Popstrangers    
Antipodes
Carpark
Street: 03.08
Popstrangers = Siouxsie and the Banshees + The Evangelicals + Surfer Blood 
The flavors of Antipodes range from the dark ambiance of Sonic Youth to more recent, surf-influenced indie music like Wavves. The album features prominent bass that constantly moves with the melody while the fuzzy guitars stray, returning to the melody as they please. I find “Witches Hand” adhesive—it sticks to my mind after it jolts me from the hypnotic outro of “In Some Ways.” “Witches Hand” begins with vocalist Joel Flyger singing, “I don’t quite know the game …” and the upbeat guitars and rhythm follow on the heels of the vocals, giving the song (aside from the 40-second breakdown of drums, noise guitar and tremolo vocals) the feel of Cloud Nothings’ self-titled debut. The contrast of the dark and the upbeat influences of Antipodes blend into a delicious, mixed-genre casserole. –Steve Richardson