Mac DeMarco - Brother 8.0/10

Mac DeMarco is an experimental indie rock performer originally from British Columbia, Canada and now based in New York City. This track is taken from his album Salad Days which was released by Captured Tracks Records in April 2014. The song is the second single off DeMarco's solid new album, and can be counted as one of the better moments on the record. His smooth, so-laid-back-he-must-be-lying-on-the-ground vocals are buttery goodness and suggest he's puffing on a Viceroy between verses where he tells a pal to chill out and just relax. The slinky guitars and retro 60's style get you feeling all nice and mellow when suddenly you're jarred back to harsh reality by the alien cries and dissonant guitar effects which unfold in the final minute of the track. Mac has the reputation for being an indie rock slacker and is now a poster boy for smokers and civil liberties campaigners, but on Brother he sounds world-weary and wise beyond his years. DeMarco claimed the style of the album reflected that "I was on tour for a year and a half and I'm tired", and you can picture him strumming the chords of Brother while slumped in an old armchair. This is an introspective track to put on when you want to take a breather and unwind after a hard day.

Amen Dunes - Lilac in Hand 7.6/10

Amen Dunes is the psychedelic folk solo project of Damon McMahon from New York state, USA. This track is taken from his forthcoming album Love which will be released by Sacred Bones Records in May 2014. This new album marks an expansion in McMahon's sound with the addition of a cast of musicians which play on the album. The feel of traditional Americana field recordings springs to mind on first listen, and McMahon's gravelly voice and world-weary delivery are the defining feature that sets this track apart as something above average. The track begins with strummed guitar, light piano chords and wood block percussion, eventually reaching a chorus with female accompanying vocals which lighten the mood considerably by puncturing the cloudy mood. Something in the melody and the vocal range he's aiming for suggests to me that he's absorbed some of Sigur Ros' sense for epic scales and pacing, and the fact that several members of Godspeed You Black Emperor took part in the recording of the album is also apparent in the deeply enveloping atmospherics. This is a strong track from Amen Dunes and probably the finest he's yet produced, so let's hope the new album will bear similar fruit.

LionLimb - Rot 8.6/10

LionLimb is an indie psychedelic rock band based in Chicago, USA. This track was self-released as a single by the band in 2013 ahead of their debut EP. The track begins with a southern blues-style melody, but this simple categorization is quickly dismissed when the reedy synths and organ effects kick in during the rousing chorus. Clanging guitar dissonance adds some enjoyable clutter to the second half of the track, while guitar chord vibrations are enhanced until they sound more like a muffled trumpet. The relaxed, self-assured vocals are hard to make out, but the repeated refrain of "What are you trying to keep me from?" suggests an assertion of independence in a relationship. This is an accomplished debut from LionLimb and a track I've returned to over and over again to try to figure out just how they made some of these sounds.

Woods - Leaves Like Glass 8.8/10

Woods is an indie psychadelic folk rock band from New York, USA. This track is taken from their album With Light and with Love which was released by their own Woodsist record label in April 2014. Woods have consistently produced a string of likeable, sun-bleached and earthy singles over the past eight years, and Leaves Like Grass easily carries on the trend. Lead singer Jeremy Earl has a highly distinctive voice which is now placed more prominently in the mix than on previous albums. The production is crisp and clear, with the organ part forming the backbone of the swaggering rhythm beneath the careful guitar picking. The ringing guitar melody in the final minute makes this possibly the finest tune that Woods have written to date. This track harks back to a 1960's folk style while still sounding like it belongs on the contemporary radio dial. All this makes it a perfect chillout track for a sunny summer afternoon sitting outdoors.

Tobacco - Hairy Candy 8.6/10

Tobacco is the psychedelic electronic solo project of Tom Fec from the Pittsburgh-based group Black Moth Super Rainbow. This track is taken from his album Fucked Up Friends which was released by Anticon Records in 2008. Heavily treated vocals echo across a bed of revving synths and robotic beats, and somehow the result feels warm and organic rather than cold and mechanical. The lyrics are almost impenetrable in the mix and consist of just two repeated phrases, "Eat(?) the sun" and "too young", but it's the wistful emotion in the chopped vocal melody which adds depth to the song's headlong rush into what sounds like a trans-dimensional vortex. This is a late-night chillout track to listen to through headphones after watching sci-fi movies.

Women - Eyesore 8.9/10

Women is an art rock band from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This track is taken from their album Public Strain which was released by the label Jagjaguwar in 2010. As the final track on Public Strain, the last two minutes of Eyesore act as the outro to the album as a whole, and does so to spectacular effect with a guitar riff that will get stuck in your head for weeks. Heavy reverb effects on the vocals and guitars hark back to 1960's psychedelic bands, while the lyrics are almost unintelligibly buried in the mix. Like many songs by Women, Eyesore begins with a familiar rhythm that abruptly shifts halfway through into a new vocal melody and guitar chord pattern that lead to a satisfying conclusion. Guitarist Chris Reimer died in February 2012, and the band has been on hiatus since then although no official breakup has been announced by their label Jagjaguwar.

Ty Segall - The Drag 8.3/10

Ty Segall is a lo-fi garage rock performer based in San Francisco, California. This track is taken from his self-titled album which was released by Castle Face Records in 2008. The track takes a 1960's surfer vibe and then smothers it in heavy distortion and layers of feedback. Segall's from-the-bottom-of-a-well vocals coax listeners to get up and hit the dance floor to do 'The Drag'; you could almost dance to it but you would probably hurt yourself trying. The song has undeniable drive and energy, suggesting Segall is enjoying performing it in the studio as much as he does during his stellar live performances. For those who love heavy guitar distortion (I count myself as a member) this comes highly recommended, and is best played loud once the party is really getting underway.

The Ruby Suns - Cranberry 7.9/10

The Ruby Suns are an experimental indie pop group from Auckland, New Zealand. This track is taken from their album Fight Softly which was released by Sub Pop Records in 2010. Lead singer Ryan McPhun may originally be from California, but this band's Kiwi credentials show in the playful touches and rhythms that suggest a summer beach party in the Bay of Islands isn't far away. The track begins with a tromping marching beat which abruptly fades out to be replaced by electro keyboard hits, then gradually builds into an all-out rumba party with wavy marine flourishes. McPhun's lyrics describe childhood fears of swimming in deep water and anxieties about the future, though the exuberant atmosphere of the track never gets weighted down by such concerns. This is a song to put on by the pool on a hot day with a chilled lemonade in hand.

Reading Rainbow - White Noise 7.9/10

Reading Rainbow is a psychedelic pop band from Philadelphia, USA. They have recently changed their name to Bleeding Rainbow. This track is taken from their album Prism Eyes which was released by Hozac Records in 2010. Crunchy guitars and pounding drums are the order of the day from this boy/girl duo, who both share vocal duties as well. The main riff is fuzzed-out bliss, but the real draw card is the vocal harmony they produce singing the verses together in unison. This is sugary goodness reminiscent of twee bands from the 1990's like Rocketship and Tiger Trap, but for most listeners the main comparison will be to late 1980's Scottish band The Vaselines who utilized similar boy/girl harmonies with clever lyrics. This excellent track from Reading Rainbow matches up well in such illustrious company.

Sic Alps - Cement Surfboard 8.4/10

Sic Alps is a lo-fi psychedelic indie band from San Francisco, USA. This track is taken from their album Napa Asylum which was released by Drag City Records in 2011. This is a chilled out, kick back on the porch with a beer and watch the sunset on a summer evening kind of song. Clean, clear guitar lines with a deceptively simple hook are merged with lead singer Mike Donovan's drawlingly endearing vocals. He sings of 'going back in time', which isn't much of a stretch for the 60's throwback style he's aiming for. Name-checking the Jackson 5 sounds just out of place enough to feel slightly quirky, but you'll hardly notice as his delivery of the line is so laid back its almost horizontal. The drumming and percussion is understated and low-key, yet perfectly executed to complement the crisp slashes of guitar between the verses. If you like the style of this track, the whole album Napa Asylum offers the same kind of blissed-out sunny retro feeling.

Youth Lagoon - Mute 9.4/10

Youth Lagoon is Trevor Powers from Boise, Idaho. This track is taken from the album Wondrous Bughouse released by Fat Possum records in March 2013. This is the standout track from a standout album, a firm contender for song of the year for 2013. Powers is still in his early 20's but lyrically he tackles the big-picture subjects like mortality with wisdom beyond his years. His echoing vocals cascade through rainbows of glittering sounds, cutting loose in the brief chorus section with a melody which reminds me of early Radiohead, perhaps the song Stop Whispering. This is both challenging and non-formulaic in a way which doesn't sound like anything else being made at the moment, and it makes me wonder just where Powers will take his sound for the next album.