Pep is drummer Karys Rhea's new band. Karys took religious studies at NYU and plays with Starlight Girls. Starlight Girls is a retro indie Brooklyn vibe band whose eponymous debut EP from 2012 is well worth checking out.
Pep is what happens if you removed all the irony, all the time shifting, all the hindsight from Starlight Girls. They are a just British Invasion girl group: the Shirelles, the Ronettes, the Marvelettes . All those great bands? They don't sound like influences, they sound like contemporaries. Imagine the Normal Living with a lesser singer but a no New Jersey hangover. Pep are of course, absolutely excellent.
The EP isn't gonna be released till June 1st but all four songs are just wonderful. It is kinda hard to pick a fave. It is all handclaps and back up harmonies and sweet melodies and a retro vibe so completely retro it is wild. It is like those 1950s diners. It is like songs on the American Graffiti double album soundtrack. Beach Boys and Phil Spector and "Mama Told Me" -it really is a great thing.
Starlight Girls are playing at Mercury April 7th (not only a Sunday but I'm going to Green Day) and as for Pep -their Press kit leaves everything to be desired so I don't know what if anything else they are up to. Here is the uninfo they provide: "Big fun comes in small sizes with PEP! To alleviate that day to day stress for the working man and give an extra smile in the kitchen for the stay at home mom! That’s because PEP is not just another musical sensation – it’s the only one of its kind! A cunning blend of melodic flavors that serve to titillate the ear buds, PEP has even been scientifically proven to heighten those intimate moments between couples. Don’t take our word for it, listen for yourself!"
I am gonna hold off reviewing the EP as such for a month or so, till closer to the release date.
If you can't wait, here is a link where you can stream the album
http://www.pepisaband.com/press/