Air Life is nose-diving straight into the heart of L.A. and right into a weekly residency at The Satellite venue every Monday in May. Their newest single, "Tell Me Anything", has smooth jazz beats, subtly soulful 70’s vibes, and endearing lyrics: “Tell me how you feel, when we are apart baby.” It’s incredible when certain songs can put you into different moods, folding into different styles and situations as they collaborate to the setting you’re in. This song, in particular, should be played in the bedroom; lying next to your partner with lights strung above and gazing into each other’s eyes – you get the point. Speaking of the 70’s, this song has a groove evocative of that time with its energetic rhythm section, all the while Taylor Dextor engages the audience with his soothing, sensual voice. – Kayla Hay

Emerging like a phoenix from the garbage pile of the internet, Habits, the sample-based one man show created by Dustin M. Krapes, has finally released his collection of songs as a full length LP, ‘Unselves in Arrival.’ Most of the songs that make up this collection would be as much at home at a dancehall as they would be at the Church on York. To categorize this as electro rock, or synth pop, or at all for that matter, severely undercuts the scope of his work. I can merely, at my best, describe it as a chopped up, caffeinated, cut and paste collage of found sounds from music’s past tailor-made for the future. This is one of the albums that should surely be buried in 2014’s time capsule, perhaps sent in a rocket to whatever planet we end up colonizing next.
Trite as it may sound, the bombardment of submissions from kids playing music like it’s a video game, is overwhelming, and their efforts, more than underwhelming. Not only is Habits’ music commenting on this aspect of our modern age, it’s beating them all at their own game. – Jacqueline Caruso

To continue reading the full review, click here.

The new album by the soft-spoken, inventive songstress, Priscilla Ahn, ‘This Is Where We Are’, was released earlier this year. It’s a gutsy departure from her more acoustic offerings, and our ears are delighted. Lead single, "Diana," has all the sweetness, euphoria, and mystery of paragliding across a rainbow. Quirky, and at times aggressive soundscapes dance between serenading melodies. Her intimate and heartbreaking qualities are still on full display, especially on the ballad, "Remember How I Broke Your Heart." Filled with delicate instrumentation and breathless harmonies, this is Ahn in her purest form. The entire album seems to be a push and pull between comfort and exploration. Stream "Diana" below and catch her live set at The Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on May 30. – Jacqueline Caruso

San Diego quartet The Donkeys previously released two sumptous, country-laden albums under the Dead Oceans imprint. Its dust-drenched melodies and stately arrangements were slack to say the least, but there was something about those twanging guitars that filled the room with a warm glow. Now under new LA-based label Easy Sound, they’re making their return with Ride The Black Wave, a slightly more ambitious effort that continues their tradition of melding chiming Americana hooks with the lush swing of seventies FM radio. Take a listen to the single "Scissor Me Cigs" below, a swaying pop ballad that nestles one with effortless ease. See them live at Church on York on June 6th. 

Jeff "Jeffertitti" Ramuno may be best known for playing bass with Father John Misty, but he’s doing just fine on his own. Of all the emerging psych rock bands in LA, and there are plenty, the crown belongs to Jeffertitti’s Nile. They are in great company, but with their upcoming sophomore release, ‘The Electric Hour,’ they have (for now) solidified themselves as leaders of the pack. The energy of the cosmos, like the intangible ether inside a crystal ball traveling the edges of space-time, is packed into every nanosecond of every song. The deeper down the rabbit hole you go with these cosmic warriors, the further from reality you get, and the closer to a mystic truth steeped inside a universe with infinite dimensions. Jeffertitti’s Nile are making music like its a movement. Stream lead single, "No One," and get lost in their sonic web. ‘The Electric Hour’ is due out April 29 on Beyond Beyond Is Beyond. – Jacqueline Caruso

Mixing alt-rock with art-rock, Dot Hacker’s music feels like the force of a tidal wave made purely of sound. The four-piece, formed by Red Hot Chili Peppers touring member, Josh Klinghoffer, and rounded out by road-worn touring musicians, Clint Walsh, Eric Gardner, and Jonathan Hischke, have planned a special 7" for Record Store Day on ORG Music. Two songs will make up this limited edition release, featuring the lead single, "Whatever You Want." Front and center are Klinghoffer’s powerful vocals, grabbing you by the collar in the first 6 seconds and soaring like a fighter jet until the screaming end. At its heart, the tune is a hard hitting rock anthem, but the layers and layers of meticulous soundscapes at every transition are what make it well worth the repeat listens – (pay close attention to that tremolo effect on the bass). The 7" will be available April 19 with a sophomore full length expected later this year. – Jacqueline Caruso

Tapioca & the Flea are an electro-pop quartet that meshes chromatic synths into their bracing, hand-waving choruses. They’ve just released a video for the track "Take It Slow", which features the band performing in the midst of a bitter quarrel between a couple, as it reminds us of their most brutal and compassionate moments through abrupt juxtaposed images. The track, which was produced by Crystal Castles’ Ethan Kath, will appear on one side of a limited edition split 7" that will be available on Record Store Day. And speaking of which, catch their in-store set at Amoeba Music this Saturday at 6 pm.

