Abbot Kinney

Much like their Venice, CA street namesake, Abbot Kinney is a difficult band to pin down and categorize. On the band's self-titled debut, their sound flirts with chillwave, grunge, Britpop, piano-rock, and everything in between. Through all ten tracks, the perspective remains, but the landscape constantly shifts, surprising the listener at more than one turn. Lyrically, frontman Jared Swanson touches on the odd vulnerability of early Rivers Cuomo, but sings with an angst that stokes Pulp-era Jarvis Cocker. It's a band without a movement or a deliberate aesthetic, but more importantly, a band you need to hear for yourself.