Bay Area indie-pop band Nine Pound Shadow, consisting of brothers Breandain and Christopher Langlois, are playing at Ivy Room in Albany, CA on June 22nd, with Young Moon and The Daily Evening. The duo’s most recent release, a self-titled EP, is a collection of five harmony-laced pop songs that are simultaneously airy and punchy. The brothers invoke the melancholic folk of James Taylor, The Shins and Sufjan Stevens on songs like "Bright Like Gold" and "Tiger Smile," as well as the grandiose orchestral pop of MGMT on "Tell Me Why." Check out the official video for "Tell Me Why" below, and be sure to get to the gig! – Ethan Ames

Brooklyn indie rock quartet Pecas will be playing Mercury Lounge on June 30th in support of Modern Diet. On their 2014 release, Dwelling, songwriter Sandy Davis paints pictures of the quiet despair and contemplation that occurs in the midst of a relationship’s slow decline. Reverb-drenched vocals, warbling keys and tremolo-laced electric guitars lend a fittingly melancholy ambiance. Listen to "Keeper" below! – Ethan Ames

Psych pop band Unreasonable Hours has released a new song, "redpond405," a crooked, imaginative number filled with twangy-ish guitars, bizarre melodies sung in falsetto, and an overall dopey jubilance hearkening to acts like early Ween, Mac DeMarco and early Beck. This should be an interesting group to witness live, so you may want to head to Brooklyn’s Sunnyvale on June 28th, where they will perform alongside All Boy/All Girl and Pecas. Listen to "redpond45" below! – Ethan Ames

Baltimore indie-rock act Snail Mail is playing Union Transfer on July 14th with DIY favorites Waxahatchee and Cayetana. On Snail Mail’s most recent EP, Habit, fuzzed-out and reverb-drenched guitars lay the groundwork for Lindsey Jordan’s resonant vocals, which often seem to drift out of painful, nebulous daydreams: "I wanna spend the entire year/Just face down/And on my own time/I wanna waste mine." The show will kick off the band first US tour of the year, followed by a second leg in October. Check out the video for "Thinning" below.  – Ethan Ames

Pregnant is the electro/indie-pop brainchild of bizarre Bay Area composer Daniel Trudeau. We are premiering here the official video for "Jar of Clay" from the upcoming album, Duct Tape. The video is a psychedelic collage of kaleidoscopic visuals and lush natural imagery that compliments the unpredictable, Animal Collective-esque composition. Pregnant will bring his quirky and imaginative sound to Elbo Room on June 25th, do not miss it, and watch the video for "Jar of Clay" below! – Ethan Ames

Brooklyn indie pop artist Hillary Capps will be playing Mercury Lounge on June 22nd in support of Lola Marsh. Capps effectively blends indie-pop sensibilities and textures – ambient synthesizers and drum machines abound – with hints of R&B and jazz that shine through celestial sounding vocal melodies. Listen to latest single "Last Call" below! – Ethan Ames

Arctic Desert Tundra, the debut release by New York duo 3D-WOW, is a startlingly original piece of psych/progressive-pop. Quietly released last November, Sara Kossin and Alec Ciesla’s debut is a collection of eight songs that are brooding, moody and at times menacing. The underlying sensitivity of songwriter/vocalist Sara Kossin radiates through the shuffling, thrashing dissonance like light through cracks in a door. Fans of Tortoise and Modest Mouse will be intrigued by the record, as it takes the guitar-heavy, ambient sounds of ’90s and early-2000s indie and runs with it into promising new post rock territory. – Ethan Ames

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San Francisco indie rock quartet Sleepy Sun recently released their new LP, Private Tales, on Dine Alone Records. The album incorporates a host of contemporary indie rock influences like The White Stripes, The Black Keys and Fleet Foxes with inflections of ’70s rock in the vein of Steely Dan, Pink Floyd and Fleetwood Mac. As a whole, the release showcases the band’s effectiveness at stylistic blending and makes for a compelling, unique pop experience. Sleepy Sun will be playing at Amoeba Music in San Francisco tonight (June 14th) in support of the record. Listen to "Crave" below! – Ethan Ames

Austin folk songwriter Adam Torres has announced a series of U.S. summer tour dates in support of his EP, Came to Sing the Song, and his LP, Pearls to Swine, both out now on Fat Possum Records. Torres’ releases are melancholic, introspective journeys, carried along by intricate acoustic fingerpicking and Torres’ signature ethereal falsetto. The tour kicks off July 27th at Antone’s in Austin. Watch the official video for "Juniper Arms," off Pearls to Swine, below. – Ethan Ames

Austin’s The Naked Tungs recently released their debut EP, Hear It Calls, an intriguing blend of garage, new wave and roots rock which showcases the band’s natural pop sensibility and charming lo-fi character. With subtle time signature changes and diverse instrumentation – from touches of pedalsteel guitar to lead tones reminiscent of Hendrix and The Clash – each song in the five track release has its own unique structural and tonal flavor. Hear It Calls is a promising introduction to a band with potential. Check out the title track below! – Ethan Ames

Noise-pop band The Sea Life is releasing a self-titled full-length album on May 26th, on Babe City Records. Blending the angsty vocal stylings of Win Butler and Conor Oberst with up-tempo, minor-key distortion, the D.C.-based band paint a swirling picture of depressive sentiments and full-throated screams of longing. On "Red Eyes," the lyrics suggest aversion toward success: "It’s a shame /That you’re trading your passion for a paycheck." The raw power in the band’s sonic approach and their energetic musicianship, however, indicate that their passion is very much a driving force on this promising release. The Sea Life is playing a record release show at Smith Public Trust in D.C. on May 26th. Check out single "Red Eyes" below! – Ethan Ames

Brooklyn’s soul band The Skins is a tantalizing blend of ’90s R&B and contemporary hip-hop. On their 2016 EP, Still Sleep, each song is tightly hook-oriented and provides sense of urgency to the entire five-track release. The Skins’ sound has evolved rapidly from a more rock-based aesthetic, as evidenced on their 2014 track, "Pump Up The Speed." The Skins will be playing Mercury Lounge on June 27th, and then head to the Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle on September 1st. Check out the video for breakout single "Bury Me" below, it got more than 100k plays on Youtube! – Ethan Ames