Last year, Smallpools released their hit single ‘Dreaming’ and it became an anthem to the start of summer. Their follow up EP was indie-pop of similar celebratory scale.

Around the same time, Magic Man and Panama Wedding were rising in the ranks with their catchy synth rock and heartfelt vocals via ‘Paris’ and ‘All of the People’, respectively. The former’s most recent album, Before the Waves kept it rolling. And the latter has seen remixes come from all around the spectrum – RAC among them – which is one of the best respects a musician can pay.

On Monday [11|17], all three will be bringing their high-energy, feel-good indie vibes to the House of Blues in Anaheim. And we’ve got some tickets to giveaway for quite the show to kick off your week! Come with feeling.

Smallpools – EP

Magic Man – Out of Mind

Magic Man – Paris

Panama Wedding – All of the People

HOW TO ENTER

Standard procedure: The contest ends at 12PM Monday November 17th! The more ways you enter below, the better your chance is to win. Be sure to be ready to check your e-mail/twitter, because we’ll be giving it to the first person who responds when the contest is over. See you guys there!

(more…)

Donovan Blanc

Hope-tinged psychedelia for the surf-soaked wanderer is where Donovan Blanc thrives. This New Jersey duo is blending new wave rapture with mellowed out 60’s and 70’s beach pop-rock catch. I envision rays flowing crepuscular and breathing through purple, red, and orange. The otics are equally as dreamlike in a free form kind of way.

Their self-titled LP came out on Captured Tracks last month. Stream it, then buy it.

Deers | Soundcloud

Madrid duo Deers solidify our love for girl bands. And lo-fi. A quartet on stage, these ladies pull off that laid back, apathetic, and muddy attitude of surf punks. That’s not to say there’s a lack of energy though. The playfulness in the tracks they have out now are a testament to their estilo fresco.

2-track EP, DEMO, comes out July 28th. These girls have got something special here and we can’t wait to see how far they take it.

Pepa Knight | Soundcloud

Jinja Safari‘s Pepa Knight went solo and wowed me a few months back with ‘Rahh!’. Since then he’s released ‘Clams’ which is equally impressive and expressive. His self brand of tipi pop/jam makes absolute sense when you listen to it. It’s got essences of ethnic instruments combined with indie-pop layering to create some downright feel-good free-spirit, triumphant soul, child-of-the-sun type stuff. My favourite.

A self-searching sabbatical to India is the inspiration for his upcoming album and the lyrics you hear in these two singles are evident of how life-changing it was. A tipi in his back yard: the studio.

What are you waiting for? What are you living for?

The Donkeys | Buy Ride the Black Wave

Summer is here. That can only mean a few things: lofty intrumentals, dazed drumming, and echoes of adventure. The Donkeys’ Ride the Black Wave perfectly encompasses all of these sonic requirements. Take a midweek mental vacation with this album. Or swap cement for sand cause, you know, school’s out and all.

Circa Waves | Soundcloud

Mark my words: Liverpool garage rock quartet Circa Waves are going to make some pretty big waves on the indie scene, and pretty soon. Formed in 2012, they have already been signed to Virgin records, touring with the likes of Interpol, and performing at major festivals in the UK, before even dropping their debut album. With pulsing rhythms reminiscent of the Vaccines and punkish lure akin to the Libertines, it’s no wonder they have already garnered attention from the likes of NME and Zane Lowe. Their music is undeniably addictive, marked with a youthful charm and a sense of urgency. Listen to their music below and be sure to be on the look out for their debut.

Foster the People | Buy Supermodel

Foster the People’s sophomore release just hit the market. 3 years in the making, Supermodel could have taken the radio-pop ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ route or a more ‘I Would Do Anything for You’ approach. We were both surprised and pleased the trio chose to move towards the latter. Don’t get us wrong, we love the catchy tracks of Torches (‘Best Friend’ will satisfy that), but Supermodel‘s gritty and introspective direction just seemed like a more appropriate path after all this time. See it as a ‘Coming of Age’ if you will.

This album takes on a cohesiveness that requires it to be listened to in full. Cherry-picking tracks doesn’t do it justice or convey the right effect. With its self-reflective start off, Supermodel locks you in by the time you reach ‘Pseudologia Fantastica’. It resurges with the poppy climax of ‘Best Friend’. By ‘Fire Escape’, Mark Foster is all burned out – the respite is welcome (to pre-orders) before the psychedelic trip of ‘Tabloid Super Junkie’. All in all, it looks like we’ll be setting the schedule to enjoy some Foster the People come Coachella Saturday (26/33 days left!).

Tracklisting

1. Foster the People – Are You What You Want to Be?
2. Foster the People – Ask Yourself
3. Foster the People – Coming of Age
4. Foster the People – Nevermind

5. Foster the People – Pseudologia Fantastica
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/Music/foster%20the%20people%20-%20supermodel/05%20-%20Pseudologia%20Fantastica.mp3]
6. Foster the People – The Angelic Welcome of Mr. Jones

7. Foster the People – Best Friend
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/Music/foster%20the%20people%20-%20supermodel/07%20-%20Best%20Friend.mp3]
8. Foster the People – A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon
9. Foster the People – Goats in Trees
10. Foster the People – The Truth
11. Foster the People – Fire Escape

(exclusive track) 12. Foster the People – Tabloid Super Junkie
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/Music/foster%20the%20people%20-%20supermodel/12%20-%20Tabloid%20Super%20Junkie.mp3]

An 80’s videos!