Minimalism, thy name is Britt Daniel. The Spoon frontman, already so accomplished at the fine art of paring a song down to its skeleton, has found new ways of establishing understated elegance with his new project Divine Fits. He, Dan Boeckner, and Sam Brown populate the space on the record like fussy interior decorators, seeking an elusive feng shui with perfectly placed stabs of guitar, percussion, and electronics. While the end ... Read More

  Belgian songstress Selah Sue may look like a model with her golden nest of hair, but she has powerful pipes and true talent. Her self-titled debut offers her distinctive take on smooth soul laced with tropical reggae beats; the album is filled with reckless rapture and fiery attitude. “I’m feeling real passionate,” Sue howls in “This World,” an explosive ballad that might inspire you to caress a glass of ... Read More

  The Dirty Projectors aren’t known for musical simplicity, but on the band’s sixth album Swing Lo Magellan, it takes a stab at stripped-down soul and R&B, mixed with the sprawling orchestral arrangements, handclaps, and neo doo-wop flourishes they love. “About to Die” sounds like frontman David Longstreth’s attempt at a drive-in classic, and single “Gun Has No Trigger” loads up on the ... Read More

    Purity Ring, the Canadian electronic duo of Corin Roddick and Megan James, sounds like water so freezing cold it shocks your skin—it’s surprising, uncomfortable, and disorienting. Icy-blue notes appear throughout their debut full-length album, Shrines, as James’ aloof-but-assertive vocals go in and out of focus, trading places moment to moment with spastic synthesizers. Roddick handles that instrument, ... Read More

Dream-psych duo Peaking Lights’ third full-length album, Lucifer, is their most accessible yet. Out June 19th on Mexican Summer in the US and on Weird World June 18th in the U.K, it follows last year’s release of the incredible summer lovin’ 936. This latest album contains a similar meditative atmosphere, with grooving rhythms and rich textures, but it's gentler than their 2011 record. Lucifer is ... Read More