Artist Making Waves: Szymon [indie rock / folktronica]

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Szymon Borzestowski was a talented young singer/songwriter/musician from Newcastle, Australia who lost his battle with depression at age 23. When he was 19 years old he struck a deal with EMI but never got to release his music, so following his tragic passing his family got together with some record industry people to see that the music he had recorded in his home studio got released. More often than not, tragic backstories such as this one tend to be what carries posthumous works of art to a certain level of success or notoriety, but Szymon's debut LP Tigersapp speaks for itself, seeing as I was hooked on the album before ever hearing anything about the artist.

Drawing from the indie rock, folk, and electronica genres, Szymon employs his smooth vocal harmonies, intricate guitar melodies, ambient electronics, and catchy songwriting to make Tigersapp a truly unique album that is sure to live on, both as a celebration of an artist's life and talents, and as an extraordinary record in and of itself.

Listen to two of Tigersapp's singles below, the upbeat "Medusa" and dreamy "Golden", and order the full album here.

Just Rolled In: Pepa Knight - "Eventually" (Tame Impala Cover) [indie folk / dream pop / acoustic]

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One of holaOLA's mainstays, Australia-based Jinja Safari front-man Pepa Knight, never ceases to amaze. Here he is again in all his dreamy folk-pop glory taking on one of my favorite songs of 2015 so far, "Eventually" from Tame Impala's arguably impeccable third LP Currents.

In his own words, this is the bonfire-n-chill version, and I can't agree more. His complex acoustic take on the powerful song marries his beautiful vocal harmonies and other-worldly instrumentation including flutes, lutes, glockenspiels, resonator guitars, synths, and light percussion, leaving us with a new song just as great as its predecessor, only more suitable for a peaceful night around a glowing campfire with close friends.

Be on the lookout for Pepa Knight's second solo EP, Hypnotized, Vol. II, expected for release in early 2016. And if you haven't heard his debut EP released last year, enjoy that here.

Swell Album: Stolen Jars - Kept [indie folk / bedroom pop / experimental]

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New Jersey's Stolen Jars were first featured on holaOLA last summer for their unforgettable single "Folded Out", a dynamic song released in preparation for their sophomore effort Kept and characterized by a web of looped guitars and brass instruments, ornate percussion, and a wholehearted vocal interchange between core members Cody Fitzgerald and Molly Grund. Now, that album has been made available on Bandcamp on a pay-what-you-want basis and much like the first single, Kept has a very unique sound, meshing the softness and sincerity of folk and bedroom pop with the unlimited sonic possibilities of experimental music. And for how bare the songs may sound at times, they always manage to unravel into fascinating, intricately-crafted blankets of sounds.

Between the honeyed lyrics and vocals, the energetic percussion littered with clicks, clacks, and thuds, the elaborate guitar picking, loop pedals, and ambient backdrops, Stolen Jars seem to have fill eda musical niche with Kept that we never even knew existed, injecting each and every one of its ten tracks with a substantial dose of undeniable affection and dexterity.

Download Kept here and make sure to throw them the money you think it deserves. You can also check out their 2011 self-titled debut album here.

Swell Album - Moses Gunn Collective - Mercy Mountain [psychedelic / indie rock] ***ALBUM STREAM***

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Brisbane's favorite psych-rockers Moses Gunn Collective have just unleashed their epic debut album, Mercy Mountain, complete with dreamy chops, oozy guitar solos, tumultuous jams, anthem sing-alongs, soulful falsettos, and just overall weird beauty. The five-piece have been around for a few years and are known for their trippy homemade costumes, impressive onstage dance moves, and of course, their frantic and fun take on psychedelic rock. Mercy Mountain just further solidifies them as one of Australia's most promising new bands.

As you drift through the 13 beautiful tracks on Mercy Mountain, you may be reminded of contemporary psych greats Tame Impala, MGMT, Foxygen, Connan Mockasin, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Deerhunter, or Thee Oh Sees, but just as each of those bands differs greatly from the others, Moses Gunn Collective also fit into their very own space on the psych spectrum, a glittery place where songwriting, melody, and good vibes rule.

