Sindri Már Sigfússon is on a roll. In 2009, his Clangour under Sin Fang (then Sin Fang Bous) received a top 10 place. 2010 saw his full Icelandic group, Seabear, crack the top 5 with We Built A Fire. Sindri is back with his follow up to Clangour. The album is called Summer Echoes and it drops March 15 thanks to Morr Music. As his projects go, the video for “Because Of The Blood” includes psychedelic mixed-media elements. And he dons a beard of doilies.

We found on Clangour a highly upbeat style of dreamy pop songs, flirting lightly with experimentation and psychedelia. “Because Of The Blood” follows suit, but it’s more mature, albeit only slightly. There’s seemingly more depth — although it could merely be the freshness of the song, as Clangour has played through my speakers hours on end since ’09. However you look at it, Summer Echoes is an album to anticipate greatly. Check out the video below and grab that mp3 of “Always Everything” while you’re at it!

Download: “Always Everything” by Sin Fang

Sin Fang – Because Of The Blood from Máni M. Sigfússon on Vimeo.

Radical Face is the moniker held by Ben Cooper, the solo project from one half of Electric President. This project is blends a sound familiar in that band, but with fewer electronics and more orchestration along the lines of eclectic orchestral groups Efterklang and Anathallo, mixed with a little Michael Nau (Page France, Cotton Jones). “Doorways” is similarly melodic and features an off-beat piano. The song is off the band’s latest release, a beautifully crafted, six-song EP called Touch The Sky.

Surprisingly enough, Cooper plans to release three full-length albums over the next year under the Radical Face name in what he dubs “The Family Tree” trilogy; it will be made up of Roots, Branches and Relatives. Coopers music has always been playful, and it’s quite apparent in Radical Face. The video for “Doorways” follows suit. Check it out below and snag yourself the mp3 while you’re at it.

Download: “Doorways” by Radical Face

When it comes to Sindri Már Sigfússon, be it visual or audible, you know the result will be uniquely experimental and colorful dream pop. The videos from his solo project, Sin Fang Bous, were pretty astounding. And that theme remains with Seabear‘s “I’ll Build You A Fire”, a video directed by Mani Sigfússon, Sindri’s brother.

Like “Lion Face Boy”, which was released as a 7-inch early this month, “I’ll Build You A Fire” sounds very much like Sin Fang Bous but is adorned with more members, which means more instrumentation and more vocals. Always one to spotlight melody and harmony, the added musicians provide Sindri with the perfect fodder to take that emphasis to the next level.

“I’ll Build You A Fire” is off We Built A Fire, out in March on Morr Music.

Seabear: Lion Face Boy (Single Version) [mp3]

Seabear: i´ll build you a fire from morr music on Vimeo.

With such a nostalgia-inspiring title for Lali Puna‘s first single off her upcoming LP – the group’s first in over five years – one can’t help but reminisce on the past. I recall picking up 2004′s Faking The Books around the time of its release; I quickly became obsessed with “Micronimic”, the title track and “B-Movie”. These songs, along with selections from Neon Golden by The Notwist, came to define my music obsessions of 2004. I can see “Remember” launching Our Inventions beyond Lali Puna’s past albums, much in the way Neon Golden did for The Notwist.

“Remember” hints at what Lali Puna created with 2004′s Faking The Books but lays out a clear path forward for 2010′s Our Inventions. It’s easy to hear the influence of sister group The Notwist through Markus Acher’s dark shield of skilled electro-pop, and Valerie Trebeljahr lends the perfect vocal accompaniment to dominate atop the somber, introspective electronics. The song is dreamy, with Trebeljahr’s wispy, airy vocals repetitive over the band’s hypnotic, atmospheric beats.

When it comes down to it, Lali Puna’s “Remember” shows immense promise for the impending Our Inventions. Though it’s yet to be seen, Archer may finally have created something to match Neon Golden.

Our Inventions is out April 6 on Morr Music.

Lali Puna: Remember [mp3]

A favorite from last year was Sindri Már Sigfússon’s solo project Sin Fan Bous; an album titled Clangour. Prior to striking out on his own under this moniker, Sigfússon had a different solo project, one called Seabear. It evolved into something else, something larger and more complex – a seven-piece group of fellow Icelanders.

“Lion Face Boy” is the first single off Seabear’s sophomore release. The sound is familiar as a poppier, less experimental version of Sin Fang Bous, or rather Sindri’s solo project is a less poppier and more experimental version of Seabear. And it’s full of additional instruments; orchestration rather than electronics. Thankfully, it’s no less amazing.

Seabear will release We Built A Fire in March 2010. This particular version of “Lion Face Boy” is off the 7-inch, and (no surprise) is dubbed the “Single Version.” The B-Side is “Cold Summer”.

Seabear: Lion Face Boy (Single Version) [mp3]