It’s difficult to imagine Youth Lagoon’s debut album “The Year of Hibernation” as something recorded in a bedroom. Futuristically epic, it seems to occupy a space beyond the constraints of gravity. What’s more it’s lonely and esoteric, but in a sort of way that you want to find a common ground with it. Youth Lagoon is the creative endeavor of 22-year-old Trevor Powers. His debut is the sort of thing you could write a dissertation on. And honestly it wouldn’t surprise me if people do years down the road. “The Year of Hibernation” is the sort of album that makes a profound mark on all possible levels. Its individualism is initially evident in the steady melodic build-up of each song. Each track is similar in that manner. At first it sounds like something you could drown in, but as it continues it builds strength through drum machines and synth. The vocals have this sunken quality about them, like Powers is speaking through a tin can, giving them a subconscious affect. Perhaps what makes this album so beautiful is how evident it is that he made this album purely for himself. Like he had to let something he’d been holding in for years out; this becomes further evident through the lyrics. It’s clear he’s dealing with a lot. This is one of those rare albums that manages to be both catchy and profound. It may even be ahead of its time.

Tracklist

1. Afternoon
2. Cannons
3. Daydream
4. July
5. Montana
6. Posters
7. Seventeen
8. The Hunt

Portland-based trio Unknown Mortal Orchestra has caused quite the stir on the blogosphere lately and deservedly. Their debut album dropped last week and though it’s homemade like many buzz bands of the moment, there is something about it that distinguishes it from everything else–a sort of extraterrestrial, supersonic feeling that’s especially rare in a homemade album. It feels more like the product of another time in the not-too-distant-future than something that was whipped together in a modern American bedroom. Yet it maintains a sort of dusty, second-hand vinyl quality that makes it even more enigmatic. Rowdy and delinquent it’s just distorted enough to crash-land a spot next to rock ‘n roll classics and contemporaries. With androgynous, falsetto delivered vocals that you cannot sing along with without sounding ridiculous, it manages to blend in a tasteful degree of youthful pop.

Be sure to download their remixes (including “Jesus” by Dom, “First Of tha Month” by Bone Thugs N Harmony and “Try Again” by Aaliyah).

Tracklist

1. FFunny FFriends
2.Bicycle
3. Thought Ballune
4. Jello and Juggernauts
5.How Can U Luv Me?
6. Nerve Damage!
7. Little Blu House
8.Strangers Are Strange
9. Boy Witch
10. I Want to Be Left to My Own Devices
11. Cyrus’ Theme

Standing alone, James Mercer of The Shins and Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse are two names that are difficult to argue with in the music world. With two distinct sounds of their own it shouldn’t come as a huge shock that together they are an absolute powerhouse. Only a year after the release of their self-titled debut as Broken Bells, the duo has recently released an EP. Meyrin Fields is a futuristic landscape, a mechanical and dark aberration from the 1960s-infused indie pop we’re used to hearing from both artists separately. The EP shares the gloom and new-wave feel of the LP, though with less of a post-apocalyptic feel. Rather, it’s brimming with a sort of artificial intelligence. It’s the musical manifestation of a world run by shimmering robots, unnatural and dominant with the kinda vibes reminiscent of something Spoon would deliver if they lived a thousand years in the future. Science fiction as it is, it still maintains a classic rock quality that puts it in the same class as The Black Keys and Wolf Parade.

Meyrin Fields

1. Meyrin Fields
2. Windows
3. An Easy Life
4. Heartless Empire

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The Mall & Misery

I don’t know what it is with dubstep artists as a whole consistently putting out albums, but I’m not complaining. I’m only saying because you see more dub LPs/EPs coming out than electronic. And the electronic EPs with an original and 5 remixes don’t count. Anyway, Emalkay has been in the game for days, and is finally getting support in the U.S. with his most recent release of Eclipse. I saw his name on this year’s HARD Summer bill and skipped over it, only to find Skrillex ranting and raving about Eclipse on his twitter. And just today, HARD put out an artist spotlight on the guy, so I took the hint, grabbed the album, and couldn’t be happier that I did.