Stream Moses Gunn Collective's debut album Mercy Mountain below and purchase your very own copy on iTunes.

Just Rolled In: Pure Bathing Culture - "Pray For Rain" [indie pop / synthpop]

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Portland, Oregon's Pure Bathing Culture are returning with their sophomore LP Pray For Rain this October and they've been kind enough to grace us with the beautiful and surprisingly beat-driven title track. The two Vetiver members first made a name for themselves three years ago with a very hazy, nostalgic sound recalling the synthpop of the 80s, and they've pretty much stuck to the same dreamy sound since, but on "Pray For Rain" the drum machines take on a more crucial role, which sees the duo embracing a whole new energy, turning that slow body sway into an ebullient bounce.

Pre-order Pray For Rain on iTunes now and stream the first single and title track below.

Swell Album: Triptides - Azur [psychedelic rock / indie pop / surf]

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Los Angeles's new residents Triptides have come a long way from the bedrooms of founding members (and primary songwriters) Glenn Brigman and Josh Menashe in Bloomington, Indiana. They have since transformed into a four-piece and have been steadily pushing out recordings for almost five years now. The psychedelic guitar pop band's most recent LP and followup to last year's Colors EP is Azur, which came out July 10 via Requiem Pour Un Twister.

As you may have gathered from the band's name and album art, Azur is a very warm, summery listening experience, but it shouldn't be limited to that. Although Triptides' intricate guitars and overall breezy vibe may recall current bands like Real Estate at times, it's their effortless ability to fuse 60s-influenced psychedelic, surf, and pop melodies together into fresh, memorable songs that makes them irreplaceable.

Considering the balance that the guys of Triptides have crafted between upbeat guitar pop songs and more relaxed psychedelic tunes on Azur, it's clear that they are more than just a one-trick pony hoping to get one of their sunny tracks lost amongst the uniformity of someone's Summer '15 playlist. Azur is an impressive album front to back and deserves to be listened to in full, no matter the season.

Grab yourself a copy of Azur here and check out the excellent singles "Wake", "Dark Side", "Hideout", and "Where You Are" below!

Just Rolled In: Darwin Deez - "Kill Your Attitude" [indie pop / indie rock]

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Two years have passed since Brooklyn's charismatic indie-pop mastermind Darwin Deez released his sophomore effort Songs For Imaginative People. A few weeks ago, the first song since that album, "Kill Your Attitude", was featured on Annie Mac's BBC Radio 1 show and not long after, Deez sent out a blast email to his mailing list fans announcing that his band's third LP Double Down was finished and that it would be available September 18th via Lucky Number Music. A good month for Darwin Deez fans!

We are yanked back into the bittersweet world of Darwin Deez with "Kill Your Attitude", an upbeat indie pop song about the not-so-cheery issue of "interpersonal squabbling". It's immediately recognizable as a Deez tune for its bare-bones introduction with nothing more than a punchy guitar, pulsing snare hits, and Darwin's heartfelt vocals which eventually evolves into a bouncy, hook-heavy jam (complete with a rad half-minute guitar solo) that you can't help but imagine singing and bobbing along to live.

Stream Darwin Deez's new single "Kill Your Attitude" and/or watch the creative official music video below, and check out the classic "Radar Detector" from his 2010 self-titled debut. Pre-order your digital copy of Double Down here and for the physical copy click here.

Just Rolled In: Jinja Safari - "Find My Way" [tropical pop / indie pop / afropop]

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Despite what your calendars and thermometers may say, summer's here! And if you happen to be in another part of the world where it's pretty cold right now, rejoice, because it just takes one quick (or repeated) listen(s) to the new single from Sydney, Australia's seminal indie pop band Jinja Safari to be teleported to a warmer, brighter, and happier place.

