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So many of the records that get the lion’s share of blog love tend toward the noisy, or lo-fi, or more experimental, or delicate and textured. We don’t need to name names, but you know who we mean, and in many cases all that acclaim is richly deserved. But ain’t it grand that from time to time there is still room for straightforward, unfussy (but un-muddy) blasts of 3 minute rock with immediate hooks and melodies? That is exactly the sort of thing our guests this week on Face Time specialize in – Southern California’s The Soft Pack.

Now, waaay too much attention was paid in ’08 to the fact that early on these guys made the perhaps unfortunate choice of “The Muslims” as a band name. After taking more heat than they were interested in over it, they changed it – only spend most of ’09 answering questions about why they did that. None of that here, though you may be surprised to learn where “The Soft Pack” comes from. Nothing to do with smokes. In any case more important are names like “Answer to Yourself”, “More or Less”, “Mexico” and “Parasite” – four of the band’s surf rawk finest – all included on their sefl titled full length that came out in February, and all of which you’re gonna hear in live, in a performance shot for Noisevox at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory.

On this edition of Face Time four guys with a refreshing no bullshit, don’t-believe-the-hype to this thing called the music business. From San Diego via Los Angeles, it’s The Soft Pack.