It’s pretty rare for me to share a band’s Facebook pre-set category fill-ins. But here are some of Picture Day’s:

BAND INTERESTS:

Sports ball
Day jobs
Weekends
Musics
Good Peoples
Beer

ARTISTS WE ALSO LIKE:

Via Dove, Old Lights, Grace Basement, Beth Bombara, Sleepy Kitty, the Art Majors, Redheaded Strangers, Incurables, Old Capital Square Dance Club, Jon Hardy, the Blind Eyes, Nee, the Breaks, Tok, Tight Pants Syndrome, Flaming Death Trap, Painbyrds

Clearly, what we here is a St. Louis, Missouri-based quartet of wise asses (not to be confused with a Colorado band that’s apparently also named Picture Day). And they’ve come along at a fortuitous moment. Not only have I been looking for someone else who loves Tight Pants Syndrome as I do. I’ve also been longing for music that can communicate its love of great, classic rock by playing it really, really well. “Classic rock?” you say, raising a quizzical eyebrow; glancing at your browser to make sure you’re still reading Punk Globe.

Well, Picture Day revels in fat power chords (here and there, and quite notably on the slightly REM-ish “Long Division”). It ends a great opener, “Madoline” (which seems as serious about the woman in question as Groucho Marx was about courting Margaret Dumont – a fun-loving approach that results in such fresh lyrics as, “You can run to the part of the stage that you call your home”) with the Beatles’ classic shift to a ringing minor chord. These are included in my idea of classic rock. And more about “Madoline” – it’s a bracing exponent of power pop that makes me want the Nerves to get along, so they can tour with Picture Day in support.

“Immaterial” sounds more like the ‘80s-‘90s, kind of a stripped-down twist on hair bands and synth pop that steals the best elements from both; with a bit of Pavement and Crowded House squished in, to boot – very nice.

“One of Us” - while another powerful spitball in the face of hair metal - is, relative to the other stuff on this EP, fairly meh.

The closer, “Happens Daily,” is a pile of well-timed guitar spokes and drum blasts, with the vocals playing tag between the two before bursting out on the choruses with the force of Weezer, or… get ready: the Raspberries!.

From what I can tell, Picture Day is much too good to be stuck in St. Louis, partly ‘cause I’m not there (for all I know, that city’s far superior to San Diego). And this EP’ (the band’s second) – is good enough for me to be already looking forward to whatever it does next – which says a LOT.

And the foursome’s Facebook tomfoolery made me LOL. Tonight (without going into detail – you’re welcome), that’s a gift.

www.picturedaystl.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/pictureday