PYNKIE

Here's some lo-fi and warbly dreampop from New Jersey artist PYNKIE, featuring pitch-shifted vocal effects that give the song a kind of underwater vibe.  Great for this overcast Sunday.  Listen to "Dew ♥" below and download it from the artist here.

Beautify Junkyards

I love, love, love it when i randomly come across some artist i've never heard of before who pulls from a plethora of different and amazing influences to create something that pulls me in full go.  British group Beautify Junkyards gets that distinction today with their wonderful new album "The Invisible World of Beautify Junkyards."  Combining elements of psych rock and folk, dreampop, and Tropicalia, the music floats and swirls and mystifies, coming in like the delirious house band for some enchanted garden in the British countryside.  Watch the video for "Aquarius" below and get the record from Ghost Box.

Shamir - Room

I got into Shamir's brand of cheeky, dancey, electro-pop a couple of years ago, full of infectious rhythms and endlessly hummable melodies.  And i've got to say i was not expecting the artist to inject a shot of country and western style into his music.  I certainly wouldn't have expected it to be any good, but here we are.  "Room" shakes and scoots with the best of them, a ditty to grab a dance party and while away the night to.  Listen below and grab the 7" here from Father/Daughter Records.

Double Ferrari

Like i'm not going to at least investigate what a band called Double Ferrari sounds like.  As it turns out...pretty much like what i was hoping for.  Instrumental guitar rock in the vein of The Fucking Champs or the goofier side of Trans Am, the Athens, Georgia band sound like the live score to some amazing early '90s video game, banging and fun as hell.  I've seen this name listed all over the place next week at SXSW, so fingers crossed i catch them.  In the meantime, listen to Double Ferrari's "Double Ferrari" below, from their album "Double Ferrari."  Then get it here from Ernest Jenning Record Co.

The Buttertones

As i continue to research a whole slew of band names making the rounds over the coming 8 days in Austin, occasionally a name pops up that sounds familiar but doesn't really resonate.  And so we have LA band The Buttertones.  A mix of surf, rockabilly, garage, doo-wop, garage rock, and post punk, the band's material sounds like the output from some mutant offspring of The Cramps.  New album "Midnight in a Moonless Dream" is due in May on Innovative Leisure, but check out the raucous and bubbling "Baby C4" below.

Drab Majesty - Cannibal

Holodeck Records is a fantastic record label based here in Austin, releasing all manner of groovy tunes, dark electronica, prog rock, synth wave, and more.  And it appears that LA's dark and gothy synth pop artist Drab Majesty has joined their ranks.  The artist will be performing at the label's showcase during SXSW next week (something i'd love to get in to, but alas), and has included an epic and dreamy new song on the "Holodeck Vision One" compilation, the label's 50th release.  Listen to "Cannibal" below, a 9-minute piece that starts off like some kind of dreampop/folk hybrid before kicking into a full on synth cosmic exploration.  Then be sure to download the collection here, featuring other artists like Troller, Kyle Dixon of S U R V I V E, and more, more, more.

Air Waves

I remember first hearing Brooklyn artist Air Waves years ago, and being fairly taken by it, but for whatever reason, she just fell off my radar.  Anyway, new album "Warrior" (that's the killer album art above) is due in April on Western Vinyl.  Listen to dreamy album closer "Blue Fire" below and pre-order here and here.

Boy Harsher remixed by The Soft Moon

Darkwave synth act Boy Harsher recently reissued their debut album "Lesser Man," and now the group have a 12" single on the way, a companion piece of sorts to the reissue, featuring the song "Pain" as remixed my electro-industrial group The Soft Moon.  Pre-order it here from the band and listen below.

Grouper

It's wonderful to wake up to news of new music from Grouper, and so here we have it.  Liz Harris's entrancing project will be gifting us a new record, "Grid of Points," in April on Kranky.  The special edition LP is already sold out (it was literally just announced 3 hours ago), but you can still pre-order all the other editions here.  In the meantime, listen to the achingly beautiful "Parking Lot" below.

Caroline Says

With a name that must be a nod and tribute to Lou Reed (seriously, what else could it be?), Austin artist Caroline Says just recently popped up on my radar, a few shows set for next week's SXSW and a new LP, "No Fool Like an Old Fool" coming out that week as well.  Crafting kind of a floaty sonic aesthetic with swirling loops and notes of surf, psych, soul, and folk, it's one of those record that feels instantaneously timeless.  Listen to "Sweet Home Alabama" (not a cover) below, pre-order the album digitally here, or order the record here from Western Vinyl.