Quick, Before It Melts.

There's something to be said about efficient, sensible pop songs. They're usually sharp, to the point,and infinitely catchy.So,when I plucked Julie Ocean's Long Gone and Nearly There out of my mailbox the other day, and flipped the CD case over to examine the back, I figured I'd be in for a power pop pleasure trip, as the longest track of the 10 songs was 5:04, and the shortest clocking in at 1:36.

Julie Ocean are not a girl named Julie, but a full-fledged band featuring Jim Spellman, from 90s Sub Pop signing Velocity Girl. His roots, and those of band mates Terry Banks, Hunter Bennett , and Alex Daniels are rooted firmly in the 80s and 90s D.C. music scene they all had a hand in, coupled with a healthy dose of Beatles inspired 60s pop and 70s based melodies via The Jam and The Undertones (from whom the band takes its name).

As the summer sun approaches, and the temptation to drive at full speed with the top down becomes too hard to resist, Long Gone and Nearly There is the perfect soundtrack to get you from point A to point anywhere you want to go. So if you want to go for a ride in style, email me at contests at quick before it melts dot com for your chance to own your very own copy of Julie Ocean's debut. Contest closes Friday, May 23, 11:59 pm.