see them live happens in Los Angeles on Friday, October 29, as Blonde Summer performs at local Highland Park venue, Mr. T's Bowl. - Milk Milk Lemonade

Blonde Summer has a sound you’d expect from a Los Angeles-based band, but with a subtle dark East Coast feel. It’s a sound that brings me back a decade, but pushes that musical style further into the future. When I listened to these guys, I was surprised that they’re self-managing. Their recorded tracks are very high quality, and have a sense of refinement. Hoboken Lifestyle Magazine says, they’ve ”…created “indie rock bliss.” I couldn’t agree with this statement more. They’re breaking the trend of current indie bands, and expressing their musical talent shamelessly. While they seem to be heavily focused on the West Coast, hopefully they’ll find a reason to come out East. - Gigmaven