Swell EP: Monogold - This Bloom [psych pop / indie pop / experimental]

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One of my greatest discoveries of 2011, Brooklyn's very own experimental psych-pop trio Monogold, is finally back in my life with new music. Not unlike The Softest Glow (their amazing LP that initially caught my ear) and the debut We Animals EP before that, the recently released This Bloom EP is by no means lacking in the hook department and is damn sure to make you shake something. Brimming with bouncy beats, soaring falsetto harmonies, tropical guitar licks, kaleidoscopic looping and sampling, and most importantly, positive vibes, these endorphin-inducing sound collages establish Monogold's This Bloom as the go-to pick-me-up record this fall to keep us from slipping into winter hibernation while making the arrival of spring seem within our grasp. 

It may have taken them a while to put out some new jams, but I'm psyched to hear that they are already working on an acoustic followup release called Good Heavens, and sometime next year, they will be gracing us with a full-length record!

Stream and purchase Monogold's entire new EP below and watch a video of the band doing a live acoustic performance of "Holograms" at NYLON Studios in NYC, which may be a bit more autumn-appropriate, so make sure to check out their first two releases on their BandCamp page to get your blood pumping again.

Swell EP: The Tambourine Girls - The End of Time EP [psychedelic / folk rock / britpop]

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The Tambourine Girls is the side project of Simon Relf, the guitarist of Sydney, Australia's psychedelic indie pop band Deep Sea Arcade. With help from some friends and DSA bandmates, Relf has brought us his distinguished debut EP entitled The End of Time via Chugg Music. While it projects the psychedelia and nostalgic 90s Britpop characteristic of his main band's music, The End of Time stands apart with its reverb-heavy spiraling of guitar solos and acoustic strumming, its hazy pace, and its loose adherence to the traditional pop structure. Stream The Tambourine Girls' five-song EP below (purchase it here) and be sure to 'follow' the band to receive news on future tours and releases.

Swell EP: Yuck - Southern Skies EP [indie rock / shoegaze / dream pop]

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Not many bands consider moving forward with their project or have the fans' support to do so after losing a lead singer, but London's "90s rock revival" quartet Yuck managed to bounce back with style and plenty of listeners after the departure of vocalist/guitarist Daniel Blumberg (currently recording as Hebronix) one year ago. Last September saw their strong Blumberg-less sophomore comeback Glow & Behold, with which the band managed to prove that putting guitarist Max Bloom behind the microphone full-time wouldn't change the nostalgic, fuzzy indie rock that makes them Yuck. Hell, Bloom actually had lead vocals on a couple of my favorite songs from their 2011 self-titled debut (see "Operation").

As if surprising fans and critics alike with a successful recovery wasn't enough, seven months later Yuck are back with a new release entitled Southern Skies EP. This record brings us four new Yuck songs, two of which don't really sound like anything explored on the previous two full-lengths. The soaring opening track "Athena" wouldn't have been out of place on Glow & Behold and the EP's most energetic song, "Another One", takes me all the way back to 2011's Yuck. The two remaining songs open up new sonic possibilities for the band. The second track "Set In Motion (Let's Say We Did)" is mostly foreign to the ear for Sebastian Fors's guest vocals and its twangy psych-pop feel, while the gorgeous title track hints at a dreamier, more subdued future for Yuck's infectious sound waves.

Stream the Southern Skies EP below and download your own copy now via iTunes.

Artist Making Waves: Shivum Sharma [electronic pop / soul]

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After releasing a pair of soulful piano-based bedroom demos last year, 19-year-old South Londoner Shivum Sharma is back with a studio version of the powerful slow-burner that turned heads in the first place, "Flicker", and its lusty B-side "Only You". The two tracks will be on the Flicker EP, which indie label National Anthem (home to CHVRCHES, HAIM, and Sir Sly) will be putting out on March 3.

Shivum Sharma enlisted the help of Warp signee Kwes. to produce his originally piano/vocals-heavy tracks. The result falls somewhere between James Blake and Antony and the Johnsons—unique passionate music with captivating electronic beats and textures that serve to add depth, not to divert attention away from Sharma's vulnerable, compelling croon and his solid piano work.

Enjoy the two tracks below (don't miss the climactic closer on "Flicker") and purchase a copy of the Flicker EP in March!

Artist Making Waves: RY X // The Howling // The Acid [indie folk / electronic]

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First things first: Yes, this is a triple post. Why? Well, you may have guessed that it has something to do with that bearded character up there, and you're right. His name is Ry Cuming.

Ry Cuming is an Australian-born surfer and musician who relocated to Los Angeles some years back, got noticed (for his music), recorded a major label pop record under his real name, toured with Maroon 5, and then decided to 'go indie', which has resulted in the lovely music I present to you today.

Cuming performs/records under the stage name RY X and shares his beautifully fragile pipes and solid guitar work in the electronic projects The Howling and The Acid. Each time I switch between EPs my favorite project of his changes so it would be rather difficult to write this post recommending only one.

The three projects feature Cuming's unmistakable sultry vocals and a haunting ambience. His solo work recalls Bon Iver thanks to his crooning falsetto, melancholic tone, stripped instrumentation, and overall alone-in-a-cabin-in-the-woods feel, while it boasts crisper production and trades in Justin Vernon's folky chords for more intricate melodies lined with arpeggios. The Howling is delivered in the same vein as RY X (both projects have a version of "Shortline", for example), but is spruced up with the subtle, yet expansive electronic production of German electronic musician Frank Wiedemann. Whereas RY X and The Howling share the same downcast tone and bare-bones structure, The Acid changes up the formula. This mysterious trio constructs a much more complex (and electronic) sonic environment that has brought on comparisons to James Blake, Animal Collective, m83, and Radiohead, but it still has that ominous fog creeping through it.

Go ahead and dive into Ry Cuming's three projects below to see for yourself which one you like best. I wouldn't be surprised if you found it hard to decide as well.

Swell EP: ARMS - EP2 [indie rock / indie pop]

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ARMS is the solo project of Todd Goldstein, a Brooklyn musician and songwriter known for his guitar work with the now-defunct indie poppers Harlem Shakes, but more recently, for his excellent 2011 ARMS album Summer Skills, which was recorded with a full band and happens to be one of my favorite albums released in recent years. Since hearing my first ARMS song a few years ago, I can't help but liken Goldstein's voice to a melodramatic, singy version of the matter-of-fact vocal delivery of WHY?'s Yoni Wolf, which is definitely a good thing.

On EP2, along with his alluring voice, artful guitar strumming and wistful keyboarding, Goldstein crafts powerfully captivating (lyrically and musically) indie rock songs with the help of his drummer friend Tiacael Esparza. By scattering catchy guitar hooks and flourishes over the EP's five-song-span of melancholic melodies and Esparza's solid drum framework, Goldstein sets the stirring backdrop over which to lay his lavish labyrinth of lyrics, creating a complex web of sounds worth getting tangled up in, time and time again.

Stream the entire EP (out now on Paper Garden Records) below and follow the player's links to purchase digital and physical copies.

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.