Another hour, another band to love at CMJ 2012. Australia's San Cisco spent their last night in New York before tripping to Minneapolis (Responding to boos lead singer Jordi Davieson nods, "That's what everyone has said") entertaining a ridiculously packed out upstairs at Pianos. I'm there because downstairs, Savages are already at capacity, but I think I might well have got the better of the deal.
The youthful indie band are just a blast, a loud, jangly, addictive and very much fun quartet, pushing their first EP, the uniformly excellent Awkward, filled to brimming with bright sunshiny rock pop filled with choruses that go "oooh ooh ohhh"
Doing nothing but making friends over half an hour of topnotch indie pop, Jordi is all bangs and smiles and the band charms us with ease, tracing their popsmarts back to the keyboards while sharing leads with pretty drummer Scarlett Stevens, trading off lines like that. Better still is "Golden revolver" with its chorus to die for, "You aren't remotely shy" which brings a smile to my face for one.
The best thing about the band is their simple charm, they are fun to watch and you want to look at them it is like they are the leaders of a secret pop society and if you are smart enough you will catch on and let them take you for a very tuneful and pleasant ride. Upstairs at Pianos is a small, narrow room, but they pipe in cool air, and it is comfortable, I stand on a sofa to see, and they are worth the effort. San Cisco makes you wish you were a teenager in Australia in the late 1990s, makes you very damn happy. San Cisco will do well. This is is what the kids want!
Grade: B+