Just Rolled In: Big Scary - "Luck Now" [experimental pop / indie folk / soul]

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Here's another Melbourne, Australia band sure to turn some heads in 2013: Big Scary. Seemingly boundless with their genre exploration, the experimental indie pop duo is set to release their sophomore album Not Art June 28 via Pieater (Aus) and September 17 through their new US home, Barsuk Records.

After listening to Big Scary's previous releases (their debut LP Vacation and previous EP collection The Big Scary Four Seasons), I find it difficult to stick a label on the music, which is a good thing in my mind. On one track they're floating through a delicate piano-based folk tune, then they explode into an energetic rock'n'roll jam that drops off into a more glossy indie pop song, just to do it all over again.

The Australian duo's second single from Not Art, "Luck Now", finds them in one of their more stripped down, subdued moments, but the track is given extra life with lead singer/guitarist/pianist Tom Iansek's soulfully stirring vocal performance akin to that of Bon Iver's Justin Vernon. "Luck Now", one of my favorite songs released this year, marks a shift in musical style for Big Scary as they have incorporated a hip hop-influenced, syncopated drum loop embellished by percussion samples they recorded in a garage while hitting various objects. It all comes together quite nicely, if you ask me.

Listen to "Luck Now" below followed by Big Scary's first single "Phil Collins" and grab a copy of Not Art on iTunes at the end of June!

Artist Making Waves: Vance Joy [indie folk / folk pop]

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In a year you probably won't see me posting about Vance Joy, the 25-year-old skyrocketing indie folk artist from Melbourne, Australia, mostly because he will be more popular than The Lumineers and Of Monsters And Men and this blog tries to focus more on the lesser known acts. Either way, here he is now, and for a good reason: he's damn good! When I mentioned those bands above I didn't mean to liken Vance Joy to them, but rather hint at the mainstream success and radio play that his golden voice and expertly crafted folk pop songs will surely gain.

Born James Keogh, he only has one EP under his belt, God Loves You When You're Dancing, which contains the hit single "Riptide", but he has already gotten snagged up by music industry giant Atlantic Records. They signed him on for a five-record deal after a bidding war that broke out following his performance at SXSW in Austin, Texas this March. As long as Atlantic doesn't completely change his sound or make him do duets at the Superbowl with Skrillex or Sean Paul then you can still color me interested in Vance Joy's future as an artist.

Take a listen to two tracks from his EP ("Riptide" and "From Afar") and watch a video of him performing the opening track "Emmylou" live with his band. You can purchase the the God Loves You When You're Dancing EP here.

Swell EP: Painted Palms - Nothing Lasts Long EP [psych-pop / synth-pop]

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Painted Palms were "discovered" by Kevin Barnes (of Montreal ringleader) shortly after releasing their psychedelic surf pop debut Canopy EP back in 2011, which gave them much more exposure and the attention of Secretly Canadian Records, who re-released said EP later in the year. Much like that first EP, the San Francisco psych-pop duo's free EP Nothing Lasts Long is instantly likable and leaves you thirsty for more. Well, the two cousins Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme have actually been working on their debut Polyvinyl full length to help us quench our thirst for over a year now, but threw us a curveball with this mixtape-style free download while we wait.

Filled with danceable beats, psychedelic melodies, tropical synths, and energetic Panda Bear-stained vocals, Painted Palms' Nothing Lasts Long EP gives a us a taste of what's to come while giving them a break from the stress of releasing an official debut:

Making this EP was a bit of a release. It felt refreshing to make 6 songs with the intention of putting them out immediately. A whole album can seem monolithic and you can easily get lost in your head, so it was nice to write under different circumstances. —Impose Magazine interview

Download the EP for free at their Bandcamp page and enjoy the 6 new tracks below.

Just Rolled In: Washed Out - "It All Feels Right" [chillwave / psychedelic / dream pop]

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Apparently recorded using over 50 instruments and some samples, Washed Out's sophomore album Paracosm (artwork above), which will hit shelves via Sub Pop on August 13, casts us even further away from multi-instrumentalist Ernest Greene's initial lo-fi chillwave arrangements and leads us drifting into a more mesmerizing and complex organic environment.

Paracosm's first single "It All Feels Right" comes to us today just in time for the summer, helping us lose ourselves in its intricate and hypnotic blend of tropical, psychedelic, and spacey melodies. Check out the official lyric video below followed by two hits from his 2011 debut album Within and Without and the fan favorite 2009 single "Feel It All Around".

Swell EP: His Clancyness - Charade EP [indie rock / dream pop / psychedelic]

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Born in Ottawa, Canada but living in Bologna, Italy, Jonathan Clancy, who plays in A Classic Education and has made solo recordings as His Clancyness for a few years but now has a full band, has recently signed to Brighton/Brooklyn label Fat Cat Records, which will release his band's debut album Vicious in the fall. Lucky for us, Fat Cat put out the Charade EP cassette (also available digitally) a few weeks ago, which gives us a couple tastes of that upcoming full-length on one side, and on the other, four of Clancy's dreamy songs from his previous bedroom recordings.

All six songs on the EP are outstanding, exploring the sounds of indie rock, lo-fi, psychedelia, and dream pop. The new single "Machines" sounds a lot like psychedelic indie rockers The War on Drugs and lead-off track "Safe Around The Edges" leans toward the indie pop of Say Hi. Although certainly not on purpose, I can't help but liken his voice to a more subdued and mature Darwin Deez. Upon listening to the other 4 tracks, some other musical similarities that come to mind are Kurt Vile, Deerhunter, Ariel Pink, and Lower Dens.

Listen to the latter five tracks of the Charade EP below and get your beautiful hands on the cassette and a digital download here. Look out for His Clancyness's Fat Cat Records debut album Vicious on October 7!