"Find My Way" comes to us in the wake of founding member Pepa Knight's recent solo effort Hypnotized Vol. 1 EP and serves as the preliminary taste of Jinja Safari's upcoming sophomore LP. Inspired by experiences while touring in the UK, "Find My Way" is a joyous celebration of life to say the least, and if you watch the official music video, which is composed of five years' worth of footage collected by vocalist Marcus Azon of the band's exploits, you can witness for yourself how much fun these guys have while traveling abroad together. Jinja Safari's usual afropop beats, island guitar, tropicalia flourishes, and other worldly influences come together beautifully with the soaring vocal harmonies on this buoyant track, which will certainly find its way to the top of many a summer playlist.

Stream "Find My Way" and/or watch the official music video below, and if you approve, you will definitely dig Pepa Knight, so stream his recent EP here.

Just Rolled In: Redspencer - "Ride It Out" and "Happy Slow Riverbends" [jangle pop / indie rock / lo-fi]

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Based in Melbourne but originally from New South Wales, the jangly indie rock trio Redspencer have shared two catchy singles this month in anticipation of the June 1st release of their debut EP.

The first single, "Happy Slow Riverbends", is the sunnier of the two and gives off a sort of Darwin Deez or Spoon vibe with its bouncy rhythm, punchy guitar riffs, and distorted vocals, while the newest single, "Ride It Out", is a more introspective cut, allowing the restless guitars to do most of the talking, much like summery guitar-pop poster boys Real Estate and Mac DeMarco.

Stream Redspencer's two new singles below and be sure to buy the debut EP coming out June 1st via Deaf Ambitions! And if you're in Melbourne, hit up their EP launch show at Bar Open on Friday, June 5th with Tourist Dollars and Head Clouds.

holaTUBE: Unknown Mortal Orchestra - "Multi-Love" [psych pop / indie rock / soul]

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Five years have passed since Ruban Nielson's first song as Unknown Mortal Orchestra, "Ffunny Ffrends", first infiltrated and spread like wildfire throughout the interwebs. After living up to the first adjective of his moniker by actually remaining anonymous for some time, forming a band, and gaining a huge following for their first two full-lengths of lo-fi polychromatic psych pop (the second of which made holaOLA's list of the best albums of 2013), the Portland-based Kiwi is back with a third, Multi-Love, which hits shelves May 26 via Jagjaguwar and, interestingly enough, was influenced by his recent experience with a polyamorous relationship.

UMO's first two singles (the lead-off title track and "Can't Keep Checking My Phone") set the bar high for the new album, not straying too far from the feel of their previous recordings but enriching their unique sound with noticeably higher fidelity production and the addition of other instruments and sounds that give their songs new depth and texture (especially on the latter track).

Hear it for yourself in the psychedelic music video for "Multi-Love" below and stream their funky second single "Can't Keep Checking My Phone" below that.

Purchase a physical copy of Multi-Love here or download it on iTunes.

Swell Album: Marika Hackman - We Slept At Last [indie folk / singer-songwriter]

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London's 23-year-old singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Marika Hackman has managed to turn lots of heads with her debut album, We Slept At Last, thanks to her gorgeous voice that teeters between wistful and brooding, her thematic exploration of the darker things in life, and her expertly crafted arrangements that serve as the haunting backdrop for it all. That ominous cloud glooms over most of the record, but it's those moments when it breaks apart just long enough to let some sunlight through that Hackman's artistry really shines.

Hackman's songwriting and the contrast throughout the record is what makes it so enjoyable—no one song sounds like the last. You'll hear drums on one track, and in the next, they'll be replaced by a string section, flutes, or just left out altogether. And if that wasn't enough, the introduction of electronic elements into the mix (vocoder-vocals, synths, drones, etc.) certainly makes We Slept At Last its own beast, and it's more proof of how versatile Marika Hackman is.

Stream and purchase Marika Hackman's We Slept At Last below and listen to her previous work here.

Standout tracks: 'Drown', 'Ophelia', 'Skin', and 'Animal Fear'

Swell Album: Macajey - Let's Go [electronic / folktronica / chillwave / beats]

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Estonia-based California native Jeremy Macachor, aka Macajey, has just released his latest record entitled Let's Go. The young solo musician/producer uses his experience as a guitarist and recording/mix engineer to bring us a full sound that is as much organic as it is electronic, tracking live drums, electric guitar, and original vocals (by Elle Leatham and sister, Ashley Macachor) throughout the complex array of digital sonics.

