How can I tell you what 764-Hero sound like? Other bands sound like them.

764-Hero set the gold standard for Pacific Northwest guitar-driven melodic indie-rock. Today's performance: exemplary — I would expect nothing less. It's like the sunshine came out after a cloudy early afternoon, just to accentuate their technically flawless performance.

I LOVE the new album and consider it one of the best so far this year...

And John is such a nice guy. At the Le Savy Fav show a few months ago, I blathered on and on to him about how much I enjoyed his performance with the Magic Magicians the night before. Mind you, I'd never spoken to him before in my life, and I was just a wee bit inebriated. He was gracious and even appreciative of my sodden compliments. Okay, I'm babbling now — again. See what it must have been like to be on John's end?

These guys are great, technically speaking... but for some reason, they don't tug any heartstrings for me. I respect them trememdously, I enjoy listening live every time I hear them, but I just don't adore them. Is that okay?

I hope it's okay.