Venice quintet Terraplane Sun began as loping, bluesy musicians residing in a hillside somewhere up in Laurel Canyon. That side of them will never perish, though, but there’s something startingly joyful about their new track "The Stone" – the band is letting loose with a graceful fete that doesn’t shy from their roots-rock breathren, sharing a more accesible, though still thoroughly complex songcraft that has the same shimmering allure of their neighbors Local Natives. The title of their latest is called Generation Blues (which comes out in July), though, and with Wilco/My Morning Jacket producer Dave Trumfio in the helm it will surely throw some curveballs. Check out a preview of their new album below, and make sure to see them at the Troubadour on April 23 before they complete their nationwide trek in May.

R&B singer Gallant has just released a new track titled  "Jupiter Grayscale", a follow-up to his spellbinding, therapeutic single "Forfeit". His music sounds like a combination of the Weeknd and Mikky Ekko thrown into one beautiful pot. It’s like a wave washing over you, his alluring voice matched perfectly with his new age synths to create beats you crave to hear when laying in bed or driving around town. – Kayla Hay

Minimalist and hazy, the video for Kauf’s first single, "Relocate," matches the tracks washed out vibes. A disembodied voice coos over electronic pulses, like the morphing, double-exposed faces that fade into each other like polaroids of long lost runaways. Slow to build, the track’s throbbingly hypnotic beat keeps you around long enough to hear the ephemeral sound design elements that peek in and out of the transitions between phrases. Kauf’s ‘As Much Again’ EP is out now on Cut Copy’s Cutter Records, with a full length expected later in 2014. Catch his one man act live as part of the Lawrence Rothman Residency at The Bootleg on April 7, along with Steffaloo and Cotillon. – Jacqueline Caruso

Featuring the work of several different producers, Kelela’s ‘Cut 4 U’ carries the through line of her 90’s style R&B vocal swagger and forward thinking arrangements. It’s the silky smooth sensuality of Sade mixed with the grit of cutting edge electronic production. Her album was released with great critical reception, but her awareness is only now seeping out beyond the blogosphere. The Morri$-produced track, "Go All Night," is sporadically glitchy, giving space for Kelela’s breezy vocal layers to move in and out between the beats. One of the more sexually-tinged tracks, it gives you what you want from a laid-back R&B track with the unexpected melodic twists and turns that trademark her work. Kelela performs April 1 at The Echo with fellow collaborators, Nguzunguzu, and Total Freedom. – Jacqueline Caruso

Recognizing that the world is not flat, Hunter Ellis and his gang of musical cohorts utilize modern rock instrumentation to set sail in search of new worlds and broader horizons. His 12 song LP, ‘The Healing Power of Laughter,’ is packed with dark and stormy instrumental post-rock tunes that never dull your senses. The avant-garde rhythmic patterns lay the foundation for experimental melodies, incorporating strings and brass instruments in an almost synth-like manner. The album is densely textured, requiring several uninterrupted playbacks to parse out each intricate layer and movement. It’s worth the investment, as each track unfolds like the next page in a book of short stories. The entire album is available for streaming on bandcamp, but is worth more than the $7 asking price for the hard copy including stunning artwork by Asher Katz. – Jacqueline Caruso

Never mind the childishly droll band name, Sex Helicopter are quite an exciting new act based in DTLA that bill themselves as a retro psych-rock band. Which does makes sense, though it’d be a disservice to place them in the same context as bands like Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Tame impala. Their first single, Everything As It Should Be", doesn’t share the same sonic framework as these bands, instead opting for a more ringing sound that could be described as a lighter, more pop-oriented version of the Greateful Dead. They’re making an appearance in Tommy’s Place as part of USC Popfest tomorrow, March 28.

There’s currently not much known about electro-pop act The Mercy Beat, though the deliberate veil of anonymity asks us to listen without making any assumptions about the members involved. Which doesn’t sound like such a bad proposition, after all – the song is there for us to hear, and we’re free to judge it by its own merit. So how good is the song, then? Well, "Sweet" seems to follow the very current trend of playing glistening hooks over a steady, rhythmic beat with the new romantic seduction of its lead singer’s dramatic vocal delivery. They’re playing their first show in at the Echo on April 8 at the Echo, which seems like a noteworthy start for a band making their debut appearance. Might as well attend to finally put a face to the name.

