HEAR THIS: Hills Like Elephants

The “80s were full of things we are not necessarily big fans of: huge hair, neon colors, enormous sleeves, and shoulder pads. Blech. But

the “80s did have a lot of redeemable qualities; namely, the danceable, upbeat, vibrant music that made movie-musicals like Footloose so popular. Well, hello there, Hills Like Elephants. This band, all San Diego natives, has managed to take the best aspects of “80s pop rock and morph it into a reincarnation of our favorite bands from that decade without sound jaded. Sting-reminiscent vocals meet Talking Heads-like guitar riffs with their own special twist. Their arrangements are well thought out. They

seamlessly insert intelligent build-ups and breakdowns, and on top of all that, they also have some pretty catchy hooks. Go ahead, listen. Transport yourself.