Dexter Tortoriello is a busy guy. Not only is he one-half of the heart-achingly dreamy duo, Houses, who released a full length this past year, but he’s been simultaneously working on his own solo electronic music, under the name Dawn Golden. Swiftly discovered by Diplo in 2011 from some demos he put on soundcloud, a relationship was birthed that led to his latest creation. Three years in the making, ‘Still Life,’ carries a similar vulnerability and emotional heaviness as his work in Houses. Tortoriello’s vocals stand against stark, minimalist, at times, glitchy production. Lead single, "All I Want," is a powerful anthem. With the titled lyrics repeating endlessly as he shapes the arrangement like a potter throwing clay on a wheel, there’s an organic, human quality that pierces through. He describes the album as "if American Beauty was set in the Tron world." Stream "All I Want" from ‘Still Life,’ out now on Mad Decent, and see Dawn Golden live this Monday, June 2 at Bardot for School Night. – Jacqueline Caruso

If you’re looking for no-frills garage rock then look no further than The Black Tibetans. The up-and-coming quartet just released an official music video for the track "You’re Cold", which forms one side of their new two track EP The Nashville Session. The EP carries the heavy endorsement of Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, who produced the record and also plays second guitar on the track.

The Black Tibetans – You’re Cold – (Official Music Video) from SRCE production on Vimeo.

Psychedelic rock lovers, perk your ears! Long Beach natives Highlands are set to release their upcoming album Dark Matter Traveler on July 15th through their own label, Say Again Records.

The band tags themselves beneath “rock, shoegaze and psychedelic rock” genres, which does a pretty decent job of putting their music into perspective. As any good shoegazing, psych-rocking band would, Highlands blankets their tunes in thick coats of drone and fuzz. The depth and warmth of their sound as well as their ethereal harmonies lulls listeners into an aural trance until that moment of cognizance brigns awareness as to how hard this band is going. For instance, the track “Beauty”, which the band recently released for streaming on Brooklyn Vegan, features a pummeling drum line kneading its way through the doughy layers of distorted thickness and echoing vocals that characterize the track. Give it a listen! – Ted Jamison

Late last year we gave Imaginary Persons the "artist to watch" stamp after listening to their impressive first single "Give Up", which was described at the time as "a wistful mid-tempo cut that shimmers with its sheer tunefulness." Thomas Benjamin Alexander has now unveiled his latest offering, "Never Broken", and it’s another surprising delight. The track can be described as a straightforward rocker with a neo-psychedelic bent, coupled with a strumming acoustic guitar and a widescreen riff that wants to invoke the spirit of Jason Pierce. As it usually is with Alexander’s still-mysterious project, we get just another taste to whet our appetites until a full EP is finally unveiled. 

Memorial Day ushers in the season of pool parties, sundresses and that unrelenting heat. Which means, it’s time for mixtapes littered with uptempo, lighthearted pop tunes. Machineheart offers our top pick for the summer season with "Circles." The lyrics are full of positive vibes giving you the feeling of that fresh start that comes with the increase in sunshine. The opening guitar riff lets you know right away, this will be one to keep on repeat, and returns between verses as if to remind your ears how much you enjoyed it the first time. "Circles" is the perfect top down, coastal drive kind of tune. Grab your best mates and turn this one up on your next road trip. – Jacqueline Caruso

Mid-tempo electro pop lends itself to a sensual experience. The three ladies of HIPS have exploited this, creating songs that feel like a chic, edgy, back alley kind of turn-on. Christina Gaillard, Drew Denny, and Natalia Rogovin are veterans of the indie scene, making them a supergroup in a way, as they seamlessly trade off taking the lead. Their blending of synths, electronic drums and three part harmonies feels less like dream pop, and more like a slow grind. "Promise Not to Fall" is the brightest shade of noir pop they have displayed from the three songs released so far. Sure, it’s catchy, but there’s a mischievous tension that is distinctly peppered with the elusive female tease. As they describe it, their music is for making out and late night drives. HIPS play The Satellite on June 4. – Jacqueline Caruso

Princess Reason is the nom de plume of prolific singer-songwriter Jack Stansbury, a bedroom recorder enthusiast whose been self-releasing a stream of soft, straight-faced melodic pop on his bandcamp page for a little over a year now. A recent acquisition of New Professor records, also home to the likes of LA Font, Body Parts, and yOya, the Echo Park musician isn’t really changing his tune for his first notable EP Stark City – the compositions are still dotted with a lo-fi scuzz as he wallows in sad disquietude. Which really is the charm behind his stoic, somewhat alienated disposition; as is the ever-changing nature of life, Stansbury will always have new observations to examine just when you feel you’ve exhausted his rapidly-evolving body of work.

