To The Wedding creates such mellow, soothing melodies, it melts all your worries and surroundings like wax.  To The Wedding is a one woman show – Lauren Grubb – who brings in a guest here and there for a little guitar assistance.  Her recent EP, Silver Currents, is in no rush to go anywhere.  Each track is perfectly content to just occupy the space it’s in.  “Come On,” the first song off the EP, is the textbook definition of shoegaze.  Let it occupy your space for a little while.  Enjoy.

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It is no secret that I was floored by Shrines, Purity Ring’s 2013 debut album.  It was dark, sharp, complex synth pop with southern rap beats thumping through most of the record.  Just yesterday, Purity Ring unveiled their new track, “Push Pull.”  The lighter feel and the absence of those deep beats from the dirty south can be heard immediately and may herald a newer, more accessible pop sound for the duo.  Even if this is a departure from what what Purity Ring previously mastered, it appears their creativity in lyrics and orchestration remains intact.  “Push Pull” may be more digestible for the masses but it still has the signature of a matured pop group ready to expand into new terrain.

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Blackbird Blackbird aka Mikey Maramag has been churning out chill, spacey indie tracks for the past few years.  What’s incredibly impressive is that this young solo artist has produced a wealth of unique, creative music all on his own.  His recent single, “Love Unlimited,” further explores his patient, spacey music style with hollowed vocals, soft synths and a pronounced, hypnotic guitar riff.  Enjoy.

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It was only a few weeks ago that we posted a track by the slick pop group, Cannons.  Right around that time, the LA-based trio released their new single, “Night Verses.”  Cannons are creating quite an impressive track record of complex synth tracks that pulsate with lush electronics, danceable beats and Michelle Joy’s icy yet intimate voice.  “Night Verses” has Cannons revisiting dream pop territory laced with R&B, which they clearly know very well.  Like their other songs, “Night Verses” has a shadowy feel, mixing a sense of mystery and allure with each beat.  This is how dream pop is supposed to sound.  Enjoy.

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It’s been eons since GRRL PAL released their ethereal debut single, “Amazon.”  Finally, the indie duo returns with their remarkably chill follow-up single, “Paradise.”  A sharper use of electronics snakes through this exotic, pulse soothing track, as Jay Daniel’s voice effortlessly floats above with each verse.  Hopefully, we won’t have to wait over a year for a third track.  But while we wait, it helps to be able to have a little “Paradise.”  Enjoy.

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 Minipop creates hazy pop tracks that should be the soundtrack for just about any dream sequence.  Since forming in 2004, they have crafted sweet little pop tunes that are equal parts enchanting and endearing.  “Chances,” off their latest EP, is perhaps their catchiest tune to date, starting off with dripping guitar chords until they are consumed by the misty voice of songstress, Tricia Kanne.  Enjoy.

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How could I not post about Be Forest after seeing them last night live for the first time?  This psychedelic dream pop group rarely makes a stateside appearance so it great to see them and even better to witness how well their music translates live.  Be Forest is a cross between tribal music and the XX, with a mix of pounding, rhythmic drums and near ambient melodies.  “Airwaves,” from their debut album, Earthbeat, is a perfect example of the hypnotic tones Be Forest conjures up, and is even more consuming when seen live.  Enjoy.

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I might have been in the minority of people who didn’t love The XX’s second album, Coexist.  However, a remix of one of the bonus tracks, “Reconsider,” produced by band member, Jamie XX, captures the essence of what made the trio’s first album a game changer.  Not as subdued as the whole of Coexist, the “Reconsider” remix has sharper beats, a more aggressive pace, and is a great reminder of what made The XX a dominant force in the indie scene and one of the defining bands of dream pop.  It’s good to have them back.  Enjoy.

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Any song opening that reminds me of “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama is automatically on my must play list.  “Up All Night” by Los Angeles’ Cannons embraces 80s pop while feeling current and a bit futuristic.  The trio have perfectly honed their self described “future boogie” into an insanely groovy track that is seductive and funky at the same time.  I may be prone to exaggeration but based on the few songs released by Cannons so far, we have a slick new synth pop group that is poised to take the indie world by storm.  Enjoy.

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There’s a pretty good chance that at some point I will be posting every song from DWNTWN’s self-titled EP, released earlier this year.  The quartet have produced a library full of EPs, singles, and covers over the past few years but have honed their synth pop skills and with the new 5-track record, emerge as musical transcendence.  Every track off the EP is a subtle play of emotions, gently layered instruments, and soft vocals that seem to consume your surroundings like a mist.  “Skins” is a perfect example of the vaporous aura that the voices of Jamie Leffler and Robert Cepeda softly thread through a track laced with muffled drums, guitars and delicate electronics.  Yeah, DWNTWN is pretty good.  Enjoy.

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Scoop “Skins” here