New Tracks

Ocean Hands – “Pictures of What”

Ocean Hands deliver a polished mix of anthemic indie-rock and riveting electro-pop, with a sound comparable to The Helio Sequence, Passion Pit, and Local Natives. Formed two years ago, the San Diego-based

Christina Rubino – “Pending the Last Soul”

Christina Rubino’s smoky vocals and personal lyrics for a engrossing experience throughout her new album, Alive from the Scrapheap. Touching on a variety of topics – from losing parents to artistic struggle

Obscure Sound: Best of April 2014

April’s compilation is a tidy one, with thirteen tracks clocking in at an accessible 50 minutes. I was probably a bit more selective than usual this month, but that’s OK — I

Snowblind Traveler – “Lobster”

I featured Matt Dorrien/Snowblind Traveler last year, noting how his rich and soulful intermingling of acoustic-pop and soulful rock reminded me of a twangy Wilco crossed with the solemn folk of Elliott Smith.

Tachyon – “Aliens”

Electro-pop duo Tachyon is comprised of Grammy Award-winning “trombonist-turned-singer/songwriter” Jonathan Arons and “Juilliard trumpet player-turned-music producer” James Cage. Some may recognize Arons as the viral “dancing trombone player” on the Steve Harvey Show,

Jacob Trombetta – “Dark Cul-De-Sac”

Comfort Clouds’ album Three New Sciences was one of my favorite debuts from last year. Described as an album being made “by people who grew up more with Steely Dan and Brazilian music than garage

Joel Havea – “Going Gone”

Joel Havea adds some much-needed flair to the acoustic soul/pop genre, one whose ease-of-access makes it routine to sift through a variety of artists to find quality. Havea’s talents are immediately noticeable

The Yetis – “Warm California”

The Yetis started out as four friends covering The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys tracks in a garage attic. Increased exposure to acts like Girls, The Beach Boys, and R. Stevie Moore led to plenty

New Albums

Fortress – ‘Chroma’ EP

A haunting electronic pop infectiousness shows throughout Chroma, the new EP from Antwerp-based trio Fortress. Satiating structural swells are apparent throughout, often

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Erro – ‘Strawberry Moon’

Pittsburgh-based duo Erro craft a heartfelt, nostalgic rock appeal across their new album Strawberry Moon. ’60s and ’70s rock influences pair with

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