Knowing there is music this good floating around in the independent world pushes me “this close” to swearing off of major label releases forever and going on an all out search for other undiscovered gems.

The biggest hit to come out of Minty Fresh to date has been the Cardigans.  Remember singing, “Love me, love me, say that you love me” a few years back?  They have since moved on to bigger (not necessarily better) things with Mercury Records.

Parisian retro-pop group Tahiti 80 has definitely found a label with a fitting name.  The band’s fresh, upbeat sounds will have you tapping your toes on the rainiest of days.  Lead singer Xavier Boyer’s unique phrasing of the English language and the band’s love of 60’s American pop music create an eclectic sound not found elsewhere in today’s music scene of modern rock clones.  The music has flashes of the British Invasion, the Beach Boys and even jazzy Brazilian Bossa Nova (think “Girl from Ipanema”).

The band has deservedly begun to garner some attention on music television with their video “Heartbeat.”  It is a beautifully simplistic song.  Boyer’s breathy vocals, a fuzzy bass and a hypnotic keyboard line make it an instant favorite.

The subject matter on Puzzle will not leave you contemplating life’s deepest mysteries, but it may help you to forget about them for forty minutes.

Greg Beadles