So, Annie (that’s the wife, y’all) and I are listening to my newest fave Figurines (previous post) and I keep telling her, “Think Built to Spill.” Then she says, “You know who they sound like? … Pinehurst Kids.” Oh, snap! She’s right.

Back in 1999, when emo was all the rage, I was digging on the Pinehurst Kids, a three-piece emo/punk/pop/whatever outfit from Portland, Ore. The group released three full-length albums, but I the only one I own is Viewmaster, a compact and powerful piece of greatness. It’s one of those albums that holds nostalgic value – I can instantly attach a time in my life to the music – but it’s also just a really solid CD.

And as I’m listening to Viewmaster now and digging up information on the Internet, it appears the group is making some sort of comeback, which is great. The Pinehurst Kids were never so sappy and emo that you’d write them off as soft; there was a punk edge to it that kept the emotion a little more real.

Visit Pinehurst Kids on MySpace. The band is also offering some MP3s here, but I’m going to bust off a few tracks from Viewmaster.

Pinehurst Kids | Flicker
Pinehurst Kids | Lumper
Pinehurst Kids | Pretty Whistle

Also …
I think Annie and I will be checking out Band of Horses tonight at Rhythm Room in Phoenix. Can anyone confirm or deny they put on a good show?

And we have a winner in the Ian Love CD giveaway. As chosen by Ian himself, Tim at People of Paper won with his submission of two words to describe the cover art on Ian’s self-titled debut. His words were: “tender traveller.” Congrats, Tim. And thanks to everyone who offered their thoughts. I made Ian decide so I wouldn’t have to! (And, Tim, we’ll be in touch!)