Available 2/1 – 2/7: Cloud Nothings “Stay Useless”

Bratty and disaffected, this new single from Cloud Nothings takes the spirit of late ‘70s punk and power pop and eloquently translates it for 2012. It’s an alternately timeless and modern anthem for lost souls of all ages, brashly spat out by 20-year-old bandleader/wunderkind Dylan Baldi. Intriguingly, we hear that the Cleveland band’s upcoming record, Attack On Memory, was recorded by one of the most legendary producers ever, Steve Albini – one more reason we’re super-excited that it’s finally out!

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Featured Song: Walk With Me
Album: The Slideshow Effect
Facebook: /Memoryhouse
Twitter: @inmemoryhouse

The story goes that Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion of Memoryhouse never intended to collaborate in a proper band setting. Rather, composer Abeele and photographer/filmmaker Nouvion originally envisioned a collaborative art project pairing Abeele’s compositions with Nouvion’s photographs and short films. We all know what often happens to the best-laid plans, however, and it wasn’t long before the Toronto duo was gigging across the US and Europe. The momentum they sustained turned into a recording contract with Sub Pop, and following 2011’s The Years EP – one of our favorite releases of last year – the legendary Seattle label is now prepping to release Memoryhouse’s full-length debut, The Slideshow Effect, in February.

Available 1/25 – 2/1: Plastic Flowers “Strange Neighbors”

From New York by way of Tallahassee, Florida comes Plastic Flowers, the wonderfully early ’80s-inspired synth pop project of Sean Earl Beard. Taking sonic cues from the genre’s forebearers (Yaz, early Depeche Mode), as well as other luminaries of the age such as Joy Division and The Cure, the haunting music of Plastic Flowers packs a subtle emotional punch…if you listen closely enough. It sounds to us like the perfect accompaniment to a pensive drive on a quiet winter night.

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Featured Track: Shake
Facebook: /LittleBoots
Twitter: @littleboots
Youtube: littlebootsvideos

It’s a new week here at Roxy, and a new day. We’re getting a later start than normal (these posts usually go up first thing in the morning), so we’re going to need something extra special to get us going today. Mining similar sonic territory to Robyn and La Roux, Little Boots (a.k.a. Victoria Hesketh) first broke through in 2009 with a pair of infectious powerhouse singles, “New In Town” and “Remedy,” from her full-length debut, Hands. In the time since, the beautiful blonde Brit has delivered other dancefloor staples, including “Stuck On Repeat” and “Meddle.” Rumor has it she’s cooking up some new grooves for release this coming spring…so, naturally, we can’t wait to hear what’s next! For now, visit her Soundcloud page for several remixes of her current killer single, “Shake.”

Available 1/18 – 1/25: Pond “Fantastic Explosion of Time”

Cut from the same cloth as Australian psych-rockers Tame Impala – one of our favorite bands of the last decade – comes Oz trio Pond. The band taps the same wicked psychedelic vein as their aforementioned labelmates and has been gathering fans around their native Australia for a few years; they’re finally getting ready to cross over Stateside with an upcoming album, Beard Wives Denim, that’s set to drop in March. Recorded in a farmhouse in Western Australia along with the rest of the record, advance single “Fantastic Explosion Of Time” is just the soundtrack for your spring snowboarding excursions!

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Featured Track: “Heart U 4 Ever”
Album: Robot Learn Love
Facebook: /thekyleandrews
Twitter: @TheKyleAndrews

You’d think someone who’s been hailed by NPR as a pop genius would record in a glossy studio, but that’s not Kyle Andrews’ style. Rather, this Nashville electro-pop wizard records his ruthlessly danceable tracks exclusively at home…but you’d never know it by how shiny they sound. Andrews’ recent releases, including the Kangaroo EP and full-length Robot Learn Love, are as precise – yet warm and fun – as anything he’s ever put out. If you missed Andrews’ hit “You Always Make Me Smile” in a Holiday Inn campaign a couple years back, you can still catch his super-catchy “Heart U 4 Ever” in the trailer for our current season of Roxy Refreshments!

Although typically backed by his band of Punx, Oakland’s Seth Bogart (a.k.a. Hunx) steps out for a solo record this February. Borrowing from the best of ‘60s garage pop and girl groups, Hunx’s upcoming album, Hairdresser Blues, is full of hyper-catchy garage pop tunes like “Always Forever” that we can’t stop playing over and over. A hair stylist himself, Bogart sings from the heart on this concise collection of hits, so if you’re looking to beat the winter blues by bouncing around the room, this is the record for you!

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Featured Track: “Straight Up and Down”
Album: Take it From the Man
Official Site: brianjonestownmassacre.com

While it’s likely that most common word used to describe Brian Jonestown Massacre is “infamous,” the group’s brilliant music far outweighs whatever outrageous shenanigans have been attributed to them throughout their nearly two-decade stint on the scene. Led by indie rock royalty figure Anton Newcombe, BJM have been mesmerizing and alienating audiences since forming in San Francisco in the early ‘90s, and their signature psychedelic sound hasn’t lightened up much over the years. Listen for their track “Straight Up And Down” in the trailer for the upcoming feature The Water Dancer, starring surfer Stephanie Gilmore.

Available 1/4 – 1/11: Islands “This Is Not a Song”

Nicholas Thorburn, formerly of Montreal indie pop outfit the Unicorns, has been making Islands records since the mid ‘00s, but many of his newest songs possess a personal side previously unheard in his work. “This Is Not A Song,” which drifts on a softly melancholy melody, points toward this new direction; one listen and you’ll understand why it’s been pegged as the lead single from Islands’ upcoming album, A Sleep & A Forgetting. Thorburn says he began writing songs for the record on Valentine’s Day, so perhaps it’s no accident that it’s set to be released on February 14.

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Featured Track: “On The Fritz”
Album: Even More Homemade Music Nobody Cares About
Facebook: /interestrelief

Recording under the moniker Interest Relief, the husband-and-wife duo of Brad and Jennifer McConnell create a sweet mix of electronica-infused indie pop. These former high school sweethearts are inspired by a wide scope of influences, from Radiohead’s glitchy beats and the rangy Americana of Wilco to the laid-back vibes of Portishead. We’ve become suckers for their mis-titled new EP, Even More Homemade Music Nobody Cares About – head to their MySpace page for a taste!