Aussie exports Them Swoops connect the stellar melodic dots with second single “Too Fast For Love”. The order for the track is choice indie rock melody, choice indie rock melody, and more choice indie rock melody, as the Oz band fires tuneful salvo after tuneful salvo on “Too Fast For Love”. If you’re in Australia (or just visiting!), look out for the band to be touring the country later this month.
Them Swoops 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.4
SF garage kids Burnt Ones drop off an ace bit of fuzz pop on “Fountain of Youth”, which is sampled here from the band’s forthcoming sophomore LP You’ll Never Walk Alone.
Burnt Ones 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.2
Sharkmuffin, out of Brooklyn, bless b3 with a power pop gem with “The Lake”. The track, although wall to wall packed with great melodies and hooks, has a nice overall dynamic to it; building tension and volume into the track’s awesome visceral finish. Frontwoman Tarra Thiessen, who’s vocal performance on the track is A+, reminds a bit (in a very good way) of Chrissie Hynde. Stay tuned for a 7-inch release of “The Lake” from Sharkmuffin later this month.
Sharkmuffin – The LakeSharkmuffin 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.3
The Lucius crew let loose an excellent soulful live version of their “Turn It Around” single. The Brooklyn band found themselves in lights last night as “Turn It Around” got a spin on the open of last night “Grey’s Anatomy” (which somewhat amazingly is still on). Lucius have a U.S. tour upcoming; with a start in Boston on Valentine’s Day (where by then the city’s snowmobile-based economy should be in full motion) and will continue throughout February and into March with multiple shows at SXSW.
Tour:
2/14: Boston, MA @ Great Scott
2/15 Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy *
2/16 Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java *
2/17 Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café *
2/18 Toledo, OH @ The Ottawa Tavern
2/20: Mechanicsburg, PA @ Messiah College
2/21: Kingston, NY @BSP Lounge
2/22: Hamden, CT @ The Outer Space
2/23: Williamstown, MA @ The Log
3/13: Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/14: Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/15: Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/16: Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/18: Little Rock, AR @ Juanita’s Cantina Ballroom #
3/19: Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Theater #
3/20: Nashville, TN @ The High Watt %
4/5: Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
* co-headlining w/ Hannah Georgas
# supporting The Mowgli’s & Family of the Year
% supporting Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers
Lucius (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.3
A pair of b3 favorites connect as Bondax exercise their fabulous remix hand to Maribou State’s great “Got Me Down”.
Maribou State – Got Me Down (Bondax Remix)Bondax 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
Finally! Longtime friends Theophilus London and Jesse Boykins III make it legal with new PARIS 96 collaborative project. First track “Afternoon” is the perfect mix of JBIII’s sophisticated R&B stylings and T. London’s percussive rhyming playboy thing. Expect an EP from these two in April. Psyched!
PARIS 96 (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.3
Check out the soulful (& awesome) hip hop-informed space pop of Natural Self a/k/a Brighton-based producer Nathaniel Pearn and his track for “Machine”. The single will be available Feb 18th on Tru Thoughts. Get familiar. (TLOBF)
Natural Self (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Forte Bowie, who was recently featured on Trinidad James’ (all gold blah blah blah) “Southside” record, lets loose the first track from his forthcoming Vice Haus EP, “Gucci Mane”. First, “Gucci Mane” (burr burr burr burr) is an incredibly varied (and unexpected) track. The track & Fort adeptly run through gear after gear after gear, from trap-influenced verses, an R&B middle bit, an Ellie Goulding sample to a great 90’s-styled hook. Look out for more from Fort Bowie when Vice Hause drops on the 18th.
Forte Bowie – Gucci ManeForte Bowie 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.2
Johnbear & Bria out of Leeds UK offer a five-star 90’s house remix of Janet Jackson’s great “Someone to Call My Lover”. Big up.
Johnbear & Bria – Call Me Your LoverJohnbear & Bria (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
b3 faves The 1975 come through with possibly their most challenging track to date with “Head.Cars.Bending.”. The R&B influence hinted at in earlier songs like “You” & “Chocolate” is dialed up further here with the band embracing more untraditional song & rhythm structures for indie pop. “Head.Cars.Bending” is quite unlike anything we’re heard before (in the best sort of way) and we’re definitely co-signing this particular lane for the band. The 1975’s s/t EP is due March 3rd on Dirty Hit.
The 1975 (Facebook)
Rating 8.2
It’s Ghost Beach, duh! The great Shook takes “Been There Before” on the Caribbean cruise of its dreams; we’re talking co-ed competitive shuffleboard, tours of the captain’s bridge & quarters, waterslides, and all the conga lines to Buster Poindexter’s “Hot Hot Hot” one can handle.
Shook 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
L.A.-based Banks does dark pop to perfection on new track “Before I Ever Met You”. (And we mean this in the most complimentary way) If Fiona Apple were 15 years younger and just emerging into music right now, her sound likely wouldn’t be too far from Banks on “Before I Ever Met You”. We are in love.
Banks (Facebook)
Rating 8.6
