If I was more continental and less judgmental, maybe I'd believe

I know about Deathray thanks to Golden Shoulders. A few years ago I went to a Golden Shoulders show in Nevada City and Deathray was on the bill, too. I sat politely through many of the songs, but I slowly found myself being captivated by the music. They were winning me over. By the time they were done, I was the proud owner of their 2000 album and their 2002 EP. The band was really sweet and very excited that I bought two CDs. It had been a slow night.

Deathray is made up of many former Cake members, but they really sound nothing like their former band. Think more new wave, like The Cars but with a deep pop sensibility. Sometimes there are few too many electronic pops and fuzz for me, but overall, they have a really nice sound. Their self-titled album has several catchy songs that will get stuck in your head, like "10:15" and "Now That I am Blind." I'm not as big a fan of their EP, White Sleeves, but I'll get to that (much) later.

So here's the moral of this story. Get out there and go see some bands. Give them a chance and if you like their stuff, buy their CD at the show. It will make their night and you might actually end up with a good album or two. It's the circle of life, people.