Band of the Week: The A-B Theory

[March 2 - 8]

The A-B Theory
Sounds Like: Electronica / Pop
Drinking Buddies: PlayRadioPlay!, All About Max, The Postal Service

Synopsis: Perky pop music for your preferential pleasure.

Makes You Want To...: Sing; Dance; Use headphones.
[Myspace]

One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is The A-B Theory.


It's a fickle thing, pop music. What it is, well, that's anybody's guess; it changes constantly, in a fervently continuous state of evolution. What is known about it, is that it has a certain style - some strange additive somewhere between the bubbly melodies and carefree rhythms - a strange ability, that allows it to dive straight into the emotions of our heart and toy with our thoughts and feelings for some sort of internal effect on a massive scale. Or maybe, it just makes us dance. Who really can tell the intricacies of the genre are obviously more intelligent than I, but as music listeners, we're lucky to indulge in something so unique and musically intriguing.

Maybe Jesse Smith is one of these pop-geniuses? I wouldn't know, but one thing is for certain, and that is that The A-B Theory is a wonderfully eclectic outfit. The single man outfit of Jesse Smith, The A-B Theory, is a novel world of quirky electronica and indie-pop, out of the busy city of Dallas, Texas. Taking some sort of strange mix between Hellogoodbye and The Album Leaf, The A-B Theory brings an eclectic, steady style of electronic-based love songs to a sometime's labeled "cliché" genre.

But The A-B Theory, if we're comparing pop music to tasty treats, is not bubblegum nor cotton candy. It has a little more substance - something more filling - ice cream. His sound is creamy, smooth, and relaxed, with lots of conceptual meaning and vibrant imagery. Too foody of a description? Let's try it this way: The A-B Theory's sound is diligently crafted to bring a smile to your face and a tap to your foot through lighthearted, carefree, nearly natural notes played through the keyboard and sung through the microphone straight out of your speakers.

Maybe that was a bit too conceptual too. But Jesse Smith can be a conceptual guy if you let him off his leash. Off the leash, in fact, is exactly where The A-B Theory is right now, as Smith bussies himself with his upcoming album, entitled House. And as it seems, Jesse Smith is blending the creative minds of The A-B Theory with the wildly quirky mind of Dan Hunter and PlayRadioPlay! for this latest release. With aid from PlayRadioPlay, The A-B Theory is seeking a less polished pop than he persued before. Interesting changes for an interesting outfit.

Sure, The A-B Theory is busy crafting a new album, but what does that mean for us humble listeners? Well, it means we have to do our homework. The first assignment is to indulge in The A-B Theory's premier album, Illusions, which is available at iTunes, Amazon.com, and other fine online retailers. Then, you can drop a hello at The A-B Theory's Myspace, and check out tons of his songs from Illusions for your streaming indulgence. Finally, there's a neat interview of Jesse Smith by Alternative Press, which you can read right here.

Your homework is due by the time House is released. And don't forget to study your lyrics from Illusions for the test. Keep your ears to the speakers, reader. And have a nice week!