Swell Album: Mothers - When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired [indie rock / folk / experimental]

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Mothers is an indie band from Athens, Georgia with one hell of a debut album and an unforgettable live performance to back it up. When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired came out a couple weeks ago and is currently my favorite release of 2016. Singer/guitarist Kristine Leschper's gorgeously fragile voice bears a striking resemblance to that of fellow indie folkstress Angel Olsen (whose last album wound up at #2 of our best of 2014 list), but Mothers makes a name for themselves by experimenting with richer instrumentation and more complex compositions.

What begins as a simple folk song with acoustic guitar and piano, the beautiful album opener "Too Small for Eyes" really takes off when it welcomes a sweeping string orchestra into the mix about halfway through. Mothers flips the script on the next couple of songs, "It Hurts Until It Doesn't" and "Copper Mines", introducing the listener to the more rock-driven sound that they do so well, with busy intertwining guitars and powerful percussion. Not unlike other bands drawing from multiple genres, on the rest of When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired Mothers balances these two different styles song to song before leading us to the epic 7-minute rollercoaster of a closer, "Hold Your Own Hand", which alternates between uptempo with downtempo, catapulting you into space one moment while channeling veteran post-rockers Explosions in the Sky, then abruptly cutting the power to let you slowly drift away with Leschper's voice as your only beacon. Instead of letting you coast to a smooth stop, Mothers caps their debut with a bang to remember, one final shot for the stars.

Stream When You Walk a Long Distance You Are Tired below and get your hands on a copy of the album 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.

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.

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.

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.