Preview: Gardens & Villa - Dunes

New York – Lush is best way to describe Gardens & Villa. True to their name, these guys make music that is naturally striking, full of life and blissful to revel in. Their sound is one toxic indie-band cocktail. Start with all the crooning of Caveman, mix in the boundless energy of Generationals and add a generous dose of Painted Palms’ West Coast spirited vibe. The result is glo-fi, psych folk, alternative magic and it is seriously good.

Formed in Santa Barbara in 2008, the group began as Guitarist Chris Lynch, keyboardist Adam Rasmussen, bassist Shane McKillop and drummer Levi Hayden. The group signed onto Secretly Canadian in 2011, joining the likes of Yeasayer, The War on Drugs, Major Lazer and Here We Go Magic. Multi-instrumentalist Dusy Ineman joined the gang not long after the writing of their first album, rounding out their live sets.

Full disclosure, this group came to life after the boys’ efforts at establishing a post-punk outfit dissolved. Lucky for us punk didn’t suit them, because in their self-titled debut was a knockout album. Recorded in Oregon, Dunes is ten tracks of keen, funk-based, psych-bop ballads. Lovable from first listen, the debut won its audience with certain force and kept its captives burning for more.

We have waited long enough. “Bullet Train” is the first cut from their forthcoming album, and it is available now. This track is 4 minutes of acutely crafted, masterpiece melody aflame. It starts with an unobstructed rhythm, and opens into hazy dream-drenched guitar rifts and charming flute chirps. Bopping along with sassy bass lines and upbeat hooks, signature falsetto vocals round out the track.

The chorus is as swanky as cruising the coastline in a convertible. With an overall air of electric-funk attitude, it is an inherently danceable track designed to get you into the groove. This is an impressive first listen, and what’s more, it reflects quite clearly the evolution of this groups sound. Their work comes through now slightly more graduated, fuller than before. This is not a departure, but an enrichment.

With only one recorded album to date, and one on deck, this band might as well have an entire arsenal. Beloved for what they have already delivered, they stand to gain much more acclaim for what’s to come. Simply put, their talent speaks for itself. If you missed their debut it is well worth your time to befriend it now, and start getting giddy for their new material.

The album in full, Dunes, is scheduled to drop via Secretly Canadian in the New Year, on February 4th. In the meantime, Gardens & Villa have a stellar coast-to-coast tour lined up for us in February and March. Get psyched for that and check out the album breakdown below, what promises to be another 10-track triumph from this gang.

Dunes: 

01 – “Domino” 

02 – “Colony Glen” 

03 – “Bullet Train” 

04 – “Chrysanthemums” 

05 – “Echosassy” 

06 – “Purple Mesas” 

07 – “Avalanche” 

08 – “Minnesota” 

09 – “Thunder Glove” 

10 – “Love Theme”

Photo by Neil Favila

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Liz Rowley

Born in Mexico and raised in Toronto, Jerusalem and Chicago by a pair of journalists, Liz comes to BestNewBands.com with an inherited love of writing. After discovering a niche for herself in music journalism and radio while at Bates College in Maine, she always keeps a running playlist of new music to soundtrack her place in the world. Liz is passionate about helping dedicated, talented musicians gain the exposure they deserve. A recent transplant to Brooklyn from Hawaii, she is plagued by an incurable case of wanderlust and cursed with an affinity for old maps and old things like typewriters and vintage books. She adores photography and running and is very good with plants. Having come of age in Chicago, Wilco speaks to her soul. If she could be anything, she would be a cat in a Murakami novel.