Strays with scissors.

Though they reside in San Francisco, Scissors For Lefty are signed to Rough Trade UK. It's an odd move, but hey... it's probably a smart one. Just look what it did for The Killers. Now wait, I'm not saying that Scissors For Lefty are as uncrafty or even on the same wavelength as the above mentioned, but I remember that before the Killers blew up, they were signed with a UK label and some thought they were from the UK. They did a few UK gigs and boom... the rest is history.

Not only am I fond of their name (I'm left-handed and god knows there were never any left-handed scissors in school when I was growing up), I'm also fond of their sound and dedication to their obvious influences: Pulp, Talking Heads, Kinks, Lou Reed, Billy Idol, Beatles, and others I don't have time to list. Let's just say they take a lot of the band ingredients you love, mix them together in a large bowl, then bake you the fattiest songs you've consumed in a while. What's even better is that they're playing Tiswas 2.0 at the Annex this Saturday night, June 10th, with We Are Americana. Honestly, I've never been to the Annex because I'm frightened of it (don't ask why, there really is no good reason), but I'm willing to venture out for this show.

From Underhanded Romance:
Next To Argyle
Ghetto Ways
+ Myspace


Described as "cinematic ambient alt country" and a "blend between Sinatra, Roxy Music and Curtis Mayfield through the lens of ambient urban folk music," Nashville's Strays Don't Sleep are the kind of band you listen to when you want to get your own creative juices flowing or just to feel human and alive. I took a slow walk in the park yesterday, rain and all, listening to these tracks and thinking about everything surrounding me. I absolutely love when a song heightens my senses.

They'll be performing on Conan O'Brien on June 28th, and also playing at the Clickflicks.net Revolution Party at Canal Room on June 29th. I believe it's a free show, including a screening of Joseph Raso's short comedy "Groomed". Be sure to check out their myspace for a list of other cities they'll be hitting on this tour.

From the self-titled Strays Don't Sleep (hitting stores 6/13):
For Blue Skies
Cars and History
+ Myspace