With a new year comes more opportunities to find new artists to listen to. Even though it’s the middle of winter – and even though it’s California winter, it’s still cold – sometimes you need something bright and sunny to listen to in order to forget that with the end of the holidays means returning to the daily grind. And Montë Mar is just the perfect group to do so. Layering the basic pop elements with a penchant for surf-inspired synth and guitar lines lines (check out the song "Time" on their Different Place EP on the their bandcamp to see what I mean), they easily transport you to a place of few worries. The band formed mainly out of frontman Brian Green’s desire to step out from the back to the front, as he toured as a sideman for several artists, including Michael Bublé. These guys are on the verge of being the next big thing and it’s worth it to check them out. They’re playing a free show at the Satellite on the 6th of this month and will have a Silverlake Lounge residency in March. – Taylor Lampela
