Colourmusic Tonight At Euclid Records and the Bluebird

By Annie Zaleski Tue., Sep. 9 2008 at 10:00 AM

Oklahoma is known for breeding some pretty great psych-pop/pure-pop bands (Starlight Mints and Flaming Lips), which is why it's no surprise that Colourmusic also hails from the state. The group recently released a new album called f, monday, orange, february, venus, lunatic, 1 or 13; here's how Roy Kasten described 'em in March:

What to do with a hopelessly pretentious but inarguably catchy band like Colourmusic? Though the Stillwater, Oklahoma, natives claim a bloodline to Sir Isaac Newton and a mission to make records based on the principle of synesthaesia — where hearing sound translates into seeing colors at the same time — they're just making playful, layered pop music. With the psychedelic sound-stacks of post–Soft Bulletin Flaming Lips and the über-cute collectivism of the Polyphonic Spree, Colourmusic can't quite avoid being painted as derivative, even as they dabble in all the hues on the indie dance-rock palette. Around some sweet acoustic guitar riffs nicked from the Bruce Cockburn songbook and some unison vocals nicked from the Mouseketeers, the band manages to sound brainy, bonkers and believable all at once.

The band is doing an in-store performance at Euclid Records at 6 p.m., a precursor to its CD release show at the Bluebird later that night. Here's the Colourmusic YouTube channel; below is an MP3 for you to hear/download.

MP3: Colourmusic, "Put In a Little Gas"

-- Annie Zaleski