Play. Listen. Repeat.

I know one of these EPs has gotten plenty of blog attention, and the other has already been mentioned by some awesome bloggers I read often... but I want to explicitly recommend the current EPs by Illinois and Warm in the Wake. I have been listening to one or the other on an almost daily basis, primarily because they've been in my car and I've not yet tired of either.


Pennsylvania's Illinois is another band on the great Ace Fu label, along with Man Man, Annuals, and Devotchka (um, hell yes). Idolator declared them the "biggest band in the world" last week, and I can understand why their EP has been so widely embraced. Though only seven tracks long, the release ranges nicely from noisy indie pop to something resembling the avant-pop of Eels or Flaming Lips. Good stuff.

Illinois - Screendoor
Illinois - Alone Again

Their What the Hell Do I Know? EP is available online. Tour dates are on Myspace.


Warm in the Wake is from closer to C&T headquarters. In fact, for all I know these guys could live in my zip code. They hail from Decatur, Georgia, the same city and state where I currently sit in my apartment watching The Situation Room. Their sound is within the pop-folk realm, with Americana elements. If pushed to make a comparison, I'd say they remind me of The Thrills. Hard to believe they're local and I'd heard so little about them before picking up their EP at Wuxtry.

Warm in the Wake - Tame Thoughts
Warm in the Wake - Golden Inhibition Destroyer

Their EP, Gold Dust Trail, is available from Livewire Recordings. See their Myspace for tour dates, including three upcoming appearances in Atlanta.