Hot on the heels of this Toronto band's 2nd full-length, Tokyo Police Club plays a special Outside Lands Pre-Party show. Critical response to the band has been enthusiastic and diverse, with the likes of GQ ("Strokes-caliber catchiness"), Elle ("a smart, furiously played sugar-rush debut"), Rolling Stone ("poised to become the biggest Canadian export since Molson"), and Los Angeles Times ("being in love for the first time, in musical form-that kind of rush") chiming in.

"The group's steady drumming and angular, post-punk guitars point listeners toward the dancefloor, even if some of Monks' lyrics are better suited for a funeral dirge than an energetic, indie rock anthem. ... Monks' bandmates churn themselves into an energetic froth, their chopped-up guitar riffs and syncopated snare hits sounding refreshingly bright against the lyrics." --AllMusic.com

Freelance Whales found one another in late 2008, in Queens, amidst a strange amalgam of unfamiliar instruments, and precariously arranged pop songs. Using whatever musical gadgets they happened upon (mostly harmonium, banjo, glockenspiel, synthesizers, guitars, bass, drums, waterphone), the five members worked at crafting songs with interlocking rhythmic patterns, lush textural layering, and an engaged group-vocal energy. The result is their debut LP, weathervanes, whose songs work at evoking a sense of dislocation, or sensory disorientation. "It's awash with gentle, naive bliss, and if you're the type that likes to observe hooks blossoming with the pace of an actual flower opening, then you might have just found a new favourite band." --NME

"Fresh from the wild waters of the Midwest comes A B & the Sea, a trio of Winneconne, Wisc., buddies who moved to the Bay last year in search of the big wave. Tunes like 'We Love the Life We Got' showcase a winsome beachside campfire vibe, full of catchy melodies and lyrics promoting the simple pleasures of life -- much like the Beach Boys once did." --SF Weekly
"A B & the Sea bring back some old-fashioned surf-pop music that even references California (though… “southern California,” hmm). The guitar effects, cymbal-heavy drum beats and multi-part harmonies are catchy and nostalgic. The band brings these classic elements together with the noticeable influence of modern indie pop bands like Death Cab and The Shins." - The Bay Bridged