It’s not often that a band’s moniker accurately describes the music they create, but multi-instrumentalists Bennett Kane and Jamison Murphy, a.k.a. Pop Weirdos, have nailed it.
While some measure of recognition and acclaim have only recently come to fruition, the duo have been putting out a steady stream of music since the beginning of 2015. In February, they released their debut single, “Allentown,” to their Bandcamp page, with the five-song Afternoons EP following five months later in June. The latter was littered with kazoos, cellos, whistling and “ba-ba” harmonies, establishing the groundwork for the group’s vintage, weirdo pop sound.
The duo’s new Alcudia single, however, seems to be on an entirely different level.
Recorded at the Tone Loft by Kane and mastered by Luciano Giarrano at the Cottage, the title track could easily fit in any Wes Anderson film; it’s swaying, infectious vibe oozes from your speakers while Kane’s vocals act as a siren’s call. Meanwhile, the second offering, “Mid Life,” fits right into the wheelhouse of the band’s goal to replicate the ambitiousness that came with The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds or Grizzly Bear’s Veckatimist: offbeat handclaps, combined with an acoustic guitar, are a perfect canvas for a gang vocal melody that could fit in any ’70s radio rotation.
After establishing themselves throughout 2015, it looks like 2016 might be the year that Pop Weirdos put their off-kilter sound in unfamiliar ears and win them over.
More Info
Bandcamp: popweirdos.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @Pop-Weirdos-695096333944782