Macajey lists Bonobo, Four Tet, Slow Magic, and Gold Panda as influences, and it's evident in his music, throwing together Slow Magic's energy and danceability, Four Tet's use of organic sounds, the smooth jazziness of Bonobo, and the Gold Panda's glitchy production style. This concoction of musical tendencies allows him to generate a sound of his own that is just as likely to make you hit the dance floor as it is to make you plop down on the couch and trace the imaginary constellations on your ceiling with your eyes.

Stream Macajey's beautifully produced album Let's Go below and follow the link in the Bandcamp player to buy yourself a copy. You can also listen to and download (pay what you want) his two previous EPs here and here.

Just Rolled In: Denpasar - "Don't Know Why" [indie pop / indie rock / dream pop]

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Ben Fahey and Alex L'Estrange from Brisbane's Denpasar are back (with the help of Sam Cromack) with a new song called "Don't Know Why". This one's much more laid back than their previous singles and evidently, melody and charm are still a priority. Beyond Fahey's effortless vocals, the catchy guitar melodies, and smooth bass lines, lies a hazy blanket of dreamy, but subtle electronics, which gives the song kind of a Grandaddy feel.

Denpasar's track record may be pretty concise at the moment but it sure is looking good, and "Don't Know Why" further proves that they have range and a knack for good songwriting.

Stream "Don't Know Why" below and follow the link to listen to "Dumb Fun" and "Old Enough" from our first post about Denpasar. The new song is available for download on their Bandcamp on a pay-what-you-want basis.

Just Rolled In: Sans Parents - "Loose People" [indie rock / garage pop]

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Yet another new project rising from the ashes of the breakup of the beloved Australian indie pop band Hungry Kids of Hungary (see Rolls Bayce and Born Joy Dead), Sans Parents have just released  "Loose People", their second single as a band.  The four-piece is made up of two ex-Hungry Kids, Kane Mazlin (vocals/keys) and Ryan Strathie (drums), as well as former HKOH touring member Alex Bennison (lead vocals/guitar) and Babaganoüj/ex-Yves Klein Blue member Charles Sale (bass). They debuted their first single, "Coming Back To You", last November before Sale had joined. That 2-minute aggressive garage pop jam is followed by "Loose People", another short and catchy song that sounds kind of like the 90s indie rock equivalent to Paul Simon's "Kodachrome", filled to the brim with breezy guitar hooks and irresistible vocal melodies. Seeing as they're two for two so far, you can add Sans Parents to that list of up-and-coming Australian bands that churn out nothing but instantly appealing pop greatness.

Stream "Loose People" and "Coming Back To You" below.

Artist Making Waves: Waterstrider - "Nowhere Now" [indie rock / afropop / world]

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So far this year, Oakland, California's indie-rock five-piece Waterstrider has been featured on Hype Machine's weekly Most Blogged Artists list three times. That's saying a lot, considering they aren't a major label electro-pop band or remixing already popular songs. What they are doing is making danceable indie rock with afro-beat percussion, catchy guitar hooks, and energetic vocals, which certainly deserves all the hype it's getting.

In preparation for the release of their debut album Nowhere Now, Waterstrider has shared four beautiful singles, each one differing quite a bit from the last while sticking to the worldly instrumentation that sets them apart from the rest of the indie scene. With their most recent single, the title track "Nowhere Now", the band really embraces the upbeat guitars and percussion characteristic of afropop but the distorted bass and lead singer Nate Salman's frenzied falsetto and not-so-sunny lyrics provide a unique contrast, a slight contradiction that really makes Waterstrider interesting.

