Braids, Pepper Rabbit

Just as the coldest, most unbearable part of winter grabbed their native Canada by the throat, Braids' Native Speaker (thankfully) popped up on the radar. Crystalline guitars cascaded everywhere, tiny tropical drums peeked out from the background and Raphaelle Standell-Preston's surging vocals held the whole thing together. It sounded like a beach party on the moon when snowstorms made it impossible to imagine life outside your little corner of the Arctic. And, for that, it deserves special praise.

Now that summer's almost over (shudder) and the cold looms closer, it's high time to be reminded that you can have your own spacey beach blowout any time you want, if you have the right help.

The similarly shimmering Bostonians in Pepper Rabbit open.