Mike Sempert is better known as the songwriter and frontman of Birds & Batteries, a Bay Area duo that fused slinky electro-pop with proggy, seventies soft rock. So it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that Serpent has scaled down the electronic contours of that project to follow a more natural sound. In the months leading to his move from the Bay Area to Los Angeles Sempert wrote the entirety of his debut full-length Mid Dream, an introspective reflection of that transitional period. It offers a faithful portrait of a hopeful transplant determined to make his move with the drifting, shimmering sounds of Americana at his side. Sempert will be playing a couple of shows in the West Coast, starting with an appearance at Hotel Cafe on April 16. 

Acoustic punk duo, Girlpool, write unapologetically gut-punching songs with razor-sharp harmonies. Their debut release, the 7 song self-titled album recently released on cassette, has more depth than most over-produced rock albums that are sent straight to commercial radio. Each song clocks in at under 3 minutes, defining "leave them wanting more." Despite their lo-fi approach and punk aesthetic, the recordings are crystal clear, but still full of grit; creating punchy rhythms and plenty of groove without the use of drums. An impressive feat, these two are not to be ignored. And without sounding trite, it’s impossible not to recognize the eery resemblance to an unplugged Nirvana. Standout tracks, "Paint Me Colors, and "Slutmouth," prove there is a new generation of feminists. Pulling together pieces of 80s and 90s female punk/Riot-grrrl trailblazers, Girlpool is rightfully claiming them as their own, and joining their voices to create a collective mouthpiece for gender-redefining millennials. Stream the entire album on bandcamp below and see them live tonight at The Bootleg, or April 12 at The Smell. – Jacqueline Caruso

It’s still a mystery why baby boomer soft rock has become such a commodity with the younger crowd these days, but such are the effects of living in an age of pop culture that commemorates its own past. The fine-tuned midtempo singles of Echo Park troupe Banta sound like they could’ve followed a Steve Winwood number in the radio twenty years ago, but nevertheless, there’s a good reason why they’d even be featured at all. "Dark Charms", for instance, has a stiff groove that instantly grabs you with its minimalist groove, carried by a luscious production that features the seductive vocal delivery of Sharaya Mikael. This isn’t necessarily the first incarnation of Banta’s sound, as their previous release through Bandcamp, "3 Feet From Gold", has more of a neo-soul feel, but the steady, bourgeois tempo of "Charms" suits them very well. Banta are hosting a residency at Silverlake Lounge throughout the month of April.

Standing well on her own two feet, Emma Ruth Rundle has released the first single from her forthcoming solo album, due out May 20 on Sargent House. She is best known for her work in Red Sparowes and Marriages, but this first listen feels like a necessary endeavor. The opening is wistful and ghostly, as her voice and guitar stand solitarily in reverberant space. The sparse arrangement pierces straight to the heart and leaves no room for doubt that her melancholy cries for comfort and redemption are an exorcism of sorts. Gently in the background, the strings moan like a tortured soul calling from the grave for deliverance. Her beautifully tortured cry of "please deliver me from all the evil I’ve done to myself and deliver me to arms I know so well" acts as a prologue to the story that is to unfold through the rest of her album. If these goosebumps are telling, it is sure to be amongst the top in those year end lists. – Jacqueline Caruso

Psychedelia is having a serious resurgence and Mystic Braves are drawing on their west coast upbringing to make their mark in this acid-drenched landscape. Their recently released video for "Desert Island," is the first single from their forthcoming LP of the same name, due out April 29, which also happens to be the second full length release from this young band. While it may appear formulaic at first glance, frontman Julian Ducatenzeiler describes their honest approach, stating, "we simply write sensible pop songs from the heart with psychedelic textures and tones. It just comes natural to us." Anyone who has spent their formative years exploring the landscapes of Southern California can surely relate to its magical influence. Get tripped out with The Mystic Braves every Monday in April for their Residency at The Echo. – Jacqueline Caruso

Mystic Braves- Desert Island from Jenny Nirgends on Vimeo.