aaamusic | On 16, Jul 2011

Hailing from “a maelstrom of reinvention, reckless idealism, and rainbow-chasing” known as Los Angeles, Puro Instinct are the psychedelic pop discovery that’s about to make your year look a while lot stronger.

The speech marks come courtesy of their mouthpiece, 24-year-old Piper Kaplan, who joined by her 16-year-old sister Skylar have cut one of the most striking and formidable pairings on the West Coast indie-rock circuit in recent years. Piper, and absurdly brilliant talisman, Skylar. Joined by an all-star squad of believers: Cody Porter, Jessie Clavin, Mike Baum, and Crazy Murray, they have forged a sound that falls into that rare space that feels both vintage and happenin’, fun, young, freaky and sexy. A sound that’s already made the year for all kinds of esteemed folks all around the world, from the likes of Gorilla Versus Bear in the States to dear old Blighty’s NME, as their debut long-player ‘Headbangers On Ecstasy’ dawned upon them.

A long-term sibling-like kinship with local cosmic pop wizards Ariel Pink and his Haunted Graffiti, leading to R. Stevie Moore, Kenny Gilmore and sometimes even Ariel himself taking the helm on recording sessions or chipping in on the album and onstage. It’s a harmonious and poignant union, Puro’s hazy ‘Stevie & Christy’ vintage charm, mixed with giddy weirdo abandon, marrying with Haunted Graffiti’s beautiful madness like they were born for each other. NYC’s most notorious left-of-centre hit factory Mexican Summer – home to the likes of Best Coast and Washed Out – grant ‘Headbangers…’ release in America, and Record Makers (Sebastien Tellier, Kavinsky , TURZI) for the rest of the world.

‘Stilyagi’ (which features Ariel Pink) is a vivid showcase of the band at its most deranged and sweet peak.  While staples like ‘California Shakedown’ and ‘Luv Goon’ reveal a groove-stricken backbone that sets off Skylar’s trademark intricate spiralling twangs with airy, naive tension, and a her big sis’ darting, spectral chants and woozy wooing. Piper nods to  ‘Silky Eyes’ as one of their finest three and a bit minutes in terms of nailing the bands idealist dream-weaving manifesto “A beautiful, omnipotent thing capable of fanning the flames of every feeling and communicating ideas that are too difficult or awkward to put into words.”

Puro Instinct – Stilyagi (Ft Ariel Pink) by RecordMakers

 

With a world tour of epic proportions spreading the hazy dreams across the globe for pretty much the rest of 2011 and onward, they hit the UK shores in July and then go onto:

July 18th – Ruby Lounge Manchester
July 19th – WHITE HEAT @ Madame Jojo’s Soho, London
July 20th – Windmill Brixton London
July 21st – Festival de-Affaire, Nijmegen, Holland
July 22nd – La Flèche d’Or, Paris, France
July 23rd – Midi Festival, Hyères, France
July 25th – Padova Radar Festival, Italy
July 26th – Hana-Bi, Ravenna, Italy
July 29th – Atomic Cafe, Münich, Germany
July 30th – Molotov Bar, Hambourg, Germany

August 2nd – Klub 007, Pragua, Czech Republic
August 4th – Salzburg Festival, Salzburg, Austria
August 9th – Comet, Berlin, Germany
August 10th – Beta, Copenhaguen, Denmark
August 11th – Way Out West Festival, Göteborg, Sweden
August 12th – Pop Up @ Øyafestivalen, Oslo, Norway
August 14th – Summer Sonic, Tokyo, Japan