Loch Lomond- Little Me Will Start A Storm

Oh the Irony! An American Band with a scottish name release an album on a scottish label. Mocking. Over.

Because Loch Lomond's SIXTH album "Little Me Will Start A Storm" is a startling statement of folk instrumentation dressed up in a pretty soaring package but much like a rotting onion, unpeel it's layers to discover something dark, unsettling and tear inducing. Although lazly compared to touring mates The Decemberists or Blitzen Trapper, their true soulmates are probably lost in the trees, like the North Carolina Troop, Loch Lomond are subtle and daring guaranteed to stop you dead in spite of whatever you are doing. Essentially a pop record which pulls no punches, "little me..." encompasses a range of perspective, point of view and a raw edge which proves that there is a lot more within the portland scene to be discovered...

Mikal Cronin- Mikal Cronin

If the Strange Boys isn't psychedelica enough for you, look no further than Ty Segall's "best friend" (made that up) and bassist/singer for the moonhearts.... Mikal Cronin, who's self-titled debut is a fully formed swaggering confident garage rock masterpiece.... Pitchfork described him as the Waylon Jennings to Ty Seagall's Buddy Holly, which is very clever indeed. But Cronin is very capable on his own merit, with an ear for arranging above and beyond Seagal, rushing from prog to garage to psychedelia to a longing introspection within mere minutes.
A joyous suprise!
Couple of Tracks from Cronin on his bandcamp (see below):

Class Actress- Rapprocher

I've been waiting so long for Elizabeth Harper's debut album proper that I'd almost forgotten about her entirely. Class Actress' EP Journal of Ardency (released in 2009) was a near perfect collection of electro pop gems obviously enchanted by the forefathers (and mothers) of 80's electro pop, as if written in seedy nightclubs despite a real longing to be accepted in the light of the day. The album Rapprocher totally fulfils on the EP's promise, Harper's ice cold vocals capable of charming the pants off anyone, radio friendly, innocent but extremely sexy.

Listen to this track from the new album called "love me like you used to"

The Strange Boys- Live Music

Austin, TX Sons The Strange Boys return with their new album "Live Music" after making me sweat from every pour in their hot as fucking hell show at SXSW. Be Brave was a stunner and Live Music is much of the same, one minute on the boil indie rock and roll, switching to some raw heartfelt balledry. In a sea of rock and roll fuzz, 'boys will make you boogie woogie (in a way Jools has never been able to), bounce up and down and then cradle you in a fashion that would make Kat Dennings proud.

Here's the opening track from their new record "Live Music" titled "Me and You"

Youth Lagoon- The Year of Hibernation

This one's been doing the rounds for a ages now... but Boise, Idaho's Trevor Power's pained and personal semi-ego Youth Lagoon is one of the autumn's most pleasant suprises...
The Year of Hibernation is about life and not in a grand existential way but in a general every day way, its about how the past makes the present, about how the present shapes us, it's mostly about a boy going to school, falling in love, falling out of love, most importantly the things people struggle to talk about, the things that haunt you in the middle of the night, the things that stop you from jumping out of bed first thing in the morning. It's the sort of record that you can only make when you havent been smashed by the dreams and realities of being a touring musician.
Like the best pop music, Youth Lagoon creates a dreamy etherreal cheerfulness on the surface with a haunting reality shining through the lyrics.
The Year of Hibernation is one for the end of the year lists... it certainly will be on mine.

Here is Montana with it's striking video: