Sego’s psychedelic trip through time warps and intoxicating rhythms creates their first EP, Wicked Youth, which is set to be released October 27th. Listening to the 5-track playlist, I couldn’t help but lose my mind in their blend of trippy guitar riffs, exploratory melodies and engaging lyrics. Band members Spencer Petersen and Thomas Carroll do a mesmerizing job at giving their listeners a sense of nirvana while listening to the album. A relaxing journey through the mind of Sego can take us on timeless adventures to and from the digitized world. Combining psychedelic rock, shoegazing and soft dubstep into one EP, Sego masters the art of perfection. – Kayla Hay

Forebear, originally Wise Cub, formed in 2011, though their raw talent would suggest they’ve been playing together far longer. Scott Goldbaum’s guitar work is transient and breathtaking. He plays with experience reminiscent of a long-gone classical era with influences of Spanish guitar juxtaposed with modern indie rock vocals. Goldbaum’s brilliant stylings aside, the band is not short of inspired instrumentalists. With Molly Rogers on viola, keys and vocals, Mike Musselman on drums and Nick Chamian on bass, the band meanders through various genres with the skill set of a seasoned band. Their new track, "North Korea & The Five Stages of Grief", showcases the effervescence and ease they have championed in playing together. Harmonies between Goldbaum and Rogers are ethereal and the track finishes memorably with a graceful viola solo by Rogers.

The ladies of Willow Willow are longtime friends who share an equal kinship for music from a very young age – they know each other since kindergarten – and those who followed the discography of LA sixties/seventies psych rockers Love will recognize where their band name comes from. Judging by the name of their sophomore effort, Listening to Music, they most probably venerate the activity with great rejoice. Their new single, "I Will Tire of You", is an understated, catchy number with a classic doo wop melody that emphasizes their dual harmonies. It shows they have a bookish knowledge of Brill Building pop considering how faithfully they recreate it, though it still retains the folk-based elements found on their debut. The self-released Listening to Music will come out on November 11th. 

It seems like forever since San Diego quintet The Tragic Thrills first released their jaunty anthem "Tears", and that’s because it’s been a staple in their body of work since it was first unveiled last year. The track rightfully opens their utterly celebratory self-titled full-length, which was just officially released this week via Washington Square Music. What follows are nine more amicable, head bobbing cuts with a snappy, early aughts pop rock feel that are ready for constant radio airplay. Make sure to make your day a little bit brighter by watching them play at Hotel Café on Wednesday, October 29th.

Simplicity can be both a strength and a weakness. Garage rockers Maniac like to venture barely outside the lines with their no frills dirty rock, and their compulsion to urgent hooks and fierce, metronomic drum work simply just works. There’s a dash of power pop sensibility on the track “Dim Sum”, which was featured on their last 7", a brazenly jubilant number with a hard-edged backbone that has singer Zache Davis crying the refrain “shake it out” like proper mod punks. It careens wildly but it’s smartly constructed, a crunchy, straightforward anti-anthem that somehow ends up striking a winning chorus. The band are following it with a new full-length, Demimonde”, which will be released on November 11 via La Ti Da Records.

Benjamin Newgard, a native New Yorker turned LA transplant, debuts his first EP under the moniker Tarot School. His new EP, Giver of Names, is an acoustically driven project backed by powerful lyrics and vocals. Title track, "Giver of Names" captures the collective milieu of the EP with soft echoing vocals and multi-genre influences. "Silly Love", written by Daniel Johnston and performed by Newgard, is perhaps the most heartbreaking excursion on this collection. But it is rivaled by the lyrical and fittingly West Coast "Ghost, Ghost", with lines like "I suspect you might be here to stay"; one can only imagine that Newgard will be. – Jennifer Mergott

