Fullerton/Chino Hills quartet Max & the Moon have made a steady progression with each single they’ve released, and their newest, "All I Know", just might be their calling card to attract any record label they wish. With its bubbly keyboard pulse and lithe harmonies, the track has a celebratory fervor that cements their place as one of the most tuneful bands in the local scene today. Though there’s still no announcements about a possible full-length, they’ve just booked an upcoming LA residency at the Bootleg Theater that runs from Octber 7^th to the 28^th. 

Local trio – soon to be international sensation – Wildcat! Wildcat! are set to release their debut self-titled EP on Sept. 17 on Downtown. The first single, “Garden Grays,” is filled with their signature sparkling keyboards, lithe falsetto, and groovy bass lines to which anyone within earshot instinctively bobs their head. The EP features old favorites, “The Chief,” and “Mr. Quiche,” and my personal favorite, “Please and Thank You,” one of their more R&B influenced tracks. After being featured in the Sam Jones-directed documentary alongside Passion Pit, chronicling their experience at one show at SXSW, Wildcat! Wildcat! are poised for the rise to fame they deserve. Catch them live as they bring their dreamy, disco-tinged electro pop to The Troubadour Oct 17 supporting MSMR. Their shows are not only a master class in live performance, but as the only band whose Echo Residency I attended every single week last August, create an atmosphere of communal joy like few others I’ve seen. – Jacqueline Caruso

Santa Barbara quartet Dante Elephante combine that youthful middle finger waving skate punk energy, with a firm grounding in surf rock that at times borders on bubblegum. Their recently released EP “German Aquatics” on Lollipop Records, is an exuberant collection of well-crafted pop songs clocking in it at just under 20 minutes. Showcasing their intricate guitar work, radio worthy hooks, and delicate harmonies, it reminds you to take life a little easier. The beach lifestyle that brings such authenticity to their project as a whole is reflected both lyrically and musically – see: the “Wipeout” intro to “Kogi”. Dante Elephante are The Beach Boys with looser fitting trousers, and the longer I listen, the closer I’m getting to jumping in my car and blasting these tunes all the way to the coast. Perk your ears to stand out track “All The Time” below and then stream the whole EP over on Bandcamp. – Jacqueline Caruso

The newly released video for the first single, “Bad Weather,” off the debut full length, ‘Exhibitionists,’ from electro-pop trio Superhumanoids, is not for the faint of heart. The track’s minimialist Electronica gloss feels like you’re gently gliding through a dream, but as the video progresses, that dream turns into a twisted nightmare. As someone who battles that recurring dream where all my teeth fall out, this was a hard video to stomach. Unfortunately, the entrancing beat and silky smooth vocals kept me watching. This video will not be one you will soon forget. Superhumanoids will spend the month of September touring with Mayor Hawthorne, though sadly no stops are planned for LA. – Jacqueline Caruso

Poolside’s hazy glow was the perfect fit for their 5pm set on Sunday. With their sparkling synths and infectious grooves, the band was practically made for summer. It says a lot about their stellar live show that they drew a very respectable crowd despite having to compete with Chelsea Wolfe and Kurt Vile playing on opposite stages. And for those of us watching, their new wave disco did not disappoint. – Chris Karman

Angsty is an overstatement for a band like Joyce Manor, whose brand of relentless guitar pop is less about reacting and relates more with an introspective sentiment. The Torrance foursome teared up a blistering set melodic punk that flew by faster than a gust of wind. Despite the unfortunate technical difficulties they encountered during their set, it didn’t discourage them from playing their gruff, yet melodically sharp tunes. And considering their songs rarely pass the two-minute mark, their fans shouldn’t have been this disappointed since their songs are especially effective in short bursts. – Juan Edgardo Rodríguez

Photography: Juan Octavio

In anticipation of the release of their full-length album, together PANGEA dropped their new single "Snakedog" on August 20th via PitchFork. Local to the L.A. area, Pangea made its name in 2008 playing at house parties in Santa Clarita valley and performing at CalArts. Since then, the garage rock band has taken off, landing concerts and tours with bands like The Wavves, The Black Lips, Ty Segall, Guitar Wolf, and even performing at reputable venues such as The Echo, The Roxy, Troubadour, and SXSW. Snakedog has a multitude of different melodies and legends flowing from it, with symphonic sounds much like that of The Velvet Underground, Sex Pistols, and The Pixies. Look for this band at the Burgerama Caravan of Stars tour, which starts on September 19th in Vancouver. Together PANGEA’s harmonious release of "Snakedog" is a beautiful illustration of what is yet to come. – Kayla Hay

Pulling mostly from his power pop heavy 2013 album MCII, Mikal Cronin and his band were a high energy crowd pleaser. Although some of the prettier elements of his music were shirked in favor of providing more grit, his fantastic melodies were still front and center. Occasionally Cronin even busted out a few of his old garage rock anthems, like the exceptional “Apathy”, which were a welcomed contrast to his statelier new material. – Chris Karman

Photography: Juan Octavio

Considering the show-stopping arrangements Cameron Mesirow, aka Glasser, has pulled off at previous festivals in recent years, it came as bit of a surprise that for her Sunday evening set she stripped her electronic pop down to the bare essentials. Comprised of little more than some samplers and a drummer/percussionist, her minimalist set up demanded she make up the difference. Luckily, with her powerful voice and charismatic presence, not mention infectious grooves, she kept the tent dancing almost the entire time. Check out the new single, "Shape," released this week off Glasser’s upcoming album.  – Chris Karman

Photo Courtesy of Leslie Andrew Ridings

The Deli LA’s artist to watch Pink Mexico, the punk/rock garage band fronted by Robert Preston, has just released the official music video of the song Seabird, found on his recent self-titled relese. A stop motion display portrays the hippie-grunge, psychedelic style of the song perfectly, which takes you on an exciting journey with an unsuspecting squirrel and two famous time travelers. It was directed, edited, and animated by Mike Perlman, who met Preston in Boston in 2005 and have been best friends since. – Kayla Hay

Distortion Mirrors were once the sole project of award winning pianist Luke Worle. But once he realized he wanted to expand the scope of his bedroom project, he enlisted guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Josiah Brooks to concoct a sound that is much more sizeable than the sum of its parts. It all finally came into fruition with the just released Zeros & Kings, an eight track LP that combines the crunchy anthems of early Weezer with the more benign sonics of the Smashing Pumpkins. The shimmering noise of "Prom Queen" is an apropos incator of this, a celebratory number that prompts a thick bass line alongside a whip-smart groove until it finally erupts into an ornately layered explosion of sonic technicolor.

Bedroom folk pop darling, Steffaloo, is set to release her sophmore full length, ‘Heart Beats’ on Mush Records Oct 29. It’s a quick follow up to the hushed, dreamy debut ‘Would You Stay’ released last October. This time around, she is ditching the ukelele for a fully electronic approach. Each song on ‘Heart Beats’ features a collaboration with a different producer. The first single, “Eyes for You,” has Steffaloo teaming up once again with Chrome Sparks. Past success adding her ethereal vocals to tracks by artists like Blackbird Blackbird and xxyyxx, mean she is giving those fans what they have been craving. It’s an impressive undertaking, and from the sound of “Eyes for You,” a worthwhile one. The mind-bending, glitchy dreamscape takes Steffaloo’s voice to a new, more sultry and mature place, that has me itching to hear the rest of the album. – Jacqueline Caruso