Sunflower Bean has been powering through the Brooklyn scene for only a little while now, but they’ve got more interest than most bands in this part of town… especially considering how young they are (just out of high school). The band’s sound has taken a direction of clarity that a lot of Brooklyn bands seem to reject. They employ flurries of brightly colored atmospheres along with dark and wispy vocals, taking as much time as they need to let their songs unfold into long and inexhaustible jams of psychedelic trance. Guitarist Nick Kivlen is a whiz on the pedal board, taking after artists like Tame Impala (in fact, they have a song named after the Australian band) and Thee Oh Sees, while co-singer/basssist Julia Cumming’s intimidatingly serious presence provides an unmistakable aura of mystique. All three possess an impressive presence on stage, and a confidence truly hard to come by with bands this young. You have a lot of opportunities to see these guys: at Shea Stadium on July 09 and at Palisades the day after, and then Gigawatts fest on the 17th and Baby’s All Right on August 02. – Jake Saunders
