Tuesday, 11 June 2013

STRFKR - Beach Monster

Single review by kev@thesoundofconfusion.co.uk


I'm sure that last time I heard anything by STRFKR they had vowels in their name and were more electronic sounding. Still, I suppose making themselves a bit more universally print friendly can only be a good thing when trying to gain a touch more promotion. The Portland band released their third album 'Miracle Mile' in March and have offered up this summery pop track to, well, get us in the mood for summer. It's definitely doing the trick too, plus it's interesting to see them in fancy retro attire in the video, one where the environment is so hot that things seem to just spontaneously combust. Not that people seem particularly fussed about this.

For 'Beach Monster', STRFKR are in proper band format and have come up with an indie/pop type number that owes a debt to '60s sun-chasers like The Beach Boys and also more modern guitar bands. They make use of some bigger beats an just a slim coating of electronic sound to keep them up to date, although the overall impression is still that of vintage pop. It's possibly the most mellow and polite we've seen them, but they suit this style well, and this style suits its directive, and that was to be a sunny, catchy, radio-friendly pop number. So it's job done on this one.





STRFKR's website

Stream or buy the album

Catch them live:

Jun 11 Knitting Factory Concert House, Reno, NV
Jun 12 Fulton 55, Fresno, CA Tickets
Jun 13 Beauty Bar, Las Vegas, NV
Jul 06 ELLCUBE, Tomakomai, Japan
Jul 07 Sound Crue, Sapporo, Japan
Jul 08 Birdland Sendai, Japan
Jul 09 Sound A Base Nest, Utsunomiya Shi, Japan
Jul 10 Shibuya O-Nest, Tokyo, Japan
Jul 11 K.D. Japon, Nagoya, Japan
Jul 12 HELLUVA LOUNGE, Kobe, Japan
Jul 13 SPACE O92 B1F - BANQUET, Hiroshima, Japan  
Jul 14 Utero, Fukuoka, Japan
Jul 15 Chika Ikkai, Osaka, Japan
Jul 16 Shibuya O-Nest, Tokyo, Japan
Jul 25 Fortune Sound Club, Vancouver, Canada
Jul 26 Capitol Hill Block Party Seattle, WA
Aug 09 Summer Set Music & Camping Festival, Somerset, WI
Aug 10 Summer Set Music & Camping Festival, Somerset, WI
Aug 11 Summer Set Music & Camping Festival, Somerset, WI
Aug 24 FYF Fest, Los Angeles, CA
Sep 03 Altar, Pittsburgh, PA
Sep 04 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Sep 06 Union Transfer, Philadelphia, PA
Sep 07 Terminal 5, New York, NY
Sep 08 Toad's Place New Haven, CT
Sep 09 Royale Nightclub Boston, MA
Sep 10 Port City Music Hall, Portland, ME
Sep 12 Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT
Sep 13 Corona Theatre, Montreal, Canada
Sep 14 Opera House, Toronto, Canada
Sep 15 Crofoot Ballroom Pontiac, MI
Sep 17 Metro, Chicago, IL
Sep 18 The Bluebird, Bloomington, IN
Sep 19 Off Broadway, St Louis, MO
Sep 20 Exit In, Nashville, TN Tickets
Sep 21 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA
Sep 22 Music Farm, Charleston, SC
Sep 24 Grand Central, Miami, FL
Sep 25 The Social, Orlando, FL
Sep 26 Jack Rabbits, Jacksonville, FL  
Sep 27 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
Sep 28 Jefferson Theater, Charlottesville, VA
Oct 11 Emo's, Austin, TX  
Oct 12 Trees, Dallas, TX
Oct 14 Gothic Theater, Denver, CO  
Oct 16 Knitting Factory Concert House, Boise, ID
Oct 17 Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR  
Oct 18 Wow Hall, Eugene, OR
Oct 19 Treasure Island Music Festival, San Francisco, CA
Oct 20 Treasure Island Music Festival, San Francisco, CA





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