The album starts off running with what Chronic Mncher and I believe to be one of the fattest dubstep tracks of the year so far. He goes through the album weaving together old school deep dub with the grimy new school brostep synths. All the while, he throws in some drum and bass as I’ve been warming up to the sound. True UK dubstep artist, and this is just the beginning for him, in the states at least.

Tracklist

1. Fabrication Delightful Choice!
2. Crusade
3. Keep Goin On
4. Space Hopper
5. Tanspose
6. Flesh & Bone
7. The World
8. Metropolis
9. Why I Don’t Like You (Skit)
10. When I Look At You
11. Romance
12. Weapons Of Mass (Exclusive Bonus Track)

Free Twitter Tracks

He released these tracks for free after he hit 10,000 followers on his Twitter. Shoot him a follow.
Living Dead
The Plunge

Mississippi-based delinquent duo Bass Drum of Death are the kind of sleazy, leather-jacket-torn-jeans-wearing hipsters you wouldn’t invite to your parents house for dinner. They’re the ohso suspicious-looking youths taking cigarette breaks in shady alleyways that are used to being greeted with suspicion. And they’ve just recorded an album. Amidst funneling guitar riffs and lo-fi vocals these guys definitely aren’t asking for your opinion. With an overall Ty Segall sorta vibe and lyrics about getting with religious girls, stealing and gravity bongs, it shouldn’t come as a surprise the kind of audience this will lure in. Whether or not you can relate to the lyrics, this is the sort of grungy rock n roll thud that makes for an awesome live performance.

GB City

1. Nerve Jamming
2. GB City
3. Get Found
4. Velvet Itch
5. High School Roaches
6. Spare Room
7. Young Pros
8. Heart Attack Kid
9. Leaves
10. I Could Never Be Your Man
11. Religious Girls
12. He’s So Fine

Last year, Cloud Nothings frontman Dylan Baldi released his basement scuzz debut Turning On. It was a brooding stew of lo-fi growing pains and the typical adolescent woahs of suburban life. Baldi quickly moved from the thick fog of his parents’ basement to the ever-so resourceful recording studio to deliver his self-titled sophomore album. It seems though that more than just the recording locale has changed for Baldi and what we’re left with is something that sounds like it could have been made by another artist entirely. Punchy, poppy and in your face, this album is a sugary confection of fast paced, frenetic beats that roll over like a high-speed merry-go-round. It sounds like something Nathan Williams of Wavves would make on laughing gas. It’s the sort of head bouncy pop that perfectly suits a disgustingly good mood; otherwise, its jumpy repetition has a tendency to sound like a bouncing, attention starved toddler. Like anything ultra-sweet, this is best in small servings otherwise you’ll get a headache.

-Witler

Tracklist

1. Understand At All
2. Not Important
3. Should Have
4. Forget You All the Time
5. Nothing’s Wrong
6. Heartbeat
7. Rock
8. You’re Not That Good At Anything
9. Been Through
10. On the Radio
11. All the Time

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For No Reason

Listening to New Orleans indie-pop duo The Generationals’ sophomore album “Actor-Caster” is something like flipping through an old photo album, peering into a lost time. The album borrows from a variety of influences, like looking back at photos from over the decades and lamenting over the different styles of dress and hair, but without the “what were they thinking?” feel. This is pure nostalgia, almost to the point where it feels wrong listening to it from an iPod. It’s a sort of dusty, beat-heavy pop that makes the most sense coming from turntables. This, however, isn’t a record for the shelf; it’s got just enough synth and charm to remain relevant to the times.

-Witler

Tracklist

1. Ten-Twenty-Ten
2. I Promise
3. Yours Forever
4. You Say It Too
5. Goose & Gander
6. Dirty Mister Dirty
7. Black and White
8. Tell Me Now
9. Greenleaf
10. Please Be It
11. U Say It 2 (Bonus Track)

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Say For Certain