Totally Nebular Aims For Animal Collective Heights, Lands at Sweat Records In-Store on Thursday

It gives us hope when bands from the all-ages circuit try for something other than faux death metal and helium-powered pop-rock. That's why we're stoked on Totally Nebular, a local three-piece that met three years ago in high school but bonded over a love of electronic-tinged psychedelia rather than Warped Tour angst.

On the band's self-released debut disc, Boat Boat, the trio of Eddie, Weston, and Gabriel have clearly taken a few pages from the book of Merriweather Post Pavilion-era Animal Collective. Nature samples and soaring choruses meet over washes of synth and tinny beats, for a vaguely shamanistic, back-to-the-woods vibe. Vocals, too, all feature that sort of far-away, Beach Boys-under-water quality perfected by AnCo's Avey Tare and friends.

Live, though, Totally Nebular goes for a slightly more challenging performance, adding a heavy dose of electronic experimentation and removing most typical pop structures. Crossfade contributor Alex Rendon went to see the band play at Radio-Active Records in Fort Lauderdale this past January. "The trio's set did follow many cues from Animal Collective's cerebral whirl. But believe it or not," he wrote, "Totally Nebular's take proved to be 10 times more chaotic than the most chaotic moments of the elder group's work."

While the band works out its future musical direction, though, this act is definitely one to watch. However, your last chance to do so is tomorrow night, because the youngins are moving away. We heartily co-sign on their in-store at Sweat Records tomorrow night, Thursday, June 3, which is free.

Totally Nebular, with Flower Flower, Swan Spells, and Anteaters. 8 p.m. Thursday, June 3. Sweat Records, 5505 NE 2nd Ave., Miami. Admission is free. 786-693-9309; sweatrecordsmiami.com