New Artist: Built By Snow

This latest post has been, in part, inspired by the winter wonderland that is my home for the holidays, though pop-rockers Built By Snow actually seem to have little to do with their namesake. The quartet hail from Austin, Texas and their upcoming debut album, MEGA, is a sunny explosion of pop melodies which the band describe as "[hitting] your brain like an Atari blasting out of a bazooka." That may or may not sound appealing, but the group's infectious mix of keyboards, eager vocals, and nerd-tastic lyrics is uber-catchy and extremely fun.

MEGA's brief 21 minutes has some great moments, like the quirky, clap-happy "All the Weird Kids Know" and the spastic "Invaders," which really does have that Atari/bazooka feel going on. Goofy, energetic, and brimming with melody, Built By Snow have a good thing started here, and when singer JP (no last names) implores "Let's take on gravity, put rockets on our feet," you'll feel inclined to join the party.

The album drops on January 20, but Built By Snow have put up FOUR tracks online free to download, including the aforementioned highlights. Check out www.builtbysnow.com/rad/ to get a hold of those and for more info on the band.