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Their first single was the most regrettable purchase I made this year. It was like wallpaper music....so easy to sublimate, so hard to remember.
Haven't heard the LP.
Saw 'em live in San Francisco last month. They got added to a show with Eternal Tapestry, Barn Owl, and Moon Duo at The Hemlock sorta last minute. It was a couple days after Pitchforkmedia named them the best new band of 2009. This was completely unbeknownst to me, so it was quite a surprise to get to the Hemlock and find a line out the door. I was thinking...gee, did my friends in E Tap just get really popular all of a sudden??
Fortunately, I got noticed by the soundguy/co-owner of the place and brought to the front of the line. I've helped his band out in my town before, so it was a perfectly timed kharmic cash-in.
We got in there to see Real Estate. They were pleasant. A couple songs were pretty appreciable, but mostly, it was far too pleasant for my tastes. On their better songs, I was reminded of the first album by Indian Bingo, or maybe even Whatfunlifewas by Bedhead....but less melancholic than either.
A buncha these P4k-kneepads-wearers threw up the clichéd rawk hand-symbol and held bottled microbrews and PBRs to the sky like we were at a Skynyrd show. Half the room cleared out by the time Eternal Tapestry kicked into second gear. It was incredibly disrespectful and annoying. But surely Real Estate were not to blame for that!
I suppose I'll gladly book 'em a show if they ever come through Sacto. They'd be great to play with the Ganglians. High schoolers will come out on dates. It is total "girlfriend rock".
My regional bias may have a little to do with it, but I believe that the Ganglians are the class of this trend of summery/shimmery/"beachy" pop that is often attributed--albeit wrongly--to following the Wavves wagon.
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