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TV Girl

I’ve been a huge fan of San Diego’s TV Girl ever since I stumbled upon their self-titled EP on their Bandcamp page back in 2010. Their blend of electo-indie-tropical-surf-lo-fi pop music is very addictive, like eating potato chips, you can’t just listen to one song.

They are realeasing their new EP Lonely Women today. It’s so damn good. It’s been on repeat almost non-stop since they sent it to me. You can sample their coolness below on “She Smokes In Bed”. The driving beat of this song is sure to get your head bobbing up and down. You can buy the new EP digitally or on cassette at their Bandcamp page, I suggest that you do, it may become your favorite release of the summer. Enjoy!

TV Girl – She Smokes In Bed from Lonely Women EP (2013)

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Glenn Jones

I’ve been sick with some damn virus for the past week. I’ve tried all kinds of things to get better, and so far I’m still feeling pretty lousy. Thank goodness for Glenn Jones’ new album on Thrill Jockey, My Garden State. This chilled-out, timeless guitar album has been just the medicine to get me through the long days of couch surfing and feeling like trash. Standout track “Across the Tappan Zee” (below) shows Glenn’s skills on the Banjo, along with Laura Baird’s banjo skills as well. I love this song and can’t get enough of it. Check it out. I hope you dig it as much as I do. Enjoy.

Glenn Jones – Across The Tappan Zee from My Garden State (2013)

Thrill Jockey

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Keaton Henson

I had no idea who Keaton Henson was two days ago, until I received a text from my cousin Ben, “Holy shit man, I am getting my world rocked right now by Keaton Henson’s album Birthdays. I feel like I am not worthy enough to listen to this singer-songwriter, and I am guaranteed to go to Hell, if there is such a place, because I am just learning about him. It’s the most simple but elegant music, with some of the best lyrics I have heard in a long time.”

After reading Ben’s text, I jumped on Spotify and listened to Birthdays for myself. It is just how Ben described, “…the most simple but elegant music…”. Check out “You” (below), one of the standout tracks from the album. The song consists mostly of 24 year old Henson’s soft, but powerful voice, accompanied mostly by guitar, with a few more stringed instruments sprinkled throughout. Birthdays was released by Anti at the beginning of April. It’s an intense album. I highly recommend it. Thanks for the tip Ben.

Keaton Henson – You from Birthdays (2013)

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Peoples Temple

It’s probably obvious from most of my posts this year that I have been smitten by the resurgence of 60’s style garage and psych rock. Michigan’s own Peoples Temple (or The Peoples Temple) are no exception. Sounding like they traveled through time to the 21st century after wrapping up a summer tour in 1967 with Love. Peoples Temple recently released their second full length album, More For The Masses, with Hozac Records. We have two songs for your listening pleasure below, “Looter’s Game” and “Loose (Fire)”, both from their new album and both killer examples of their psyched out sound. Get comfortable and give these songs a listen. Enjoy.

Peoples Temple – Looters Game from More For The Masses (2012)

Peoples Temple – Loose (Fire) from More For The Masses (2012)

Peoples Temple

Hozac

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Mac DeMarco

Here is another great find from the Captured Tracks label, Mac DeMarco. Mac is out of Vancouver, British Colombia. He just released his first proper full length album, 2, back in October, and a 12 song EP called Rock and Roll Night Club earlier this spring. 2 is an excellent album, and I highly recommend it. The streaming track below, “My Kind of Woman”, from the album 2, with it’s jangly guitar and almost soft-spoken vocal delivery, is a great example of the entire album’s sound. Enjoy.

Mac DeMarco

Captured Tracks

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The Limiñanas

The Limiñanas | Crystal Anis | 3hive.com

The psychedelic/pop revival continues on with The Limiñanas. This French pop duo, consisting of Marie Limiñana on drums, and Lio Limiñana playing pretty much everything else, including vocal duties (other vocals provided by guests), have their genre pegged. Wearing their Gainsbourg, Velvet Underground, and any of the ye-ye girls of the 60’s influences on their sleeves, they also sound like what I think Stereolab would’ve sounded like had they been around in the 60’s.

The Limiñanas latest album, Crystal Anis, out now on the great Hozac Records, is pop perfection. The hardest part about writing this post was deciding which of the 11 songs to share. For your listening/downloading pleasure, (below) we have the straight forward, fuzzy, and over-before-you-know-it “AF3458”, and the sing-talking, Hammond and bass driven title track “Crystal Anis”. The more I listen to these, the higher this album moves up my favorites of the year list. Give these songs a spin. I know you will enjoy them.

The Limiñanas – AF3458 from Crystal Anis (2012)

The Limiñanas – Crystal Anis from Crystal Anis (2012)

Hozac

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Y La Bamba

I learned of Portland, OR band Y La Bamba late one night while scrolling through the twitter feed and saw @NekoCase tweet the following:

This was a recommendation I could not pass up. I logged onto Spotify that night and listened to their newest album Court The Storm. I was instantly captivated by singer Luzelena Mendoza’s haunting vocals, which held onto me until the album finished some 46 minutes later.

Court The Storm‘s songs are flavored with latin-inspired rhythms and melodies that work wonderfully with Mendoza’s vocals. The band’s label, Tender Loving Empire, set me up with the two songs below, opening track “Squawk” and track #2 “Bendito”. Both songs are fantastic, and a great preview to how cool this album is. I highly recommend it.

Y La Bamba – Squawk from Court The Storm (2012)

Y La Bamba – Bendito from Court The Storm (2012)

Y La Bamba

Tender Loving Empire

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Love Inks

It’s a Wednesday night, we are 4 days away from 2012 and the end of the world, my wife and kids are playing Rock Band in the background and I am searching through all the music that I’ve acquired this year trying to find any hidden gems that didn’t get enough attention when originally purchased. One of those gems is Austin, Texas 3-piece band Love Inks. They describe their sound as “minimalist dream-pop”, using just an electric guitar, bass guitar, and a drum machine, along with the simple, yet satisfying vocals of Sherry LeBlanc.

The songs below are great examples of their minimalist ways. While Love Inks isn’t the most musically or lyrically complicated band out there, their brand of pop music grabs hold of you, and before you know it you’re nodding your head and have listened to these songs several times and you don’t know where the last hour of your life went.

Love Inks – Blackeye from E.S.P (2011)

Love Inks – Leather Glove from E.S.P (2011)

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Troubadour Dali

Troubadour Dali | Let's Make It Right | 3hive.com
Troubadour Dali | Let's Make It Right | 3hive.com

Troubadour Dali are out of St. Louis, MO. On their Facebook page they call their genre “a rhythm and groove pop hypnodeathjam explosion”. That’s a pretty good description. They released their second album Let’s Make It Right back in August. The album was recorded all over St. Louis, including apartments, and fallout shelters.

Thirty seconds into “Pale Glow” and I new that this was a band that I needed to hear more of. The smooth, haunting vocal harmonies mixed with the chug of layered guitars and percussion drew me right in, and I can’t get enough of it. “Ducks In A Row” is a little bit more upbeat musically, but still has the haunting vocals like in “Pale Glow”. Go buy this album.

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Mariachi El Bronx

Mariachi El Bronx is the alter ego of punk band The Bronx. It all started when they were asked to play an acoustic set. Instead of stripping down their music, they decided to take it in a new direction, by exploring and adding Latin sounds.

I would normally try and describe the music to you, but I will be the first to admit, I don’t know anything about mariachi music. And rather than faking it, I will let the music speak for itself. Please enjoy.

Mariachi El Bronx – 48 Roses