Only a band with the name Stripmall Architecture can successfully produce such a raw and controversial account of sex, scandal, and synthesizers. Watch below the recently released music video for “Dusk Drinks,” off new album, We Are Not Cool. 

Led by Rebecca Coseboom with her brother Ryan after their previous outfit Halou disbanded, the San-Francisco band could be labeled as shoegaze, but also incorporates more down-tempo and dub-laced beats, which are intoxicating in the best way possible.

Warning: “Dusk Drinks” will make you blush and while you may try to look away, Rebecca Coseboom’s mesmerizing voice will draw you back in. NSFW!

–Leah Roh

Stripmall Architecture | Dusk Drinks from Stripmall Architecture on Vimeo.

Emerging from the underground electronic scene, Humanimal makes his debut on Friday, June 15 with a new EP and release party at artist collective The Center SF in Lower Haight. 

Listen below to an exclusive preview of one of the four songs, which samples bass, raga, bold drum lines, lasers. and even freaky animal noises. Fans of glitch, moombahton, and electro won’t want to miss Friday’s party, also featuring Dubvirus, Furan, Frisky Disco, Djedi with visuals by Goldwave.

–Whitney Phaneuf

SF/NYC band POP ETC (formerly The Morning Benders) may have just changed its name in April, but leaves a lasting impression with its debut album, out today.

POP ETC’s debut would have been The Morning Benders’ third full-length release. A departure from the band’s well-received previous effort, Big Echo, with its lush sound courtesy of Grizzly Bear‘s Chris Taylor, delivers on the group’s new name: intelligent, pop music influenced by pretty much every genre. Stream below and buy here.– Whitney Phaneuf

Brothers Neil and Sumul Shah, who live in Brooklyn and San Francisco respectively, were drawn together by their shared love of music to form Wildlife Control, recently producing a video for its debut single, “Analog or Digital,” a brilliant use of music and community controlled by interactive 8-bit technology.

The rhythm of the song correlates with each frame of the video. For example, every sixteenth note of “Analog or Digital,” is rolling by at the same rate as 12 frames per second animation. Confused yet? Watch Wildlife Control’s “Analog or Digital” to understand what the indie-music geeks are talking about.

Wildlife Control will perform songs off its new EP Spin at Brick & Mortar on June 18 joined by another band we love, Coast Jumper.

-Leah Roh

The Fresh and Onlys frontman, Tim Cohen, headlines Wood Shoppe SF on Tuesday, June 5. This free event the first Tuesday of each month at Brick and Morter is a great way to discover local and touring artists.

Cohen will embark on a brief solo tour before hitting the road for his new side project Magic Trick whose album Ruler of the Night is out June 12. Listen to the first single, "Invisible at Midnight" over at Spin. Cohen’s battered voice sings about mortality, mishaps, and misfortune over gloomy psychedelic-folk tunes. If you like Male Bonding, Thee Oh Sees, and Woods, do not miss Cohen on Tuesday night.

–Leah Roh

The Bay Area’s Secret Seven Records vinyl label (whoa, I just typed that in 2012) are releasing a who’s-who of the Bay Area compilation featuring unreleased tracks from Ty Segall, Vetiver and Sonny & The Sonsets, among others.

The record, titled In A Cloud II: New Sounds From San Francisco LP, is a follow up to – you guessed it – In A Cloud (Vol. I). After taking a listen to the A and B sides of this collection, if you’re a vinyl type of guy or gal you’ll want to get your hands on one of the 650 copies that will be pressed.

The album is pretty diverse, spanning the likes of lo-fi haze rock (“People Like Us” by Tim Cohen of Fresh & Onlys) to garage surf rock (“Gotta Get Back” by Chuck Prohet) to my personal favorite, girl group swooning (“Octopus Via Satellite” by Hanna Lew of Grass Widow) which you can take a listen to below.

In A Cloud II: New Sounds From San Francisco LP comes out July 17^th and you can preorder the record here.

