I have only worn a tuxedo one time in my life, for my best friend’s wedding. Yet when I heard the outstanding line-up for the Indie Pop Winter Formal, presented by our friends Cool Dad Music and Sniffling Indie Kids, I knew I would be tempted to don a penguin suit again for The Saint in Asbury Park Friday night. Paper Streets, YJY, Dentist and dollys are some of the very best indie pop bands in New Jersey today. So did I get into a tux? Well, not quite. Alice wore a nice dress and I wore, yes, a powder blue tuxedo t-shirt.

Paper Streets opened the show and were amazing. I am a big fan of their sound which touches on some of my alternative favorites of the 80s like The Smiths and New Order. They played songs off their excellent EP Souvenirs, one of our favorite records of 2015. They also played new songs which were so good we can’t wait to see what’s next for this band.

One of the bands that I thought had major buzz in 2015 and the talent to back it up were YJY. I wrote in my review of their stellar 2015 EP Couch Surfin USA that the band are on the verge of something big. Their songs are infectious as hell and their stage presence just screams fun. As if they aren’t cool enough they finished the set with one of Alice’s favorite 90s tunes, Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta”.

Hometown Asbury Park band Dentist were really impressive. Their surf, pop-punk sound is very modern and fresh and was a big hit with the large crowd. The now 4 piece band have a new record coming out in the Spring on Little Dickman Records and we are excited to see how the band follows up their 2014 self-titled debut.

I don’t know what else I can say about how awesome dollys are that I haven’t written already. We were fortunate enough to see them twice this week. We caught them last Sunday at the Old Mogul Theatre in Montclair. On this night they were brilliant as ever. Their Oh, Please was easily one of our favorite records of 2015. Not just of New Jersey artists. Overall. They could have played all night and it would have been fine.

Oh and this happened. If you know Alice and I you know Cool Dad captured us perfectly.

A wonderful night with one of the best line-ups I have seen in a very long time. Maybe next year I’ll wear the real tux.

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