We've got some impressive releases leading us into the mists this March. Break out the St. Patrick's Day attire and watch the snow melt away while you spin some of these great new records.


10. Suuns - Images Du Futur
Montreal quartet Suuns (who were just featured in our first installment of the Festival Bands, Man! series) came together in 2006 when frontman Ben Shemie got together with bassisst Joe Yarmush, to record some beats, which eventually worked their way into songs. Grabbing two new members Liam O’Neill and Max Henry, the group expanded and released their debut record Zeroes QC in 2010. On March 5, Suuns will unveil their anticipated sophomore record Images Du Fur via Secretly Canadian. The first single off the new record “Edie’s Dream” further exhibits the group’s ability at carefully-crafted psychedelic tunes. Listen to “Edie’s Dream” below:

Madison, WI PhD candidate and musician Julian Lynch will release his follow-up to last year’s Terra with the LP Lines, due out March 26 via Underwater Peoples. The first single off the record “Carios kelleyi I” follows in Lynch's signature strand of textured, chromatic folk, with cheerful acoustic riffs coated with Lynch's warm hum. Listen to “Carios kelleyi I” below:

The title track off Chvrches' new EP wastes no time as lead singer Lauren Mayberry's vocals deliver a shot of adrenaline with a instantly catchy verse leading into an even more enthralling chorus. The Scottish trio will release the EP via Goodbye Records on March 25. Listen to "Recover" below:

Waxahatchee is Birmingham native Katie Crutchfield. Still riding off the energy of her debut full-length American Weekend, Crutchfield will release her follow-up Cerulean Salt tomorrow via Don Giovanni Records. Crutchfield thrives on her unique lo-fi stylings, thought-provoking lyricism, and heart-on-sleeve approach to songwriting that goes unrivaled in today's immense DIY folk scene. Listen to the single “Peace and Quiet” off the record below and stream Cerulean Salt in its entirety over at NPR. 
Rhye’s first single “The Fall,” which came out late last year, was a crisp, androgynous track released by an anonymous group that had the attention of the indie blogosphere pretty fast. The sexy, yet minimal, track was intriguing everyone, and finally Toronto-born Mike Milosh came forward as the lead singer behind the duo. As they release their debut record Woman today, Rhye is entering an exciting time; they're only going to get more popular. Watch the entrancing video for “The Fall” below:
The Men have decided to stay the prolific course and will release their fourth record in three years with New Moon on March 5. The record is streaming over at Pitchfork right now and upon first listen it immediately sounds a lot more varied and expansive, still exuding a punk influence, but with country and pop underpinnings. The group has maintained all the songwriting perks of last year’s Open Your Heart, with an array of new instrumentals including mandolin, harmonica, piano, and lap guitar. The record is being released by Sacred Bones. Listen to the single “Electric” below:

Youth Lagoon aka Trevor Powers’ record The Year of Hibernation was arguably the best debut of 2011, as it scaled a mountainous terrain of lo-fi dream-pop, and perfected the art of the build with tracks like “Montana” and “July” starting with calm synth textures and peaking with Powers’ ethereal croon. While the The Year of Hibernation was recorded in a friend’s garage in a few days, his sophomore album was done in a proper studio with the help of producer Ben H. Allen (Animal Collective, Deerhunter). And while there is a definite improvment in production and style, Powers is still blowing our minds, this time via a diversity of layered instrumentals and reeling psychadelic imagery. Each track takes on it’s own varied form, with emphasis on tempo changes and whimsical lyrical imagery. The album is out tomorrow via Fat Possum, but you can stream the album now over at NPR. Also, be sure to check out our detailed Songbook Report on the album here.

January is not typically known for its wide range of high quality releases, which tend to be concentrated in the later months of the year. However, this week, I noticed that there was a steady stream of some really great stuff. Whether it is forthcoming Beach Fossils album (which comes out in February but there was an early leak) or next week's Toro Y Moi LP (an uneven but exciting step forward), there is already quite a bit to be excited about in 2013. This week's new songs are a mix of psychedelia, electro-pop, and math rock. A seemingly disparate combination but a great set of songs nonetheless. Enjoy!

Herbcraft - "No Land:" A droning, contemplative song featuring a jumbled mix of chanting, tape noise, and woodwind flourishes that seems to have been recorded by a mic set 25 yards from the performers. Herbcraft recorded this in an 18th Century barn in the pacific Northwest, which is great because it has been a while since someone recorded strange folky music in a setting appropriate to its musical style. I mean, Bon Iver petered out after one album. Anyway, Herbcraft is releasing his next LP on Woodsist and this song fits in well with that label, known for their fuzzy, sometimes sunny, low-fi releases. Before listening, please put yourself in the appropriate mystical-ceremonial-head space. I don't know, set up a shrine or something.



Youth Lagoon - "Dropla:" More psychedelia, this time significantly more straightforward, from Youth Lagoon. A slowly building track, drawn together by a bright, glistening piano loop, and marked by a beautiful climax, this new work is an exciting step forward for the young artist.



Doldrums - "Anomaly:" An eerie pop song from a based in Montreal. Mixing noise, rapid off beat drums, and haunted vocals, the song messily combines all of its parts into a whole. You can almost see the lines where these elements don't quite gel together. This disjointedness makes the track compelling.



Lindstrøm/Todd Terje - "Lanzarote:" Should I ever find myself on a train into space (see: anime classic Galaxy Express 999), I would probably want to be listening to Lindstrøm, who has been making excellent space disco (yes that is, in fact, a genre) for several years. This new track, a collaboration with fellow Norwegian, Todd Terje, is a bright and propulsive g. Complex synth flourishes complement the rising beat and the song concludes with a chant about various tropical locations to visit, on your train...that can also go into space. OK, the song never mentions a train into space, but I think it WORK WELL IF IT DID.



Marnie Stern - "East Side Glory:" Marnie Stern might be quietly readying one of the more interesting records to come out in the first half of this year. "East Side Glory" is a jubilant and twitchy piece of stuttering guitar centered pop rock. Stern's technical skills are evident and the math rock lite guitar melody is great. I am excited for her forthcoming album, The Chronicles of Marnia, but am also ready to be disappointed, just in case it turns out like last year's Dent May album (early excitement, overall disappointment). [Song only available at Stern's bandcamp]