–Justine Fields

Hannah Lew (of Grass Widow)- Octopus Via Satellite by Secret Seven

We caught up with Francisco Fernandez, lead singer of the Ferocious Few, about recent changes to the band, once only two, now really a few. Don’t miss them headline tonight’s show at Amnesia, Loving Cup Presents: The Ferocious Few, The Lawlands, & City Tribe.

Read the Q&A here.

Below watch Fernandez talk about his process in BAMM.tv’s The Neighborhood series.

—Christy Baird  

Vir, an Oakland-based post-punk, shoegaze trio, has released its third album Engineers, streaming below and here. Inspired by My Bloody Valentine and Doves, the band also cites New Zealand post-punk such as the Gordons, Bailter Space and HDU as a major influence. Spaced out, dark, psychedelic and avant garde, Vir is another one to watch in the experimental Oakland scene.

San Francisco’s Trevor Montgomery, who moonlights as Young Moon in addition to his tile-setter day job, previews his second album with single “Winds Light.” The song flourishes in the purity of Montgomery’s somber drumming and openness of his deep voice. Montgomery will open your heart with his honesty and proceed to fill it with his synth-pop melodies, unleashing lyrics of heartbreak and remorse. The album Navigated Like the Swan comes out July 24 on Western Vinyl.

–Leah Roh

Stuck in the city over the three-day weekend? Quit pining for warm beaches, throw on a sweater and hit up these awesome local shows.

Tonight, Saturday, May 26 at the Great American Music Hall discover some great bands at "Sean Healy Presents: Steer the Stars CD Release Party with the Bay’s Best Unsigned Bands!" Steer the Stars, Debbie Neigher, Handshake and The Deli SF’s very own Artist of the Month, HUFF THIS! All guests who purchase presale tickets will receive entry into an intimate house show/after celebration on June 9 where all the bands will cook dinner for attendees. Tickets available here. 

Tonight is your second-to-last chance to catch indie rocker Boy in the Bubble before the "boy" Josh Seidenfeld moves to Durham, NC. It’s an early show at the Make-Out Room at 7:30 PM and another on Thursday, July 5 at 6:00 pm at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Redwood Grove Amphitheater. Download his album "The King" for free here.

On Sunday, May 27, don’t miss a first look at music videos from WATERS, Mist Giant, Elle Niño, William Ryan Fritch, French Cassettes, The 21st Century, Cormorant, Conspiracy of Venus, Vandella, Seatraffic, The Hot Toddies, Cash Pony, C H U R C H E S, doppio, Le VICE and Big Light. The Music Video Race Screening Party will also have live performances by doppio, Le VICE, and Big Light. Tickets available here and at the door.

Monday, well, you’ll likely need a day to recover.

–Whitney Phaneuf

San Francisco’s indie-folk outfit Adios Amigo is back with new single, “Chicken,” off the forthcoming EP dos. Download "Chicken" via Prefixmag and listen as Johnny Major channels Elliott Smith with a nostalgic, angst-ridden result.

Don’t miss Adios Amigo’s EP release show on Friday, June 1 at Cafe du Nord with Her OSHEN, Al Lover & The Haters, My Second Surprise. 

–Leah Roh

Long-lost and reunited friends Robin Landy and Eric Kuhn formed Silian Rail six years ago and settled in Oakland by way of North Carolina. The instrumental duo fits perfectly in the experimental East Bay scene with a sound that combines soft ambiance and jarring post-rock noise.

Listen below or here to Silian Rail’s new, third album each/other, an evolution in composition and technical craftsmanship. Maintaining the melodically dense, open-tuned guitar and criss-crossed drumming of previous releases, each/other adds in melancholic piano, lush strings and noisy percussion, feedback and viola. The band credits engineer and co-producer Robert Cheek for the enhanced sonic sounds, as well as the addition of local artists Dina Maccabee (of Ramon & Jessica) and Lynne Angel (of Tartufi). Both vinyl and CD versions of each/other are available.

Check out this cool fan video, Taiwan: You Can’t Go Home Again, by Brian Chu featuring two songs from each/other, "A Nothing Summer" and "A Fit or a Fever."

–Whitney Phaneuf