"I want a pond to rot in" isn't exactly a call to arms, but as the refrain from California X's first single off their upcoming self-titled debut, it's tough to think of anything that more accurately describes their goals of self-actualization. If "grunge" or "swamp-rock" wasn't already part of the public lexicon, they're amongst the first two descriptors you'd levy on "Pond Rot." The riffs are thick and slow, yet maintain a surprisingly viscous sense of melody that isn't obscured by the heavy fuzz, while the vocals sag like they're wrapped in worn flannel. Here, the Amherst, MA trio are forthrightly acknowledging a debt to hometown heroes Dinosaur Jr., embracing the primordial pop sense of their earliest work while picking up at the point where they finally got some decent production.

[from California X; out 01/15/13 via Don Giovanni]