Alternative Pop

(live, REM, Sheryl Crow)

Bess Rogers: Songs Other People Wrote

Brooklyn native Rogers, who, if not moonlighting as a vocal buddy to Ingrid Michaelson, is crafting her own magnificent tunes. Her independent efforts date back to 2007, but she’s now going for the kill — nope, not jumping the shark — as she astounds us with this 4-track cover EP.

Cary Brothers: Noisetrade Sampler

Movie and TV soundtracks are a true audiophile's friends, mostly because are a goldmine for good music and new acts to look out for. This is precisely the path of Cary Brothers, author of multiple heart-wrenching anthems you might have heard on productions such as "Garden State" and "Easy A". If you want to know him better outside the silver screen, you'll have no regrets listening to his Noisetrade Sampler.

Allen Stone: The Sleep Sampler

Contrary to what this EP might connote, we urge you to get your players poppin’ for Allen Stone. The 26-year-old Stone is inching his way to breaking out onto the mainstream scene, but we’d like to pat ourselves in the back for chronicling his rise this early.

Them Hills: Rad Disguise

What’s it like to hear ‘demos’ that are as good as studio productions? You’ll be pleasantly surprised. This is the idea behind Rad Disguise, the latest release of the four-piece band Them Hills, whose name was a play on their town’s (Los Angeles) nickname, “The Hills”.

Little Comets: A Little Comets Sampler

Craving to attend that super hip music festival but the heavens won’t permit? Listen to what the Little Comets have to offer instead! With a repertoire described as “kitchen sink indie”, this English three-piece act have been working their way into every music lover’s hearts since 2009.

Nail Salon: Radcity (7 Eleven)

So we’ve been searching lately for some unadulterated indie stuff, and the awesome band Nail Salon comes up. There are no adequate resources online regarding the band, other than well… their Bandcamp site, which is a shame since they sound undeniably unique. At this point, they should be ‘Googlable’ with all those greatness oozing! As of now though, what you have to take notice is their brilliant debut EP, entitled Radcity (7-Eleven).

Brittany Campbell: Black Summer

Brittany Campbell's "Black Summer" is her second collection of self-produced bangers. The album is a simple yet enjoyable, as it takes us on a whirlwind journey of love songs, break-up diss-downs, and self-empowerment affirmations -- all presented in a funky format.