Flume. 

Sydney based producer Harley Streten aka Flume is another impressive glitch-beat producer to fall into people's consciousness this year but even more impressive is that he's only 21 and has been doing it for just over a year. Some of the complex sounds coming out of Flume's repertoire is truly remarkable. Pick any song from his diverse self titled debut album and you will hear a mash-up of subtle flavours from hip-hop to chill wave to indie. My personal favourites from the record would have to be 'Change', 'Insane feat. Moon Holiday' and 'Sleepless feat. Jezzabell Doran'.

Crystal Castles.

Crystal Castles have released their third album last month and I was aware that it was going to be dark and ominous but holy crap Alice Glass and Ethan Kath have entered the cemetery gates on this one. The entire album is powerfully composed around their trademark gothic-dance style but adds deeper layers of Mauro Piccotto-esque bass synth to the cauldron. An absolute standout from the album is titled 'Mercenary' and has a freaky video accompany it. . .

Pond.

It still amazes me that I haven't posted about Pond yet. I was introduced to these guys earlier on this year by a good friend only to find out that they are a large proportion of my other obsession, Tame Impala. These psychedelic rockers from Fremantle in Western Australia released possibly one of the most creative and energetic releases of the year. "Beard, Wives, Denim" is 13 tracks of pure psychedelic gold with sonic explorations in tracks like 'Eye Pattern Blindness' and 'You Broke My Cool' and good old fashion jam songs like 'Moth Wings' and 'Elegant Design'. Just buy the album, it's only 12 bucks on iTunes but worth a million bucks in brain melting guitar riffs and swift head bangs.

Mac Demarco.

Cooking up something good is definitely what Mac DeMarco has been doing with his second album aptly titled "2". This being the opening track of the album, it sets the pace for what is an enjoyable insight into the casual, tongue n' cheek world of DeMarco. Packed full of cheesy reverberated guitar riffs and hazy drawn out vocals, "2" is a real fun album but with a casual vibe that says 'relax dude'. The best thing about DeMarco's songs on this album is his ability to make the simplest of tunes memorable and full of character. Listen to 'Ode to Viceroy' and 'Freaking out the Neighborhood' to see what i'm talking about.

Luke Lalonde.

Luke Lalonde, the voice behind the playful Canadian outfit Born Ruffians, has spread his wings and flown solo for his latest project "Rhythymnals" which is proving to be a pop-ier affair than the standard band formation of the Ruffians due to the interesting array of sounds mixed into the songs' production. As is a Lalonde signature, his song writing is so pleasantly melodic throughout this whole album. The featured song is  almost a Spanish love ballad filled with great atmospheric harmonies and a slowly ascending melody - it's titled 'Inamorataos'; other noteworthy tracks are 'Grand (Rhythymnals)' and 'A Great Man'.

Sticky Fingers.

Sydney surf-dub rockers Sticky Fingers are going to blow up and it's only a matter of time. You heard it first on tunemonkey, because these lads have everything you need to succeed in the business today; cool haircuts, some ethnic band members and bucket loads of cheek. It doesn't hurt to have a few catchy-as-hell songs either, such as this one here. . .

Foals.

We are seeing an edgier almost more aggressive Foals in this video than we're used to. There latest release 'Inhale' still has all those trademark foals noises - echoed guitar effects, syncopated rhythms and the layered high pitched vocals but with this song they've done something they've never done before - developed a chunky Muse-like chorus that rocks pretty hard.

Kyson.

A mellow ambiance drips from Kyson's tracks. If you lend yourself to transportation you can hear the meticulous formation of atmosphere in each of the Berlin-based producer's precisely crafted glitch beat workings. Originally from Australia, Jian Kellett-Liew calls upon field recordings to create the sonic landscapes that you hear in this particular track titled 'Remi.' Watch out for Kyson over the next few years, his latest recordings are bearing some well ripened fruits and they're only getting better and better.  

Sinkane.

Sudanese native Ahmed Gallab has made big moves as a session musician and creative prodigy for bands such as Yeasayer, Caribou, Of Montreal and Born Ruffians and as indie prodigies do, they eventually wind up in Brooklyn. It was there that Gallab focused his talents into his project known as Sinkane where his multi-instrumental mindset and African rhythms led to the creation of some funky music. His new album "Mars" was just released and so far it blows my mind so I can only anticipate how it will sound after repetitious treatment. 

Local Natives.

Local Natives have been a casualty of the indie rock era. What I mean by this is that there are just too many bands out there that do this style of melodic, rhythmic and atmospheric rock music that Local Natives have just not received the accolades they deserve. Seeing them live is an experience in itself as every band member has an equally angelic voice making their harmonies so brilliantly satisfying. With their sophomore record on its way, the single 'Breakers' is a taste of what we are likely to hear - something along the lines of The Maccabees "Given To The Wild" we're hoping.

Flying Lotus.

Steve Ellison is incredibly creative. His compositions are essentially arrangements of obscure sounds, performed on a vast richness of instruments, constructed together to form a very palatable symphony of noise. I can admit that not all is easily digestible unless you crave some alternative to the western form of songwriting but it's roots are so diverse that tying the music of Flying Lotus down to a genre is very difficult. His new album "Until the Quiet Comes" has received plenty of hype but that's probably because it is in a direction of it's own.

