Last night's Pas/Cal show was magical, but the surprise treat of the evening was New York's Asobi Seksu, who left the whole Burnlab/Dorkwave gang stunned. (We all must have been under a rock!) Noisy and melodic. Harsh and beautiful. Be sure to check them out live if you can.

Asobi Seksu, like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine before them, are evolving and redefining what noise means within the model of pop songwriting. The band melds lush yet wonderfully crushing waves of white noise in variation with synth-driven pop delicacies and tight lounge progressions ala Stereolab. The quartet's melting-pot aesthetics also include narratives sung in combinations of English and Japanese.

Special thanks to Panic, Burgundy and the kids for a great night! (That is up until some crackhead backed into my car at the Coney Island drive-thru. Knowing when to call it a night: priceless.)