The Record Exchange is pleased as punch to welcome intern Matt Jones to our handsome family for a summer of back-breaking labor (clean basement, here we come!) and idle busy work.

When he’s not fetching us coffee, Matt, a business/marketing major at Boise State, will be learning the finer points of record store marketing and promotions. His first task was helping us sell records by extolling the virtues of the fine and dandy Barsuk debut from Pearly Gate Music, Matt’s Staff Pick of the Week:

Barsuk Records has a history of exciting releases from the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Nada Surf, Menomena and Rilo Kiley to name a few. They also know how to select great under-the-radar acts, usually from the Seattle area, who have that infectious Northwest sound. Pearly Gate Music is yet another group adding to Barsuk’s constant appeal.

Pearly Gate Music, better known as Zach Tillman, uses his extraordinary, smooth voice alongside great instrumentation. Tillman’s self-titled debut album, released in May, is currently a Record Exchange Listening Station pick. The songs are fairly simple, yet full of vivid storytelling. Amidst the folk vibe, sudden pop outbursts are found in tracks like “Big Escape,” “Oh, What a Time!,” and “Bad Nostalgia.” If you’re looking for a stripped down, acoustic album packed with beautiful melodies while exploring themes like religion, carelessness and the great outdoors, this is your pick.