Much has been said about Alan Palomo. Since rising from obscurity to bandblog sensation, his group, Neon Indian has become one of the de facto emissaries/new bands for a movement popularly known as “chillwave”—I’m guessing you’re familiar. To be sure, there are plenty of bands out there that draw parallels to Neon Indian, with woozy electronic sounds that melt through vintage synthesizers and echoing vocals taking the form of aural acid hits. What sets Neon Indian apart, however, isn’t the perpetuation of stereotypes, but the quality of their music.  Of all the bands that get lumped into this cringeworthy subgenre descriptor, Neon Indian are one of the very best.

Originally from Denton, Texas, Palomo first broke into the scene with his debut album, Psychic Chasms, released in 2009 on Lefse Records. Propelled by singles “Deadbeat Summer” and “Should Have Taken Acid With You”, he was soon championed by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork and Spin, as one of the best new artists, earning spots opening for Massive Attack, Phoenix, The Flaming Lips and Chromeo, among others.

For his full-length sophomore album and most recent effort, Palomo secluded himself in an apartment in Helsinki, Finland during the winter of 2010. The result was Era Extraña, released on Palomo’s Static Tongues imprint the following year. Foregoing the sample-heavy sound of Chasms, Extraña more defines itself with electric guitar. Parts that would have normally been supported by a collection of synthesizer tones are now steeped in shoegaze’s murky guitar fuzz. This isn’t to say that Palomo’s unearthed synth effects didn’t play an integral role in the record;  “Polish Girl” pops with beeping electronic sequences, while “Arcade Blues” pays homage to 8-bit video game sounds, backed by classic drum machine beats.

Palomo and his three-strong touring band play Weekend 1: Friday, April 13^th and Weekend 2: Friday April 20^th at this year’s Coachella Festival.  Check below for the group’s post-Coachella show dates:

 

Apr 22             Mammoth Mountain, Hyde Lounge              Mammoth Lakes, CA

Apr 24             The Fillmore                        San Francisco, CA

Apr 26             Doug Fir Lounge                  Portland, OR

Apr 27             Neumos                                 Seattle, WA

Apr 28             Venue                                     Vancouver, Canada

Apr 30             Starlite Ballroom                   Edmonton, Canada

May 01            Republik                                Calgary, Canada

May 03            Pyramid Cabaret                    Winnipeg, Canada

May 04            First Avenue                           Minneapolis, MN

May 05            Majestic Theatre                    Madison, WI

May 06            Magic Stick                            Detroit, MI

May 08            Phoenix Concert Theatre       Toronto, Canada

May 10            Cabaret Mile End                  Montreal, Canada

May 11            Paradise Rock Club               Boston, MA

May 12            Terminal 5                              New York, NY

May 23            Mascotte                                 Zurich, Switzerland

May 24            Hinterhof                                 Basel, Switzerland

May 25            Summer Student Festival         Padova, Italy

May 26            Velvet                                       Rimini, Italy

May 28            Circulo Degli Artisti                Rome, Italy

May 29            Astoria (Basement)                  Turin, Italy

May 30            Sallumeria Della Musica        Milan, Italy

Jun 01             Burn Selector Festival            Krakow, Poland

Jun 02             Primavera Sound                   Barcelona, Spain