Overseas

David Bazan, in my opinion, is a musical genius.  You may not agree with his philosophical or religious views, but the power of his music is hard to deny.  Since he basically renounced Christianity and quit Pedro the Lion in 2006, he has been recording solo albums (most notably Curse Your Branches in 2009; a provocative but spectacular record), and doing a few living room shows for his fans.  He recently completed a tour in which he played the Pedro the Lion album "Control" in its entirety.  About a month ago he announced he was forming a new band with several musicians from other groups.  The band is called "Overseas"; their first album is coming out on 11 June.  You can listen to two of their songs on their website.  I am fairly obsessed with these songs.  I love Bazan's approach to lyricism...he has no qualms dealing with difficult issues, and makes frequent references to his own life story including his alcoholism.  The music itself is extremely simple but powerful, with strong guitar riffs and loud percussion.  It's incredibly dark.  I'm sure it won't be to everyone's taste, but this record is going to be one of the most anticipated of the summer for me.