The Girls of Winter: brooding and lovelorn, their heart-baring sleeves give light to hopeful romanticism to come.

Donna Missal – Hotline Bling

Breakups are violent. Donna Missal fights toxicity with vengeance.

ZUZU – Clever Gains

Loss is debilitating. ZUZU finds comfort in the dismay.

Tsar B – Escalate

Emotion is escalation. Tsar B gives it all to release a tired mind.

Alo Lee – Videos

Commitment is compromise. Alo Lee shows the solution is simple if you listen closely.

Sälen – IILWMBF

Passion is unaccommodating. Sälen expresses the heart when nothing else can be done.

P’ARIS – Focus

Hope is tender. P’ARIS focuses on the perfection of what could be.

Sofi de la Torre – Colorblind Cruisin’

Love is colorblind. Sofi de la Torre adds a pop step to it.

EXES – Grey

The end is black or white. EXES paints it grey to lighten the heart.

CoachellAltDelight brings attention to special artists that will be featured in Indio come April.
Some we love. Some we just discovered. All essential.
Click here for more from this series.
9/16 Days

When we caught Sylvan Esso at SXSW 2014, the only real intro we had to them was the chilled out electronica of ‘Hey Mami’ and ‘Coffee’. They came out looking like a typical indie boy-girl feel good-pop duo. And then they shattered all of our expectations.

Listening to their recorded tracks does them only the slightest of justice. Where they excel is definitely in the performer’s eye. Amelia and Nick’s on-stage presence is charmingly lovable. They feed off of each other and the energy seeps. Starting the festival season off with smiles all around and playful dancing with strangers is A-Okay in our book. Come play with us.

Sylvan Esso – Coffee

Sylvan Esso – Play It Right

Sylvan Esso – Hey Mami

Back when summer was starting, Norway’s Anna of the North and their single ‘Sway’ had us locked on warm, lazy nights dancing with the universe. A few days ago, their followup ‘Oslo’ came to lead us into winter. It’s a wonderful rainy day track designed to warm the hopes and instill some lovely daydreams.

We’re patiently impatiently awaiting more. Support ‘Sway’ here.

Anna of the North – Oslo

Donna Lewis – ILYAF 1996 (AotN cover)

Anna of the North – Sway

Mansions on the Moon | Soundcloud

Since they were featured in Benzi and Diplo‘s Paradise Falls mixtape, MOTM has held a special place in my heart for one of my favourite late night driving tracks: ‘Satellite’. I still get goosebumps cruising empty highways to it.

The good news is they’re coming out with a self-titled LP on October 22nd. The first single, ‘Don’t Tell’, is just as perfect as I’d hoped it to be. It’s a blend of indie-electronic dance pop that elicits nothing but a lighthearted wave of summery dreams about that night you can’t quite remember but will never forget. Download it free and take it for a test drive (literally).

Tep No | Soundcloud

Tep No combines essences of deep house and dream pop to create some seriously hypnotic flows to back his rhythm-and-bluesy voice, which maintains a sort of airy scratchiness. While the lyrics are relatively melancholy, the combination of everything pans out oddly soothing.

His first release, ‘Promises’, was a hit among those in the know. It brought to mind a more electronic Lana. We waited to see if he could carry the rep and his subsequent 2 releases definitely indicate he’s onto something good. You can download all his work for free off his SoundCloud.

GirlsOnDrugs

UK duo GirlsOnDrugs (Luke Lount & Kat McHugh) have got me all out of sorts. The dark and industrial vibe is driving me deep. There’s a growing space in my head.

The droning bass is reverberating off the walls. Wistful.
The whining synth leaves behind echoed streaks like neon on water.
The yearning vocals promise there’s more.

I feel like I’m shooting through Tron. Destination: anywhere.

Everywhere.

Future

Yumi Zouma

The romantic and dreamy disco-pop escape that is Yumi Zouma is only augmented by the leafy vocals of Kim Pflaum. This weekend, we’ll find ourselves coasting highways beneath clear skies, a cool breeze skirting through our hair as the sun kisses our bare skin. With Yumi Zouma on repeat, the journey is the destination.

Get their self-titled EP out on 2.11 through CASCINE.