Cover records have been done before, but hardly with the unique direction that
By-The-Numbers, the newest music from indie-pop darlings,
The Postmarks (
out 11/11 on Unfiltered), takes. No mere collection of favorites or inspirations, the tracks on the record are united not only by their ability to meld to Tim Yehezkely's breathy vocals and Christopher Moll and Jonathan Wilkins' lush arrangements, but also by the fact that their titles consecutively climb from one to eleven – the twelfth song is cleverly left for the Pointer Sisters' "Pinball Number Count," made popular by
Sesame Street. It's a calendar's worth of material that traverses everything from the Cure ("Six Different Ways") to the Jesus and Mary Chain ("Nine Million Rainy Days") to the Ramones ("7-11") to Antonio Carlos Jobim ("One Note Samba").
Despite the diversity of the originals, each rendition fully encapsulates The Postmarks' sound, a sound that has only continued to develop and deepen since their 2007 self-titled release, an album that has quickly established the trio as a hometown favorite and crush band to fans worldwide. These same elements, the love of lush John-Barry-esque arrangements, the attention to detail, and the willingness to constantly push forward and expand, all came into play in
By-The-Numbers.
No better example of this can be found than in their take on "11:59," from Blondie's 1978 classic
Parallel Lines. The track was, according to Moll, "one of the most difficult to do," because the band had no desire to sound like they were trying to do new wave. They don't: The Postmarks' version contains the important elements of the original – the faintly apocalyptic feel, the bouncy drums – and it's a darker edge the group is willingly embracing; yet there's still the casual Brigitte-Bardot airiness that surrounds their production, the sunniness of Southern Florida or France.
DOWNLOAD The Postmarks' "11:59" here Watch the video for "11:59" here
With the gorgeous instrumentals and delicate sadness the band is known for,
By-The-Numbers not only is itself a satisfyingly complete Postmarks album, it also alludes at what's to come. There's a darkness that still retains a warmth, a full range of emotion held in the spaces between words, alluring and mysterious and innocent and utterly beautiful all at once.
The Postmarks will also be performing live this Saturday, November 15, at Orlando's
ANTI*POP Festival. The trio is playing a show at The Social with Rachel Goodrich and Au Revoir Simone (Conor Oberst and the Mystic River Band, The Watson Twins, The Black Lips, Murs, and Matt Costa will also all be at the festival).
More info can be found here:
http://worlds-fair.net/news/category/artists/postmarks/ http://www.worlds-fair.net/postmarks http://www.thepostmarks.com http://www.myspace.com/antipopmusicfest 
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The Postmarks Release By-The-Numbers Tomorrow, November 11
PRESS RELEASE: SLEEPERCAR - West Texas Out Tomorrow, Jay Leno Appearance May 2