“Growing” is the beautifully-conceived reverb-washed new track from Oakland band Harriet Brown. There’s something about “Growing”, perhaps its sauntering tempo or its smooth as silk melodies, that strikes a majestic, cinematic quality for us. We are loving it.
Harriet Brown 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.3
“Give Up” is a nicely textured piece from Luxembourg trio Monophona. Listeners with eclectic palettes are sure to appreciate their mix of melodic, psychedelic and post-dub music. Monophona has gigged with the likes of Fink, Daughter, Polica and Sun Glitters, and they will be playing their first UK shows at The Great Escape festival next weekend. Be there.
Monophona (Soundcloud)
Rating 8.2
Join us in Santa Monica this Tuesday night as B3SCI Presents team up with the Central S.A.P.C. for a great night of local music with this month’s artist in residence, L.A. based rock band Rainbow Jackson. And just like the band’s single “Flamingo Starr” suggests, their live show is gonna ‘take you over for a supernova.’ Trust us! Rainbow Jackson will joined that night by a stellar bill of buzzing talent that includes LEVELS, Burning Jet Black, Act As If and DJ sets by Immigre. Entry for the residency night is FREE (21+) and you can get additional details on the show here. We’ll see y’all there!
The Neighbourhood’s debut album I Love You has already landed a spot on our top albums list for 2013. For a band that came from nowhere in mid-2012, this quintet from Los Angeles have done a sufficient job of kicking up noise all around the world with their sing-along lush pop-scapes and reverb drenched rock. We had the chance to speak with the band back in November about this rise to fame and what the future might hold (listen to our interview here).
For one lucky reader out there, we are giving away an exclusive prize pack of autographed swag by the band. For your chance to win a signed I Love You CD and poster email us here and say that you’d like to to be entered in The Neighbourhood prize pack giveaway. Include with your submission an answer to one of the following questions. We’ll be picking our winning email submission at random next Friday morning (5/17). One entry per person please. Also, be sure to pick up your copy of the new album here.
Questions:
Who in the band looks the coolest in a pair of shades?
What famous LA street sign is featured in The Neighbourhood’s new music video for “Sweater Weather?”
In what city will you be seeing the band perform on tour this summer?
Stream the I Love You LP:
The Neighbourhood (Tumblr) (Facebook) (Purchase ‘I Love You’ LP)
“Call It What You Want” is new from L.A. band Wardell. Sampled below from the duo’s debut EP “Brother/Sister”, “Call” is three minutes ten of sharply-crafted sweet & sunny guitar pop that we think deserves your attention (ASAP). You can start sorting that out with the play buttons below.
Wardell 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.6
Check out the expertly constructed beats-pop ode to rat-poison turpentine martinis “Universe Is Blessed” from Dovecote artist Wise Blood. Excerpted from his forthcoming debut full-length id Wise Blood a/k/a Christopher Laufman impresses with a tour de 2013 beats (he cites Zomby and SpaceGhostPurpp as inspirations) on the orchestral-loops heavy-on-the-ones-driven track. id is due June 25th.
Wise Blood – Universe Is BlessedWise Blood
: (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
“Last Forgiven” is a new favorite. The track comes from NYC based artist Luke Rathborne in anticipation of his forthcoming LP, SOFT, which is set for release July 3rd. The album was produced by Emery Dobyns and Albert Hammond Jr. While you can definitely hear Hammond Jr’s arrangement experience on some vertical qualities in “Last Forgiven”, more than that, “Last Forgiven” has a timbre that ushers in the sound of summer and all the menacing fun in life that’s yet to come. Rathborne performs May 14th in New York City at Glasslands, be there.
Rathborne – Last ForgivenRathborne 
(Official)
Rating 8.5
The awesome “Other Voices”, the title track from Chicago kids The Orwells upcoming EP, is the sound of a band not only rounding into form but operating with a confidence and self-belief that, as much as it is an anachronism in the year 2013, is really very refreshing. Look out for “Other Voices” to drop on June 25th via East End/Canvasback.
The Orwells 
(Facebook)
Rating 9
Death, taxes, American Idol & The National. What do our Ohio-born friends have in common these other three entities? CONSISTENCY. But in contrast to those lame to not so awesome things, The National are consistently great. “Sea of Love”, The Big N’s latest single from the forthcoming sixth LP Trouble Will Find Me, is just the most recent in a decade-plus collection of really fine classic music. Sample the new single below.
The National (Official)
Rating 8.7
Rapidly working their way through a host of un-google-able band names such as “Youth” and “Books” Bella Unions latest signing seem to have finally settled on “Money”, and this is their new video for future album track “Bluebell Fields”. Comparisons are being made to the likes of early Verve records and with the elusive nature of this Manchester outfit so far, the late summer release date for their debut record is already a highly anticipated one. It’s also worth taking a listen to their recent session with Amazing Radio to further appreciate the emotional capacity of their beautiful reverbs and heart-wrenching songwriting. By Nathan Hetherington
MONEY (Facebook)
Rating 8.5
