I've had years of flack given to me by my metalhead and noise-lovin' friends for my weakness for sugary, '60s pop. Regardless of any new, edgy trends, bands like the Left Banke and Love are my bread and butter, and the Free Design and Brasil '66 are the jam atop that. I know I'm far from alone--many have a never-ending nostalgia for '60s pop, mainly because its sounds are linked with an era of changes and true idealism.

Well, here we are in 2005, and things have pretty much gone to shit: While the science of manufacturing Top 40 fluff is more focused than ever, most of today's pop is draped in sex, Botox, and new money--there are no real ideals to be spoken of. On the flipside of the coin, though, there's always a new wave of retro-thinking, DIY pop bands in the wings. Sometimes when you see these grinning, twee anachronisms, with their sweaters and jangly three-chord pop songs, its hard not to ask "What planet are they from?"

In the case of the Lucksmiths, they come from the planet of Australia. A band comprised of three earnest and seemingly polite young men, the Lucksmiths write songs about bikes, their feelings, their girlfriends... you get the picture. Culturally different than most musical representatives of their country, the Lucksmiths' sound is much closer to the '80s indie scene explosion in New Zealand.

I wanted to try and tie in my heavy handed social points with cleverly placed quotes from the Lucksmiths, getting their viewpoints on current affairs, the U.S., and the like. Perusing the band's website, it was all too easy to learn about important matters like the Lucksmith's favorite books, cuisines, and footballers; actually finding a way to chat with them was another story. In retrospect, I'm glad--maybe sometimes it's better to leave such purity untouched. And while you may not find me bobbing my head at the Lucksmiths' show, I'll probably be daydreaming to the Beach Boys instead--and what's the difference, really?