Track Of The Day: The Coasts - "I Just Wanna Be A Star"

I'm proud to say I was an early adopter of the Little Rock two-piece The Coasts. The band began as a long-distance affair between two college buddies, Ike Peters and Eric Mount. Since the band's 2011 self-titled debut, Mount has moved from his native Ohio to join Peters in Arkansas. The Coasts' latest LP Racilia, due to drop May 20 on Old Flame Records, is its most collaborative and balanced effort to date. Lead vocal duties are split evenly. Yet, somehow the band manages to pull this off without losing its identity. The phrasing of Peters' solo, call-and-response lyrics on "I Just Wanna Be A Star"  calls to mind Julian Casablancas' work on The Strokes' "The End Has No End" or "You Only Live Once."

The album's accessibility and strong production begs the question: are The Coasts set for stardom with Racilia? Answer: Who gives a shit? This music rocks. (Bonus: downloads of "I Just Wanna Be a Star" are available for $2 via Bandcamp. All proceeds from sales of the single will go to American Red Cross in support of tornado relief.)