For Top Surprise, it’s as if the world began in the 80’s. That’s when the band were born, and when guitars reached unbearable volumes. Therefore, names like J. Mascis and Thurston Moore somehow represent the big bang that would result in the sound of the four-piece from the boring Juiz de Fora, in Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais. Another big influence, Guided by Voices’ lo-fi recordings were a stronger D.I.Y. message for the X and Y generations (yes, that’s where we are right now) than the messages that came before. But Top Surprise knows homemade noises, though wonderful, doesn’t float everyone’s boat; so they pack their songs with pop melodies that would certainly leave Phil Spector either proud or deaf. - (via Pug Records)