The Babies.

It would seem as though Brooklyn is this pregnant woman that keeps popping out overly decent indie rock bands every nine months or so - sometimes with twins. The Babies are an amalgamation of other indie do-gooders but we won't go into what that meant for old Ms. Brooklyn. Just enjoy their new track it's called 'Get Lost'.

The Sheepdogs.

The Sheepdogs do catchy as hell blues rock. With fuzz straight out of the 70's this Canadian ensemble will remind you of the good old days when jeans were tight and hair was long. Co produced by Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney, you can feel the simple goodness in The Sheepdogs' songwriting. Their 4th studio album came out last month but I bet you'll be listening to it for many more. Frontman Ewan Currie has possibly the most appropriate voice for his style of music, its a gosh darn potent combo.

The Kite String Tangle.

Strange name, but I guess over a century of popular music would be a tough mine to excavate for a nice chunk of name gold. That aside, The Kite String Tangle is a Brisbane based ambient electronic artist who is also known as Danny Harley to his friends and local grocer. . . hopefully. His song 'Commotion' is an nice piece of electronica. It has a calming vibe with its bouncy and syncopated rhythms accompanied by Harley's hazy vocals - but it is also very dance-able; especially through the chorus which erupts with many layers of crisp and dirty synths. 

Tame Impala.

I've posted about Tame Impala recently, I realise this, but shut up it's Tame Impala. "Lonerism" comes out in 5 days but tunemonkey has a live stream hookup for you just in case you couldn't wait. I couldn't. . .

Anitek.

Anitek is an American trip-hop producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Switzerland. He has a prolific output of tracks which makes his fan base happy chaps. His most recent release, "Calm & Collect Vol. 3", is a chilled out and beautifully composed 8 track album which preaches peace and harmony to some crispy beats - a surprisingly compelling mix; think DJ Shadow meets Bonobo meets Gandhi.

Woods.

Woods are a indie/folk rock band from Brooklyn. Since forming in 2005, Woods have released 5 critically acclaimed albums but have received considerably little commercial success. Their recent effort "Bend Beyond" fits the woods mold by being a pleasantly chilled album perfect for a summer cruise. Although the guitar chord progression almost completely rips off an Oasis song, 'Cali In A Cup' is a gorgeous little tune.

David Byrne & St. Vincent

David Byrne has one of the most recognisable vocal styles in pop music. His melodic arrangements are always beyond interesting but in this recent collaboration, St. Vincent (Annie Erin Clark) shows up as the attention seeker with her fresh and fluttering voice over what is essentially a groovy jazz dub. The pair compliment each other's unique styles with moments of folk harmonies, and if you watch the clip - killer dance moves.

Kimbra.

Ok so Kimbra has a new video out. As she is without a doubt my celebrity crush and hopefully the mother of my many children, I am not even going to review it and just accept that she has created another masterpiece. This woman can do no wrong . . ever.

Chrome Sparks.

Jeremy Malvin is one of those impressively young wave makers. A postponed college degree and a few Roland synths seems to be the magic ingredient to some rad chillwave/synthpop. Under the name Chrome Sparks this 21 year old is grabbing the attention of indie movers and shakers so, if you're a hipster, pretend you've already heard of him.

KOAN Sound.

Okay so you want to hear some dubstep that isn't shitty? That's a bit hasty. . . we have nothing against dubstep here at tunemonkey. We just like it when it doesn't sound like tranformers having unprotected sex. Here is an example of some smooth, melodic dubstep that has a real jazzie vibe to it. And yes you can dance to it without looking like a sped.

Future Islands.

Sammuel T. Herring  has this voice that makes you think he was born in a different era . . . with different genes . . . and a different hairstyle. Mix this soulful timbre with a very contemporary and spacey backing group and you have an incredible audio cocktail. the Baltimore group have just released a song called 'Tomorrow' that doesn't happen to appear on their latest album but just had to get out there.

Jai Paul. 

Jai Paul is a bit of an enigma. The dude releases what he wants, when he wants; that's what makes his stuff soo tantalizing. I realize that this song has been floating around blogs for a few months now but it is a delicious follow up to the trip-hop/rhytm'n'blues smash 'BTSTU' and is well worthy of a mention. It's called 'Jasmine' and it is a sensual and funked out chillbeat treat reminiscent of Toro Y Moi's more romantic adventures.

Menomena.

Menomena have tried to dispell the myth that the band has been close to breaking up, but after losing a member in Brent Knopf, the Portland based duo have buried the hacthett and gone ahead and produced a killer concept album titled "Moms." The band's fifth full length release is really just ace, something about the combination of sax, piano and power chords. . .

 

The Presets.

Its been too long since we've had the pleasure of stomping our feat to some dirty preset beats. Its been 4 years since "Apocalypso" and there has been a sweaty void left in dance halls across the world. However the moody duo have delivered exactly what we would expect from them with "Pacifica" - a solid dance album full of dark melodies and thumping beats. Here is one now. . . it's called 'Ghosts.' However if you get a chance look up the song 'Push', it's even better!

