Lylas

Back in February, I stopped in at Grimey's in Nashville and asked about local music I would enjoy. Along with Heypenny, How I Became the Bomb, and others, it was suggested that I check out the then-forthcoming album by Lylas when it became available. I picked up their older EP at the time, and since the release of their current album, Lessons for Lovers, I have had it in regular rotation. I have conversed with Lylas guitarist Luke a couple times at Grimey's, but still haven't seen the band live. It appears that will be changing soon, as they have recently scheduled a free in-store at Atlanta's Criminal Records on July 23.

Lylas is a Nashville-based quartet fronted by singer/guitarist Kyle Hamlett along with Josh Hamlett (bass), Luke Schneider (guitar, pedal steel), and Brice Blair (drums). Their sound may generally be placed in the indie pop/folk vein. If pressed to compare them to more established contemporary acts, I suppose that Belle and Sebastian or Clem Snide (each is cited as an influence on their MySpace page, incidentally) might provide a hint of their sound. The focus seems to be on the songs rather than quirky instruments or big hooks; it is apparent that each track was assembled with care and deliberation. The sometimes bare sound of the songs grabs the listener in a manner largely foreign to FM radio, other than perhaps the far left end of the dial. Here are a couple tracks from the album for your listening pleasure:

Lylas - His Master's Merriment
Lylas - Tiny Echoes

You can order Lessons for Lovers from Amazon. For tour dates and more info, see their MySpace or official site.

They (along with Modern Skirts, Iron Hero, and Now It's Overhead) will also be playing the 40 Watt in Athens as part of the Team Clermont "prom" event on August 3. I hear they may also be playing with The Selmanaires sometime in the near future. If that happens, you can bet you'll see it mentioned here...