Who the hell are Baywaves? They’ve already picked up posts from This is Fake DIY, Dots and Dashes and The Killing Moon and even now little to nothing is known about then.

Their sound which is self-described as “dream dark psychedelic hypnagogic hard pop” is ridiculously ‘now’. Blissfully, dreamy their single To the North is warm, shoegazey loveliness with a spattering of surf.

Equally as good, if not better is the B-side, Figures. Less floaty with a more intense drumbeat and a psychier vibe, Figures has a great groove and is a tantalizing glimpse into what Baywaves might bring us in the future.

According to their Facebook page they are ‘writing new stuff’ so we have that to look forward to at least. Their Soundcloud page states location as ‘Vanuatu’ and if that’s true then we probably shouldn’t expect a tour any time soon. Of course this veil of mystery might well be a ploy from another East London band to get us all interested in them. And if it is a publicity stunt then well done Baywaves, it seems as though it’s well and truly worked.

Emma

Time to bring you another track from beautiful Iceland with a name you can’t pronounce. (Unless of course you’re Scandinavian)
Kælan mikla, which apparently translates as ‘Much Cooler’ is dark and melancholy with breathy vocals and a moody trip-hop vibe.

Samaris features Jófríður Ákadóttir on vocals who is one half of other Sleep In Music Faves, Pascal Pinon. Joined by electronic musician, Þórður Kári Steinþórsson and clarinet player, Áslaug Rún Magnúsdóttir, the trio bring a rich, unique but still distinctively Icelandic sound.

Samaris won the Icelandic battle of the bands prize shortly after their formation in 2011 and since then have gone from strength to strength. They seem to have gone a bit quiet for the time being but we hope to see some new material or better yet, an tour from them soon please!

Emma

This track from Sweden’s answer to Bon Iver is sweet, uplifting and could easily feature as the music for a mobile phone ad.

Not that you should hold that against Lowing. His endearingly unusual vocals on this track, I Will Wait For You (Everybody Wants to be a Cowboy) move it from the brink of twee back into wonderfully catchy Scandinavian folk-pop.

Little is known of the enigmatic Swede, even his website compromises largely of pictures of someone with his name down their pants (we think it’s him) and some of his other tracks. We do know that Lowing releases his debut LP in 2013 in BeNeLux, although where that is could be anybody’s guess.

Emma

On board with the whole buying things on tape resurgence? If so then you might want to check out the latest release from Art is Hard Records from Big Wave. The Torquay five-piece are set to release their single, Goldmine on the 20th of May in shiny shiny, gold with shiny embossed artwork- a real find for magpies and muso’s alike.

Another female-fronted jangly surfy band, you might argue that Big Wave aren’t doing anything outrageously unusual. But they do it so well that their lo-fi, dreamy pop should be a welcome addition.

Plus they’re from the seaside. And Goldmine screams ice-cream cones and slightly kitsch beachside fun doesn’t it.

Watch the band members take on their own even geekier selves in a gameshow for their fun new video for the track. If only there was a ‘sink a pint’ round in every game show eh?

Emma

Chances are you will have heard of beardy electronic maestro Dan Deacon. Either way, you should certainly check out this super summery remix he’s done of Blue Elvis by fellow Baltimorians, Peals.

With members one part Future Islands to one part Double Dagger, Peals is a a far more mellow experience than either band. But where the original version of Blue Elvis is a dreamy moonlit beach walk, the remix is the gorgeous feeling of having a whole glorious sunny day ahead of you to bound along the beach like an excited golden retriever.

You can listen to some lovely stuff by Peals on their swanky website or stream their new album Waking Fields at Pitchfork and get treated to some nice leafy visuals while you’re at it.

Emma

As Witchita’s most recent roster addition, interest in Waxahatchee is beginning to grow in the UK. Katie Crutchfield set SXSW alight earlier in the year and since she hasn’t looked back.

Now a set of live dates have been confirmed for UK fans in a variety of locations. Firstly, Waxahatchee will hit the road with Tegan & Sarah for a string of large venue live dates throughout the UK. Secondly, she’ll hit The Shacklewell Arms for a sold-out show, followed the next day by another headliner complete with a screening of Badlands (selected by Katie) at Dalston Roof Bar. Both of these smaller, intimate shows promise to be something special for fans of the sound.

