Being Dead came upon the scene in Austin, TX five years ago with their distinctly right-brain songcraft, mischievous humor, and implausibly great vocal harmonies. Even as they’ve graduated from curiosity to cult favorites, I’ve yet to encounter a single person who dislikes Being Dead. The garagey psychedelic outsider pop band should be considered in the same category as rainbows and finding $60 in the pocket of a winter coat: incontrovertibly lovable.

The duo of Falcon Bitch and Gumball – who both sing and swap duties on baritone guitar and drums – have been making strides toward world domy. Their debut EP, Fame Money Death by Drive By, proved a critical success, making several top records of 2019 lists and garnering a four-star review in the Austin Chronicle, they’ve played tastemaking festivals such as Levitation and SXSW, they’ve successfully deceived audiences by performing and releasing concept albums as an alter-ego band called Zero Percent APR, and, most recently, they’ve signed with Bayonet Records (Beach Fossils, Frankie Cosmos, Jerry Paper) to release a full-length album in spring 2023.

Being Dead is recommended if you like living your life.