The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have long set the benchmark for big-hearted, idealistic pop songs. On their forthcoming self-released LP, they push beyond their many inspirations and embrace their role as indie-pop heroes in their own right. Showcasing the deft, poetic songwriting of front-man Kip Berman, The Pains’ fourth album is their most confident and accomplished. After three critically-acclaimed records, 2009’s The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, 2011’s Belong and 2014’s Days of Abandon received praise from The New York Times, Pitchfork, The Guardian and Rolling Stone, they have put together a collection of songs that possess a timeless grandeur, deeper and more satisfying than anything the band has done since their now iconic debut.

From their earliest days of C86-worship to Alternative Nation-sized anthems to a matured, “Simple and Sure” pop refinement, the new music is what Berman describes as sounding “heavy and hopeful, like love.It’s an album that reflects the band’s most joyous moments while maintaining Berman’s candid and critical lyricism, free of the self-abasing insecurity of youth. “The album is loving. The music is heavier, more expansive,” he says. “To me, songs about love shouldn’t be thought of as light. Love is big - sometimes it’s emphatic, overwhelming or simple -other times it’s tense, anxious or just exhausting. But at its best, it makes you want to be something better.”

In their decade long career, Berman has stood at the center of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and with a changing lineup, it’s become more apparent. “On [the last album] Days of Abandon, I was on my own. There was no one in the room making decisions with me. It felt strange experiencing that isolation while trying to make sense of it through writing,” Berman admits. That album was about loss, and I think it conveyed that feeling well – but I’m glad to move on from that place. On this new collection of songs he’s learned to take full agency of something he’s always owned. “With this record, I’ve made peace with the fact I am Pains. It’s always been my band, but I haven’t been super comfortable saying that, partly because I’ve enjoyed working with so many talented friends, and also because the songs I wrote seemed to mean more than anything my actual life could live up to.

Berman enlisted the help of Days of Abandon producer Andy Savours (My Bloody Valentine, The Killers) to help him record a Pains record like none-other. “The logistics of it were so different. When I recorded the record, my wife was six months pregnant. We only had a limited amount of time. There was an absolute uncertainty hanging over our heads, but it was also a kind of escape from worry for that time.” He explains. “What’s going to happen when I have a kid? Am I going to be able to go on tour? Is this the last record I’m going to get to make? It’s not a bad thing to be worried when you’re expecting this huge transition of life. If you didn’t feel scared, you’re probably not feeling the right emotion. I tried to make the best record I could, knowing it might be the last time.” The Pains and their new album navigate and call attention to variability and safety without unraveling. Berman is no stranger to fragility; here, it’s structured with warmth, the kind found after life-altering moments.

The music is augmented by guest vocals from previous Pains collaborators: Jen Goma on vocals (A Sunny Day in Glasgow), bass guitar by Jacob Danish Sloan (Dream Diary), and horns by Kelly Pratt (Beirut, David Byrne, St. Vincent). The Pains of Being Pure at Heart live band consists of long-time guitarist Christoph Hochheim (Ablebody, ex-Depreciation Guild), drummer Chris Schackerman (ex-Mercury Girls, ex-Literature) and vocalist/keyboardist Jess Rojas.

The Courtneys drift back to the sound of the early '90s, drawing from strong influences including Teenage Fanclub, Pavement, Eddy Current Suppression Ring, and The Clean. Courtney Loove's dreamy guitar riffs add a timeless powerpop element to the punk backbone formed by Sydney Koke's driving basslines, while drummer/lead singer Jen Twynn Payne delivers heartfelt lyrics with a powerful vocal style. These components come together through a passionate collaborative songwriting process to deliver a special blend of fuzzy "artisanal grunge". The first eponymous Courtneys album came out in 2013 on small independent label, Hockey Dad Records, based in the band's hometown of Vancouver, BC, Canada. They have since worked with a number of independent labels including Conquest of Noise in Australia and Waterslide Records in Japan, as well as Burger Records and Gnar tapes in the USA. They have released a number of singles and music videos, and toured throughout Canada and the USA, including spots supporting Tegan and Sara and Mac Demarco. In 2015 The Courtneys made their way to Australia and New Zealand, where they were hosted by Flying Nun Records. Influenced by the legendary label from early on, the group are honored to now be able to call it their home."

So The Prids didn't form their band last year when they met in college, or 6 months ago when they met at a show, and this isn't their debut release. It's extremely fair to say The Prids have been around the block a few times.

To keep it short and sweet : David Frederickson (guitars, vocals) and Mistina La Fave (bass, vocals) started their band together over a decade ago in rural Missouri. They released a slew of 7"s,eps, and full lengths. They relocated to several cities before landing in beautiful Portland, OR where they now reside. Also of not is the fact that the two fell in love, were married, were divorced, and yet the band continued on. Maile Arruda (keys) and Lee Zeman (drums) round out The Prids sound.

'Chronosynclastic' is the culmination of the Prids life experiences, song writing, playing, and recording. The result is a stunning collection of down right lovable, off kilter, pop songs. Melancholy in feeling, but moving fast enough to appear happy on the surface. The soaring melodies, and the dual boy / girl vocals is the band's foundation. Then you add in David's perfect guitar hooks (remiiniscent of some of Joey Santiago's famous early Pixies guitar lines), heartfelt lyrics, and the pulsing rhythm section and you come out with songs that you want to hear over and over again. David explains the theme of the record to be "About the passing of time, the perception of time, and the marks that are left on our lives".

They site such bands as The Smiths, Unrest, Jesus and Mary Chain, Built to Spill (by the way Doug Marstch of Built to Spill is a fan of the band too, and plays some of his guitar magic on Chronosynclastic), Wire,and Sonic Youth as being influences. While some of their influences can be heard, mostly they just sound like The Prids !

We hope you enjoy the new record as much as we do, and by all means go see them at a show and say hi. (they are really nice ! )