Speaking of which, how would you describe that sound? Soul? Country? Alt? Rock? Whatever it is, it’s incredible as Swan Dive proves.

Ian

Yet another great band from Gringo records, FISTS are all set to release their debut album, Phantasm on the 8th of July via Gringo and Hello Thor.

This track, Solvent is just a tantilising look at that the five piece have in store for us. Twangy guitars and lazy vocals are the antithesis of try-hard and give the track an air of effortless punkishness.

It’s little wonder that the band are sounding so great when they’re working with producer Rory Bratwell, who’s also worked with pretty much the who’s who of rising talent 2013. Parma Violets, Peace and Veronica Falls to name a few.

FISTS are hosting an all dayer for the lucky people of their home town of Nottingham in honour of their album launch. You can catch FISTS there as well as some other cool bands. Check it out here.

Emma

Far Away by Delawere pop trio, Mean Lady has quite a formidable intro. Not that it doesn’t get better after the 1.18min of almost circus-like plinky piano and deep humming, it most certainly does.
Crunchy hand-claps give way to dance-worthy world sounds and electronic vibes.

A delicious melting pot of warm vocals and genres, it all amounts to a sunny and rather fantastic little pop song which can only serve in making even the most miserable of days a little bit brighter.

Their debut album is being released on Fat Possum on the 23rd of July and promises more of their bright, culturally inspired pop music. They’re in good company with fellow Fat Possumers, Youth Lagoon touring the UK this Summer. We can only hope that Mean Lady follow suit and head our way soon too!

Emma

Released today as a free download, should you decide to pre-order their forthcoming album, ‘Fragment Two’ echoes the more delicate moments of TNP. In the wake of two exceptional albums, we’ve come to expect much from the South-East four-piece and this does not let them down.

Huge anticipation has now been built for the third full-length from the band, which should see them expand in to the larger areans and festivals this summer. I for one can’t wait to hear where they take things after the expectional - and perhaps record of the year in 2010 - Hidden. It’s been a quick three years, but it’s great to have them back.

Ian

I’m not much for remixes - who is? More often than not, they don’t work. Take for instance the recent Daft Punk debacle; Daft Punk make a new song, which is great. People then seem to try to leech off their quality or become cool by association by doing a half-assed job of adding a few hand-claps and some reverb - they’re literally daft punks.

Here however, we have the finest remix I’ve heard in months. Not since Cyril Hahn re-worked Solange’s ‘Losing You’ have I lost it so much for a remix. So this is how it works! Two quality new acts, coming together to collaborate and use their current form of producing great music as one.

MS MR = good. CHVRCHES = great. MS MR + CHVRCHES = excellent.

So budding producers take note. Please try and add something valuable and essential to a track if you simply have to remix it. And be a producer in your own right, with ideas, before taking on something that is already full of ideas. Well, that’s my two cents anywho. Enjoy this piece of class, anyway.

Ian

Faux Discx are set to release a corker of an EP by Brighton indie rockers Teardrop Factory. The Topshop EP is out on the 27th of May and features four great tracks including this one. Vanity Unfair has a great durgey indie vibe and whilst it’s the track that Faux Discx have chose to place on Soundcloud to promote the EP, it’s by no means the only good track on there.

The Topshop EP is plenty enjoyable from start to finish and means that Teardrop Factory already sit comfortably within a roster of exceptional piers the likes of Vision Fortune, Cold Pumas and Hookworms but to name a few. They take to the Westhill Community Hall as an alternative to Brighton’s Great Escape Festival on the 18th and certainly will be one to check out if you happen to be in town that weekend.

And if you can’t make it there you can console yourself by pre-ordering the EP here.

Emma

There’s always a bit of controversy around a love-interest partnership when it comes to music. In some instances the results can be incredible- step forward husband and wife duo Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire fame. In the case of The KVB, Klaus Von Barrel and girlfriend Kat Day are certainly doing something right.

This track from them, Dayzed speaks for itself. It’s intense stuff, with distorted guitar and steady hypnotic drums, so to see it in a dark room through a decent set of speakers would probably be quite an experience.

Luckily we won’t have to wait too long to find out as they play at Birthdays in Dalston this Wednesday. They released their latest LP Immaterial Visions back in February on Minimal Wave Records and will soon be releasing the remixes LP in swanky white vinyl which you can pick up from here should it take your fancy.

Emma