Vondelpark’s indie informed by R&B (& harmonica) turn on “California Analog Dream” is an absolute win. The pensive evocative track is transportive in the best sort of way; whatever a “California Analog Dream” is to the song’s writer, you no doubt feel as the listener like you’re living inside one (or it). Vondelpark’s debut Seabed LP is out April 1st on R&S Records.
Vondelpark 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
Say hello to Misty Miller. The South London songwriter’s neat blend of punk, surf, and soul stands out as interesting, different, unpredictable and really really good. Spin below her single “Girlfriend”, which is taken from her EP of the same name due February 25th.
Misty Miller (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.1
We don’t know much about rapper Gittaa Thomas other than; 1) He’s from Chicago 2) He used to be in a rap duo called Gez Lewiez 3) His debut single “Moments” absolutely kills.
Gittaa Thomas – MomentsGittaa Thomas 
(Twitter)
Rating 8.8
“In the Fresh” is the debut single from newcomer artist Stroik. The playful yet snide, ebullient yet cutting “In the Fresh” is a song full of contradiction and juxtaposition. “”You’re beautiful minding yourself / But they’re watching you like hunter’s prey / We’re laughing at the funeral / And on the way back we’re cradling camo” pretty cold, right? The tension and constant push/pull that exists between the track lyrically and the sunny indie pop of its instrumental and the adept execution of that tension makes for a definite standout listen.
Stroik 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.0
Teenagers (!) (no, really, they’re 16-17 years of age) from Hampshire UK (!) (no, really, they’re actually from Hampshire), Blaenavon strike with the precision for melody, arrangement, hooks, atmosphere, guitars, menace (pretty much any quality a great band would possess) that blows away just about anybody else in their genre, age group or otherwise. “Into the Night” double A w/ the equally fine “Denim Patches” are very special tracks indeed; involving the sort of thrill, mania & cinema that make for the most powerful & visceral of songs. A+.
Blaenavon – Into the NightBlaenavon (Facebook)
Rating 8.4
b3 faves ODESZA announce their first U.S. tour and release new single “Don’t Stop”. Excerpted below from their great Summer’s Gone LP, “Don’t Stop” contains the more of the same genre-bending globe of influences-hopping sounds that we first fell love with last fall. Summer’s Gone is a truly excellent record; way too excellent to be slept on.
ODESZA – Don’t StopODESZA Tour:
Fri. March 8 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
Sat. March 9 – Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s *
Sun. March 10 – Bellingham, WA @ The Wild Buffalo *
Wed. March 13 – Arcata, CA @ Arcata Theater *
Thu. March 14 – San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine *
Fri. March 15 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst Atrium *
Sat. March 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey *
Sun. March 17 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up *
Tue. March 19 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Green Room *
Wed. March 20 – Albuquerque, NM @ Evolution Nightclub *
Thu. March 21 – Durango, CO @ Henry Strater Theatre *
Fri. March 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge *
Sat. March 23 – Crystal Bay, NV @ Frank Sinatra Showroom *
* w/ Emancipator, Little People
ODESZA 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.4
Saturday night February 9th, B3SCI teams up with Mouser and Origami Vinyl for an evening of music with Incan Abraham. The event is billed A Homecoming Rumpus, to celebrate the final show of Incan Abraham’s current Western Tour. Joining them on the night will be Cuckoo Chaos, Mahgeetah and a special DJ set by Honeybear. Get in the mood below with this fantastic new video for “Panama Dry” by Incan Abraham, the track is off the band’s Springhouse release. We’ll see you soon!
*The Satellite is a 21+ venue, doors open at 8:30, the show starts at 9pm and tickets are $8 presale, $10 at the door. More information can be found here and tickets are available here.
London production duo Joe Henson and Alexis Smith have just released the first and title track from their forthcoming release as The Flight. On “Hangman”, Keaton Henson guest vocals for a bone chilling re-hatch of the classic folk song “Pretty Polly”. The Flight’s debut Hangman EP will feature a variety of vocalists, all of which assist the duo in telling their dark perspective on that same folk story. Check out the video below.
The Flight (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.7
“Exactly Sharp” the b-side to the (also awesome) “I Want To Know” 7″, new from Los Angeles band HANDS. Although we can’t be sure (it could very well be a chorus effects-laced guitar or some sort of synthesizer), “Exactly Sharp” contains maybe the best indie rock vibraphone hook of all time (ALL TIME!). The rest of the track, with it’s California sunset feel & neat vocal/guitar melodic interplay, is pretty cool too. Get a sample below.
HANDS – Exactly SharpHands 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
UK R&B ingenue Indiana (shout to all our friends in the Hoosier State) first hit our radars last year with her sweetly lugubrious cover of Frank Ocean’s “Swim Good”. On new track “Bound”, the British newcomer has delivered a gem. Built on a deftly evil bassline & minimalist production, “Bound” succeeds on ellipsis, on what’s omitted. The drama, cinema & tension created by the track’s relatively simple instrumentation is transfixing really. To move, to break from that tension, is to invite that character of menace that exists within the spaces and gaps in the track.
Indiana (Facebook)
Rating 8.0
“In The City”, the first single from NYC band Caveman’s forthcoming self-titled sophomore LP, is a further more hooks-focused, more tightly-arranged exploration of the band’s warm indie rock sound. The density and stratum that made Caveman’s debut record so good is still intact on “In The City” but with a noted level pop songwriting level up. We love it.
Caveman 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.2
