Los Angeles' the Few exude a bouncy youthfulness, playing emotional -- sometimes painful, sometimes exuberant -- melodic indie rock that sounds most similar to Conor Oberst's Desaparecidos. Guitarist and singer Jack Burnside, bassist Jamie Zwick, and drummer Pauline Mu got together in the early 2000s with the intent of forming a band that combined the members favorite groups the Replacements, the Cure, Elvis Costello, and the Beatles. After writing and practicing the material for their first album, the band drove across the country and recorded their self-titled debut with Andy LeMaster (Now It's Overhead, engineer/member of Bright Eyes and producer for Azure Ray) in Athens, GA. The self-titled record is filled with golden pop gems that would fit well amongst Athens and Omaha indie rock, and establishes the Few as one of the most endearing rock bands out there. ~ Charles Spano