Best Coast's Wild, Innocent Beach Shuffle

There’s nothing like the innocent sounds of surf rock and girl groups to mask the desperate pain within. Best Coast’s cathartic California beach pop counters the tortured relationships of its airy, yet alluring siren, Bethany Cosentino.

And like some of the sandy summer singles of the past, she and multi-instrumentalist partner Bobb Bruno keep things simple, with only one song clocking in at over three minutes. Earworm “Boyfriend” typifies the direct and revealing nature of Cosentino’s confessionals, though, it’s not all tortured diary entries; her cover cat, Snacks, inspires one of the tracks on Crazy for You.

Like another Golden State frontwoman, Jenny Lewis, Consentino acted as a child, appearing in local and national commercials. And while lyrically dramatic, the happy, sun-kissed, Everly Brothers-inspired sound of Best Coast might make you play beach blanket bingo with Annette and Frankie, or in the case of the video for "When I'm With You," a certain burger-hawking clown.

Altered Freebies: Jaill; Kid Cudi; Menomena

What's better than music? Free music. Producer Nick Jackson has scoured the Interwebs to bring you the best free downloads featured on this week's Altered Fridays, 4-7 p.m.


Jaill, "Everyone's Hip"
"Everyone's Hip" is the first single from Jaill's sophomore album, This is How We Burn, which comes out on later this month. You can catch them opening for The Hold Steady this summer.


Kid Cudi, Rostam Batmanglij and Bethany Cosentino, "All Summer"
Alternative rapper Kid Cudi, Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend and Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast combine their hipster powers for this song, brought to you by the good people of Converse Shoes.


Menomena, "Five Little Rooms"
After sweating it out on the beach with Cudi, Batmanglij and Cosentino, cool off in "Five Little Rooms," from Menomena's upcoming album, Mines.