Kelpie

Little surprises really do make life better. Like finding an old friend on Myspace (and not seeing That Jerk in any of her pictures) or getting an extra bean burrito in your Taco Bell sack. Or when a local band completely overwhelms you with how great it is. Admittedly, Kelpie's name sounds a bit prepubescent, but once you get past that, you'll find a band that fuses playful pop harmonies around grandiose, glistening melodies. Its newest LP, Hey Friends, It's Kelpie, finds the band pushing the boundaries of the pop song into glowing mini-epics. If you can imagine a more aggressive Brian Wilson collaborating with Ben Folds and Sam Prekop, you have a decent idea what to expect from one of Lawrence's best-kept secrets.