"The phrase "Seattle sound" might have to be reworked a little with the emergence of some of the latest emotional, dream rock coming out of the Pacific Northwest. Bands like Fair, The Turn-ons and Argo are trashing the previous definition.

8 MP3 Songs
ROCK: Emo, POP: Quirky



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When dreamy, hooky crunch pop is done right, it melts your heart with out even trying. Even though, Seattle, Washingtonâs Argo is notoriously one of the hardest working bands in town, their preternatural ability to craft immediately perfect rock gems feels completely effortlessâand triumphant. Now armed with a new lineup and a kind of working cohesiveness that loads of showsâseveral with Aqueduct, Architecture in Helsinki, and Viva Voceâand touring the West Coast brings, Argo is a band poised for constant positive progression. And why shouldnât they be? The bandâs 2004 release on Ana-them Records Jet Packs for Everyone, garnered substantial critical acclaim (âliberal vintage keyboard sounds sit smartly alongside the indie-rock textures, until DAMN! Hooks galore.â âThe Stranger), received great College radio play, and Argo was even named a finalist in the 2005 Emerging Music Awards. Songwriters and multi-instrumentalists/vocalists Justin Benson and Matt Benham played together since childhood, before founding the band in 2001 with drummer/keyboard/vocalist Scott Leonard, and were later joined by bassist/vocalist Jon Wooster. Although some members have been involved longer than others, as Wooster explains, âOur songs are written collaboratively.â And it shows, especially at Argoâs live shows, where the band consistently lets intuition and teamwork push them to the next level, something Wooster adds is âa consistent element throughout the band.â When recorded, Argo captures the vivaciousness, loose energy of their live setup; thereâs nothing calculated here. The bandâs 2005 Needs EP is thick with infectious, danceable goodness, chalky, gritty solos that would make the Jicks proud, and enough warmth to melt the hardest of cynics who say the Pacific Northwest doesnât have even more to offer.