Rae Spoon – "You Can Dance"

~ Rae Spoon – “You Can Dance” ~

From the upcoming album Love Is a Hunter, out August 17.

Catherine Feeny – "People In The Hole"

It took me a couple of listens to completely get into it, but then Catherine Feeny’s third album People In The Hole is hardly something that wears out quickly. To the contrary – it grew greatly during the first couple of spins and soon I was discovering little nuances I didn’t notice before, making me appreciate the songs even more. It’s a very mellow singer/songwriter record – Feeny has a voice clear as crystal and the songs have folk-pop sound that manages to stay sincere all the way through. It is also a bit of a comeback for her, as she was dropped by her previous London-based label in 2008. Instead of taking a break (or giving up completely) after the set-back, Feeny went on tour where she played “more than 40 planned and impromptu shows in dens, livingrooms and gardens all over the United States”, something which she says helped reclaim herself. People In The Hole was already finished since her days in London, but she took some time off after the tour to settle down in her new home in Portland, OR before fully returning to it again. Once polished, a limited-run pre-release edition of the album was made available from her website which sold out, hence the wider release on June 25. Look out for the video premiere of the title-track on the same date.

~ “He’s Like You Only Better” ~

Crime Waves

~ Sugar Army – “Tongues In Cheeks” ~
Nice surprise from Australia. Quality alternative rock with good hooks and melodies, and the singer has a voice that stands out. From their debut The Parallels Amongst Ourselves.

~ Low Sea – “Save My Soul” ~
A lazy, hazy shoegaze tune that feels like a cool breeze on a day as hot as this. From the Irish duo’s album Las Olas.

~ Pascal Pinon – “I Wrote a Song” ~
Cozy folk-pop from Iceland. Several of their songs are in Icelandic but a couple – like this little wistful tune – have English lyrics. I absolutely recommend their self-titled album.

~ 800Beloved – “1992″ ~
This shoegaze/post-punk band shouldn’t need much of an introduction, I hope (I’ve featured them before, after all). They completely won me over with their debut and while their new effort is still growing on me, this track was love at first listen.

~ Dark Dark Dark – “Wild Goose Chase” ~
The closing track on their EP Bright Bright Bright, “Wild Goose Chase” is nothing but stunning in its tentativeness. Love love love.