Avi Buffalo, or Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg to his mum, formed a band with three friends from his high school in Long Beach, California. That was three years ago, and their sun-bleached, jangly, trippy folk-rock has been slowly creeping into British hearts. Success came knocking when Zahnher-Isenberg put up one of their songs (with vocals recorded on his computer’s mic) on MySpace, and musician and producer Aaron Embry got in touch. Embry (who has toured with bittersweet Portland balladeer, Elliott Smith and Jane’s Addiction) recorded Avi Buffalo’s first album in a studio in his house.

The band have since signed to Seattle label, Sub Pop, and played their first dates in the UK, including a very humble/excited performance at the ATP festival in May, after Pavement asked them along. How best to describe the sound of their self-titled debut album: swoony, summery, timeless? Lush, a bit hippy, full of lovesick innocence, and some messy teen lust and classroom angst? They have only just finished high school, after all. One for fans of The Shins and Sparklehorse.