The duo of Justin Vallesteros and Frankie Soto, known as Craft Spells, bring a melting pot of bands to mind. It's a bit smart and Smiths-ish, it's quaint and vulnerable like a good The Cure song and it's undeserving of blatant referential criticism, but that's all I got on my mind today.
Residing in Stockton, which ain't quite Earlimart nor is it near Sacramento in the California Central Valley, Craft Spells respectfully has a sound that's not quite the indie-rock of Earlimart nor is it the celebrated psychedelia of Sactown. Craft Spells is slightly digitized dream pop that recalls Radio Dept. without being too damn obvious. Basically, I cannot make up my friggin' mind as to which band Craft Spells reminds me of most.
Chances are Craft Spells' 2009 debut Curses went overlooked, but now's the time to catch up with its free single “The Fog Has Risen” available for download and sophomore follow-up Idle Labor making the rounds on the blogosphere.
