November 27 — “1999” by Western Affairs

Western Affairs

If you only listen to one song today, make it “1999” by Western Affairs (2012, from the EP 2000).

Western Affairs is an experimental indie-pop trio from the Washington DC area. They self-released their debut EP 2000 back in the summer of this year. As I was trying to organize my list of releases from 2012, I remembered that these guys sent me a copy of that EP way back in May. I liked it, and I should have written about it right away. I don’t want to make excuses, but I was going through a job transition at the time, and for a week or so, I was working both jobs full-time. A lot of stuff got pushed aside to deal with later. I didn’t mean to do it, but this is one of the things that got pushed to the side.

The trio was formed by Alex Lee (vocals, organ), and he added Davis Connors (guitar, synths, vocals) and Andrew Monborne (drums) to the mix. Back in the spring, they got the chance to use a recording studio in the Audio Technology department at American University. The result of those sessions is the 2000 EP.

This whole EP is really good, and today’s song might only be my second favorite on the six-song EP.

“1999” by Western Affairs

What you’ll probably notice right away is that they sound a bit like The Postal Service. There’s enough synths, enough live instruments, and Alex Lee’s voice is enough like Ben Gibbard’s that it’s an easy comparison to make. Honestly, though, I like this more.

I really like the ton of flange or delay or whatever effect that is on the guitar and organ. It’s reminiscent of Ride’s “Polar Bear”. Anytime someone can sound like Ride, I’m more than okay with that.

The more I’ve listened to this song today, the more I like it. I think you should grab a warm beverage, settle in and listen to this on headphones. Maybe in the dark.

You can download the entire EP for the ridiculously low price of $2 USD from their bandcamp page here. Do it.

This one came from the mailbag. If you are a band, or if you work for a label or a promotions firm, I’ll encourage you to send me digital or physical copies of your CDs. I’ll listen to everything, but I promise nothing else. I prefer the inclusion of an EPK, a one-sheet, or some other biographical info. Just to make it a little easier to get the basic facts straight. Click the “mail bag” tab for details on the electronic and physical mailing addresses.