Dan Deacon.

Dan Deacon is one of those sound engineering nerds that thought, 'fuck being in the dark depths of the production studio, give me some limelight', and aren't we glad he did because the fella can create sound-scapes reminiscent of 'Come With Us' era Chemical Brothers. Although his sound appears more disorganized and erratic, it is innovatively daring in that the abstract fuzz sounds Deacon weaves together creates a pleasingly melodic sound. His new album "America" has just been released so check it out and bask in the fuzz.

Bob Dylan. 

Bob Dylan is the one and only. A career that has spanned half a century without losing passion or direction is an inspiring feat. Even more impressive is the fact that his music is still very good. His newest album "Tempest" is set to be released in periodically throughout September to dedicated fans but here for us now is a new film clip for the song 'Duquesne Whistle'. Its a truly fascinating combination of Dylan humour and thoughtful violence.

Dam Mantle.

This track from Glaswegian producer Dam Mantle is phenomenal. It is a dreamily rhythmic and progressive track that every so often explodes with killer nostalgic brass sounds. His First full length release comes out in October so save your pennies. Although if you can't wait that long he's been nice enough to lend us a free sample, so you can grab yourselves a copy of  the first single and a bonus b-side from Withcita Recordings, enjoy.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti.

Ariel Pink and his band of eccentric art rockers have toned it way down on this cover of Joe & Donny Emerson's highly sensual track 'Baby'. It comes as bonus inclusion to their latest release 'Mature Themes' which has high expectations following their breakthrough album 'Before Today' back in 2010. With help from Dâm-Funk , Ariel Pink has created possibly the best song to get down and dirty to. . . or to have a bath to, whichever one you're into.

AlunaGeorge.

AlunaGeorge is Aluna Francis & George Reid, two Londoners brought together out of mutual respect for the sounds the other was producing. Together, the combination is delicious. Reid's chill-wave beats and sharp production is a perfect platform for Francis' smooth r&b style. Their latest release 'Your Drums, Your Love' is going to be a pop hit smash. . . but one you don't have to feel guilty about liking. 

Poolside.

Filip and Jeffrey are Poolside - a casual groove-beat on top of funky bass and breezy layers of keys; the formula to poolside bliss and exactly the intent of this pair. Their sound is glossy and tailored to summertime romance but the two only flirted with the idea of Poolside after time off from their other projects (The Rapture, Ima Robot & Junior Senior). Their album "Pacific Standard Time" dropped in June and is just a pleasure.

Alpine.

Alpine is one of those bands that seems to constantly be doing more than anyone ever anticipated. They have shown that their pre-album singles 'Too Safe', 'Villages' and 'Hands' were no exhaustion of their songwriting prowess, and with the release of their debut "A Is For Alpine" you can bet your bottom dollar their are more hits to come - like this one. It's called 'Gasoline'.

Kwes.

Kwes is a British record producer who happens to every so often pump out a minimalist fusion of house and r&b tracks. His single 'Bashful' off the "Meantime" EP is a brilliant song that revolves around a crafty beat and a killer chorus melody. However the track 'LGOYH' is a feely track that really shows Kwes's soulful voice and a knack for moody baselines. Listen through good speakers. 

Electric Smile Band.

It truly excites when rad music comes out of Australia. It's great to see the creative juices flowing from down under to unveil new innovative sounds as well as a whacked out film clip to accompany. 'Sweet Romantic Suicide' is just one of the greatest results of when music and drugs collide. Many thanks to Slammer for the heads up.

Twin Shadow.

Twin shadow the name George Lewis Jr. goes by when he is busy channeling slick 80's inspired, dark synth driven, electro pop. His new album produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear is a gritty twist to the polished 80's synth pop formula through its dark atmospheric tones which resemble some of Joy Divisions more melodic riffs. '5 Seconds' is part one off the album "Confess" which is shaping up to be quite the audio/visual narrative. 

Tame Impala.

Tame Impala is the jam to psychedelic music's donut. These Perth boys take the 60's and 70's jammed out rock and bring it to the modern era with a little guitar fuzz and smooth structure. This is the newest single 'Elephant' which will no doubt draw saliva for the upcoming album which is due in October. This film clip, although not the official, is a just an extremely pleasurable experience.

Dirty Projectors.

Swing Lo Magellan is the name of the sonic experience that is the dirt Projectors new album. It is the result of Yale music student talent and indie pop fascination. 'Dance For You' is one of the more enjoyably upbeat and positive tracks off the album alongside 'The Socialites', however the highlight off the album is the dramatic and dirty - 'Offspring Are Blank' which provides an energizing kick-start to the album. 

Animal Collective.

Animal collective have told us that their new album will be a somewhat more eccentric development of their psychedelic and experimental electronic pop. Their first single from the album - 'Today's Supernatural' is essentially an abrasive flurry of odd noises but the interesting thing about Animal Collective's music is that it happens to be not only be digestible but oh so gosh darned enjoyable.