Kiven are bringing a complex modern indie rock sound to the LA scene. Their genre is hard to pin down, but their influences are clear. The newest single off their debut self-titled album released last month, "In the Fire" is pop rock meets prog. The bombastic chorus cements them firmly in a pop realm, while their wailing guitars and hard hitting drums show their boundary-pushing examination of modern hard rock. Frontman, Tyler Demorest’s tongue twisting verses match wits with the math rock tendencies in the instrumentation. There is delicate nuance throughout the arrangement. At moments hushed, at others heightened, dramatic, and even cinematic, this song grabs ahold of your ears, giving them just the right amount of relief before shredding them to pieces. Kiven’s debut self-titled LP is out now. Catch them all month long in April for their residency at Hemingway’s. – Jacqueline Caruso

Electronic acts with a fondness for dreamy, ethereal soundscapes are a dime a dozen these days. So it’s refreshing to hear a trio like FLORALS inverting the expectation of such sounds with their own spin – their debut track "Others" incorporates a stark, downtempo beat set against the oddly bewitching vocals of singer Stephanie Marie Rick. There are layers upon layers to unfold in the track’s eerily spectral atmosphere, which opts to maintain a calm detachment instead of placing a reliance on a facile form of beauty.

Conway is a force to be reckoned with this year (from being named "Artist of the Month" in our site to Rolling Stone’s Top 10 artists to Watch, Carson Daly, Life + Times, NYLON and so forth) catching everyone’s attention with no signs of stopping anytime soon. Her newest single, "Hustler," was directed by Zach Gold, who has shot videos for artists like 50 Cent, David Bowie and Drake. First off, this video is incredibly visualizing and embarks on a journey of a "hustler" – an aggressively enterprising person; a go getter. I decided to personally dissect this video into what I could make of it; Conway is a hustler herself. Cunning and smart, she personally edited and directed her video, "Big Talk", which now has over 400,00 views on You Tube.

In "Hustler", she takes on a few different personas and personalities on how to survive and achieve things in life. One was herself, the average girl who hustles her way through life being who she was born to be. The following shots include her sporting a suit with a type of nylon over her face acting as a mask, the next she’s smeared with black makeup all over her face to show the darker side of life, and then she’s dressed in Victorian-styled, white clothing like a queen. The queen, and the Egyptian style clothes she wears are symbols of power, a clear example of a hustler or someone who defines power. Feminism can be seen throughout this video as well – like I had said before, the queen will always hold power over most, along with the Egyptians, as they were the civilization that represented strength and influenced an entire global development. A softer side is also shown – she is holding a bunny stroking its fur and holding it close for safety and comfort. One thing to notice and pay close attention to is that while she is holding a bunny, she is dressed like the White Rabbit from the movie Alice in Wonderland. The White Rabbit is a stigma for youth: timid, feeling feeble or simply running out of time.

Taking an even closer look into the dynamics of the video, it’s like an acid trip scene from the film itself, and Conway is the main character. She embodies many characters from the film: she is the queen, the rabbit, Alice, the Cheshire Cat (from when she is in the classroom and hallways with a big black smile painted across her face), the mad hatter and the card soldiers. Take a look at the character list of the movie and compare it to the music video; they almost connect perfectly. If that is the case and I made the connection correctly, then that is one hell of a music video concept I tip my hat to Zach Gold.

Conway is a truly exceptional, charismatic, immense and impressive artist. Her newest EP, Big Talk, is currently streaming on her soundcloud page. Her tour with Ellie Goulding started March 12th at Madison Square Garden, and will end on the 25th of this month. Follow her, listen to her and become a fan, because she will only get more iconic from here. – Kayla Hay

Despite the dreamy air and lilting phrases, Rachel Goodrich’s "Baby, Now We’re Even" is textured with melancholia. Hers is music set to that scene on the beach, just as the sun sets and the tourists dissipate; alone with the sand sticking to your heels and cascades of pink and orange hanging low over the tide. Vintage vibes and lo-fi hiss are the vehicle for her beautifully heart-wrenching songwriting. It’s delicate pop executed with a nostalgic backwards glance. The 50’s style girl-group backing vocals are the icing on the cake to this blissfully charming tune. A full length is expected out on April Fool’s Day. Catch her live playing with her all-female trio, Rachel Goodrich & The GRRLS at Pehrspace on March 22.  – Jacqueline Caruso

Here’s a new one from rowdy garage rockers, Criminal Hygiene. We last caught up with them in an interview feature after the release of their debut self-titled LP. Since then, they’ve had a shift in personnel, without losing their signature sound. This new tune, "Withdrawn," sticks to the "riff-raff wrapped in a pop tune" formula, but strays from their debut’s lo-fi, one take, beer slamming edge. The bridge is actually quite reminscent of early skuffle-era Beatles, while the chorus is solidly rooted in their Replacements influence. Still, their punk-ly concise execution rings true and there’s an undeniable charm in everything they do. Stream "Withdrawn" below, and check out their March tour dates with The Orwells and Twin Peaks. – Jacqueline Caruso

Mar 20 2014 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA
Mar 21 2014 – Che Cafe – San Diego, CA
Mar 22 2014 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
Mar 23 2014 – Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
Mar 25 2014 – Neumos – Seattle, WA
Mar 26 2014 – Star Theater – Portland, OR