Casting Spells

The music duo Magic Wands got together in 2008 from the gifting of a magic wand from singer guitarist Chris Valentine to singer guitarist Dexy Valentine while the two were living on opposite sides of the country. Dexy relocated from Los Angeles, CA to Nashville, TN where the two began to write music together. The bands first EP titled Magic Love & Dreams was released in late 2008, and their debut album Aloha Moon is set for release on April 24, 2012.

This album can best be described as dreamy shoegaze pop, or Lovewave, which is the term that the band has dubbed their sound. The vocals are bewitchingly beautiful,  sensual, and smooth, while the music is almost ethereal sounding. Several different influences come to mind while listening to this album including bands like Goldfrapp, Blondie, My Bloody Valentine, and the Cocteau Twins. The album opens with the title track, which is dreamy and delicate sounding. “Black Magic” is an edgy and melodic song that was featured on the television shows Gossip Girl & The Vampire Diaries. The track “Teenage Love” was the song that actually started the band when Chris Valentine found a copy of it on Dexy’s Myspace page – it’s lovely, catchy and fun. This whole album is honestly quite refreshing to listen to; it’s energetic, creative and captivating. The band is definitely unique, both lyrically and stylistically.

I would recommend this album to anyone looking for fresh new music, fans of shoegaze, indie, dream pop, and sublime music. Magic Wands are destined for big things.