Palomar - 3.5 (Self Released, 2005)

So JGoon and I used to write record reviews for Punk Planet. It was a good chance to write and get free music and then trade in said music for good stuff at Amoeba (when even shitty review CDs were actually worth something). Punk Planet wasn't quite either of our steez though. I think it was ultimately an important zine with a broad content of music, politics and DIY information. And while it provided a wider spectrum of "punk" (especially following the period when MRR was confining their definition and coverage of the music side) it just went too far outside my interests. In depth articles about publishing and emo didn't really speak to me. I moved to Spain for a year so I had to give up receiving my bi-monthly PP care packages. But they had started to edit our reviews around the same time (not for grammar or punctuation) so we had both sort of soured on the whole thing. Punk Planet folded soon after, probably because of our absence.

However, I did get to check out a bunch of bands I probably wouldn't have heard otherwise. Like Palomar. I received their third album (creatively titled III) and loved it right away. The female vocal harmonies were super catchy and pleasant and every instrument stood out. Just perfect indie pop, great for summer driving music.

And though I loved their followup album, All Things Forests, I hadn't really listened to this EP much since reviewing it, until recently. I'm usually more of a fan of full albums, and back then I don't think I was immediately ripping every CD to mp3, so some EPs got stocked away in my collection. But this is a nice addition to the Palomar collection, with a few rougher versions of All Things Forests songs and a few unreleased songs. The first song on here, "Whoa," is one of my favorites by them, and it's interesting to hear in a slightly more primitive form.

I believe this EP was only available in download form officially. My copy was a CDr with a taped on label. I'm not sure if my CD drive at the time even liked that. It was also very quiet, so I boosted the volume a little. Enjoy.

And check out their bigcartel site for a good deal on their CDs, including a T-shirt. I want to order soon because I still haven't heard their most recent album, Sense & Antisense.

Palomar - 3.5 (R) (vbr 0)