Army Navy Offer New Single for Free Download

LA indie-pop practitioners Army Navy are offering up their new single, "Pickle," for free download. The infectiously radiant track is from the band's forthcoming album, the follow up to their critically acclaimed sophomore release, 2011's The Last Place. More details on the new album are on the way. Give "Pickle" a spin below.

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.

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SEE & HEAR: Freedom Fry - "Summer In the City"

Freedom Fry - "Summer In the City"


Ah yes, summer. It's supposed to be a period of freedom and endless opportunities to have fun -- that is when you're a kid. When you're an adult, summer seems almost like a shell of its former self: it's uncomfortably hot and you no longer get those three months of zero responsibilities. And so, instead of basking in the summer sun's warm glow, we get all caught up in our own business and the complexities of adult life; instead of enjoying nature's changes, we're all going, going, going with whatever it is that runs our lives.

Enter Paris/Los Angeles duo Freedom Fry and their new single "Summer In the City." It's a charming, pleasant cut of indie pop with a pinch of surf rock fluidity, beckoning us to make our way back to those simply days of our summer youth. It's upbeat but laced with an atmospheric layer of synth that's perfect for sending the listener off to daydream the frantic pace of reality away.

LISTEN: Surgeons In Heat

If Steely Dan embraced indie pop, it would sound something like Surgeons In Heat. This Madison/Milwaukee four-piece crafts smooth, sharp indie pop rock that, without pretension, evokes a mod sort of cool. There's an undertone of agitation beneath their calm and collected surface that gives the music just the right amount of bite, recalling the songwriting of Graham Parker and Elvis Costello. If you wanted to straddle the line between a relaxed night in and a night of cruising the streets with the top down, spin the band's self-titled, debut EP.

Check out Surgeons In Heat's self-titled EP below.

LISTEN: Bluejay - Marvel Fortune

A blue jay is a beautiful bird, an animal that easily grabs your eye with its brilliant shades of blue. But there's more to the attractive surface of the blue jay. They're smart, curious, and creative birds. Maybe it's stretch to link a band's namesake to its sound, but, much like a blue jay, Brooklyn's Bluejay have an appealing sound that darts in all sorts of creative directions, not aimlessly, but rather with purpose.

Masters of the Hemisphere Return, Download New Song "Belushi"

It's been almost nine years since Athens, GA indie pop quartet Masters of the Hemisphere disbanded, and, outside of a brief reunion in 2006, they've remained inactive. But now, they're back together sounding better than ever and will release a brand new studio album, Maybe These Are The Breaks, via Kindercore Records (digital) and Magic Marker (CD/LP) on October 4th. To mark the their return, tape label Modern Country will also be issuing a cassette box set of the band's entire catalog (with unreleased bonus tracks) in addition to a cassette version of the new album.

Hear and download a cut from Maybe These Are The Breaks below entitled "Belushi" below.

LISTEN: Fierce Creatures - "Satan Is A Vampire"

Fierce Creatures - "Satan Is A Vampire"


It's not straightforward, but it's most definitely adventurous -- if the soundwave up there wasn't indication enough. There's a freedom that flows throughout, one that's transportive and empowering; it's about escape just as much as it's about rising above. With its twists and turns, it winds up being quite enchanting thanks to the melodic hooks scattered throughout -- whether it's two guitars playing with one another or a choir singing to the high heavens. Drawing from a variety of genres including post-rock, indie pop, and classic rock, "Satan Is A Vampire" aims to cram a lot of emotional and musical diversity into just a few minutes. Diving deep into the well-textured and arranged sections reveals a world of blissful, energizing, as well as soothing passages that all fit together rather seamlessly.

"Satan Is A Vampire" is from Fierce Creatures' self-produced 2010 EP, I Mostri Feroci. The band is currently working on new material for a future single and their next EP/LP scheduled for release this summer.

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