Do you have your summer jam yet? Not yet? May I put forward for your consideration, Roman Ruins, a song I’m utterly in love with, as of 10 hours ago. It’s the A-side to LA-based Line & Circle’s new 7-inch, which just came out July 10. The song came on during John Richard’s set this morning on KEXP and for me, prone to crushes, I’m gonna say it, instant love. I love how John summed it up–it’s a song that takes you back to your youth. The opening guitar riff has echoes of Joy Division’s “Ceremony”. On repeated listens, I feel like the song could have been lifted from one of my all-time favorite albums of B-sides by REM — Dead Letter Office — but not in a derivative or annoying way. I don’t dole out REM comparisons lightly, either. Brian Cohen, lead singer of Line & Circle has a buzzy, Michael Stipe-like sadness that at times ventures into into emotional territory occupied only by rare talents like Matt Berninger of The National. I guess Michael Stipe, Matt Berninger and Brian Cohen all have a mumbly thing going on at times, but there is nothing remotely feathery about this band, and I like that. I get somewhat fatigued by lo-fi and stripped-down music after a while. So if you’re into rock and roll sung by an emotionally vulnerable lead, I’m guessing you’ll be into Line & Circle. Check out Cohen’s wailing on the B-side, a song called “Carelessness”. I can’t help thinking of Morrissey’s vocal stylings on “Every Day is Like Sunday.” Did I already say I’m starting to fall in love a little bit? I just can’t get over how many influences I’m hearing. The band’s facebook says their influences include Erik Satie and Grace Kelley. Awesome. Going to be listening for the full-length from these guys. Read more about them on the cool music station blog of LA, KCRW.