Recommended Listening

These days, Band of Horses are my go-to band for getting people into indie rock. Both of their records are so solid, and such good signifiers of everything stereotypically "indie" (jangly guitars, loping, pop-inflected vocals, effective appropriation of another genre- in BoH's case, countrified southern rock) that they're a can't-miss proposition.

The best thing about BoH, though, is that even for someone thoroughly immersed in the last 15 years' worth of independent music, they throw in enough catchy hooks, ear-grabbing lyrical turns, and barreling rock riffs to stand out in the crowd. It's refreshing, in a way, to hear a band so thoroughly comfortable with themselves, so free of affectation or the artificial drive to be "experimental" (ps GOD I am tired of LA noise bands jesus SHUT UP about the Smell scene already).

What I am trying to say is that if you listen to Cease to Begin and do not enjoy it, I'm pretty sure there is something wrong with you. It's a great record.