Infinite Shuffle

Upon moving to Charlottesville, Va., in February 2006, I quickly discovered an awesome independent local radio station (91.1 WNRN) that played non-stop indie rock. After being forced to listen to shitty corporate rock, oldies and classic rock stations my entire life, my ears were suddenly inundated with a constant wave of amazing new music.

One of the first bands I discovered was The Magic Numbers. The London-based quartet is often compared to The Mamas & The Papas, both because of its composition — it consists of a pair of brother-sister tandems — and its signature harmonies.

Additionally, the band members’ scruffy appearance would make their hippie forebears proud. But The Magic Numbers also compare favorably to more modern brethren — most notably, the New Pornographers.

Their self-titled debut was easily one of my favorite albums of 2006 — it was actually released in August 2005, but those are just details. I even got to see them live, but I showed up late and only caught the last few songs.

It wouldn’t be the last time I took The Magic Numbers for granted. For a variety of reasons, I never listened to their follow-up album, Those the Brokes, until recently, even though it came out in November 2006. It’s an oversight I definitely regret as the sophomore effort picks up right where the first one left off with the band’s distinct slow/fast, pop/folk harmonies.

They also released a six-track EP titled Undecided, which I’m still trying to track down. And, according to their less-than-stellar official website, they’re releasing a new album in Spring 2010.

In the meantime, visit their MySpace page and listen to eight of their tracks, including “Hurts So Good,” the first single from their upcoming album.

And here is one of my favorite songs from their debut album …

The Magic Numbers – Forever Lost