A new Jealous Sound record drops from the sky

Blair Shehan, the voice behind old-guard L.A. indie rockers the Jealous Sound and Knapsack, has somehow missed out on three generations of emo revivals. This, by consensus of people who care about such things, is a total injustice. His off-kilter chord changes and raspy howl straddle the line between brainy guitar pop and wantonly earnest '90s-throwback emo, adding up to a sound that should theoretically be paying his bills into infinity by now. The Jealous Sound's 2000 self-titled EP and 2003's full-length "Kill Them With Kindness" were worthy confections, but somehow the band never grew out of the small club circuit, and prognostications for a follow-up record grew dimmer every year.

Well, after almost six years in the tank, they've pulled it together (with ex-Shudder to Think drummer Adam Wade again on the skins) for a new EP, "Got Friends," and promise a full-length to come soon after. The title track of "Got Friends," out now on iTunes, is a bit cleaner and snappier than past throat-rippers, but it's sure to be catnip for the crowd that hangs out at the Woods on Sunday for '90s indie night.

-- August Brown

Photo courtesy the Militia Group