It's been a tough past couple days as I whittle down the countdown clock to Friday night and the big Pains of Being Pure at Heart show at The Crocodile!

The tick tock on the clock started months ago when I first heard whispers from the blazingly pretty new album, Belong {listen to a full stream here}, and began fantasizing about how they are going to tear the stage up {in the nicest way possible} with fuzzy pop the next time they visit town {read Chris Estey's spot on imaginary review}.

An added bonus is that Seattle twee-phenom Seapony will be opening up. Their recent signing to Hardly Art Records only confirms my suspicion that they are poised to take over the indie-pop scene.

The show has recently sold-out {score one point for all the shy guys in the room!}, so I'm extra proud of myself for procuring tickets early.

Are you headed to the show too? What songs do you want them to include in the set?

Have other plans/suggestions for this weekend? Details please!

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I have to admit that I hate most indie pop videos. I'm pretty tired of seeing the formulaic "oh look how cute we are playing outside and playing our songs and running around" that's been in such a large percentage of indie pop videos for the last fifteen years. That being said, this brand new POBPAH video for "Say No to Love" (which features the dudes of the bands practicing while Peggy, their keyboard player, wanders around a mall aimlessly) is THE CUTEST THING I've ever seen. There's also a puppy (and some pretty killer scratch animation). Just like with their songs, they take a concept that can can easily fall to the wrong side of the twee-o-meter and make it shine sincerely.

Update: The video has been posted to youtube! Watch away!

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I had a low-key Sunday writing nearly-overdue thank-you notes (which is actually quite fun because you get to gush to your friends about how great they are), sipping copious amounts of tea, and pulling an afternoon soundtrack from the most recently acquired vinyl in the stack. Near the top of the stack was the debut album by Melbourne, Australia's Summer Cats entitled Songs for Tuesdays. It's a mighty fine album (if the fact that it's on Slumberland Records wasn't enough proof) and all, but what raised my interest most was that the record is printed on what experts describe as "multi-color splatter vinyl." Songs for Tuesdays is both mesmerizing to listen to and to watch spin round as it plays. Note: the above photo doesn't do it much justice, but that's what happens when you've got an iPhone and bad lighting. You get the *idea* that it's spectacular though, right?

Colored vinyl is magical. It's way up there with the phrase "limited edition" on the list of things that make me lose my cool (and empty my wallet). I read somewhere that, for some scientific reason, colored vinyl doesn't have as good of sound quality as the standard black issue... but whatevs. I can't deny it's power.

It got me thinking... what vinyl records rank up there as prettiest? I put 7" and 12" in the running and came up with these off the top of my head:

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Tonight is the night to get your loud as hell indie pop on with The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. Bring your 1" badges and your cardigans and prepare to dance your ass off. Doors at Neumo's are at 8pm, and they've added an all-ages balcony because everyone deserves to hear the wonderfulness that is The Pains of Being Pure At Heart.

If you still need more convincing, check out this video of POBPAH playing a giant festival in Poland. Watch them command the stage. Watch them on the big screen. Know that if you miss this show, the next time they come back the venue will be twice as big.

See you tonight!

Just a reminder, you still have time to enter to win tickets for you and a friend to see our favorite (or at least my favorite) indie pop darlings The Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Cymbals Eat Guitars and The Depreciation Guild at Neumo's tomorrow! Just e-mail us at tig@threeimaginarygirls.com with the subject line "KurtCobain'sCardigan" (all one word please!) by today at 5pm! Remember to include your full name, especially if your e-mail address is something like "Everythingwithyou@c86.co.uk". Good luck, and see you at the show! This one is not to be missed!

I certainly have not been doing a very good job keeping my crush on Brooklyn's The Pains of Being Pure At Heart a secret. I've written love letters about their love letters to perfect 80's jangle pop, and once I flew out to see them in the Midwest. But now, I finally get to see them in my hometown at Neumo's this Tuesday September 15th with Cymbals Eat Guitars and the Depreciation Guild (sadly, I was out of town all summer and had to miss the Capitol Hill Block Party). And now, you can too! E-mail us at tig@threeimaginarygirls.com for the chance to win tickets for you and a friend to see The Pains of Being Pure At Heart for free! Just put "KurtCobain'sCardigan" in the subject line, and e-mail us by Monday evening at 5pm.

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Everyone's favorite new indie pop band, the Pains of Being Pure At Heart, debuted a brand new video today for their soon to be hit single "Young Adult Friction".

A few weeks ago, they played this song on Last Call with Carson Daly and now this adorably very indie pop video for a song about a library is destined to be all over at least MTV2 (they still play videos, right?).

This video is so new that it's not even on youtube yet, so I'm going to have to link you to Pitchfork.

And, as we found out yesterday, you'll be able to catch them at the Capitol Hill Block Party! Hooray! Indie pop for all!

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I've also really been loving this song - and especially this video (shot on glorious Super 8 film) from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

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This is a fantastic weekend for indie pop in Seattle!

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