Dirty Projectors
“Swing Lo Magellan”
Hailing From: Brooklyn, NY
Release Number: 6th
Genre: R&B-influenced indie pop
Label: Domino

Dirty Projector’s breakthrough 2009 album Bitte Orca put the band into the spotlight of the indie world.  While Swing Lo Magellan is their sixth album, in many ways it feels like a sophomore effort. Dirty Projectors are known for reinventing their sound with each album, mostly at the whim of leader Dave Longstreth. Swing Lo Magellan is the first album that really builds on the sound of its predecessor. However, while Bitte Orca was all about building intricate arrangements, Magellan focuses more on hooks. This is Dirty Projector’s most accessible and straightforward album yet.

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Beach House
“Bloom”
Hailing From: Baltimore, Maryland
Release Number: 4th
Genre: Dream Pop
Label: Sub Pop

Beach House has consistently released an album every two years since their self-titled debut back in 2006. 2012 is the year for Bloom. They’ve become known, over the years, for Victoria Legrand’s spooky contralto vocals and Alex Scully’s perfectly paired riffs and catchy melodies. This album is no different in respect to their trademark style. Released in the beginning of the summer, it’s perfectly timed to carry us through the season. Littered with sound clips of the sea and the wind, Bloom feels well fit for the coming months. Bringing their style in a slightly more ominous and developed direction, Beach House leaves the feel of Teen Dream behind as they move forward with their latest endeavor; however, that’s not to say it will be a disappointment.

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Dinosaur Feathers
“Whistle Tips”
Release Number: 2nd
Hailing From: Brooklyn, NY
Genre: Indie Rock
Label: Ernest Jennings Record Co.

Brooklyn’s only wedding band specializing in elopements is back and even after three years, Dinosaur Feathers’ debut album, Fantasy Memorial, still holds up.  It’s still my favorite album by a smaller local artist in recent years.  It was full of charm, it was fairly unique, and the musicianship was excellent.  It was a happy album full of vocal harmonies and interesting melodies.  When Whistle Tips came across my desk, I was understandably excited to give it a listen.
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Perfume Genius
Put Your Back N 2 It
Release Number: 2nd
Hailing From: Seattle, Washington
Genre: Lo-fi pop
Label: Matador

From the first haunting keys of “AWOL Marine”, Put Your Back N 2 It is a brutally honest record. For my first few listens, I thought it was a good record but I didn’t really understand the hype. It was good, but not that good. It wasn’t until I decided to put it on late at night while trying to go to sleep that I really understood the album and appreciated for what it is. The album is so raw and so personal that, at first, it can seem a little off-putting. But if you embrace the atmosphere of the album and really take it in, it can be a truly emotional experience.

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Now, Now
Threads
Release Number: 2nd
Hailing From: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Genre: Indie rock
Label: Trans Records

I’ve been following Now, Now since their first EPs in 2008. Ever since dropping the “Every Children” from their name a few years ago, they’ve made an effort to become a more mature band and with Threads, their second album, they’ve succeeded for the most part. Now, Now is from Minneapolis and consists of Cacie Dalager (vocals, guitar, and keyboard), Brad Hale (mainly drums), and Jess Abbott. The trio has been around for a while and has only recently started to gain recognition, mainly after signing with Trans Records, which is owned by Chris Walla of Death Cab fame.

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