The Sweet Serenades are, well, just that; a sweet compilation of all things happy or sad, in mourning or bliss. This Swedish duo look as though they could be pounding lagers amongst muscly, flanneled woodsmen, but damned if they wouldn’t hesitate to break into a beautiful ballad at any moment. “Die Young”, from their amazing album Balcony Cigarettes, is a beautiful track serenading (pun, intended) one of the greatest yet most heartbreaking mistakes human beings can make: the one night stand. With guest vocals from Club 8’s …

Portland bedroom pop group A Weather is back with their second full-length album and follow-up to Cove, Everyday Balloons. Though the album came out last week on Team Love Records, we’re just now getting a taste of what it has in store for us through “Third Of Life” and “Giant Stairs”. With these songs, A Weather shakes some of the bedroom softness for a sound slightly louder. The increase isn’t substantial — say, from a 2 to a 3 — but on the volume scale, it’s noteworthy. …

Last year, Dinosaur Feathers impressed me with their superior experimental style. Somewhere between electronic and pop, the band mixed styles familiar to bands like Animal Collective and Yeasayer, thanks to clever somewhat barbershop-quartet-like harmonies and tribal beats. They’re back this month with Fantasy Memorial, their debut LP and follow-up to Early Morning Risers EP. “Vendela Vida” is off the new album and it has hints of a Latin-influenced shuffle while remaining true to the sounds they defined on last year’s EP. This song is further proof at …

You could snuggle with “Sweetness”; it’s just that warm and fuzzy. No wonder Dan Deacon told Pitchfork “The music she writes is like a favorite blanket wrapped around you” about Air Waves‘ lead singer Nicole Schneitt. Like everything off last year’s Air Waves EP, “Sweetness” is packed with sunny California guitar pop perfect for the beach. Rapid percussion and an equally quick guitar strum featuring pretty much just two chords, and the song is practically complete. Add simple lyrics that are filled with lovable hooks, and …

Portugal. The Man never seem to tire out. It hasn’t been a year since they released The Satanic Satanist, and already they will be releasing their fifth album, American Ghetto, this May. This promises to be another giant step forward for these hard working rock and roll vagabonds. Their first single “The Dead Dog” finds The Man running through another terrifying tale with a catchy hook and wonderful experimentation of instrumentals, the likes of which have not been heard of in some time. If the spirit …