Mates of State

I was in my kitchen the other day with my tv on in the background, and I was nearly floored when I heard a song I'd never imagine coming out of my tube. My first thought was, "Wait, I know this song." My second thought was, "No, that's impossible. There's no way they'd be on tv." But I then looked up and saw them. Mates of State in an AT&T commercial! Not only were they on tv, they were playing a clip from my personal favorite song "For The Actor" (which was not even a single) from their 2006 album Bring It Back. And most of you are probably asking yourselves, Mates of Who? Exactly.

Now I usually dont get this excited over a lame tv spot, but Mates of State are the exception. They're an indie-pop wife and husband duo where the girl plays the keyboard while the the dude plays the drums. But don't let their lack of instruments fool you. They manage to craft the most intricate vocal harmonies, tempo changes, and melodic textures into every one of their songs. It's one of those bands that makes you hate music because they are so good but haven't received the mainstream exposure or success that they deserve. Hopefully that'll change!

Here's a video clip of them in studio recording one of their songs "Ha Ha":