Mapei ‘Don’t Wait’
Stockholm-based Mapei melds her influences from hip-hop to dance-pop and Swedish club to gospel into an irresistible electronic pop tune (also worth checking out The Kingdom remix on soundcloud).
[Mapei]

Hospitality ‘I Miss Your Bones’

Hospitality’s debut album of catchy indiepop was one of my favourites of 2012. This is the first track to surface from their follow up Trouble due in 2014 on Merge. While it’s obviously the work of the same band (thanks mainly to Amber Papini’s vocal delivery, lyrics and way with a melody line) it feels a lot looser. The three piece allow the instruments some space and explore the edges of the song, getting into an understated jam without sacrificing the tune. Consider anticipation for the album heightened.
[Hospitality]

Porches ‘Townie Blunt Guts’

Distorted guitars, dirty bass and boy/girl vocals on this slow, catchy slice of 90s-influenced indie rock.
[Porches]

Happy Diving ‘Sincere’

More 90s-nodding indie rock, this time from San Francisco. This one bears the influence of Nirvana and Weezer, all fuzzy distortion, gently squealing guitars and liquid bass lines. [Happy Diving]

Angel Olsen ‘Forgiven Forgotten’

After her wonderful 2012 album Half Way Home, Angel Olsen returns with her one woman mixture of Orbison, the Everlys and the Pixies. From her new album due in February next year.
[Angel Olsen]

Smile ‘Still Waiting For My Man’
Another Melbourne-based band purveying jangling, swirling lo-fi indie rock that bears the influence of 80s Flying Nun (especially The Clean) and the indelible imprint of the Velvet Underground. No mere pastiche or slavish copy, these bands merely serve as a jumping off place, although lyrically and titularly, this one obviously has the direct influence of one the Velvets’ most iconic tunes. Taken from the band’s Life Choices album.
[Smile]

Visuals ‘Slowed Down’

Analogue electronica with a Big Black Delta / Atoms For Peace feel from the New York via Berlin artist Andrew Fox. Check out his cover of Space Oddity
[Visuals]

Solids ‘Traces’

Melodic, noise-punk from Canadian duo signed to Fat Possum.
[Soilds]

Broken Bells ‘Holding On For Life’
Brian and James return with more spacey guitar-and-electronic pop from the forthcoming After The Disco.
[Broken Bells]

Marissa Nadler ‘Dead City Emily’
Lovely guitar picking and dark vocal tones from the singer songwriter last featured here a year ago, duetting with Angel Olsen on a Richard & Linda Thompson cover (ITP #22).
[Marissa Nadler]