Thank God For Astronauts

It's been a few years since their debut 7", but this two song single shows that the band are still on track as one of Denver's finest indie rock groups. The sound here is a little more rocking than the last single (especially in the b-side, "18 Seismic Waves"), but the songs are still very melodic and well-written. And the packaging for the single is almost as good as the debut 7" (though there are fewer inserts). I do hope there's a full length album planned for the near future! - Indie Pages

Touring behind a pair of stellar records, TGAF has been wowing the indie press in every town for good reason: It hits that rare, sweet spot between the sugary obviousness of most power-pop and indieland's obfuscation. Which is to say the group knocks out tunes you can hum without risk to your gray matter, and after the show, your less-discriminating friends will be lining up for merch just as quickly as you are. - The Pitch, KC MO.

Best Friends Records scores yet another hit with this 7 inch release Take It Tough by Thank God For Astronauts. I'd never heard of the band before, but their brand of crunchy powerpop is really infectious. Though you can even dance to this stuff, the songs have such a strong, memorable structure and backbone that are testament to their ability as songwriters. I thought I caught a slight retro indie pop sound to the two tunes on this record... somehow, they manage to sound like a cross between Heatmiser (Neil Gust's songs), early Sebadoh (Barlow's songs), Fountains of Wayne, maybe a little Superchunk. Add clever lyrics to boot ("You'll never see my tombstones memories" and "The centrifuge is speedy / don't you wash me out") and you've got a recipe for a really winning combination of pop smarts and true indie hearts. - Shmat Records Review

The new TGFA seven-inch record, Take It Tough, was produced at Uneven Studio, and it sounds even better than the band's first, eponymous four-song EP recorded last year by Chris McDuffie of the Apples. The single's title track is a short, sharp pulse of classic pop undulating with reverb and sweet, shaky vocals. The guitars scratch and snarl under fuzzy puffs of melody, recalling everything from the Modern Lovers to the Undertones to Crooked Rain-era Pavement. Jones's bass line tickles the ear like a wayward echo of some long-lost Go-Go's song, propelling the whole thing from stratospheric to interstellar. - The Westword