L.A. Unheard: Dunes hit the beach

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Editor’s note: Every week, our colleagues at Brand X’s L.A. Unheard column unearth one of L.A.’s best undiscovered acts.

The band: Dunes, an L.A. trio that finds reformed punks Kate Hall (Mika Miko) and Stephanie Chan (Finally Punk) joining forces with Mark Greshowak (Talbot Tagora).

The sound: Like their colleagues in the current class of fuzzy, beach-obsessed bands (Best Coast, Wavves, Tennis, Swimsuit, Beach Fossils -- the list goes on), Dunes play catchy, fidelity-be-damned guitar pop best absorbed along with sunscreen and psychedelic drugs. Unlike many of their peers, though, they draw as much on mellowed-out ‘80s post-punk as they do poodle skirts and ‘Be My Baby.’

The details: Dunes is currently recording their debut album, due in 2011; in the meantime, check eBay for the band’s already out-of-print singles.

The rest: Visit Brand X to download the band’s ‘Little Stems.’

-- David Greenwald