Boomerang – Miniature Tigers // Buy

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Brooklyn’s Miniature Tigers (@miniaturetigers) have been around for quite some time now, albeit under the radar and certainly less known than they should be. A slow but steady evolution, though, has moved the band towards a place of recognition that they truly deserve. Their newest release, Mia Pharaoh, is simply the logical next step for this solid Continue Reading

At its most basic, the debut EP from St. Lucia (@stlucianewyork) (a.k.a. Jean-Philip Grobler) equals synth pop plus African rhythms. Truthfully, it’s not much more than that. That in no way, however, means that this EP isn’t incredibly promising and a blast to listen to. The 1980s influence here is impossible to ignore. The 6 songs are so drenched in computerized keyboard and over-the-top production, they’d fit right in next to Peter Gabriel and Continue Reading

As the world turns further away from the chilly doldrums of winter and moves towards warmer days, you can expect the musical forecast to get a little sunnier too. One act that is pulling back the shades to let light in are UK indie pop group Jonquil (@jonquilband). With a chipper attitude and a nimble ear for the brighter side of sound, Jonquil have Continue Reading

First, a necessary confession. I am big fan of Andrew Bird (@andrewbird). There is nobody quite like him. From his early days with Chicago backing band Bowl of Fire up through a complete self-reinvention as a solo artist, Bird has managed to remain a master of songcraft through numerous evolutions. It’s extremely Continue Reading

Formed in Montreal in 2005, Islands (@nickfromislands) offers up their fourth studio release with A Sleep & A Forgetting. The latest project from Canadian songwriter Nicholas Thorburn, Islands has not only been critically acclaimed for their studio work, but also their live performances, at times leading the audience out into the street after a show a la Pied Piper. Thorburn, who sometimes performs as “Nick Diamonds”, has been fronting bands since the early 2000s, and we’ve seen him go through a few evolutions as a songwriter Continue Reading

Some Nights, the newest album from indie-pop masters fun. (@ournameisfun), is definitely a slant away from their debut Aim & Ignite. Making obvious strides towards a mainstream sound, the band has certainly succeeded in garnering the sort of fan/media attention common to accessible music — fun. is playing larger venues than ever before, and their songs can be heard on Superbowl commercials and Glee. No doubt, the band is enjoying their newfound, skyrocketing recognition, but are they alienating fans with their new, hip hop influenced sound?

Some Nights seems to exist in two halves. One half consists of big-beated, ultra poppy songs – “Some Nights,” “We Are Young,” “It Gets Better,” “One Foot,” “Stars,” “Out On The Town.” These Continue Reading

For some time now, the ever elusive “they” have told us that lightning never strikes twice. After listening to Sleigh Bells (@sleighbells) sophomore effort Reign of Terror on repeat, though, I’m inclined to disagree. Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller shot into the hearts and ear-drums of many back in 2010 with their debut Treats. A sonic exploration of 90′s guitar shredding, big beats and sharp stabbing vocals, the pair’s genre bending antics Continue Reading

Helicopter – Branches // Buy

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Branches (@branchesmusic) are the kind of band who charm you right from the start — it’s pretty hard not to love their cheerfully catchy melodies and subtle yet inspiring vocals. Having familiarized myself with their EPs, Cabin and O’ Light, I was definitely expecting more pop-driven elements on their full release. What Thou Art The Dream provides, though, is a matured sound, featuring heavier Continue Reading

Remembrance of Things to Come – Princeton // Buy

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

With Remembrance of Things To Come, Princeton (@princetonmusic) has put forth their most innovative and ambitious effort to date. By teaming up with the Los Angeles’ New Music Ensemble, the four-piece, LA-based band has found a niche that brings their baroque-pop songs to a whole new, musically intellectual level. The 7-piece New Music Ensemble truly breathes life into the band’s instrumentation, creating Continue Reading

The Lion’s Roar – First Aid Kit // Buy

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Soderberg sisters’ ability to wonderfully capture/recreate the sound of Americana may almost seem unfair given their Swedish origins, but First Aid Kit’s (@firstaidkitband) The Lion’s Roar is too sweet to stay bitter for long. Johanna and Klara’s voices blend together in a harmony only possible from people of similar genetic background, and this is the focus of the duo’s second full-length album. The songs Continue Reading