Posted by Jason Diamond

I feel like I heard a million people telling me that they thought the Vivian Girls were a one trick pony of drum banging, guitar slashing, reverb heavy noise pop.  I guess either I started to listen to the naysayers, or I just got burnt out by seeing them playing every other day of the week for what seemed like two years straight years.

The band is back with a new album in April, Share the Joy, and from listening to the first single, “I Heard You Say,” their sound seems to have developed quite a bit.  This song is haunting and beautiful.  Far more 60s girl group than their previous stuff.

Their new label is giving away the first single.

• Totally worth reading this Obits interview to prepare yourself for their upcoming album, Moody, Standard And Poor.

• I turned my head, and Smith Westerns are touring with Wilco.  I’m really not sure how that ended up happening, but I sorta like it.

• Two Boris albums in one day.  That is amazing.

• This week I pulled out the 1998 album by the band Knapsack, This Conversation is Ending Starting Right Now.  It’s albums like this, Braid’s Frame and Canvas, and pretty much anything The Promise Ring ever put out, that make me really want to start admonishing anybody who makes fun of mid to late 90s “emo.”  This Conversation is a masterpiece, both musically and lyrically.