Stream Waterstrider's 2011 Constellation EP on Bandcamp (available for free download) and listen to the first four singles ("Nowhere Now", "White Light", "Redwood", and "Calliope") from the upcoming Nowhere Now LP below. You can pre-order the album on Bandcamp (and get 4 tracks now) or get your hands on one when it hits shelves April 6.

holaTUBE: Sylvan Esso - "Hey Mami" (live on Brooklyn rooftop) [electropop / indie pop / experimental]

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I just came across a really cool video of Durham, NC electropop duo Sylvan Esso performing their single "Hey Mami" (from their eponymous debut album, which made #46 on our 2014 end-of-the-year list) live on a rooftop on a sunny day in Brooklyn, as part of the "Noisey Acoustics" video series. The lack of electronics makes for a unique version of the song, a version that somehow doesn't stray far from the original thanks to the brass musicians and percussionists backing singer Amelia Meath for the video. She's got some pretty sweet dance moves (and platform shoes) too.

After the video, check out my favorite song from their debut, "Coffee".

Swell Album: The Migrant - Flood [indie rock / folk rock / psychedelic / blues] (FULL ALBUM STREAM)

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The Migrant is the moniker of Danish musician Bjarke Bendtsen, which, intrinsically, is what he is—a migrant. Although Bendtsen is from Copenhagen, he is also a sporadic resident of Austin, Texas, a place he says "has everything a Dane needs" and where he even has a second backing band (for US tours), the first being in his natal city. He has been performing as The Migrant for five years now and has four albums to show for it, the latest being Flood, which was released this past January.

Flood is essentially a guitar record, something that is, unfortunately, becoming more and more archaic in the constantly changing world of indie rock. Throughout the album, Bendtsen skillfully draws from his colorful palette of influences—rock, folk, blues, psychedelia—to produce captivating songs that range from soothing ("Flood", "Silence", and "Row Row") to rocking ("Belly of a Man", "Water", and "Tiger"), and ones that find a happy balance between the two ("The Climber" and "Give Up").

While listening to Flood, a couple of my favorite bands/musicians come to mind. Bendtsen's nimble fingerpicking and tender vocals alongside the driving percussion on "The Fixer" wouldn't sound out of place on a Dodos record, while his occasional quivering voice and falsetto tend to give off Thom Yorke vibes, which would make sense seeing as Radiohead is one of his main influences.

Similarities and influences aside, Flood is an excellent indie rock album from start to finish with equal doses of folk and psychedelia injected into it. The fact that The Migrant isn't already flooding the blogosphere with his new album is beyond me, but he's got the perfect chance to change that this upcoming weekend in Austin, where Bendtsen will not only be playing with his local backing band at SXSW, but he will have a handful of songs featured in an independent film called Limbo that will be showing tomorrow (March 18) at the festival.

Check out the tour dates on his website or Facebook page and stream the entire album for free below. To listen to his first three albums in full, head on over to The Migrant's BandCamp page.

Just Rolled In: Crepes - "Stages of Fear" [slacker pop / indie rock / jangle pop / psychedelic]

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The promising Melbourne-based slacker-pop band Crepes have just put out their second single, "Stages of Fear", which sticks to the psych-tinged jangle pop we were introduced to in "Ain't Horrible" but shows that they can do upbeat just as well as downbeat. This bouncy track along with its contrasting predecessor paint a pretty clear picture of the range of songs that you can expect on their debut EP being released in mid-April. In the meantime, boogie down with "Stages of Fear".

holaTUBE: Pepa Knight - "Coyote Choir" [world / indie pop] ***FREE EP STREAM***

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Previously featured on holaOLA twice in mid-2014 following the releases of his enrapturing singles "Rahh!" and "Clams", sitar-wielding Pepa Knight, from Central Coast, New South Wales (and of Jinfa Safari fame), is back with an official video for the vibrant third single, "Coyote Choir", from his six-song debut EP Hypnotized Vol. I, which was released this past November.

This psychedelic music video was shot on 8mm film over a period of two weeks in Australia and New Zealand by filmmaker Sam Kristofski, with extra footage recorded by Pepa Knight percussionist Jozef Oldfield and trippy watercolor animations provided by Daniel Foothead. After the video, stream the entire EP for free before buying it here.

