On a personal note: So, I’m sitting here in my room recovering from the mind-f*ck dance-party that was Caribou last night. Those guys really know what they’re doing. I’m wondering to myself how I can start off my week after such a ridiculous party and the only thing that is making me feel optimistic is the new Warpaint EP and their impending show (tomorrow night — Monday) at the Blue Moose. A four-piece from L.A., Warpaint mixes ethereal reverb’d vox, bubbling dub rhythms, and twinkling hypnotic guitars into a cool, eerie sound. I haven’t seen them live before though having their tunes on-repeat for the past six or seven weeks is making me feel like I really know them. They reference so many interesting touch-points of older bands like the Slits, Can, Cat Power and Portishead while also staying in the groove of contemporaries like Pocahaunted and Black Blondie; yet they are clearly doing their own thing too: in particular they have a fine command of the balance between psych abstraction and captive head-bobbing rhythms. If we are to give any credence to the music media, in this case the NME and Pitchfork, Warpaint made quite an impression at this year’s SXSW, the NME going as far to give them that coveted (and burden exacerbating) label of Break-Out Buzz Band of SXSW. Despite the catapults/pitfalls of hype (seriously, whatever happened to Vivian Girls?) one definitely gets the impression that this is a MUST-SEE band on some level. We find out tomorrow night at the Blue Moose. It is an early all-ages show, Doors at 6PM / Show at 7PM / Tix are $10 and available in advance at Midwestix.

What: Warpaint

Where: Blue Moose Tap House (@ Iowa btwn Linn and Dubuque)

When: Monday, June 7th / 6PM DOORS / $10 / ALL-AGES