Kevin Bronson on March 3rd, 2010

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The Capshuns, “Time to Say” (self-released) – The L.A. quartet’s agile rock sounds as if it rode in on the slipstream of the British Invasion, the soundtrack to top-down, scarves-flying car chases involving ne’r-do-wells driving vintage Aston Martins. Blaring guitars and chugging rhythms carry the day, and although singer Patrick Thomas – at his best channeling the pained earnestness of Michael Penn – forces the issue too often, he adeptly plays agitated pop-punk on tracks like “Famous Layers” and “Her Lovers Thunder.” On “Tell Her I Said Hello,” he reflects on  “mystic chords of memory.” Overall, the Capshuns could do better with some less familiar.

||| Download: “Time to Say” [audio:http://www.mediafire.com/file/zmmizuwmywm/The Capshuns_Time to Say.mp3]

||| Previously: “Her Lover’s Thunder”

||| Live: The Capshuns, along with Vanaprasta, celebrate their album release by playing tonight at Club NME at Spaceland.

The Idyllists, “The Idyllists” (self-released) – What if Morrissey had moved to Malibu at a young age and become a Ritalin kid? He might have sounded like the Idyllists. The L.A. septet’s sophomore effort, while not exactly long on invention, brims with crisp, breezy Britpop that makes sonic brethren of several decades of U.K. guitarmen, from the Beatles to the Kooks. Other transplants have found more poetry in “Pacific Highway Blues,” or have brought more eloquence to the “Empire State,” but the Idyllists’ jaunty optimism makes them a pretty nice crew to spend 38 minutes with. And, possibly, a great candidate for resident band at Club NME, if there was such a thing.

||| Download: “Let’s Fly Away” [audio:http://www.theidyllists.com/Music/Playlist1/letsflyaway.mp3]
“Pacific Coast Highway Blues” [audio:http://www.theidyllists.com/Music/Playlist1/pacificcoasthighwayblues.mp3]
“Empire State” [audio:http://www.theidyllists.com/Music/Playlist1/empirestate.mp3]

||| Also: Download the Idyllists’ free EP, “Les Singles” (e-mail required)

||| Live: The Idyllists perform Friday at Mr. T’s Bowl.