The vintage home-movie vibe of the new video for “Are We Saying Goodbye” is a perfect fit for the song and its languid mix of synths and strings. The arching, emotional tune is from Kan Wakan’s debut album “Moving On,” released in April. Filmed and directed by and starring Matt Helders (the Arctic Monkeys drummer) […]
The elegant folk- and soul-tinged dream-pop of Some Go Haunting is the work of Aria Pullman and Jason Rivera, who after releasing an EP in 2012, elevated their profile this summer with the release of the painterly single “House of Arcadia.” The new song “Me & You” – from the forthcoming full-length “Wandering Souls” – earned them […]
Tennis’ lightweight indie-pop has grown up big and strong (well, bigger and stronger) with “Ritual in Repeat,” the third album from husband-and-wife duo of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, aided by drummer James Barone. The band collaborated with three well-known producers on the record, Jim Eno of Spoon, Patrick Carney of the Black Keys and […]
Indie-rock quintet StaG clawed its way into L.A.’s consciousness this spring with the release of their ambitious, cinematic full-length “Difference.” Since then, the band – singer-keyboardist Matt McGuire, singer-guitarist Will Walden, guitarist Matt Hamper, bassist Anton Krueger and drummer Casey Baird – have proved they back it up live and embarked on working on new music. There’s […]
Long Beach’s Steve Krolikowski has been making music as Repeater for almost a decade, embracing the mostly Anglophile strains of post-punk, new wave and alt-rock. Last year Repeater released an EP of older recordings that Krolikowski said represented a turning of the page, and now Repeater is back, sounding invigorated, with a new lineup and […]
Chicago native Greta Morgan was a touring musician at age 16, and by the time she was 20 her band the Hush Sound had released three-full-lengths. Born Greta Salpeter, she segued to Gold Motel after relocating to L.A., but now she has found a distinct voice as Springtime Carnivore. The album bearing that name, “Springtime […]
Side projects are often just for fun, but Australia’s supergroup Pond – which includes members of Tame Impala, Mink Mussel Creek and Allbrook/Avery – have churned out some excellent music during their time together. Not to be confused with the Pond from Portland, Ore., that released music on Sub Pop in the ’90s, the Perth, […]
Arrica Rose has the vocal gravitas to inhabit any number of personas – rocker grrrl, pop diva, folk storyteller, indie confessionalist. The L.A.-based singer-songwriter displays much of that range on the new Arrica Rose & the …’s album “Wavefunction” (out Nov. 4 via pOprOck Records). The album, the follow-up to 2013’s “Lucky” EP, exhibits a striking […]
Francisco the Man’s “Loose Ends” (out next week via Fat Possum/Small Plates) is quite possibly the longest-incubating debut album in recent memory – after all, singer-guitarist Scotty Cantino and gang have knocked around southern California for at least six years, watching bands and styles of facial hair come and go, sticking resolutely to the notion […]
Echo Park trio Criminal Hygiene continue to play rowdies on the road, but it doesn’t mean they haven’t had to clean up their act as well as their sound. Compared to the scuzzy “Blak Water” the band released back in 2012, Michael Fiore, Michael Hiller and Sean Erickson are delivering tunes featuring more refined production with […]
