For Real Estate’s Martin Courtney, returning to his native New Jersey  last summer after graduating from college may have been a regressive move, but it also turned out to be a productive one.

“I almost exclusively hang out with people from high school these days,” the singer and guitarist says, echoing that common post-collegiate experience of hometown dive bars and procrastinated job searches.

But Courtney also spent last summer writing songs and jamming in his parents’ basement with guitarist Matt Mondanile, bassist Alex Bleeker, and drummer Etienne Duguay, laying the groundwork for what is, little more than a year later, one of 2009’s most promising new indie-pop acts in a year replete with lo-fi fast-burners. Six months after its first gig, Real Estate—which plays at the Rock & Roll Hotel tonight with Japandroids and Neon Indian—was generating buzz at the South by Southwest festival in Austin and tickling the blogosphere with woozy, summery singles. Now, the band is about to release its self-titled debut on Woodsist Records.

Read More “Off the Beach: Real Estate @ Rock & Roll Hotel” »

Bloc Party: “One More Chance”
No, you did not just get Rick-rolled; this is it, the new Bloc Party single. “One More Chance” is a song for the club, but not the arms folded, tight jeans, indie-rock club to which the band previously belonged. No, this is club with a capital “C.” Front man Kele Okereke croons, the drums bang, and the pianos glisten like beads of sweat on Right Said Fred’s manly decolletage.

Polvo: “Beggars Bowl”
In 1997 Polvo were slackers. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina band’s records were charmingly sloppy and haphazard. But “Beggars Bowl, the groups first new material since reuniting last year, suggest that Polvo has gotten a little more professional in its approach to music making. There are thundering power chords, technical grooves, and if you were to only listen to the song’s first 30 second, you might swear you were listening to metal-FM. That said, Polvo doesn’t sound too bad shredding in earnest.

B.o.B: “My Sweet Baby”
B.o.B swipes some samples from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack–from “Love is Strange,” to be specific–but don’t be fooled, this is not a sensual romp with Patrick Swayze. Rather, it’s more like being belted with a radio station call sign for three minutes.

Real Estate: “Green River”
As far as music goes, New Jersey’s central export is blue-collar mythology. Which might put Real Estate, who hail from the Garden State, in some danger. From the sound of “Green River,” with it’s gentle melodies and sweetly chiming guitars, the band might not even be able to take The Four Seasons in a fight. Maybe Real Estate needs to relocate to a state that won’t squash its sweet but naive vibes.

D.C.’s newest label—Underwater Peoples—has just made available for download the soundtrack of your spring. The compilation provides the perfect sounds—tropical or otherwise—for Sunday walks in Rock Creek Park or the drive out to Ocean City. Tracklist includes the perfect amount of wistful ambience from Real Estate and Ducktails. You can download it all for free. My favorite track so far is Family Portrait’s  lo-fi pop. It’s killer stuff and gives Wham City a run for its money (too bad all the above mentioned bands aren’t from the District).

(Via Gorilla vs. Bear)