The New Music

Need to Know: Every kid of the 80’s and 90’s grew up watching LeVar Burton’s educational television series on PBS, Reading Rainbow, but Phildelphian husband-and-wife duo Sarah Everton and Rob Garcia loved it enough to name their band after it. Forming in March 2008 after the drummer of their former band, Forensic Teens, bailed on a tour, Everton taught herself how to play the drums, spawning the birth of Reading Rainbow. With 2009’s debut LP Mystical Participation, a few singles and a split 7″ with Eternal Summers, all of which was recorded out of their basement, the pair has cultivated a brand of psychedelic garage pop that is nostalgic just like their name.

In 100 Words Or So: Reading Rainbow’s enthusiastic sophomore album Prism Eyes is conspicuous in the generic sea of lo-fi bands emerging right now. Their dreamy unison vocals and heavy distortion as a staple on each of Prism Eyes’ tracks, promotes the 60’s psychedelic pop influences, stemming from their love for Velvet Underground. While the album as a whole lacks some variety with few tracks that stand out from the rest, that doesn’t mean they aren’t all impressive. In fact, it’s difficult to even come to a conclusion on which is the best track. Instead I will leave it at a tie between “Always On My Mind”, an effervescent track with catchy keyboards and the album opener “Wasting Time”, an energetic anthem for doing nothing.

Best Track: Always On My Mind

RIYL: Dum Dum Girls, Women, Zola Jesus, Holy Shit, Ganglians, Best Coast

Rating: 7.5/10

Buy, download, steal or don’t bother: Download

Website: http://rreadingrrainbow.blogspot.com/