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Because technology has made it possible for every kid with a MacBook to form a band, a good group name is becoming a rare commodity. Now bands with weird, out-there names have a harder time living up to their monikers (see: Phil and the Osophers). Fortunately, Happy Birthday has turned the energy it might have wasted on coming up with a better band name into making better songs. "Girls FM," the first single from the Vermont three-piece's self-titled Sub Pop debut, wraps a charming blend of power-pop hooks and bratty punk delivery with held-together-by-Scotch-tape charm. Assuming that Happy Birthday's live show conveys the same abandon and energy as its album, even stoic indie kids might jump around like a bunch of little kids at — what else? — a cake-savoring birthday party.
