Mission Bay by Freak Heat Waves

Featuring members of Mt. Royal and Colourbook, Freak Heat Waves have their feet planted firmly in the gardens of late 70’s New York punk/new wave bands such as Talking Heads and Television. Hailing from Victoria, British Columbia, they released the Mission Bay 7-inch in the summer (via Fan Club Music Club) and should have an album out very, very soon.

Freak Heat Waves – Mission Bay by snipelondon

3,4,5 (Capac Remix) by Spokes

Manchester’s Spokes release 3,4,5, the opening track from debut long-player Everyone I Ever Met, as a single, April 18th on Ninja Tune. The b-side is a re-mix by Liverpool’s favourite electro bods, Capac. Under their tutelage, the chiming guitars and cello of the Arcade Fire-esque original twist and morph into a post-rock infused, apocalyptic nightmare. ‘I’ve got a heavy soul’ goes the refrain. Quite. Spokes play Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, May 3rd. Stream the track below.

Spokes – 3,4,5 (Capac Remix) by snipelondon

Good Things Can Never Last by Ryan Hemsworth

A tip courtesy of Tom From Hello Thor Records. Nova Scotia’s Ryan Hemsworth is the author of the A Half Warmed Fish blog and occasional producer of excellent, summery soul jams, like the track below. Good Things Can Never Last is available on Crash Symbols’ ‘Dope Valley Fuck’ compilation.

Ryan Hemsworth – Good Things Can Never Last by snipelondon

A Drowning by Pope Joan

Had Roxy Music formed in the late noughties, they may have sounded a little like Brighton art-rockers Pope Joan. 2010/11 has included support slots with the likes of Twin Shadow, The Fall, Fools Gold and The Vaccines. They release new single, A Drowning, March 21st. Download a free track, Mattias, here.

A Drowning by popejoan

Aquarium's Key by Lilies on Mars

Every so often, a record comes along that makes you want to kiss the nearest religious icon and thank chosen deity for blessing you with ears. Aquarium’s Key, by London-based trio Lilies on Mars, one such record. Call it dream-pop, call it shoegaze, call it whatever; it’s simply a stunning, stunning tune. Taken from forthcoming album Wish You Were A Pony (available for streaming via the band’s website), it’s accompanied by an apt and rather cutesy animated video, directed by Luna Caricola. Lisa, Marina and Matthew play The Victoria, Dalston tomorrow night (March 17th).

Lilies On Mars – Aquarium’s Key by snipelondon

Anti-psalm by Sister Crayon

Anti-Psalm is the new single from Californian quartet Sister Crayon. An ‘ode to religious antics and absent fathers’, it’s one of the standout tracks from recent full-length debut Bellow, available now on Manimal Vinyl. The entire album can be streamed for a limited time via Sister Crayon’s Bandcamp page. Check out the single, plus an equally bass-heavy remix by Glasgow producer Dam Mantle, below.

Sister Crayon – Anti-Psalm (Dam Mantle Remix) by snipelondon

The Present Perfect by Yeh Deadlies

Following three EPs and one 7” single, Dublin’s Yeh Deadlies release their debut album, The First Book Of Lessons, April 8th via Popical Island. Fuzzy, lo-fi and overflowing with power-pop hooks and cute, boy/girl harmonies (courtesy of real-life couple Anna and Padraig), is this the sound of marital bliss as imagined by a teenage Lush* fan? Stream the opening track, The Present Perfect, below.

• 90s indie stalwarts

Yeh Deadlies – The Present Perfect by snipelondon

We Have Everything (Blue Hawaii Buh Buh Remix) by Young Galaxy

Montreal’s Young Galaxy has just released a second remix EP. The We Have Everything EP features five re-mixes of We Have Everything, a track from recent third LP Shapeshifting. Check out the Blue Hawaii Buh Buh mix below. Both We Have… and previous EP Cover Your Tracks are available for free, via Paper Bag Records.

We Have Everything (Blue Hawaii Buh Buh Remix) by dirtyyard

Stop machine by Snorkel

This South London-based collective have spent the last year ‘experimenting in their…studio’, putting together second album Stop Machine – released May 9th, through Slowfoot records. The press release describes their music as ‘electro-aquatic-kraut-afro-funk’. I prefer the term ‘jazzy’, but whatever, its pretty good stuff – interesting, dynamic, exciting – even if the intro to the title track sounds a little like the Venga Boys.

Snorkel – Stop Machine by snipelondon

Live Much by D/Wolves

Regular readers of this feature may remember Joel ‘Kynan’ Williams – the San Diego-based, Prince obsessive we featured a couple of months back. His band D/Wolves are set to release their debut album this Friday (March 11). It’s available for free via their Bandcamp page. Check out two teasers, the Flaming Lips-esque Pretty Wolves and Live Much, below.

D/Wolves – Live Much by snipelondon

D/Wolves – Pretty Wolves by snipelondon