An overlooked gem from their early days.
Whitney
Dreamy folk rock out of my sweet home Chicago. This is music that grows on you like a vine as songs evolve into multi-instrumental soundscapes of reverie. Listen to their debut album, Light Upon the Lake. You’ll feeler cooler in no time.
Andy Shauf, “The Magician”
Talk In Tongues
Los Angeles dream pop quartet, including former members of Kitten, that blends ’60s psychedelic and ’90s shoegaze influences. Sounds like: Tame Impala Listen to their latest album, Alone With a Friend.
Harrison Fjord
A band of young desert dwellers (they’re from AZ) with an eclectic sound that echoes both Live at Pompeii-era Pink Floyd and The Smiths. Outstanding musicianship and voices all around. Hear ’em while they’re hip. Check out their Puspa in Space EP.
EL VY
My dad told me to check these guys out. A quirky musical collaboration between National vocalist/lyricist Matt Berninger and multi-instrumentalist Brent Knopf of Menomena and Ramona Falls.
Ultimate Painting
Formed by James of Veronica Falls and Jack of Mazes, this duo crafts simple and true ’60s and ’70s-inspired guitar pop. Their latest album, Green Lanes, is great bopping-around music. Influenced by: The Velvet Underground Similar to: Real Estate
New Music: Other Lives
These guys opened for Radiohead a few years back and yet hardly anyone’s heard of them. An Oklahoma band that sings from the heartland. Haunting strings and ethereal vocals, perfect for a folksy Western soundtrack. New album, Rituals, is that electrified. They’re on tour now, so buy a ticket if they’re coming to your town.
Vetiver
California folk-rockers whose sound is heavily influenced by late-’60s/early-’70s hippie-folk troubadours. “Can’t You Tell” “More of This” “Another Reason to Go”
Temples
British neo-psychedelic band mixes trippy baroque pop experimentation and classic Beatles-y craftsmanship. Debut album, Sun Structures, out today – sounds like it floated here through space from four decades behind us. “Colours to Life” “Move With the Season” “The Guesser”