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Allo Darlin'
The first single from the eagerly anticipated second album from Allo Darlin' entitled Europe, Capricornia is a lovely bit of jangle-pop that rides in with a country-inflected lilt and ends with an impressive bit of guitar squall. In between you get all the melodic beauty that we've come to expect from Allo Darlin', a master class in how to write a proper pop tune. "When You Were Mine" on the flip side is no mere b-side -- it's an excellent folky tune of love lost that's sure to pull the heartstrings.
[more info + MP3s]Frankie Rose
The eagerly-awaited second album from Frankie Rose handily exceeds all expectations. Foregoing much of the fuzzy girl-group pop of previous releases, Interstellar is a gorgeous record marked by Frankie's very unique take on dream-pop, shoegaze and electronic pop. Stellar tunes combine with Le Chev's imaginative production to create something quite special.
[more info + MP3s]Terry Malts
Smashing chainsaw pop from this great San Francisco group. Smart, funny punk-pop with all the hooks, energy and attitude you could ask for. If you're into The Undertones, Buzzcocks and/or The Exploding Hearts you should definitely check out Terry Malts. Fourteen big tunes, including "Something About You," "Nauseous" and a slamming cover of Negative Approach's "Can't Tell No One."
[more info + MP3s]Frankie Rose
The first single from Frankie's new album Interstellar. It's a gorgeous piece of widescreen pop, dreamy and driving at the same time. The clean, big hooks bring to mind the best of mid-80s pop -- Smiths, New Order -- without sacrificing any of Frankie's unique melodic style. Le Chev's remix on the flip side is pure 2012 - a slow-motion house burner with a tropical vibe and atmosphere to spare. Turn it up and drift away.
[more info + MP3s]Neverever
Fantastic new EP from this great LA band that mixes up classic pop influences like The Raspberries, Dwight Twilley and Phil Seymour, ELO, Kim Fowley, Fleetwood Mac, Big Star, Alvin Stardust and Sandy Salisbury with a thoroughly modern power-pop edge. Cut from the same classicist pop cloth at their debut album, on Shake-A-Baby Neverever sharpen their tunes, hone their hooks and brighten their palette.
[more info + MP3s]Manatee
Oakland's mysterious Manatee are back, following up their "Indecision" single with this sharp blast of punk energy. Where that last single flirted with power-pop and late Replacements melodic rock inflected with shoegaze sonics, this single is straight up punk rock. Two songs, three chords, four minutes.
[more info + MP3s]Sea Lions
Smashing DIY pop that fits into a long, storied lineage of earnest, urgent guitar bands, with nods to early K label, Subway Sect, Orange Juice, Television Personalities. Pop as made by punks with crazy-broad record collections, full of energy, spunk and great tunes.
[more info + MP3s]Big Troubles
The second single from Romantic Comedy. Featuring lead vocals from Ian, "She Smiles For Pictures" is a gorgeous piece of power-pop, fueled by ringing guitars, an earworm of a guitar lead and Luka & Sam's propulsive rhythm section. 2:53 of pop perfection. On The flip, "Polyommatus Blue" is a gem that recalls the lost mid-period Creation pop of groups like 18 Wheeler and pre-Screamadelica Primal Scream, and is exclusive to this single.
[more info + MP3s]Devon Williams
"Revelations" is the latest single from Devon Williams' excellent Euphoria album. A gorgeous piece of summertime soft pop, "Revelations" brings to mind a studio meeting of Brian Wilson and Curt Boettcher, with it's soaring harmonies, strings and woodwinds. The bonus track to this digital-only single is Violens' remix of "Tower of Thought," is a note-perfect slice of 1992-style breakbeat hardcore, sounding for all the world like a lost classic on XL or Moving Shadow.
[more info + MP3s]Girls Names
A superb taster for Girls Names' forthcoming second album. Black Saturday is a great example of where the band is heading. The guitars are more subdued now, sharing sonic space with a gorgeously melodic bassline and subtle synths. Clearly in tune with contemporaries like Beach Fossils and Wild Nothing, Girls Names bring their own very distinctive song-writing vision to the forefront here.
[more info + MP3s]Spectrals
Anxiously-awaited debut album from this Leeds-based group. Stellar jangly pop with echoes of 50s doo-wop, 60s pop classicism and fellow northerner Alex Turner. Great song-writing, smart arrangements and main Spectral Louis Jones' distinctive, jazzy guitar mark this one as very special indeed.
[more info + MP3s]Terry Malts
Second single from this great SF punk band. All three songs on "Something About You" are full of fuzzy/crunchy riffs, galloping drums and sing-along vocal hooks. Mashing up the best bits from such stellar forebears as The Undertones, Buzzcocks and Descendents, Terry Malts haven't forgotten that one of the key elements of punk has always been FUN.
[more info + MP3s]Spectrals
First single from Spectrals excellent debut album Bad Penny. Upbeat, swinging, soulful pop that has garnered comparisons with folks as disparate as Arctic Monkey's Alex Turner and Real Estate. From the shining guitar chords to the lazy melody, this is simply a perfectly-crafted tune and a superb taster for the deep, immaculately-conceived and executed album this is Bad Penny.
[more info + MP3s]Big Troubles
Big Troubles' excellent new album Romantic Comedy is a masterpiece of modern pop; a perfect balance of grit and polish, gorgeous guitar sounds and angelic vocals, underpinned by a set of superb songs. Classic power-pop meets 80s/90s/00s Brit/indie pop on smash tunes like singles "Misery" and "Sad Girls".
[more info + MP3s]Weekend
Weekend follow up on their amazing debut album Sports with this excellent EP that packs more ideas into 5 songs than a lot of bands do into a whole record. From the spooked grind of "Sweet Sixteen" to the post-punk pop of "Hazel," Red rules.
[more info + MP3s]Veronica Falls
At last - one of the most eagerly awaited debut albums of recent memory. With this superb album, Veronica Falls have crafted a brilliantly concise, superbly concentrated hit of spiky, marvelously contagious indie pop with a twist - these are songs which will lodge themselves in your head as well as your heart, with style and attitude to burn. Features "Bad Feeling," "Beachy Head" and 10 more future classics.
[more info + MP3s]Devon Williams
Incredible, long-awaited sophomore album from this LA pop genius. Williams' distinctive blend of power-pop, orchestrated soft-rock, folk-rock and lush, layered jangle-pop takes full flight here; rarely has a record been so aptly titled. Truly euphoric.
[more info + MP3s]Big Troubles
The first single from Big Troubles fantastic second album Romantic Comedy. A lovely slice of updated power-pop based on a catchy stop-start verse that gives way to an indelible, spiraling chorus, this tune is as big and bright as they come. On the flip side, "Phantom" raises the volume a bit, hearkening back to first album hits.
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