New Tracks

Christina Rubino – “Pending the Last Soul”

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

Obscure Sound: Best of April 2014

April’s compilation is a tidy one, with thirteen tracks clocking in at an accessible 50 minutes. I was probably a bit more selective than usual this month, but that’s OK — I

Snowblind Traveler – “Lobster”

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.

Tachyon – “Aliens”

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,

Jacob Trombetta – “Dark Cul-De-Sac”

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

Joel Havea – “Going Gone”

Joel Havea adds some much-needed flair to the acoustic soul/pop genre, one whose ease-of-access makes it routine to sift through a variety of artists to find quality. Havea’s talents are immediately noticeable

The Yetis – “Warm California”

The Yetis started out as four friends covering The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys tracks in a garage attic. Increased exposure to acts like Girls, The Beach Boys, and R. Stevie Moore led to plenty

Cypress Grove – “Lately”

Cypress Grove is the work of an NYC-based producer, guitarist, and pianist. I wasn’t sure what to expect with his track “Lately”, considering the scarcity of other information, but it’s definitely a

New Albums

MARA WANNA – ‘how dreadful’

Hamtramck, Michigan-based artist MARA WANNA consumes across her new album, how dreadful — navigating grief and growth with inventive, hook-driven artistry. Blending

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Erro – ‘Shadowland’

Pittsburgh-based project Erro, led by multi-instrumentalist Nikki Stagel, impresses again with Shadowland, a new album that fuses shimmering pop-rock textures, ethereal dreaminess,

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Ellie Walker – ‘The Balance EP’

Cambridgeshire, England-based Ellie Walker’s The Balance EP is a four-song success, weaving intimate indie-folk charm with heart-on-sleeve pop elements. Across its tracks,

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