Kisses “The Hardest Part” Kids in L.A. (out 5/14 on Cascine) In 2011, the Los Angeles-based BF/GF duo released one of my favorite debuts of recent years — the bubbly, beachy The Heart of the Nightlife — so I rejoiced when the group (made up of Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson) announced their follow-up late last week. Frontman Kivel may have spent most of 2012 with his other group — the underrated indie rock quartet Princeton — but from the album’s first … →

LIZ “XTC” Digital Single (out now Mad Decent)  Don’t look now, but we may just stumbled across the first truly great pop single of the young year. While little is known about Ms. Liz, we do know she is from Tarzana, has some famous friends, listens to a shitload of 90’s pop and R&B, and wants you to “love her like your Xbox” (Lana shout-out?). Her debut single, “XTC,” has more than a few shades of 2012 favorite and fellow Angelino … →

Sky Ferreira “Everything is Embarrassing” remixes by Krystal Klear, Twin Shadow, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra Digital Sky Ferreira remixes are like London busses — you wait ages for one to come and then three show up at the same time*. Even though it has been out for the better part of a year, the part-time model’s lovelorn, dancing-in-my-room jam never really got a worthy remix until recently when George Lewis Jr of Twin Shadow, Mancunian serial remixer Krystal Klear, and PDX-via-NZ trio Unknown … →

Local Natives “Colombia” Hummingbird (out tomorrow on Frenchkiss) Earlier this year, someone I love very much tragically lost their mother, many years before her time. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to say to that person, which was complicated by the fact that I didn’t know what to say to myself. Do these tragedies happen for some clandestine reason? Or do they happen because the world is a fundamentally amoral place filled with beings with fundamentally … →

Dawn Richard “Tug of War” Goldenheart (self-released, out now) Dawn Richard is an utterly fascinating creature. Miscast early in her career as the squeaky clean mouthpiece of Diddy’s radio R&B group, Dannity Kane, the New Orleans native has flourished since the group folded in 2009. Richard’s triumphant post-DK debut LP is a swirling, mystical rumination on the end of a relationship that highlights Richard’s diverse palette of influences (R&B, electro-pop, hip-hop, Eastern music), impeccable taste, and unique voice. Though it is probably six … →