This week’s best releases are all from bands who have all been around the block at least once. Sleigh Bells, fun., Frankie Rose, and Princeton are all releasing the dangerous, all-important sophomore album, while Grimes and Jonquil are proving their stamina with album number three. Sonically, the albums are all across the board and totally unique, but they do manage to have one thing in common: a strong, progressive point of view that manages to push the envelope yet maintain the magic of previous work.

Last week fun. (@ournameisfun) graced the world with an early stream of their second LP Some Nights, but the album officially drops today. Some Nights sees the band taking a slight departure from the more traditional indie-pop roots they showcased on debut Aim & Ignite, as there is a decidedly evident hip hop influence (and an unfortunate amount of unnecessary auto-tune). However, true fun. fans will recognize the quirky, clever lyrics and unique melodies (sung ever so expertly by vocalist Nate Ruess) that have made fun. such an awesome band from the beginning.

Sleigh Bells (@sleighbells) skyrocketed towards relevancy quickly following the release of their debut album Treats in 2010. With their new effort, Reign of Terror, they have decided to stick to the same formula — sweet female vocals and jarring electric guitar over hardcore hip hop beats. There are subtle differences between album one and two, most notably Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss’s new exploration of a slightly darker, more atmospheric approach. For the most part, though, Reign of Terror is a natural progression of Sleigh Bells’ sound. When something works, don’t mess with it.

Oblivion – Grimes // Buy

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Genesis – Grimes // Buy

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Claire Boucher is only 23, but under the Grimes (@grimezsz) moniker she’s already released 2 full-length albums and an EP. Today marks the release of her latest and best album to date. Visions is a clearly focused record that makes good use of Boucher’s obvious expertise in the studio. More than just the Grimes signature of cutesy vocal loops placed over percussive electronic elements, Boucher uses her technical talent to create a moving texture, put in place well after the instrumental tracks were laid down. The songs here make up an extremely cohesive record that is ethereal and mysterious, but also interesting and accessible.

Know Me – Frankie Rose // Buy

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If there’s anyone who knows about girl group garage pop, it’s Frankie Rose (@missfrankierose). With stints in bands like Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Crystal Stilts, and her own Frankie Rose And The Outs, she certainly knows what she’s doing when it comes to 1960s influenced fuzzy guitars. However, her new record, Interstellar, leaves behind the expected motifs often associated with her signature genre in favor of something more dreamlike. Sure to open up a new territory for an artist who is bound to be around for a while, Interstellar is a confident album of big ideas and sounds more massive than anything Rose has previously released.

Remembrance of Things to Come – Princeton // Buy

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A common occurrence on sophomore albums, Princeton’s (@princetonmusic) second LP is more creative, more ambitious, and less conventional than their debut. While Cocoon of Love relied on traditional guitar rhythms and established song structures, Remembrance Of Things To Come is more orchestral and explores other musical genres in addition to the band’s sweet spot of laid-back California indie rock. Minimalism, dance-inspired songs, and layered strings all characterize this excellent release.

UK-based Jonquil (@jonquilband) have previously released two albums together, but their latest, Point Of Go, will be unique in many ways. Previously a 6-piece band, Jonquil has dwindled down to four members, and Point Of Go also employs much more sophisticated recording techniques. While most of Jonquil’s older material was recorded in bedrooms and DIY studios, Point Of Go got the full professional studio treatment. These new changes may serve to broaden the band’s audience — all of the members say that the songs here are more mainstream than anything they’ve released before.

It’s a pretty glorious week for indie music here in New York City with Sharon Van Etten, Islands, Small Black, Prince Rama and more all rocking it hard at venues across town.  What better way to celebrate the fact that we didn’t have Continue Reading

After briefly sharing their debut record, Skeptic Goodbye, with the world this past summer, Boston’s You Won’t (@youwontmusic) decided to remove all but one song from their Bandcamp page and look for a partner to help unleash the album. Continue Reading

For the last two weeks or so, I’ve been on a bender when it comes to my music consumption. It’s really been a non-stop Kishi Bashi (@kishi_bashi) listening affair since the moment his new album 151a landed in my inbox. Kishi Bashi is the one-man band of Seattle native K Ishibashi who originally found popularity with his band Jupiter One (their song “Countdown” I remember personally because it was in Madden ’08). In addition to his Kishi Bashi material, Ishibashi is a member of Athens, Georgia based band of Montreal, and has spent time as a touring violinist for Regina Spektor and Sondre Lerche. Continue Reading

Having just released a new 7” Here Now, Sean Bones (@indianabones) is poised to do very extremely well in 2012. The title track, available for free download above, is armed with unassuming energy and a buoyant, lighthearted mesh of piano and acoustic guitar. Backed by Garret Ray and Lewis Pesacov from Fools Gold, the song is a series Continue Reading

With the release of their sophomore LP Some Nights just a week away, Nate Ruess, Jack Antonoff, and Andrew Dost, known together as fun. (@ournameisfun), are about as ready as any “indie” band out there for mainstream success — not that this is any surprise considering their first single ”We Are Young” featuring Janelle Monáe has been featured on Glee, Chuck, the WWE Slammy Awards, and Chevy’s Super Bowl commercial. For those of you that have been following lead singer Nate Ruess since his days in The Format, expect Some Nights to combine the theatrical quirks of Interventions + Lullabies/Dog Problems and the pop focus of Aim and Ignite with an injection of hip hop influences (courtesy of Kanye/Beyonce/Bruno Mars/Drake producer Jeff Bhasker). Continue Reading

Love is in the air, and so is good music. This week’s releases are all a bit retro-inspired, some leaning more toward the psych-rock side of the spectrum (You Won’t, Field Music) and some on the lighter, poppier side (Islands, Tennis, Lucius). Whatever your flavour, this week’s top releases won’t disappoint — so instead of the cliché’ chocolates and flowers, get your sweetheart some sweet music for Valentine’s Day.

For those of you who are already familiar with You Won’t (@youwontmusic), there may be a feeling of déjà-vu surrounding the release of their album Skeptic Goodbye – that’s because it was originally a self-release by the band, but was picked up by Old Flame Records for re-release. We listened to it, we reviewed it, and we loved it. If you’ve already heard Skeptic Goodbye, get reacquainted, and if you haven’t, today’s the day to fall in love with this truly unique throwback album. Continue Reading

Life-long musician and Orange County native, Luke Messimer, was raised in an atmosphere of highly musical influences. Audiophile parents, along with the local church music scene and persistent jam sessions with friends, all helped shape the guy behind the young project known as Northern Youth (@northyouthmusic). Pulling from artists like Jack White and The Beatles, Northern Youth’s sound is decidedly retro-inspired pop. After being involved in LA’s music scene for some time, Messimer recently decided to relocate to Seattle, which has given him the opportunity to collaborate and seek inspiration in a very different environment. Continue Reading

Things are finally picking up here in New York City as the indie music world waiting until Valentine’s Day week to start pulling all the punches.  For the second straight week, you can join us for a “The Wild Honey Pie Presents” gig, this time over in Brooklyn at Park Slope’s Union Hall where we’ll be celebrating a special occasion Continue Reading

Boston band You Won’t is a favorite of ours here at The Wild Honey Pie.  After picking up on their album, Skeptic Goodbye, early this summer and filming a Honey I’m Home session (under the video), we are thoroughly excited Continue Reading