Album Picks:

Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse

CD $12.98

LP $19.98

Youth Lagoon aka Trevor Powers at only 22 was the precocious new kid on the indie block with 2011’s The Year of Hibernation. Though a strong debut, the album could get a bit precious as one would expect when listening to a 22-year-old’s debut indie pop album. But if The Year of Hibernation was sugary, Bughouse is coated with codeine syrup. It’s a woozy collection of psychedelic pop, as eccentric as it is rousing. “Mute” sprawls with epic grandeur in its first minute before breaking down into spiraling sounds of broken-down toys and keyboards. Powers’ vocals climb to the top of his manic creation, which gradually becomes a psych rocker with a gorgeous guitar solo. “Attic Door” is prime Syd Barrett in Wonderland weirdo psychedelia, while “Pelican Man” takes a similar notion to Sgt. Pepper’s-style pop heights. As Wondrous Bughouse progresses, it seems to grow more assured, as mid-album cut “Dropla” makes for the album’s catchiest moment — an eyes-wide-open pop song in the vein of Mercury Rev and Flaming Lips’ finest, built on the naïve, repeated couplet “you’ll never die.” True to its Strawberry Alarm Clock title, “Raspberry Cane” is a beautiful slice of acidic sunshine pop that moves from esoteric to a crowd-pleasing refrain that marks Powers’ most classic pop moment to date. It’s a wondrous thing to hear, indeed.

Young Prisms – “Runner” video

S.F.’s Young Prisms have released a video for the song “Runner,” from 2012’s In Between. For the uninitiated, Young Prisms combine hushed, reverbed out vocals with pop melody, lush synthesizers and crisp, Sonic Youth-esque guitar lines They share some elements in common with S.F.’s Tamaryn, with whom they recently toured, like the pop counterpart to Tamaryn’s oceanic soundwaves. If you haven’t yet checked them out, here’s a great place to start. They’re at the Echo in L.A. March 15 and the Chapel in S.F. March 16.

 

The Cyclist – “Visions” video

Though he hails from Northern Ireland, producer The Cyclist has joined the fold of L.A.-based Stones Throw and Leaving Records, who recently signed a distribution deal for Stones Throw to distribute Leaving Records titles. The mind-expanding “Visions” appeared on Dual Form, a cassette release celebrating the deal and Leaving Records’ catalog. It will also appear on The Cyclist’s upcoming debut LP, Bones in Motion, releasing March 26 via Stones Throw/Leaving. The song is accompanied by a dizzying array of colors and images that makes up its great video, directed by Miko Revereza.

Wavves – “Demon to Lean On”

L.A.-based Wavves has released the second single from his forthcoming album, Afraid of Heights, due March 26 on Mom+Pop/Warner. The big leagues haven’t softened Wavves’ crashing sound, but “Demon to Lean On” is also one of the most refined pop songs he’s released thus far, with nice touches like the occasional castanets and milky guitar in the verses. But those crushing Blue-album Weezer chords in the chorus should bring many more kids into the Wavves fold. Wavves previously released the “Sail to the Sun” single and video. They’ll be touring with FIDLAR in the Spring.

 

Thee Oh Sees Announce New LP

Another year, another Thee Oh Sees album. If that sounds like a knock, it isn’t — San Fransisco garage kings Thee Oh Sees have released three albums in the past two years (including last year’s Putrifiers II), all of them great, so there’s no reason to think this one won’t follow the same route. Between these guys and Ty Segall, there must be something in the water in San Francisco that makes garage bands incredibly prolific and solid at the same time. Acid, maybe. Floating Coffin is out April 16 on Castle Face.

Neverever – “100 and 1 Dreams”
 
How did you spend your summer? L.A.’s Neverever ask us on this upside-down poolside video for their song “100 and 1 Dreams,” directed by Eric Fisher. Shot at the gloriously lo-fi, mostly kid-free Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, where you can lounge amongst other PBR-fed whatever bodies and drink yourself silly at the pool (and where Neverever played at one of their shows this summer), it does capture smeared memories of summer. The song features cleaner production for their ’50s-pop inspired sound, so elegantly stated on this year’s Shake-a-Baby EP. “100 and 1 Dreams” is from a forthcoming LP, likely on Slumberland as that’s who released Shake-a-Baby, and though I can’t find out any other info on it at the moment, safe to say it’ll be something to look for, given the quality of their previous output and this song.
 

Neverever - 100 and 1 Dreams from Eric Fisher on Vimeo.

 
Rhye – “The Fall”
 
L.A.’s Rhye features a seductive female vocalist singing “Make love to me, one more time before you go, away,” lingering over every word like she knows it’s pointless to ask, over a syncopated soul backbeat with deft production flourishes that makes the whole thing move breezily instead of wallowing. This is the kind of thing that sounds effortless but isn’t easy to pull off — cushy indie soul that vibes Marvin Gaye and Stereolab equally. The Fall EP is out Oct. 9 on Innovative Leisure.