Start City is out now on cassette via his own bandcamp page. 

Quirky, irreverent, and aggressively sexual, the ethos of the band, Babes, seems to be making statements that are completely disconnected from the music itself. But that’s what makes it work. They make sad indie pop music with a bedroom vibe. While the songs themselves are sometimes dreary and serious, the players themselves are no such thing. This understanding and self-awareness of what it means to be a band in the post-internet age makes what is already delightfully crafted throwback pop even more fun to listen to. Knowing they regularly traipse around in various states of undress while frontwoman Sarah Rayne sings delicate, personal tales in her self-described, "horny" sad songs, makes me laugh, smirk, and ultimately, keep listening. The band’s debut EP, "Isn’t It Love," sounds like a La Sera album drowning in a tub of its own tears while M. Ward stands over it crooning sympathetically. The album is due out May 27th on Harvest Records. Stream the full EP here and see them live at their EP release show May 28 at The Satellite. – Jacqueline Caruso

Cashew & Cleary is the project of Eric "Cashew" Harding and Patrick Cleary, a songwriting duo inspired by a wide array of sixties psychedelia in the vein of the Paisley Underground and British folk. The Echo Park reisdents are both veterans in the LA music scene, having played with acts like Eagle Winged palace and the Digs, and it shows – the lead single off their latest EP Husbands, "When Smiling CC Frowns", is an elegant baroque pop number that incorporates an artful composition of strings and a familiar, yet still evocative jangly melody.

Husbands is the first in a series of forthcoming EPs, which promises to extend their leanings into sunshine pop even further. A cassette version of Husbands is currently being distributed via Burger Records.

Jason Trikakis, aka Lost Midas, first caught our attention in the Summer of 2013 with his inventive track "Love Undone". The multinstrumentalist has gathered much attention from the likes of BBC 6 and quite a few ad companes since then, and after much anticipation he’s finally unveiled his debut LP Off the Course. Trikakis has also given us a first taste off the record, "Head Games", a steady, soulful listen slathered with impenetrable synths that melt into a liquid form with its eerie, hypnotic beat. Off the Course will be out on July 29 via Tru thoughts.

Recorded with Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands), in New York, The Entrance Band’s frontman has decidedly deviated from his usual west coast psychedelic sound for his upcoming solo LP, ‘Ophelia Slowly.’ You can almost hear the rain beating down on the city sidewalks, everything tinted in black and white, (and you actually do hear the rain on closing track, "City in the Rain"). Loneliness, heartache, and the dark struggles inside his soul, seem to be the major themes. Sparse and stark, the arrangements feature electronic beats, jangly guitars and Blakeslee’s voice front and center. There’s an earnest desperation driving each song forward; his internal entanglements wrestling each other as he sings through the pain. "Kneel and Pray" is a definite standout. Filled with spiritual references, this album certainly feels like a personal exorcism of sorts. Guy Blakeslee is currently touring in support of Linda Perhacs and Robert Francis, with an album release date of June 10 on Everloving Records. – Jacqueline Caruso

Indie R&B artist,  Jhené Aiko, made a big splash at Coachella this year. Especially when she brought both Drake and Childish Gambino on stage with her. The buzz around her has been getting louder and while most of her songs on the ‘Sail Out’ EP live in a more traditional, mainstream world, the new tune she shared recently, "Afternoon Dream," has us swooning. With minimalist production and a more personal one, this song is laid back and hazy. Less focused on heartbreak and cliches, "Afternoon Dream," has us less focused on her hype and more on her smooth vocal abilities.  – Jacqueline Caruso