God TV

A mesmerizing swath of richly textured instrumental pop, oklahoma musician and Inner State Studio head honcho Casey Friedman, performing under the moniker God TV, has unleashed "Surfing The Remote Controls," a 10-track excursion through candy-coated psychedelia and trippy, theatrical soundscapes. Cuts like the darkly gorgeous "Grandpa," the Brian Eno-influenced "Smooth As A ..." and the affecting "Sayonara Means Goodbye" place this release on the short list of the year's best. Assisted by keyboardist Derek Brown and guitarists Joe Wilkie, Ben Kennedy and Matt Neighbors, Friedman, who composed and performed the bulk of "Surfing," is not only doing his part to bolster the local scene; he's also adding much to it musically. Track this disc down by any means necessary. Visit innerstatestudio.com for more information. - Preston Jones