It's been a while since I've heard from our friend Kip (of the NYC indie-pop sweethearts The Pains of Being Pure at Heart). Last Fall we received a series of recommendations of bands he'd found along the way that really spiced things up here at imaginary headquarters (For Ex-Lovers Only, Strawberry Whiplash).

In the meantime, I've been busy obsessing over Los Campesinos! (which is a noble endeavor) and Kip, it seems, has been planning a UK tour and writing / recording a killer song for a limited edition split 7" with The Parallelograms!

The song on the limited edition vinyl is entitled "Kurt Cobain's Cardigan" and not only does it conjure up visions of that one Sassy magazine cover, it rules… AND it's on the PoBPaH MySpace (that's a mouthful). Go listen!

If you want to order the pretty pretty vinyl, head over to the Atomic Beat Records webpage — they only made 300 copies!

And didn't Kip let us down on the new band recommendation front… he whispered something about Crystal Stilts — they're nummy (Interpol really had better be checking their backs)! He described them as:

they are very good– almost like indiepop joy division, with stand up drums and oozing incredible coolness. not in a strokes sort of way but in a "we're from scotland and in the 1980s" sort of way.

the best way, duh :–)

And if you're in the UK/Iceland (ruling), go record shopping with Kip! Here's The Pains of Being Pure at Heart UK tour shhhhhedule.

2.26.08: @ The Glebe: w/ Manhattan Love Suicides, Horowitz – Stoke, UK

2.27.08: @ The Royal Park: w/ Manhattan Love Suicides – Leeds, UK

2.29.08: Lostmusic Presents @ Buffalo Bar w/ Manhattan Love Suicides, Strawberry Story, The Hillfields – London, UK

3.01.07: The Organ: w/Singapore Sling -Reykavik, Iceland