Band Blurb: M83

Even amidst so many new spring releases, I've had a difficult time finding new music to listen to lately. The one band that has particularly struck my fancy the last few weeks is the 80's inspired French indie pop outfit M83. I've been listening to their new album Saturdays = Youth, the most apropos of titles, and can't seem to get enough of them. I tend to like things that evoke a sense on nostalgia, and M83 surely accomplish that with their shiny, poppy harmonies and synth-full sound, somehow combining enough modernity with a taste of my childhood to satisfy me for hours on end. In my head, I've deemed them Sophia Coppola's new favorite band, as the soundtracks to her movies suggest that she's a fan of French pop and synth-pop music. M83's music, as well as some of her movies, carry a specific aesthetic of youthful hopefulness encapsulated in a complicated world of adolescent lust and awe. Though I'm glad to be past that point in my life, M83's music often exemplifies the most wondrous aspects of being young, and it's nice to have that sense of openness and opportunity, if only for a couple of minutes.