Just Rolled In: Abram Shook - "Understood" [indie pop / psychedelic / experimental pop / funk]

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First featured on holaOLA about a year ago for his genre-melting debut album Sun Marquee (#22 on holaOLA's Favorite Albums of 2014 list), Austin, Texas multi-instrumentalist/singer/songwriter and Shearwater touring member Abram Shook is back with a new single in support of his upcoming sophomore release, Landscape Dream. The single is entitled "Understood" and picks up where Sun Marquee left off in terms of rich melody, psychedelic touches, and good vibes, but Shook lays some pretty off-kilter percussion behind his usual funky guitars and sun-soaked vocals, which makes for a glitchy, yet dreamy indie pop song that evokes the warmth of the summer sun.

Abram Shook is performing live with a full band tonight (Feb. 26) at The Mohawk in Austin and will be playing two dates of the upcoming SXSW music festival in mid-March.

Stream the new single "Understood" below and look out for the Western Vinyl release of Landscape Dream on May 12. Until then, you can follow Abram Shook on Facebook and pre-order the album via iTunes. Enjoy!

Swell Album: Gibberish - 'Winter Coat' [psych pop / indie rock / experimental]

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Released just after the turn of the year, Winter Coat is the beaming debut album by Fayetteville, Arkansas psychedelic duo Gibberish, a.k.a. married couple Derek and Lorie Bromley. They started writing music together under the moniker 'monsterheart' last year but were recently forced to change their name, deciding on 'Gibberish' a couple months ago, just before the release of the self-produced and self-released Winter Coat. Considering that the Bromleys had only been performing live for audiences for just over two months at the time their debut effort hit the proverbial shelves, it shows that they are wasting no time in establishing Gibberish as a force to reckon with in this ever-expanding world of independent music.

With only one song coming in under the five-minute mark, this gem of a record pushes along for a solid 45 minutes, relentlessly charming the listener with its penchant for lustrous melody, abstract soundscapes, and spacey ambience. Winter Coat is a psychedelic concoction of organic instruments, electronic embellishments, and reverb-heavy vocals carefully thrown together with plenty of loops and effects via lo-fi-leaning production techniques. By listening to its eight individually diverse tracks, I was able to draw some comparisons to Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, Gauntlet Hair, and Youth Lagoon, but when asked about Gibberish's influences, this is what Derek had to say:

Our influences vary, but lately we've really been getting into Morgan Delt, Viet Cong, and Cant. We've also been listening to a lot of ambient, space-hop type stuff (or whatever you call it) like, Shlohmo, Balam Acab, Gold Panda and Teebs. When I first started really getting into music as a teenager, Radiohead was the gate-way drug that led to what's probably our "main" musical influences like – Animal Collective, Pavement, Stereolab, Sonic Youth, Beck, The Flaming Lips, Sigur Ros, Deerhunter, Grizzly Bear, Menomena, Chad VanGaalen, Modest Mouse, Portishead, Broadcast, etc... 

Stream Winter Coat in its entirety below and hit up Gibberish's BandCamp page to download it on a pay-what-you-want basis.

Just Rolled In: Froyo Ma - "I Live All Alone (Abby Diamond's Figure Remix)" [electronic / r&b / beats]

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New Orleans beatmaker Zack Villere, a.k.a. Froyo Ma, has made a name for himself for his complex electronic soundscapes littered with glitchy harmonies, obscure and retooled vocal sampling, and complementary guitar embellishments. This signature style of his is evident on last November's offering "I Live All Alone (feat. Bill Murray)" , which recently underwent the remix treatment by another New Orleans musician, singer-songwriter Abby Diamond.

Unlike most remixes, the music for the track itself remains the same and Abby's sensual vocals are simply layered over top, which, as you can imagine, yields an even better song. Having heard the remix first, the original track (featuring dialogue between Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray from Lost in Translation) just sounds like an instrumental version to me. This all goes to say that Abby Diamond fits flawlessly into Froyo Ma's already beloved track.

