Murder Beach, The Eames Era, The Californias, and tiny little seahorses

If any other Atlantans are looking for a fun indie-pop/twee showcase this week, you're in luck. Thursday night (2/16) at The EARL ($7, 21+, doors 9:30pm) is a lineup featuring Murder Beach, The Eames Era, and The Californias. It'll be like you're surrounded by tiny little seahorses. Here's the 411:
Murder Beach is a five-piece from Athens billed as the pioneers of Vacationcore. I'm not exactly certain what that means, but it sounds cool. Generally, they're a fun pop band whose sound seems to range from cute twee to hook-laden rock. They utilize both male and female vocalists and aren't shy about being fun and snuggly. Checka-check it out:

Murder Beach - The Cheat
Murder Beach -Sympatico
Murder Beach - 2224

More Murder Beach audio for download here.

The Eames Era, also a five-piece band, is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ashlin Phillips handles lead vocals with a voice both sweet and strong. Their tunes are essentially bouncy indie pop of the toe-tapping, head-nodding sort. Recommended for folks who like Mates of State or Jenny Lewis in her lighter moments. Additional tracks for download on their MySpace.

The Eames Era - Year of the Waitress
The Eames Era - A Scandal in Bohemia

The Californias are playing in town at an opportune time, right after I complained about the lack of 'California pop' in these parts. They're a quintet from the Atlanta area and have received a good deal of praise in local rags for their hooks and sunny melodies. Influenced by the Beach Boys, they've also drawn comparisons to The Wrens, Elvis Costello, and Jellyfish. I don't know much about them, but they sound interesting. You can check out more streaming songs here.

The Californias - Breaking My Heart

Also, a message from the fine people at Happy Happy Birthday To Me regarding the 2006 Athens Popfest (I am not affiliated, so don't write me about it). Might be of interest to the folks in bands out there, particularly in the ATL/ATH area:

ATHENS POPFEST - we are taking submissions to play the POPFEST now. send demo cds to POPFEST HHBTM attn: Mike Turner P.O.Box 742, Athens, GA 30603. I have 3 slots for bands that will be picked from submission CDs/ CDRs. NO MP3's please, send a package, write a letter, if you feel like getting creative then decorate the envelope. I love getting mail even after 11 years of doing the Bee's Knees. It's still fun getting packages in.The 3 bands that make it will be announced in March/April. the cut off is March 15th for submissions.

You can visit Happy Happy Birthday To Me online here. Popfest is in early-to-mid August.