Just Rolled In: D.D Dumbo - "Walrus" and "Satan" [experimental pop / psychedelic / folk]

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Oliver Hugh Perry, the Australian multi-instrumentalist behind D.D Dumbo, and what may be this year's most inventive and infectious music, is nothing short of a musical genius. He made his mark back in 2013 with some standout solo performances and a subsequent 2014 self-recorded eponymous EP, creating his own bizarre sonic world by mixing psychedelia, pop, and folk with the aid of a microphone, 12-string guitar, two drums, and a floor full of effects pedals.

This year he released what immediately became my favorite song of the year, "Satan"—a chaotic groove that chugs along at a menacing pace and, compared to his debut EP, really ups the ante in terms of instrument/effects experimentation and vocal force. And if "Satan" wasn't enough to secure D.D Dumbo's upcoming Utopia Defeated LP as my most anticipated album of the year, Perry releases another catchy single, "Walrus", employing the same dynamic vocal range, frenetic fret work, and innovative approach to percussion and looping as its predecessor. I can't wait to see what other gems the upcoming full-length holds.

D.D Dumbo's Utopia Defeated hits shelves October 7 on 4AD. Grab a copy here. Check out the two singles below, as well as the excellent music video for "Satan".

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.

Just Rolled In: Idiot Glee - "Baby (I Could Be Your Bone)", "I Don't Feel Right", and "Evergreen Psycho" [psychedelic / synthpop / experimental]

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Lexington, Kentucky's experimental pop artist James Friley has been making music under the name Idiot Glee since 2009. His newest release, a self-titled full-length out on the label he co-founded, Hop Hop Records, and produced by the composer of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, hit shelves a few weeks ago and he's currently on tour with his band to support it.

I had the pleasure of seeing them play at a DIY venue called The Smell in Los Angeles last weekend. Unfortunately, my prior knowledge of Friley's music was limited to his 2011 debut Paddywhack (a unique lo-fi pop album rightfully characterized as post-doo-wop), but seeing him perform live nearly five years after that release gave me a quick lesson on how his progression as an artist has taken his music in a new direction, a direction away from doo-wop and lo-fi and more toward 70s synthpop and psychedelia.

Idiot Glee's sound may be hard to put a finger on, seeing as there's nothing really out there right now that compares (maybe Islands or Adult Jazz?), but it's easy to say that his soulful croon, hypnotizing vocal harmonies, and dextrous piano and synth playing are the defining elements of his music. On Idiot Glee, Friley's influences (namely Brian Eno, John Cale, and Scott Walker) are evident and there's a noticeable improvement in production, which gives the record more of a full band sound than his previous releases. Needless to say, it's a fantastic album.

My top three picks from the album are "Baby (I Could Be Your Bone)", "I Don't Feel Right", and "Evergreen Pyscho". Stream them below to get a better idea of what Idiot Glee is all about and catch them on tour in a city near you! Stream and purchase the album here. It plays great on vinyl!

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.

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".

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.