Next Big Thing: Local Natives

I know it's kind of lazy to compare new bands to every other band out there, but it works for me. If someone tells me about a new band, my response is always "who do they sound like?". Really it just gives me a way to know if I would even be interested in the first place....if someone tells me "oh, they sound like The Killers meets Owl City", I know instantly that I'm going to hate that band and don't need to waste me time.

That being said it's hard to talk about LA band Local Natives without naming a ton of bands that they sound like. When I listen to their full-length debut, Gorilla Manor (currently out in the UK, US release slated for 2/16/10), I hear bits and pieces of Cold War Kids, Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes and even Yeasayer. That certainly doesn't mean that Local Natives are unoriginal, in fact, it's the exact opposite. Throughout the album I hear shades of the above mentioned bands but never feel like Local Natives are riding coattails or biting someones sound.

To be honest, I can't get enough of the album. It's full of pop gems but there is some much lush instrumentation behind it that it doesn't get boring. If this band doesn't absolutely blow up in 2010 I will be extremely surprised. Especially when marginal bands like Vampire Weekend are all the rage now. Mark my words: 2010 will be the year of Local Natives.

Local Natives Myspace


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