First (best?) Summer 2009 LP - Elephant Stone: The Seven Seas

You like jangly pop? Chiming guitars? Trippy keyboards? Floating vocals on a cascade of pulsating rhythms? Oh boy, I think you're gonna like the release "The Seven Seas" from band Elephant Stone.

Indiecision wrote (and I'm right there with it): "The first three songs breeze through territory crowded by timeless hits and perennial classics. Heartland rock by Tom Petty, British arena rock a la Manic Street Preachers, and jangly classic rock like the Blue Oyster Cult are some of the reference points that come to mind."
I'd go further and throw the Stone Roses (Elephant Stone - duh!), The La's and maybe the melancholic sounds of 80s Aussie chartmakers The Church too.

Seems the band is the brainchild of ex-High Dials bassist/singer Rishi Dhir, his first record since leaving The High Dials in 2006. Some of the songs display some sitar/Indian influence (their MySpace page calls it 'Hindie Rock'), but I hear classic/indie rock all the way through. You can stream the release at the link above, or download the single "I am Blind". Either way, you win, with summery pop anthems. Sweet sweet sweet.

Elephant Stone at MySpace. Plus, if you have time, read this Vancouver, CA-article about Rishi Dhir, written by his landlord! Ha!