Written by Laura Hamlett Tuesday, 17 January 2006 09:51

There are bands that you love, and you look forward to their new releases, and that's OK. There are bands that you've heard of—"buzz bands," if you will—and you look forward to their CDs, as well. With each of these, there is a built-in expectation, and an assumed appreciation.

Then there are those releases you really don't know much about, discs by bands like Indianapolis' Extra Blue Kind. You've heard their name before—but that's about it. You couldn't say what type of music they played, who they were, what they were like. Then their CD arrived; you spun it, and found it pleasing—indie rock, maybe a bit derivative in spots, some standout tracks and others which sounded different, lesser than—enough to attend their show, which you enjoyed. The next day, you spun it again, wanting to refamiliarize yourself with the tracks you'd just seen live...and holy shit.

This is one damn good CD. You've now spun it more times than you can count, and each time, you find new things to love. Whereas "Out of My Hands" was your immediate favorite (and still rocks, make no mistake), you are now unbelievably addicted to sexy closing track "Sugar."

And now you want to tell everyone; that is, after all, why you started a magazine, is it not? The band's called Extra Blue Kind; the disc (their full-length debut) The Tide and the Undertow. Catch 'em on tour, and make sure you pick up this disc. It's glorious, positively shimmering.