Sure Sure is a quartet who works a rich seam of splindly guitars with lush string arrangements. Songs like "New Biome" and "The Expert" are unique in how they hone art pop sensibilities, with smooth melodic contours and backwoods harmonies that faintly evoke bands like Grizzly Bear and Field Music. And do I hear some bossa nova chords embedded into the mix? Their measured style is an uncommon one, and all the better for it, seeing as their first singles exhibit an attention to songcraft that is smart, inventive, and undeniably catchy.

Sure Sure are playing at El Cid this coming Saturday, May 21st. Check out their two singles below. – Juan Rodríguez

Spooky Cigarette straddle a fine line between frayed no wave and arty new wave. But it’s in that confusion that the San Diego band ultimately excels, where they push forth a pleasant melodic guise even when it sounds like it’s all about to crumble at any minute. One of the tracks off of their upcoming EP As Loud as I Can, "Days in Repetend", focuses on soft, lo-fi synth lines that are nestled in layers upon layers of reverb alongside sharply punctuated bass lines. This is all lead by singer Frank Mindingall, a compelling performer that knows how to transmit an anxious energy into his work with distinctive confidence. It doesn’t hurt that you can kind of dance to it, too!

As Loud as I Can is due out on May 20 via Bleeding Gold Records. – Juan Rodríguez

Psychedelic rockers EFG boldly embrace a heavily-textured array of driving, over-amped guitars that brings back a certain bravado to the genre. It serves to mention that all of its members are veterans in this kind of setting, as Imaad Wasif (lowercase, Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Josh Garza (Secret Machines) and Tom Biller (Liars, Warpaint) all have a steady track record within the modern noise/experimental persuasion. Their most recent single, Outlier”, seamlessly merges reverbed guitars and pounding drums with a strong sense of pop melody that falls somewhere between classic Detroit rock and cosmic krautrock.

The band is opening for Swedish psych-rock institution Dungen at the Echo tomorrow, May 5th. The “Outlier" 7’’ is currently available for purchase via bodankuma.com. – Juan Rodríguez

Electronic producer PAIDEIA (aka Charlie Mischer) has released a string of new tracks that reveal his penchant for cerebral dance music. The lavish "Myth" is no exception – behind the song’s gilded synths and shimmering atmospherics there’s an underlying concern, where Mischer advises that the idea of all-consuming love doesn’t necessarily lead to personal growth. He puts himself in a vulnerable place by actually singing alongside high-energy musical concepts that are equally buoyant and mysterious, a quality that will surely connect with those who want to listen to his songs both in and out of the dancefloor.

PAIDEIA’s self-titled EP is due out later this Summer.

Jubilant San Diego trio The Young Wild have a sound that’s tailor-made for modern alternative radio, given that their hummable choruses and upbeat melodic style can instantly turn frowns to smiles. The band have much to celebrate after the release of their debut EP All the Luck, which they’ll be performing songs off of at the El Rey this coming Saturday, April 30th. 

You can stream All the Luck EP in its entirety by clicking the sound widget below. 

Marks is the artistic moniker of Lindsay Marcus, a singer, songwriter and producer who’s pulsing electro-pop has an emotional candor that’s immediately likable. The first single off of her debut full-length, The Modern Life, is a tasteful and stimulating pop song that still has some mystery to it despite its tuneful directness, especially how its throbbing synths and lush vocals incorporate a strong sense of melody. This stylistic direction is something of a change of pace for Marcus, as she’s previously devoted most of her time scoring for a variety of television and film projects.

The Modern Life is due out on June 3rd. In the meantime, listen to "Heartbeat", streaming below. 

It’d be facile to give some literal meaning to Gibberish considering there’s really no limit to their scope of imagination. The experimental synth pop duo of Derek and Lorie Bromley put forth spiraling streaks of lucid textures on their latest track “RudeDude”, in which they fuse together a wash of vocal harmonies alongside a weaving tapestry of layered sounds. It’s music to get lost in, and it can certainly leave you bewildered, as it is truly a practice in escapism. But this isn’t just indulgent nonsense; if anything, they guide you into a wondrous, unexplored realm that’s never too far removed from reality.

Garage pop outfit Susan have been steadily releasing a string of brisk, guitar-driven anthems that amp up the scuzz. There was certainly an effective aesthetic in play, though it didn’t really let us into what Susan really wanted to tell us. It turns out the trio had been holding onto their most significant statement yet with "I’ve Been Known", a hooky, instantly-hummable number that fully lets its guard down and teaches us that there’s no shame in doubting things while you’re in a state of flux. 

"I’ve Been Known" is the first single off of Susan’s debut full-length Never Enough, which comes out on April 29 via Volar Records. 

Hotel for Strangers are a quintet that operate at the fringes of pop while maintaining a synth-driven sound that’s both intimate and spacious. With their soft falsetto choruses and metronomic drum sampling, which they execute with some idiosyncratic advantage, the outfit are poised to carry that momentum into their upcoming full-length coming out sometime in the Spring.

Listen to "Bat Face Girl" below, and catch them preview some new songs tonight at the Hi-Hat. 

Garage pop quintet Peach Kelli Pop are speaking against the troubling expectations of beauty in "Halloween Mask". The local project lead by Allie Hanlon takes a serious topic with a more amenable attitude toward tasteful songwriting, enveloping its rippling guitar noise and Breeders-like vocal harmonies with a spiked jangle melody. 

Peach Kelli Pop are gearing up for a national tour that will be going on all throughout the month of May. Listen to the track below, and look out for their forthcoming 7", due April 29 via Lauren Records.

Frankie and the Witch Fingers are a garage rock outfit with jingle-jangle arrangements whose slyly textured brand of psychedelia is disticntly trippy. The foursome have just released a promo cut for "Merry Go Round", a delightfully odd video in which a young, yéyé-looking femme commits a murder and decides to, well, dance to her heart’s content. Its distinct, dreamlike ciematic touches are like imagining some lost connection between French New Wave and British horror cinema. 

"Merry Go Round" was just released as a 7-inch via Hypnotic Bridge.

The Cabin Fever are an alternative rock trio whose sepia-toned brand of carefully considered dream pop heralds a spacey, psychedelic sound. Their latest single, "The Curse of Us", is a propulsive rocker that lays bare a patient, shimmering guitar tone alongside a tighy rhythm section that ends up providing a cathartic, blissful release.

Make sure to catch The Cabin Fever play at Silverlake Lounge tomorrow, April 1, where they’ll be performing songs off of their upcoming full-length Enjoy Yourself.