PINBACK

Some say that variety is the spice of life, but the same could be said for music. San Diego duo Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow of Pinback have taken that adage to heart with their rotating lineup of guest musicians. Pinback first began in 1998 when Smith and Crow both had some downtime from their other projects ­ Smith’s 3 Mile Pilot and Crow’s Thingy and Heavy Vegetable. This side project eventually led to a self-titled debut released on Ace Fu Records in 1999.

As the band’s popularity grew, so did the band. They released another full length on Ace Fu called Blue Screen Life, an EP on Tree Records called Some Voices, and an EP on Absolutely Kosher called Offcell. Soon the band got picked up by Touch and Go to release their current buzz album, Summer in Abaddon. The album swirls together subtle vocal melodies that glide up and down and music that springs back and forth between dark and melancholy to light and upbeat.