Bellflur Last Quarter of the 20th Century Blues/Asleep. Asleep.

If the cruel, fickle mechanics of the indie rock hype machine worked its gears for the betterment of acts who were not lionized by Pitchfork Media and its blogospheric minions for a change, then a group like Maryland’s Bellflur would be as huge as Radiohead in the eyes of the hipster masses. But just because they are not the choice of the popular kids in school doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check them out. In fact, you’d be a fool not to surrender yourself to the potent blend of indie rock chops, art pop vibes, and Eraser-esque rhythmic sensibilities of this immensely talented Washington DC act. Do yourself a favor and pick up both their late 2009 EP Last Quarter of the 20th Century Blues and its even-better full-length follow-up Asleep. Alseep. as soon as humanly possible, particularly you fans of Spiritualized, the Flaming Lips, and early Gomez. Some quality modern day AOR from a group who deserves far more exposure in the coming years.