Pitchfork

The first time I heard This Is Ivy League (back when they were known as just Ivy League), I assumed they were from Sweden, where this brand of sophisticated, historically-minded twee pop apparently bubbles up from underground springs. I was wrong, of course. The duo-- Ryland Blackinton and Alex Suarez-- actually hail from Brooklyn, and they recorded their self-titled fell-length debut in their own borough apartments. "The Richest Kids", the album's opening track, portrays them still cutting their teeth career-wise: "Oh we've been working, we've been paying our dues," they sing over dreamy backing vocals, crisp guitar licks, and a distant tambourine. "We've got dirt on our hands and holes in our shoes." Yet their tender Chad & Jeremy melodies and polished harmonies sound pretty professional, as if they've been at this for years. [Edit: Huh, apparently these guys are also in Cobra Starship of "Bring It (Snakes on a Plane)" notoriety, among other things. Not caring at all about arena-emo bands on Pete Wentz's label, we didn't snap to attention at the names Ryland Blackinton and Alex Suarez. And the Ivy League weren't in a rush to mention it anywhere either.]

MP3:> This is the Ivy League: "The Richest Kids"
[from This Is the Ivy League; out now on Twentyseven]