Love these guys. Funky punkpoprocks of fun, Flowers Forever is a band not afraid to - nay, they're eager to - rub up against those spots that scrape you into discomfort or stir up fair-to-middling irritability.

Surfing in the currents of the Conor Oberst family, Team Love, Flowers Forever is a side project of Omaha's Derek Presnall, who is perhaps better known from his utterly adorable group, Tilly and the Wall. It's an aside, but GO HERE to see a killer Sesame Street ABC's Video from Tilly. No, I'm not kidding. Cat's out of the bag, folks, I've always been a big Sesame Street fan. In my book, to get a gig on their show is one of the biggest honors acheivable. Ah, but back to the scoop on Flowers Forever.... Here's a little more background: Derek and Jamie of the lush and sunny Tilly and the Wall are married. They're also parents. So sweet. Derek is just about the nicest guy ever and it shone, brightly apparent, in the happy vibe and friendly demeanors of his Flowers Forever cohorts in the studio for Luxury Wafers.

The plump layers of goodness abound in Flowers Forever's live songs here. Zoinky keyboard sounds lace fun slinkiness throughout. The drums are right-on, deep and fat with a perfect heaviness of clunk. Presnall leads on guitar and unrestrained vocals. But while Beach Bum begets blissful, unobligated summer freedom, the others in the pack bear cool edges that range in topical abrasiveness, fittingly backed by grinding guitar and occasional metallic fringe. We chose the previously unrecorded Crypto-Homo for the video (below) for its raging, juicy frontal assault, not only musically rife, but also in-your-face with untouchable subject matter.

Flowers Forever - Crypto Homo - Luxury Wafers Sessions from Luxury Wafers on Vimeo.

Listen to the Exclusive Live Tracks (option/click to download):

Beach Bum [mp3]

Black Pope [mp3]

Wet Diamonds [mp3]

Check out a bunch of fun photos from Flowers Forever's Live Luxury Wafers Session HERE.

More Flowers Forever HERE.

Buy the album, Flowers Forever HERE.