LISTEN: DRMS - "White Eyes"

This 8-piece Oakland, CA self-proclaimed "noir pop" band make the best of their number, turning a lovely jazzy, folk pop song into a lush, cool and earnest love song that's both easily accessible and intricately composed -- all eight sound incredibly in sync. The charm is lead by Emily Ritz's lilting, very warm voice, providing the pop charisma to bandleader Rob Shelton (keyboards) and co's jazz-tinged   instrumentation and arrangement muscle. Summer might be winding down, but this'll make you feel like that love could never end.

DRMS (pronounced "DREAMS") just released their new, self-titled album, featuring "White Eyes." Pick it up on iTunes or Bandcamp.

DRMS
Facebook
Bandcamp

LISTEN: Laura Stevenson & The Cans - "Nervous Rex"

MP3: Laura Stevenson & The Cans - "Nervous Rex"

Shy, frail beauty that's filled with heartache, but also an understated confidence. It deals with pain, isolation, and the external v. internal battle of our collective emotions. In certain ways, Stevenson's determined fingerpicking on her acoustic guitar details much of what she feels, even as she softly and sweetly sings her intriguing words and metaphors. She weaves a web of notes and melancholic hooks, catching your attention and holding you tightly until she gently casts you off, back into the uncertainty of the world. Delicate, emotive, distinct, and quietly breathtaking -- "Nervous Rex" is quite a bedroom folk pop gem.

BUY: "Nervous Rex" is from a record Stevenson put out under her name, simply titled A Record. The album is out on Quote Unquote Records for a "pay what you want" price. You can download it right now here. The album was also re-released on Asia Man Records under Laura Stevenson & The Cans with three additional tracks. You can pick up a physical copy of the album here.