Friday finds:: Dust Jacket

First off. I think Dust Jacket must own a Kinkos. After getting in touch with herohill, they hit us off with a promo pack. Instead of a simple CD jammed into a manila envelope, I had to truck to the post office as it was delivered with some serious tracking security and wouldn't have fit in my mail slot anyway. The contents of the envelope:
1) Like six full color promo photos - printed on glossy paper
2) Countless pamphlets and add ins
3) A file folder that contained the CD

I'm not sure how this marketing model can be profitable for the band, especially when the CD is a sampler platter that only has 3 fucking songs on it, but I digress because it's their cash and this site is about the music.

There were some issues loading the disc - mainly the three songs came up with multiple matches, one of which was a Debbie Gibson remix. All in all - funny stuff. So what is Dust Jacket all about? Indie pop is the short answer. Their press docket is full of working stiff, cubicle gimmicks - like an Office parody without the Fettucine Alfredo carbo-loading and Jenna Fischer - and that cerebral element trickles into the songs in a pleasant fashion.

The mini-EP opens with the slow graze of Caroline Meeber and the Bright Eyes vocals of Conan Zimmerman. The band builds the track nicely over the 4-minutes, adding big guitars and a Clarity programmed beat before ending with a foot stomp, hand clap/sing-along and this track flows nicely into A Nation of Two. This is where the band finds their stride as they settle into a nice groove - again like vintage J.E.W. - with drum flourishes and guitar swells on the chorus.

The band switches up their style on the last track, The Used Bin, focusing on more angular guitar work, a driving drum rhythm and those old skool indie rock nasally vocals. The song soars at the right moments and the minimal programmed break down sounds nice.

Overall, I wish the band saved more on packaging and sent me a few more songs, as I enjoyed what I heard and would like to see what else they could deliver. But, for a sampler, they hooked me nicely. Might be a band to watch for their upcoming release.
MP3:: Caroline Meeber
MP3:: Nation of Two