Dressy Bessy

When indie-rock dorks talk about pop music, they're usually not talking about Destiny's Child or Britney, but about Beatlesque (or at least Guided by Voicesesque) guitar bands with tons of interesting chord changes, ba-ba-ba backup vocals, and production values that worship at the altar of Brian Wilson. They're more or less talking about Denver's Dressy Bessy.

Dressy Bessy fully embraces the sunny '60s pop that's made bands such as the Apples in Stereo (almost) famous. The similarities between the two groups stem in part from the fact that the bands share a member, guitarist John Hill -- but don't dismiss Dressy Bessy as a coattail-riding side project. With singer-guitarist Tammy Ealom's coolly sexy vocals, drummer Darren Albert's percussive ingenuity, and bassist Rob Greene's amazingly melodic McCartneyisms, every member more than pulls his or her own weight. Add in Ealom's consistent ability to create surprisingly perfect pop hooks, and you've got a band that would be making a name for itself no matter what scene spawned it. Dressy Bessy's latest release is the singles collection Sound Go Round. If not as absolutely flawless as 2001's "The California EP," it still boasts enough moments of pure pop bliss to put a smile on the most curmudgeonly faces.