Arizona is a quirky state. People there really like the colors salmon, purple and teal. Like, all together. But that’s alright because I like quirky; I’m the girl who thinks peanut butter goes great with everything. Like hot dogs.

So I feel like I should probably go visit and get some Weird under my belt. I certainly know a lot of weird people out there … it shouldn’t matter that some of them haven’t seen me in 10 years, should it? They don’t know that the only reason I’m visiting is so I can see what the groovy band What Laura Says is up to these days.

I mean, I do know a little bit. I know that they’re a five-piece set from the Phoenix area, just a few years old. They self-released their first album Thinks and Feels in 2007 (re-released in 2008 after they signed up with Terpsikhore) and they opened for the Annuals on Valentine’s Day 2009. I bought a red WLS shirt to commemorate the day.

But I want to know more! I imagine they make up any excuse for a party. I bet they live in a 1970s split-level house and host sing-a-longs for their friends and family in the living room. Sometimes they take it outside, if the weather is exceptionally nice. Note that everybody in attendance sings really well and plays an instrument – tambourine, piano, guitar, cello, whatever. They welcome strangers and invite me to come in and clap during the song “Get Better Soon.” That’s my contribution, that’s my fantasy.

The reality is they’re releasing a new album this June and I just stumbled on a track. Here’s the song “Training” … a trippy jam from the approaching album, Bloom Cheek.

What Laura Says – “Training”

[audio:http://themuseinmusic.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/training.mp3]

You really should consider saying hello to them when they come to Denton in May. In my weird little head, they’re all very nice.