Describing a band as “ Band A sounds like Band B” isn’t ideal; it’s usually more effective to just describe how the music sounds. But in the case of Hoops, they are like “Real Estate meets DIIV” is pretty instructive. This Bloomington, Ind., trio writes beautifully laid-back pop songs that echo the gently rolling melodies of Real Estate, and they decorate them with the kind of hazy, downcast jangle that makes DIIV a joy. Hoops’ 2017 album Routines sounds like perfectly winsome indie-pop submerged in a dreamstate of digital doodads and lo-fi aesthetic—a formula that produces a bucket full of amiable earworms.
Hoops is…
Drew Auscherman
Keagan Beresford
Kevin Krauter
The Fat Angel Sings 