Prides

This is a very new and totally unknown electropop group out of Scotland...I literally know nothing about them, but I'm really liking the way this song sounds.  It reminds me of their compatriots CHVRCHES...that's actually how I heard about them.  The song was released about a month ago, and they have no other material out at the moment.  But they have apparently been playing some shows around the country, so they must have other songs.  At some point maybe they will put out an EP.  Until then, I will be listening to "Out of the Blue".  It's a great summer song.

Angus and Julia Stone

This is an Australian brother and sister duo.  Their music is pop rock for the most part, with a distinct folk influence in some songs.  This is the first song of theirs I heard; the tone is light and the instrumentation is pretty simple, but it works quite well.  Both of them have very interesting voices, particularly the girl.  In general the songs are pretty upbeat and lighthearted, but there are some intense ones, particularly this.  I recommend giving these songs a listen, and checking out the band.

Wye Oak

I recently came across this guy-girl duo from Maryland.  The style of music is sort of a mix of genres...I would classify it as indie rock with a strong folk influence.  It also has some resemblance to dream pop.  There is quite a lot of atmospheric electric guitar in the background, but there's not much annoying distortion.  After listening to a couple of their albums, I was under the impression it was a full band (with at least 3 members), and I had a hard time believing only two people could make music this intricate.  Then I saw video proof.  It's fairly impressive.  The dude is playing the drums AND the keyboard at the same time. Here's a somewhat mesmerizing video of another song representative of their overall style.

Overseas

David Bazan, in my opinion, is a musical genius.  You may not agree with his philosophical or religious views, but the power of his music is hard to deny.  Since he basically renounced Christianity and quit Pedro the Lion in 2006, he has been recording solo albums (most notably Curse Your Branches in 2009; a provocative but spectacular record), and doing a few living room shows for his fans.  He recently completed a tour in which he played the Pedro the Lion album "Control" in its entirety.  About a month ago he announced he was forming a new band with several musicians from other groups.  The band is called "Overseas"; their first album is coming out on 11 June.  You can listen to two of their songs on their website.  I am fairly obsessed with these songs.  I love Bazan's approach to lyricism...he has no qualms dealing with difficult issues, and makes frequent references to his own life story including his alcoholism.  The music itself is extremely simple but powerful, with strong guitar riffs and loud percussion.  It's incredibly dark.  I'm sure it won't be to everyone's taste, but this record is going to be one of the most anticipated of the summer for me.

Young Galaxy

This group is a relatively new (last 10 years) rock/dream pop band from Montreal (a lot of good music comes out of that city).  Again I can't remember how I came across them; it may have been through my Paste magazine sampler.  To me, their music sounds like a cross between the Republic Tigers and CHVRCHES.  Maybe a bit less rocky than those the Republic Tigers, but less 80s than CHVRCHES.  Here's my personal favourite: Embers.  It's more chill and less experimental than most of their stuff, but an undeniably great song.  Here's another good one.  And one more.  You have to be in the right mood to enjoy their music, but if you are it can be pretty excellent.  The group has four albums out, one of which, "Ultramarine", came out about a week ago.