Reggae music is often associated with hazy, relaxed days on a beach. The trickling feel-good vibe is certainly emphasized by some of the genre’s more popular artists, such as Bob Marley and

Ocean Hands deliver a polished mix of anthemic indie-rock and riveting electro-pop, with a sound comparable to The Helio Sequence, Passion Pit, and Local Natives. Formed two years ago, the San Diego-based

Christina Rubino’s smoky vocals and personal lyrics for a engrossing experience throughout her new album, Alive from the Scrapheap. Touching on a variety of topics – from losing parents to artistic struggle

I featured Matt Dorrien/Snowblind Traveler last year, noting how his rich and soulful intermingling of acoustic-pop and soulful rock reminded me of a twangy Wilco crossed with the solemn folk of Elliott Smith.

Electro-pop duo Tachyon is comprised of Grammy Award-winning “trombonist-turned-singer/songwriter” Jonathan Arons and “Juilliard trumpet player-turned-music producer” James Cage. Some may recognize Arons as the viral “dancing trombone player” on the Steve Harvey Show,

Comfort Clouds’ album Three New Sciences was one of my favorite debuts from last year. Described as an album being made “by people who grew up more with Steely Dan and Brazilian music than garage