il Abanico- Crossing Colors EP

This is awesome.  I am not quite sure why (maybe due to its active drumming), but the first song reminds me of how excited I am for Mute Math's next album in October.  Every song on here is great, and I have not been this excited about an EP since the Modern Rivals released their first one a year ago.  The best part is that this Crossing Colors EP is free!  Stop reading this and download the EP already!

Iration- Time Bomb and Fresh Grounds EP

While everyone bought their Lollapalooza ticket this year to see Eminem, the Foo Fighters, or whatever three bands they've only heard of, nobody [not surprisingly] mentioned anything about this reggae rock band Iration.   These guys from Hawaii released their most recent album Fresh Grounds EP a few months ago and also have a great full length album Time Bomb.  Time Bomb is more reggae rooted with branches of rock and hip hop while the Fresh Grounds EP is more alternative reggae.  Click on the buy button on the player to purchase Time Bomb for $10 and Fresh Grounds EP for $4.

Idaho- You were a Dick

I am really enjoying this new find.  Apparently Idaho has been around since the early nineties but this is the first time I've heard of them.  This is the first album release for Idaho in nearly 6 years and from what I've heard Jeff Martin (not the Canadian) is the only member left in the band.  Aside from the history lesson, the album is really great and it is chock full of different subtle styles of music.  You were a dick and Impaler have subtle similarities to Beck, and something about Reminder and Up the Hill reminds me of Broken Social Scene.  The second half of the album picks up and brings some rock riff like pieces, only to cascade down in the end to more serious songs similar the the beginning of the album.  If you really like this one it will cost you, but the mp3 download is only $6.  Idaho also has a CD and Vinyl version up for sale as well, just click on the buy button below if you are interested.

Robot Science- Good Luck

This is a another good electronic chill album that all you indie fanatics will love.  From San Francisco, Robot Science has a sweet electronic hipster sound that should be blasted when soaking up those California sun rays.  This album is name your own price, so all you cheapsters can buy it for 1 cent!

Alexandra Streliski- Pianoscope

Now for something completely different. Alexandra Streliski is a pianist based in Montreal who release her first album several months ago. Her work evokes a simplistic piano style to create these light and melancholy songs. All of the songs are fairly captivating, and I wouldn't be surprised if her songs will be adapted in films later.  This album is $10.53 USD and is available for download or physical CD.

The Boomjacks- Beats vol 3

Note to all: I found this gem instead of sleeping. The Boomjacks are Finland brother duo consisting of electic hip hop beats. Their newest creation named Beats vol. 3, a 17 track album, is free on their bandcamp page. They also have teamed up with Apollo's Sun to create a pretty sweet hip hop single. If you are a fan of Onra and Flying Lotus, then you should like these guys. Take a listen and chill.

Son Lux- We Are Rising

If you liked Sufjan Stevens Age of Adz or any of St. Vincent's music, you will fall in love with Son Lux. Ryan Lott, a musician from New York, recorded this fantastic album in just the month of February, AKA the RPM challenge. Amazing what can result in just four weeks of writing and recording!

Barton Fink- Gear

Been on a time crunch lately so my analysis of this album won't be as good as it should. I found this band a few months ago on accident and I have been obsessed with them ever since. The best analogy of their sound I could think of is like a mixture of The Black Keys, The Heavy, and The Faint (that analogy works best with their song Fever). If you don't have time to listen to the whole album, I'd recommend starting off with Dicey Street Blues, Gimme Some More or Nothing.