Orange is the new . . .

Three things you should know about The Oranges Band:

1. They sound like they're from California but are, in fact, from Baltimore.
Some of the best moments of the Oranges' second LP, The World & Everything In It, will remind you of The Beach Boys/Jan and Dean or Dick Dale and his surf guitar. At their more melodic-punk points, the band sounds a bit like fellow Lookout Records artists Ted Leo and Green Day.

2. Leadman Roman Kuebler played bass on Spoon's Kill The Moonlight tour.
On the Oranges' earlier releases (two EPs and a full-length), you could hear the Spoon influence. Or more to the point, a lot of Wire and Mission of Burma. Except for the first track on the new album, "Believe"--which has that skeletal, art rock thing going--the band seems to have found an original pop-punk sound. Many miles on the road have left the Oranges tight and confident and a lengthy recording session in a self-assembled studio gives the new album a relaxed, patient vibe. Case in point: "Mountain."

3. The World & Everything In It isn't getting half the attention it deserves.
Maybe it's Lookout's well-publicized financial troubles and there's no marketing budget left. But I can't understand why we're not hearing more about this outstanding record. I've been listening to it repeatedly for days--no letup in sight. Don't believe me? Believe Craig Finn (The Hold Steady).

Ride The Nuclear Wave (mp3) - The Oranges Band

Mountain (mp3) - The Oranges Band

From Five Dollars EP:

What Got You Off The Hook (mp3) - The Oranges Band

Live tracks:

All The Ghosts In Your House (mp3) - The Oranges Band

Stars Are Our Stuck (mp3) - The Oranges Band

Surf Song (mp3) - The Oranges Band

An excellent cover by Spoon of Wire's "Lowdown" from the Oranges' site:

Lowdown (mp3) - Spoon

And has anyone else noticed this trend?

Crooked In The Weird Of The Catacombs (mp3) - Oranger

I Don't Wanna Shine (mp3) - The Orange Peels

Heaven is Rising (mp3) - Orange Cake Mix