Inspired by the Nas lyric, “my mind is seeing through your design like blind fury”, and a nod to his dad’s work in neuroscience, Ringgo Ancheta is the genius behind MNDSGN (pronounced ‘mind design’). He illustrates to his audience the importance of beats and melodies in his music, which we rarely hear in music nowadays without lyrics, so we tend to forget how vital every detail is; every bass hit and every auto tune that we hear in the background is what is used to create the songs we know and love. Ancheta’s work solidifies the backbone of the hip-hop beats; his most recent work is the bewitching sound of TXT. His newest release from his album, Yawn Zen, creates an atmosphere of psychedelic ins and outs while engaging his audience on a synesthesia journey. "I’ve allowed myself to study the absence of daily struggle and its effects, and began to subconsciously paint that vibe in the music. Yawn Zen comes from a very neutral place that we, sometimes, are too busy to realize is there." – Kayla Hay

Folsom foursome, now locals, Brown Shoe recently released their latest EP, Lonely Beast II, the second of three EP’s that symbolically unify an entire full-length. The single they’re promoting off the EP, "Nightcrawler", is a surging rocker with indie rock inclinations that ultimately thrills and delights. It keeps the emotions genuine and real, and its lush soundscapes soothe with a feeling of cathartic release. The band is making an appearance at The Spare Room on October 2nd, and shortly therafter at Silverlake Lounge on October 24th.

Minimalist garage duo Cleo Tucker and Harmony Tividad have a cautionary tale for all of us through the vague, yet felt message lying within their cryptic track "Jane". The vocals are as clear as they can be and with good reason – these two have a story to share and they want you to hear every single word, built around a steady guitar line and a slinky bass throb that keeps the tension high as they hone in on their message: "girls and boys if you are listening/if you feel imprisoned/feeling like your mouth is glued tight shut/you were born for a reason/share all your feelings". The screeching cries that accentuate each verse seem to imply some sinister wrongdoing, which makes it all the more effective. Girlpool are officially releasing their self-titled debut EP on November 18th through Wichita Recordings. And make sure to catch their hometown residency at the Echo this coming December. 

Soft Swells release their sophomore album, Floodlights, on September 30th, which follows their self-titled debut (2012) and follow-up EP Lifeboats (2013). Their first single, "Floodlights", was just remixed by the electro-pop band EXROYALE, lending the original’s garage sounding guitar riffs a slightly more mellow pop finish. "Don’t you want to think this is our time", the song’s mantra echoes in both versions. The band name also serves as a pretty good description of their music. It’s derived from surf terminology, and their sound mimics the ease of the small waves it represents. Though they may have started small, their swell is definitely growing. They have a standing Monday residency at the Echo until September 22nd. After that, they’ll kick off their tour – the next stop being Austin, TX. Catch them before their wave breaks. – Jennifer Mergott

Singer/songwriter Jen Hirsh, otherwisde known as MONOGEM, continues to bridge the current surge of eighties-leaning synth pop with nineties R&B with "Stay With Me", a soulful slow-burn with a metallic sheen that’s a sharp contrast to her previous, more dance-oriented single "All We Have". Hirsh follows a measured, more atmospheric tone that brings her delicate, yet robust vocals to the forefront. "Stay With Me" should be part of her upcoming EP, which, according to her official facebook page, should be arriving very, very soon.

Kelela Mizanekristos’s style and soul has caught not only my attention but also LA based producer Kingdom. Her sweet sounding voice and low key, yet hype beats spun a much-acclaimed 13 track mixtape last year called CUT 4 ME. The sinfully true lyrics tell stories of heartbreak, and relationships with rousing beats that really do lead from the car, to the club, and to the bedroom. Her newest single, OICU, featuring LE1F, has a twist of Childish Gambino, Jhene Aiko and The Weeknd packed into one song. It’s catchy and extremely fun rapping to, especially if you’re anything like me and can’t sing. Producer P Morris composed a perfectly blended mix of freestyle, instrumentals and synergy between all the parties involved, effectively mixing complex beats to help this upcoming star emerge from LA’s underground scene. – Kayla Hay