Sounds of Summer: Woods

Summer, more than any other season, is often defined by the songs played or listened to while lying on the beach, driving with the windows down or lazing outside during a backyard barbecue. To hear the words "summer of 2003" is to hear Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" blasting through the speakers in our heads. That said, we here at PAPER think that this eclectic crop of bands -- the electro freak-out that is Passion Pit, the spaced-out hip-hop of Kid Cudi, teenage awk-rawk of Tiny Masters of Today, the nostalgic twang of Woods and the smart pop of Little Boots -- are all poised to make an appearance on the soundtrack to your summer of 2009.

Woods enjoy keeping things fuzzy. From lead singer Jeremy Earl's creaky warble (a bit like a cross between Neil Young and Joanna Newsom), to their ever-evolving band name (they've previously released albums under the monikers Woods Family Band and Woods Family Creeps), to their fourth full-length Songs of Shame (which sounds like it could have been made in either 1967 or 2028), there is something consciously difficult to pinpoint about this Bushwick-based four-piece. Indeed, according to the band's noise mixer G. Lucas Crane, "It's aesthetically pleasing for us to have things as blurry and vague as possible."

In its current incarnation, the band is based around the duo of Earl and Jarvis Taveniere, who are joined by their former SUNY Purchase classmate Crane, along with Kevin Morby on the bass. Recorded at the house that Earl and Taveniere share in Bushwick, and where Earl helms Woodsist Records (home of Vivian Girls and Crystal Stilts), Songs of Shame also features contributions from Pete Nolan of Magik Markers. "I kind of see us as this collective of people -- we always jam with a lot of friends, and members are coming and going," says Earl. Adds Taveniere, "We're not into Woods being this one thing."

The album is a rustic concoction of worn-in-sounding psych-folk gems and has a kind of antique, yellowed vibe about it. But Earl says, "We're not trying to make anything that sounds old. We write a song, and then we immediately record it -- and that's it basically. With what we have, that's the sound that we get." Following Songs of Shame's recent entry into the hallowed halls of Pitchfork.com's "Best New Music" section, the boys have a busy summer ahead of them, including a tour with Dungen in August. But if last summer is any indication, it's safe to say that on any given night you'll most likely be able to find the Woodsers in their backyard. Explains Earl, "We barbecued so much last summer that the feet of our Simpsons grill -- there's an image of Homer on it wearing a bib -- actually melted off."

Jeremy wears a vintage shirt and jacket from Screaming Mimi's and glasses by Anglo American Optical. Jarvis wears a t-shirt by H&M and hooded jacket by Scoop. Kevin wears a shirt by Marc Jacobs and vintage glasses from Screaming Mimi's. G. Lucas wears a plaid shirt by Marc Jacobs.

* SOUNDS OF SUMMER *
Kid Cudi
Tiny Masters of Today
Passion Pit
Little Boots