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".

Just Rolled In: Vesuvio Solo - "Don't Leave Me In The Dark" [soft rock / psychedelic / indie pop]

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Montreal-based band Vesuvio Solo are following up their excellent 2014 debut, Favors, with the promising Don't Leave Me In The Dark LP on September 28 via Banko Gotiti. A few months back we got the first taste of the new album in the form of the sexy R&B synth jam "Mirror Held To The Flower", and now Vesuvio Solo have released the groovy title track, a psychedelic soft rock song that brings to mind artists like Ariel Pink, Ducktails, and Mac DeMarco.

Check out the two songs below and grab a copy of Don't Leave Me In The Dark here.

Just Rolled In: Local Natives - "Coins" [indie rock]

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"Coins" is the latest cut from Local Natives' highly anticipated third album Sunlit Youth, hitting stores September 9 via Loma Vista Recordings. What starts out as a subtle bluesy track quickly unfolds into a lustrous, impassioned affair, replete with airy synths and velvety vocal harmonies, fitting in nicely alongside the arsenal of strong singles recently released in support of the new album.

Listen to all four singles below and preorder Sunlit Youth here.

Just Rolled In: Young Dreams - "Of The City" [psychedelic / orchestral pop / electronic / tropicalia]

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Bergen, Norway's Young Dreams has just released new material for the first time since their excellent 2012 debut album Between Places in the form of the fully imagined psych-pop single "Of The City". With production chops recalling the sleek expansiveness of Tame Impala's Currents, this upbeat single stays true to the psychedelic leanings of their debut and sports one hell of a string arrangement and bongo-heavy percussion section.

As the story goes, Young Dreams began work on their sophomore effort immediately after releasing their debut, but after three years of work on this "requiem for God", it was scrapped because the producer/composer/singer-songwriter behind it all, Matias Tellez, feared the album was "blasphemous and too conceptual" for anyone to like. However, the new track "Of The City" is actually a reincarnation of one of the songs from that discarded album, and boy, are we lucky that it made it to see the light of day! It just makes me wonder what the rest of that album would've sounded like. Nevertheless, Young Dreams has finished a different album that will be released in 2017, and if this song is any evidence, it's going to be amazing.

"Of The City" sees an official release August 26 via Blanca Records but can be streamed now on SoundCloud.

Exclusive Premiere: Mother Meadow - "Pull Me Through" [indie folk / singer-songwriter]

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I’m excited to introduce everyone to a very talented singer/songwriter, Mother Meadow, who was so kind as to choose holaOLA to exclusively debut her first single, “Pull Me Through”, which you can check out below in the form of a self-produced video, featuring first-hand road trip and hiking footage shot along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina.  The song is the first single off her debut Shorebirds EP, which was recorded last fall at The Glow Recording Studio in Athens, GA and will be available August 26.

The young woman behind Mother Meadow is Bradenton, Florida’s Sadie Frederick, who lists Alela Diane, Feist, Railroad Earth, JJ Grey & Mofro, Donna the Buffalo, and The Lemonheads as main influences. When asked about the meaning behind 'Mother Meadow', Frederick explained that it “came from observations of nature during a cross-country road trip last summer” and that “the beauty of wildflowers in meadows, as well as learning to take care of [herself] and be more ‘motherly’” naturally inspired her to embrace 'Mother Meadow' as her moniker.

That very same love and and appreciation for life and nature shines through on Mother Meadow’s debut single “Pull Me Through” and its accompanying video. Frederick’s saccharine vocals and reflective lyrics paired with the strummy guitars, wistful strings, and sunny keys of “Pull Me Through” help to establish Mother Meadow as a rejuvenating folk artist with the gift of capturing the beauty of life in her songwriting.

After listening to “Pull Me Through” below, do yourself a favor and head on over to Mother Meadow’s SoundCloud page to check out two more great songs off the Shorebirds EP. Make sure to follow her on Facebook too so you can get your hands on a copy of her EP in August and maybe catch a performance near you!

Artist Making Waves: Whitney - "No Woman", "Golden Days", and "No Matter Where We Go" [indie rock / alt-country / soul]

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About a year and a half ago, Chicago indie rock band Smith Westerns announced their breakup after penning three solid albums together. Since then, the band's frontman Cullen Omori has released a solo record on Sub Pop while guitarist Max Kakacek and drummer Julien Ehrlich (ex-Unknown Mortal Orchestra) have gone on to form the band Whitney, subsequently signing with Secretly Canadian.

Ehrlich and Kakacek share songwriting duties in Whitney, crafting warm, melancholic songs layered with jangly acoustic guitar, Kakacek's signature twangy guitar leads, triumphant horn sections, and topped with Ehrlich's soulful, unassuming falsetto. They recorded with a full band in California with Foxygen's Jonathan Rado, which makes sense seeing as both band's songs sound like they could have come from the late 60s.

Whitney will be on tour for the next couple months in support of their debut album Light Upon The Lake. Go out and catch a show and pick up a copy of their record when it hits shelves June 3rd. Check out the first two singles from the album that have been bringing Whitney lots of positive attention, "No Woman" and "Golden Days", plus their first demo, "No Matter Where We Go".

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!

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.