“Say Yes To Ewans” is excerpted here from Bristol UK artist Oliver Wilde’s upcoming Red Tide Opal LP. An able blend of romantic shoegaze-y themes and space-zone guitar textures that sound freshly wrested from the 24th Century, “Say Yes To Ewans” is equally and expertly rhythmic and tuneful and unlike anything out right now. We absolutely love “Say Yes To Ewans”. Howling Owl Records is the label to know for the July 28th release of Red Tide Opal.
Oliver Wilde 
(Official)
Rating 8.2
“Hunger of the Pine” is the return single from Alt-J, one of 2012 indie music’s biggest breakouts (winning the Mercury Prize, etc). The new track is of a similar plodding and obtuse ilk as much of debut LP An Awesome Wave but also like that record is buoyed by Alt-J’s penchant for tunefulness and strong writing. This Is All Yours Alt-J’s sophomore release for Canvasback Records is slated for a September 22nd release.
Alt-J (Official)
Rating: 8.8
Wildcat! Wildcat! impress on maybe their best single to date with the indie pop perfect “Hero”. Taken from the band’s August-due LP No Moon At All finds the band adeptly pushing their sound into a more spacious, broader frame while maintaining the strong pop songwriting that W!W! have earned their bread on. Spin “Hero” below.
Wildcat! Wildcat! 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.4
New Irish band SPIES tap the wide aether of big UK (& Irish) rock history with the enormous sounds of single “Moosehead”. “Moosehead”, as a track, is constructed around a booming rhythm track, and delay-washed guitar-riffing threaded with just enough melodic energy and infectiousness to give the track a right set of marching orders (and relevancy). We absolutely love it.
SPIES 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 9.0
The exceptional “Pandora’s Box” highlights the self-titled debut LP from French band Isaac Delusion. Sounding a bit of a Francophone more direct Kings of Convenience, Isaac Delusion mix layered, straight to the gut/feet rhythms and pop-sensible tunefulness in a manner that is instantly magnetic. Isaac Delusion is available for purchase now on Cracki Records. (HD)
Isaac Delusion 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.6
Astronauts is the solo project of ex-Dark Captain Light Captain singer Dan Carney. “Skydive”, the new venture’s lead single is a neatly executed merger of modern low-touch electronic beats and folk musicality tied up in beautiful compact sets of vocal and instrumental melodies. Hollow Ponds, the debut record from Astronauts, is out July 21 on Lo Recordings.
Astronauts 
: (Soundcloud)
Rating: 8.5
“20 Years Tall”, the speak-verse/killer chorus track from L.A. via Utah band Sego, is the band’s maiden single. The chaotic yet nicely syncopated opening guitar and bass hook on “20 Years Tall” is maybe its best asset aside from that aforementioned great chorus. Sego is band worth keeping an eye toward as “20 Years Tall” is indicative in its writing quality of a band with definite and serious potential.
Sego (Facebook)
Rating 8.6
We were on this kid early and look at him now! Synth wiz/your favorite DJ named after a water sport takes a trippy spin on the perennial indie/hipster favorite Foster The People’s “Best Friend”. This official remix merges the smooth edges of the Aussie Wave Racer and the great hooks of Mark Foster and to create a whole new and quite unexpected spin on the track.
Wave Racer 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
