One of our new favorites! Michigan's Mason Proper plays very engaging (if slightly skewed) pop that sort of sounds like a cross between Death Cab for Cutie, Pinback and (current tour mates) Cloud Cult. The melodies are warm and inviting, yet the engaging guitars/drums and keys are often played slightly off-kilter, just enough "wack" to make this band interesting. It may be pop, but it's not FM pop... yet.

Mason Proper's songs just kind of lope along at a deliberate pace that sounds meticulous rather than mundane. I'm not even hinting that these guys are boring, because they're not at all. But they're just not in that much of a hurry to get you to sing along.

But sing along you will, and probably only a couple of minutes into the first track at that! Oh, and vocalist Jonathan Visger can croon with the best of the sunshine-pop singers, too (he's coming for you, James Mercer). Mad props for Mason Proper.

BUY TICKETS TO SEE MASON PROPER AT BEAT KITCHEN!

Mason Proper play Beat Kitchen, on Friday, April 24th.