First impressions – XOXO is a terrible, terrible band name, especially for a band that’s not some kind of scenester shit. Yep, if you’re expecting some crabcore-esque shit then you’re in for a big, big surprise – XOXO are more like Motion City Soundtrack if they grew up on a diet of Built To Spill and Superdrag, who in turn overdosed on country and folk music. They played at Fest 7 if you’re doubting their ‘punk’ credentials.
So you really need to move past the name when listening to the ‘C’est La Vie’ EP, because the preconceptions I had from it were crushed within the first few seconds. Hailing from Orlando, the band claim to be inspired by Superdrag, The Thermals, The Ramones, and Weezer, although I can’t really hear any of the latter. There are lots of delicate vocal melodies and the likes of ‘Merry Times’ and ‘Shut Up And Dance’ will have you gently tapping and singing along in no time. It’s a pretty fun EP that’s not overdosed in cheese but is choc-full of good tracks.
If only they could sort out that name…