Eric here again (previous posts here and here). I feel like more of my favorite bands have released, or are about to release, potentially awesome albums in the last few months than I have time for these days. I’m firmly entrenched in Japandroids‘ Celebration Rock, knee-deep in Beach House’s Bloom, starting to put in some solid QT with El-P’s Cancer for Cure and Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music, and licking my lips just thinking about diving into Dirty Projectors’ Swing Lo Magellan and Twin Shadow’s Confess. On top of that, as Kevin mentioned in his last few posts, brand new stuff from the Soft Pack and Band of Horses. I do declay-uh, I think I’m catchin’ tha vapuhs, y’all. *woosily faints in style of 1860’s southern belle*

I think I’m about to have to throw another one on the pile. On July 24, Brooklyn via Providence, R.I., rockers Fang Island are set to release Major, the follow-up to their stellar 2010 self-titled debut. After a first listen, what we seem to have is a more fully realized version of their self-described “everyone high-fiving everyone” vibe on display. Intensely catchy, dense with hooks, intricate guitar work and squibbily-dibbily-doo solos, Major is relentlessly upbeat, consistently air-drum-inducing and unabashedly loud. Tracks like “Asunder,” “Seek it Out” and “Sisterly” ratchet up the jamzzz several notches from Fang Island’s already established ball-to-the-wall-edness.

Not only is there an album to look forward to in the near future, but they’ll also be playing a show at my beloved Rhythm Room on Aug. 12, via Stateside Presents. For 12 buckaroonies, no less. Can’t beat that. (Side note: I really do miss me some Rhythm Room. I moved to Phoenix from Scottsdale in August 2011, planning to more or less live at Rhythm Room, and sadly, I think I’ve been to like two shows since. As it turned out, my move-in date was a little over 2 months before a certain little spot opened up, stealing away many of its indie shows, and in turn, this guy. Not that I’m complaining about suddenly having what’s becoming one of the top venues in the western United States almost equally close. When I think about good ol’ RR, though, I definitely get a wee bit nostalgic about seeing some of my favorite bands, most or all of whom have now outgrown the place, play in a space roughly the size of a wealthier buddy’s living room. Just sayin’.)

I had become (slightly) familiar with Fang Island soon before I saw them open up for Matt and Kim at the Clubhouse (barf) in October 2010, and after seeing them perform, I was hooked. Their live show is not to be missed, especially if you have a thang for dudes that dress like hipster-y wizards or just feel like working out some energy by jumping around and smiling like an idiot for an hour or two.