4 Albums that Should Be On Your Radar (And May Not Be)

Here are four albums that are potentially under your radar but should be on it!

Swim by Caribou

This one may not be under you radar as Dan Smaith (Caribou) has been around for a while, but his latest release is great.  It's a bit of a fusion of many different styles, but it does not at all feel disorganized; instead it feels like every song was meticulously crafted.  Effects that wash out the music last just as long as they should, the drum beats are smooth and relaxed, and overall the album has a warm summery (slightly, dare I say, chillwave?) feel.  Also, the way refrains repeat but get changed up by effects gives some of the songs a slightly house feel.  My favorites: "Leave House" and "Sun"

Avi  Buffalo by Avi Buffalo

Chances are this one is under the radar for you (if not for the post I put up about him/them the other day), but they are certainly reaching buzzband status in LA.  These guys/guy (Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg AKA Avi Buffalo plus his band) are super young, fresh out of Millikan High in Los Angeles (Go LA bands!), and they certainly sound young, although not in a negative way.  It's not their musical composition, but the tone of their songs.  They have a happy feel, although it does not feel poppy and silly (think Matt and Kim).  They sing on the song "Jessica" - I still want to leave my mark / show you that I fit the part / Remember when we talked on that /  and it made you laugh.  The lyrics don't sound like they were just hashed out in minutes, they feel like they were thought about and the music is slow yet with joy, again making it seem thoughtful not immature.  It feels much more structured and cleaner, making it musically sound mature (if that makes any sense).  My favorites: "Jessica" and "One Last"


Clinging to a Scheme by Radio Dept.

These guys are Swedish and have been around for 13 years (!), yet this is just their third (!) album.  I'd never heard of them before, but when I came across this album I felt I had to share it.  It's really short, clocking in at 35 minutes despite being 10 songs.  Each song feels compact and like everything in it has a purpose, which is impressive seeing it could be easy to go overboard and make a very long album when working on it for 4 years.  They have a sort of dreamy pop sound.  Don't know what else to say but it's great!  Favorties: "This Time Around" and "The Video Dept."

Machines that Listen by the Delta Mirror

More LA for yall!  I talked about these guys a while ago, and this album is a little over a month old, but it would be easy to miss.  It's in some ways an "experimental album" in that each song takes place in a different room of a hospital.  In some ways it reminds me of the album Hospice by Antlers because of this, although the sound is very different.  To be honest, it is easy not to notice the hospital part.  The album has a very glitch/electronic sound.  Check it out!  (Plus it's got some sweet album art).  Favorites: "A Song About the End" and "We Got It All"

-- A Teenage Elephant

Tell me what you think of these!  (Please?)