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'