Aside from Abby Diamond's alluring R&B presence, what really impresses me on this track is how Villere manages to take an easygoing (and super pretty) contemplation-inducing loop and then turn it into a trip hop banger halfway through with the flip of a switch. It's gotta be the best "drop" in a non-dubstep song ever.

Enjoy the remix below and check out more music from Froyo Ma and Abby Diamond on their SoundCloud pages.

Artist Making Waves: Cannons [electronic / dream pop / r&b]

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Cannons is a blossoming three-piece electronic outfit based in Los Angeles that draws from funk, R&B, and darkwave to brew up their own futuristic brand of electropop that's equal parts groovy, sexy, and dreamy, so I can see why they've decided just to go with "future boogie".

South Florida native Michelle Joy is front and center on the keys, drawing the listener in with her chilled-out hypnotic vocals while bandmates Ryan Clapham and Paul Davis lay down the funky guitar riffs, ominous melodies, danceable beats, and slick electronic production. The fact that it all comes together so beautifully and that they've been pushing out singles every month or so for over a year goes to show that Cannons know what they're doing and that they're here to stay, and more importantly, to make you dance.

Cannons' debut four-song Up All Night EP can be download on iTunes or BandCamp for just a few dollars. Check out the recent tracks "Evening Star", "Night Verses", and "Spells" plus two of my favorites from the EP and hop on over to their SoundCloud page to hear a bunch more!

Swell Album: Jape - This Chemical Sea [electropop, synthpop] *FULL ALBUM STREAM*

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Dublin native and current Malmö, Sweden resident Richie Egan and his bandmate Glenn Keating are back with their fifth album This Chemical Sea as Jape, this year's follow-up to 2011's Meteor Choice Music Prize-winning Ocean of Frequency. While most of their discography has been tagged with the subgenre 'folktronica' for its unique blend of acoustic guitars and synths, what we hear on This Chemical Sea is pure electropop, leaving the acoustic component out of the final mix and focusing more on the rich electronic production. Catchier, smoother, and groovier than ever before, This Chemical Sea is, hands down, Jape's greatest and most tenacious effort to date. Stream its 10 tracks below and purchase yourself a copy if you like what you hear.

holaOLA's 60 Favorite Albums of 2014

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This is holaOLA Indie Music Blog's 'best of 2014' list, which I've decided to call holaOLA's 60 Favorite Albums of 2014 this year. I know what you're thinking: "60 albums? Why not 50, or even 40?" Well, the fact is that once I finally trimmed down my year-end list to 75 (I started with about 100), I couldn't imagine taking away 25 more, since that would mean keeping quality music from you, so I decided to do things a little differently. That way, holaOLA can stand out as the blog that does the '60 best albums' list, and you get to hear 10 more records! If it really bothers you, just think of the extra ten albums as the 'honorable mentions'.

Anyway, like last year, I've only considered LPs released in 2014 and ignored any re-releases, rarities/b-sides albums, compilations, demos, mixtapes, etc. And unlike last year, I've managed to include full album streams for each and every one of my 60 favorite albums for your listening pleasure. However, if you're more of a singles person, or if you prefer mp3s to streaming, I've also put together the first-ever holaOLA music compilation (over 4 hours of music!), the aptly titled holaOLA's 60 Favorite Albums of 2014 Compilation (just click the title to download the zip file). Regardless of how you decide to listen, if you like any of the music, please support the artists by buying their records and merch and by going to their concerts like the bonafide music lover that you are!

Before you check out the top albums list, I'd like to give a big special thanks to all my regular followers, to everyone who visited holaOLA this past year, and to the people just discovering it now. Everyone, please come back for new music in 2015 (and for the rest of eternity) and follow/like holaOLA on Facebook for blog updates (usually weekly)!

You can access holaOLA's 60 Favorite Albums of 2014 list by scrolling down or navigating the links below, but if you're in a hurry or have a limited internet connection, click here for the simple-and-to-the-point artwork-and-music-free list.

Thanks for taking the time to read and listen! Enjoy!

-Sean

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