April Magazine – If The Ceilings Were A Kite Vol. 1 (Tough Love Records)

Newcomers April Magazine, hailing from San Francisco, make a nostalgic brand of indie rock in the vain of Galaxie 500 or Beat Happening. Their washed out lo-fi aesthetic is totally enticing. If The Ceilings Were A Kite is a subtly beautiful record.

The band never quite crosses the line out of blissful pop tunes, but every track plays like a lazy Sunday afternoon opus. It’s the perfect soundtrack to early mornings and sunny west coast days. Fans of anything indie with find a lot to love here!

If The Ceilings Were A Kite Vol. 1 is out on Tough Love Records.

Surfbort – Keep On Truckin’ (Inner Freak)

Brooklyn punks Surfbort are back with their sophomore LP. Since the release of their previous record Friendship Music the band has gone on to be featured in a Gucci campaign, having their faces plastered across billboards, but it’s clear with this release that that hasn’t effected their art.

Keep On Truckin’ is just as boisterous and out of control as anything else in the band’s discography. A half hour of total mayhem and kick ass punk. The record is lyrically potent and at some points deeply emotional, but still embodies everything about the punk spirit.

Keep On Truckin’ is out on Inner Freak.

Jerusalem In My Heart – Qalaq (Constellation Records)

Jerusalem In My Heart is a long running Montreal based project that combines Arab instrumentation with intense electronic sounds. It’s hard to describe but think something in between Brian Eno and Fairuz. Intensely psychedelic, bridging the gap between old and new, they’re a unique group to say the least.

Qalaq, in Arabic, literally translated to deep worry or discomfort which is a decent way of describing this record. It’s moody, ominous tones leave you feeling extremely uneasy. The juxtaposition of traditional Arab instruments and vocals with seering synthesizers feels both electric and anxiety inducing. Fans of the experimental or avant-garde will certainly be pleased with this release.

Qalaq is out on Constellation Records.

Kowloon Walled City – Piecework (Neurot Recordings)

Oakland post-metal outfit Kowloon Walled City are back first the first time in six years with a new record. Piecework is a tension filled album stuffed with heavy instrumentation and stark silences. It’s that dynamic range that really stand out.

Unafraid to showcase their minimalism and crushing riffs side by side, there are times of agonizing intensity that this record pulls off. It’s lyrically emotional and cathartic. Totally primal and raw energy. Not one to miss!

Piecework is out on Neurot Recordings.