Pretendo s/t CD Country Club
Pretendo is a band from NYC. Their first show was a big'n: They played North Six last fall with Hot Snakes. 'Course, it helps when your friends with John Reis and Rick Froberg. See, Pretendo, which has members of current NYC bands The DaoSon For and Morricone Youth, are also ex-members of Creedle, aMiniature, Rust, etc., which happen to be bands from San Diego, Hot Snakes' lair. Pretendo's drummer once banged skins for Skeleton Key and Enon. They've independently-released their debut on their Country Club vanity imprint, and 54º40' or Fight! has signed on to distributed it world-wide. They'll be touring this spring, summer and fall.

Pretendo's music, to make some fun comparisons, is along the lines of Pitchblende without the paranoia, a more muscular Unrest, Superchunk weaned from power chords, a younger (if only slightly - ahem) Mission of Burma, etc.

What I really enjoy about this record is how fun it is. And by fun, I don't mean "joke rock." That's good for about one listen (at least while sober). This is serious fun. It's classic indie rock with a strong sense of melody, great hooks, and all rendered in the delightfully bent way that only Devon E. Levins and John Castro can bring it. The guitars ring with vibrant urgency, and although they can get frenetic and down with the math, Levin’s hyper strumming is more Unrest than King Crimson The rhythm section is appropriately robust and adroit.

RIYL: Unrest, Mission of Burma, Superchunk, Pitchblende, Superchun