Sea of Cortez
Los Angeles, CA
Ambient, Dream Pop, Electronic, Indie Pop
The Shins, Deerhoof, Brian Jonestown Massacre
Sea Of Cortez is from the never ending musical landscape that is Los Angeles, CA. Their catchy rhythms and earnest vocals make the perfect soundtrack to any activity, bringing a piece of California sunshine into each ear no matter what wintery state you live in.
The Sea of Cortez, the namesake Baja-California landmark for this band, is thought to be one of the most diverse seas on the planet, (at least according to Wikipedia) and like that sea, the sounds that this band makes are, well, diverse. Sea of Cortez songs are all over the place, rushing – or slowly growing as the case may be - like a subtle wave from straight forward electro-pop to a mix of everything rock and indie. Reminiscent of fellow mellow pop bands, The Sunshine Fix, The Shins, or the calmer moments of Brian Jonestown Massacre, the band makes great use of beats, harmony, electric and acoustic guitars, and lyrics to stir the heart. These songs are definite growers, by the third time you’ve heard them, they are guaranteed to have earned a place in your mindtunes – the perfect background music for just about anything.
Tracks often start off as bare songs, and grow into full-on blasts of sounds that encompass every genre on the indie scale, often with synths, bells, tambourine and of course guitar riffs. The tracks available digitally include “The Shores,” a dreamy six-minute anthem that meanders from one place of joy to another, along with a remix of the above track that keeps a fast beat throughout – both perfect for your next camping trip or beach day, weather permitting. Their EP, Testing the Waters, rounds out strongly with a live song, “High and Low,” and electronic-instrumental offering “Telephonic,” that starts off sounding akin to a Skype call ringtone (enough to make me check to make sure I’m not missing calls when it was playing from my computer).
Though they have been together for years now, 2011 seems to be a year for this band to grow. They have a free digital download of the Testing The Waters EP online, and have just signed a lease on a new studio in LA. Expect big things from Sea of Cortez.
This picture is kinda ridiculous. N’sync goes indie. HAHA Good thing the music doesn’t sound like the picture looks!
but it’s awesome! The pic does describe so much, not only location but bits about how the sound comes together so nicely and reflective…guess you are not looking at it beyond your previous exposure–which says something.
That was badass.
please come and ROCK san diego again, soon!
awesome ….