Sudan Archives - Nont For Sale

I'm still kicking myself for not catching LA artist Sudan Archives when she was here for SXSW.  And her new single "Nont For You" just piles on the regret.  A smoky, airy R&B jam full of dreamy vocals, slinky beats, and plucked violin strings that appear out of the ether.  This is thick sonic haze at its finest, completely and utterly intoxicating.  And holy shit, that is some amazing single cover art.  Listen to the song below, get it here, and be sure to grab the upcoming "Sink" EP from Stones Throw in May.

MIEN

Austin's Levitation Festival is making its triumphant return this year, after getting cancelled last minute in 2016 due to bad weather and taking 2017 off entirely, this time around spreading its excellent lineup of artists among a slew of different venues in the city.  While i'm not going to be able to make it the festival at large, i was hoping to catch Slowdive and S U R V I V E performing on the same bill that Saturday during the fest.  Playing before the two of them however is a band called MIEN, and i had wondered just who the heck they were.  Well, now i know.  A supergroup of sorts featuring members of The Black Angels, The Horrors, The Earlies (!), and Elephant Stone, the band create a worldly and psychedelic swirl of droney, trippy rock.  Sitar abounds and it's awesome.  So now i think i will certainly be catching that show.  Anyway, listen to "Earth Moon" below and look for the self-titled album this Friday on Rocket Recordings.

Melody's Echo Chamber

Last year, French artist Melody Prochet announced the release of her recording project Melody's Echo Chamber's sophomore album "Bon Voyage," but then was in some kind of terrible accident that forced her to delay the record's release and cancel a whole bunch of live dates.  She's better now, and the psych pop record is now slated for release in June on Fat Possum.  Watch the trippy animated video for the album's second song "Breathe In, Breath Out" below.

Exitmusic

Dreampop duo Exitmusic have new music headed our way later this month courtesy of the always dependable Felte Records.  "The Recognitions" sounds big and cinematic in scope, layering plenty of shoegaze fuzz and post rock grandeur into the mix to create something lush and epic to swirl in your eardrums.  Listen to "Trumpets Fade" below and pre-order the album here.

Grouper - Driving

Grouper's upcoming "Grid of Points" LP cannot get here soon enough.  Listen to stunningly stark an beautiful ballad "Driving" below and make sure to get the record later this month from Kranky.  Pre-order yours here.

SASAMI

Last year at SXSW, i was fortunate enough to see LA band Cherry Glazerr a couple of times.  Well, it now appears that band member Sasami Ashworth has left the group to focus on solo pursuits.  And so we have "Callous," a wonderful first single and signifier of things yet to come.  It's noisy, poppy, strange, and personal little tune that gets under the skin.  Listen below and be on the lookout for an album later this year.

John Maus - Episode

Last year, John Maus released the excellent "Screen Memories" LP and announced an upcoming vinyl box set featuring his entire discography along with an album of rarities and unheard material, appropriately titled "Addendum."  I'm a sucker for Maus's synthy, lo-fi weirdness, so new music from the artist is always welcome news.  Listen to "Episode" below, and get the album later this month on Ribbon Music.

Drinks

Drinks is the collaborative band of Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley, a strange and quirky, and at times discordant lo-fi pop recording project.  Let me let the artists describe their thing for you:

A month spent in an old mill, river swimming, scorpion fear. No wifi. Night sounds, used frogs. Broken music, a crumble, a mysterious place. An album made for each other by one another with no piercing the bubble, the opposite of a typical recording experience. Tim and Cate serve Drinks again!

Sounds pretty cool if you ask me.  And i'll be honest, i was pretty much sold with the retro private press look of the album cover.  Listen to "Corner Shops" below and get the "Hippo Lite" LP from Drag City later this month.

Beach House - Dark Spring

Beach House's new album "7" is due in May on Sub Pop, and the duo has released another new track from it, the dreamy, shoegazey, psychedelia entangled "Dark Spring."  Watch the video for the song below.

RF Shannon

There's something to be said for the dustiest of modern Americana, the troubadours of the nation strumming out their psych, folk, and country tinged ditties for long car rides through the country and hot afternoons.  Austin area artist (Lockhart to be exact) RF Shannon's upcoming album "Trickster Blues" looks to be that perfect combination of psych, pop, and dirt.  Watch the video for the hazy and lazy "Black Madonna, So Divine" below and pre-order the album here from Cosmic Dreamer Music.