Download Celestial Shore's "Valerie"

 
photo by Danny Krug

Before becoming a house band of sorts within Brooklyn's underground pop community, the dudes in Celestial Shore spent a few years living in Boston, playing jazz at Berklee and living in a big freezing warehouse in Allston. In technical terms, the members of this band are all brilliantly talented musicians, and they have the experimental art-first mindset to match it. "Valerie" starts out as a sun-tinged pop classic, with Greg Albert's vocals higher in the mix than on previous recordings, and steady drums, slow-picked angular guitar riffs, back-up vox floating along. (You might remember our Q&A with Lorely Rodriguez a/k/a Empress Of back in October; she sings on this track, too.) But like many of their other deconstructive-pop tracks, by the end, their explosive guitars and avant-noise sensibilities take over. It makes sense entirely that Deerhoof drummer Greg Saunier mixed the track.

So far in their short couple of years as a band, they've released a 4-song EP California Eden, the Place Aux Dames 7-inch issued by Double Denim Records, and an excellent split tape with Shopping Spree released by Prison Art. (Probably my most-played tape of the past three months.) "Valerie" is the first single from a forthcoming release titled 10X, out April 23rd on Local Singles, a label run by Brad Oberhofer. You'll have to enter your email below to download the track but it is 110% worth it. Stream the Celestial Shore/Shopping Spress split tape below as well.