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The Los Angeles-based quartet Great Northern creates a shimmering hybrid of alternative rock and textured dream pop. The heart of the band is singer/songwriter Solon Bixler, who was raised in a classical music environment as the son of a composer and conductor. His first introduction to the music business, however, was a stint as the guitarist for 30 Seconds to Mars from 2000 to 2003, followed by a short period in the Grandaddy-influenced psych pop outfit Earlimart. After writing and recording a series of demos while on the road with the latter band, Bixler solicited lyrics and vocals from his friend Rachel Stolte, a singer, keyboardist, and occasional actress who had formerly been lead singer of the late-'90s post-hardcore outfit Whirlpool. After recruiting drummer Davey Latter (who had played with Bixler in Earlimart) and bassist Ashley Dzerigian (following an abortive stint with the Silversun Pickups' Brian Aubert on bass) to complete the lineup, Great Northern began gigging around...