The Perfect Vessels' photostream

Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee, The Perfect Vessels consists of brothers Graham and Justin Fox Burks and their lifelong friend David Bell. The three veterans of the local music scene formed the band in early 2008 after several late nights of unstructured noise experiments in their backyard shed. Soon after, the trio were learning each other’s compositions and writing new songs together. The sound that emerged is based on guitar-driven indie rock with an emphasis on vocal harmonies, experimental arrangements, and ambient atmosphere, yielding a psychedelic pop with punk rock force.

In 2010, after a few years of live shows in Memphis, the band began recording their first album, "Name Our Own Stars," released on Makeshift Music. They were thrilled to have the opportunity to record with Doug Easley at the legendary Easley McCain Recording in Memphis, the home of monumental works by some of the band’s greatest influences such as Guided by Voices, Pavement, Sonic Youth, and Wilco. Several friends stepped forward to be a part of the album as well, including Tim Regan (Oh No Oh My, Snowglobe), Jason Paxton (Glorie, The Bloodthirsty Lovers), Aaron Brame (Hometown Nobodies, Halfacre Gunroom), and Jimmy Sanford (Small Room, Double Shovel).

The Perfect Vessels' origins can be traced back to their days as neighborhood kids when David Bell skateboarded over to Graham and Justin Burks’s house and picked up a bass; they began banging out sounds they first heard on their collection of seven-inch records. The three became involved in Memphis's thriving punk and all-ages scene and regular performers at the famed Antenna Club. The music they continue to make today is informed by influences spanning genres but has not strayed far from these roots. The band features Graham Burks (Pezz, Small Room) and David Bell (Recoil) sharing vocals, guitar, and bass, and Justin Fox Burks (Halfacre Gunroom, Hometown Nobodies) on drums.

"Name Our Own Stars" is available nationally February 1, 2011, on Makeshift Music. The Perfect Vessels continue to play selected dates in the United States and plan more expansive touring in support of the album throughout 2011.