RELIGIOUS PORTRAIT

I've been swoonin' over Religious Girls all afternoon. I checked out their self-released 4-track EP (with hand-sewn packaging) over at Pukekos and it's not what I expected a.k.a. no detectable girls in the mix. However, the band produces some instrumental work-outs which seemingly have no place or time - battering percussion strength, spacey electronic scales and communal choruses of "oh"s and "ah"s, all under a decidedly warped mindset where urgency is present but not apparent. Each song sounds primal while at the same time futuristic, like if Dan Deacon performed for the monkeys from 2001: A Space Odyssey. They'll be coming around to Boston July 13 on their upcoming tour.

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I've also been digging Family Portrait hard. Their track "Mega Secrets" can be found on the Underwater Peoples Summer Showcase comp. Little information as of now, but the singin's got soul, the guitar's got gold and the songs is fresh. Click the Myspace link to hear a couple more songs.