I found Agony Aunts from David Bash’s gigantic end of the year list and it was certainly a mighty good find. Agony Aunts is a new pop group from Bay Area, but this isn’t the first time these people are making awesome pop music. Members of the band have previously played in such fine pop outfits as The Corner Laughers, Preoccupied Pipers, The Orange Peels etc.
Agony Aunts debut Greater Miranda is a delightful pop album. Psych pop meets California pop in perfect manner. Beautifully arranged, 60’s influenced pop songs and a whole lot of great singing. I totally adore the male-female harmonies. I just love that male voice. KC Bowman sure can sing, but I suppose it’s easy if you have a voice that is lovelier than the baby panda sneezes video on youtube. I bet lines like “We’re shaken and shocked / Finding your broken and bleeding and bloated remains / I’m waiting to talk, waiting for Amity Police to be cordoning the scene” have never sounded more beautiful. Night Circling Sharks, Reap The Plains Down and Linus’s Fist Of Death is a perfect song trio in the middle of the album. The Linus in the song title probably doesn’t have anything to do with Linus Of Hollywood, but this album actually reminds me of those early Linus Of Hollywood albums here and there. The same California pop influences I suppose. Greater Miranda is a great pop album.
Listen to Night Circling Sharks
[audio:http://onechord.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/agony-aunts-greater-miranda-04-night-circling-sharks.mp3]