Apparently it is merely a coincidence that Dealership's name contains the word Deal (as in Kelly and Kim) in it, despite the fact that the ex-Pixies/current Breeder are a major source of inspiration for the San-Francisco-based pop trio. Like the Deal twins, Dealership manages to produce well-crafted -- though in this case, admittedly cuddly -- songs despite a lack of technical prowess. In this sense, I find comparisons to Cub are also in order (shall we call it post-cuddlecore?); there's definitely a sense of punchy amateurism present on Secret American Living Room. On the other hand, Dealership's music is less aggressive than either Pixies/Breeders material or Cub. They're more like Imperial Teen in terms of pure aural equivalence, more poppy than punky. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of repressed anger beneath the shiny surface here -- the passive aggressive "Fallout" is a case in point -- but in general I think of Dealership as more of a warm blanket than a switchblade. High points: the opening track, "Jungle Gym", is a textbook pop song complete with hook, line and sinker. It builds from a perky little melody in the bass and climaxes with a catchy repeated chorus. I also love "Montserrat"; it may not be exactly what the Acadamie française is looking for but the campy French lyrics are ideal for this perfect pop ditty. I sincerely hope to hear more from Dealership. Let's hope the cold, oppressive world doesn't do them in!