Seattle indie pop gurus Poland are back with a new album on Series II Records called Please Interstellar Policeman. Like locals Math & Physics Club, the band writes twee-like pop songs fit for swanky lounges and your old-time elevator. It is along these lines (and from this album) that we receive “Your Sunday Book”, a catchy pop song and a colorful video. Paper airplanes and simple but artsy city backdrops on paper and computer art, this multi-media video fits well with the music of Poland. (more…)

Super poppy lo-fi music often comes with a twee label; but even within a highly niche subgenre such as this, there are stark differences that can set one band apart from the rest of the herd. Sometimes that trait is a subtle one, just underneath the layers of standard genre-specific sensibilities. So it is with Paper City, whose Long Beach home brings forth imagery of palm trees, Mexico, and an intense longing for polka-dots and mojitos. (more…)

Such a simple concept, this video for My Autumn Sons‘ “Save Me”. Filtered through some sort of pop art thermal thingy, or something along those lines, the video merely follows a few kids as they walk down the street, showing off for the camera and doing what little boys do. My Autumn Sons is my lastest find from Series II Records, who released their album Perfect earlier this year. (more…)

“This Spring Is” by Gothenburg’s Chuck Morgan is a simple acoustic song with hidden complexities. Morgan is good at creating plain pop melodies and weaving in various experimental pop elements behind the common singer/songwriter acoustic plus vocals make-up. Locked on a balcony, this video finds Morgan mulling over a favorite season. The cinematography is a play on focus and the purposeful instability in the camera merely heightens the video’s creativity. (more…)

After debuting on Series II Records joint 3″ series club with Eggnog Records, The Argyle Wishlist return with their infectious lo-fi indie pop. My Thoughts Exactly follows the twee-pop this Milwaukee, WI band has established as their trait over the past several years. (more…)

Over in the eastern region of Nebraska, obscurity has risen and is growing faster than the corn surrounding Omaha. Oberst is God, not Cobain. Saddle Creek, not Sub Pop, infatuates it’s residents. Yes, this the Midwest haven as well as (one of) the birthplace(s) of indie rock (minus King Elliot). And Electric Needle Room‘s Safe, Effective, and Fun embodies some of that eternal spirit from the land locked village full of talent they call home. (more…)

In my review yesterday of Tafra‘s “Oh Daniel” music video, I mentioned the artist had the sound of SKWBN. For those of you unfamiliar with the acronym, that’s Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, a Swedish duo. But then again it’s no surprise as the story goes like this: Niklas Tafra was supposed to play bass for SKWBN at the I’m From Bräke-Hoby festival but forgot to wake up that morning. Any guess as to the reason behind closing track “I’m Sorry Bräke-Hoby”? (more…)

It’s funny, I read about Chuck Morgan on Swedesplease, the go-to blog on Swedish music (oddly enough, written by an American) and decided I simply must cover the artist behind the music. Chuck Morgan‘s songs are a mix of lo-fi electronica and experimental pop. At least, that’s what can be heard in songs like “The Best Of You”. (more…)

Stockholm, Sweden’s Johan Cederberg crafts mellow electro-pop melodies. The majority of songs, like “Near – On” and “The Shape Of Things To Come”, are simply good pop tunes, while others delve into a lo-fi experimentation, as found in “Moonmonths”. Both styles feature clever cuts and loops throughout complex and intricate piecing together of tracks for songs that have extensive breadth. (more…)

Death Valley Sleepers, despite a plural name, is one man — Tobias Winberg. Winberg, who hails from Denmark, writes songs that find themselves in the realm of highly infectious indie pop. The vocals are soothing and relaxed while the guitar, with an added power, delves into the psychedelic. (more…)