When we want to hear edgy, lo-fi garage rock — and that’s fairly often this time of year — we often dial up Heavy Cream. The Nashville band has just released their second LP, Super Treatment, and with more than a hint of Joan Jett And The Blackhearts evident in their new single “John Johnny,” this quartet clearly means business, offering explosive proof that there’s more to Nashville than ten-gallon hats and radar headset microphones.

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As much as we’ve always enjoyed their records — and missed them over the last ten years — Beachwood Sparks haven’t always had the best timing. Los Angeles’ finest purveyors of kaleidoscopic country rock put out a celebrated self-titled debut in 2000, followed it up with a pair of solid releases over the next two years…and then went strangely silent as a host of bands they clearly influenced (including Fleet Foxes, Mumford And Sons, and Blitzen Trapper) became household names in the indie world. But all’s well that ends well, and we’re stoked that Beachwood Sparks will finally return this year with a new album, The Tarnished Gold!

Formerly a member of Portland’s best-loved experimental outfit, Menomena, Brent Knopf has stepped out to focus on his own project, Ramona Falls. Although similarities abound between the two acts, Knopf has shaved some of Menomena’s quirkier tendencies off his Ramona Falls material in the name of precision and immediacy. We love that the band is named for a waterfall near Mount Hood (Oregon’s tallest peak, easily visible from Portland) — almost as much as we love “Brevony,” the punchy lead track from the new album, Prophet.

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Striking the North American scene like a lightning bolt with their epic 2009 LP Post-Nothing, Japandroids are a true force of nature. The Vancouver-bred duo of Brian King (guitar/vocals) and David Prowse (drums/vocals) continue to mold a sound that’s unnaturally colossal, drawing on the grandiosity of early 1970s Who, the buzzsaw ferocity of Hüsker Dü, punk-pop’s endless fascination with youth and the glorification of it…and of course, a healthy dose of Canadian humility. On the heels of Post-Nothing‘s success, the band put out three scorching singles in 2010, then took their time last year to craft a proper full-length follow-up. We have a pile of reasons to get behind this band, and the fact that the newly released LP is called Celebration Rock — and better yet, that it lives up to its name — may top the list.

Introducing the third of four shorts before the Surf film FREQUENCIES, a collaborative effort between director Bruce Muller, photographer Sonny Miller, and Roxy team rider and famed longboarder Kassia Meador, debuts.

Roxy was lucky enough to catch the screening of the film at Sonos Studios in Los Angeles, where ESP performed the original sound scoring live to a packed audience. Ever since, we’ve been anxiously anticipating the chance to share the third short entitled ‘Dissonance’ with all of our Roxy fans.

In the collaborators’ own words, “There is a seemingly chaotic disorder in the world. At all times we are absorbing a myriad of competing frequencies. Electromagnetic, sound, seismic, and ocean waves reverberate all around us…The magnitude of these effects are massive. Some frequencies are incalculable. Certain energies are immeasurable. The collective neurosis of man cannot sustain.”

Be sure to check out the 1st short ‘Early Echo’ and 2nd short ‘Reflections’ here on the Roxy blog.

We couldn’t be more excited for this month’s release of Fawn‘s debut album, Coastlines. Combining the driving post-punk energy of Interpol and Editors with a vocal style similar to the Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, this Detroit band is poised to make their mark on the national indie scene. The album’s title, incidentally, is a sly reference to North America’s overlooked third shores: those of the massive Great Lakes adjacent to Fawn’s Michigan home.

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Immediately catapulted into the spotlight when their “Sleepyhead” single made the rounds back in 2009, the boys in Passion Pit are back, just over three years later with a new album. They’ve taken a somewhat different path from their peers in bands such MGMT, becoming a little weirder but also a little more personal at the same time. Singer Michael Angelakos still rips with his falsetto and the beats still bang with equal parts sunshine and thunder. We’ve heard a couple songs off the new album – Gossamer, which drops on July 24th – and we think it’s going to be a great soundtrack for our summer. Check out the single “I’ll Be Alright” below to hear for yourself!

Although he’s best known at this point for his role as guitarist in Atlanta indie rock juggernaut Deerhunter, Lockett Pundt’s solo records under the Lotus Plaza moniker are starting to turn more and more ears. His latest Lotus Plaza LP, Spooky Action At A Distance, is full of chiming guitars and reverb’d vocals, and we’ve had it in constant rotation since its April release. If you’ve ever wondered what Deerhunter might sound like as a half-remembered dream, here’s your answer.

It’s hard to tell if we’re more obsessed with his music, the fact that he surfs, or his amazingly cute British accent.  Maybe we’re just all around into Ben Howard.  After catching him perform live last night at the beloved So-Cal venue, The Troubadour, you can bet his entire album “Every Kingdom” will be on repeat all week.  Between strumming on his guitar and belting out lyrics on stage, he let us in on a little secret.  On the west coast leg of his tour, he took some time out to stop in surf towns along the California coast.  We even found out that he supports the UK environmental group, the Surfers Against Sewage!

For the perfect summertime beach-bonfire song, make sure to check out “Old Pine” and his new video for “Only Love”.

We also love him because he covered Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”.

Inspiration strikes in the strangest places. Deep Time used to be called YellowFever, releasing a totally likeable record and touring around the states (mostly their native Texas). Turns out they weren’t the first band to use that name, so, avoiding legal hot water, they changed their name to Deep Time. Seems like they rethought more than their name, finding a surprising new sound and a clear burst of inspiration. We’re all better off for it, and judging by lead single “Clouds,” their upcoming self-titled record is going to be outstanding.

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