There are two kinds of bands: the ones that write all kinds of songs, some great, some good, some not so much. Think the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac. And then there are the bands that write the same song over and over again, but we are willing to overlook that fact because it’s a great song. Think the Ramones or the Jesus and Mary Chain or Metallica. Best Coast, the blog-famous Cali fuzz-pop duo fronted by indie-rock It Girl Bethany Cosentino, fits into the latter category. I’m not the first one to point this out, which may help to explain why they’ve been mixing it up a bit, breaking out of the Phil-Spector-by-way-of-the-Vaselines template that circumscribed their debut, 2010’s Crazy For You, and early singles. Her second album, 2012’s Jon Brion-produced The Only Way, traded the charming lo-fi opacity of her debut for a more vivid, hi-def sound. The newish California Nights, released in May of 2015, restores the patina of fuzz and those conch-shell-to-the-ear washes of white noise that give her candied vocals a pleasingly saw-toothed edge. As such the basic premise of Best Coast — two-minute doses of eternal sunshine for spotless minds — remains blessedly intact.
With her vintage sundresses, cheap sunglasses and long chestnut locks, Cosentino looks, from a distance, like a less-airbrushed Lana Del Rey and sings like the Go-Gos, circa “Our Lips Are Sealed,” backed in concert by a three-piece that includes her long-time musical foil, guitarist Bobb Bruno, a bespectacled, over-inflated inner tube of a man. The good news for you, dear reader, is that we have a pair of tix to see Best Coast and Wavves at the Electric Factory on Wednesday to give away. To qualify to win, you need to A) sign up for our mailing list by entering your email address in the window below our masthead and the words SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST. Trust us, you want to be on the mailing list, where you will get early warnings about must-read postings and groovy ticket giveaways like this one. Plus, we will never share your email address with anyone under any circumstances. B) follow us on Twitter and C) send us an email at Phawker66@gmail.com telling us you have done so or already do. Put the magic words GOING COASTAL in the subject line. Include your name and mobile number for confirmation. Good luck and godspeed!
BEST COAST + WAVVES PLAY THE ELECTRIC FACTORY ON WED. FEB. 17TH