Yesterday The Knife, the acclaimed Swedish electronic duo, released a stream of their new album Shaking The Habitual, and boy is it a doozie. It’s been over seven years since they released their last album Silent Shout, so I don’t think anyone was really sure what would be released. I can say the album is definitely weird, and much more like Deep Cuts, not as polished as Silent Shout. Still, I’m excited to listen to this more, see how it grows on me. What do you think?

And how about that album art? Try staring at it for 5 minutes straight, my guess is that you’ll probably go blind.

I’m excited to be premiering a new track from my old friends Tera Melos called “Bite”. It’s taken from their upcoming record X’ed Out which comes out on April 16. If you’re unfamiliar with the band they’ve been described as making “math rock”, that they’re “jazz inspired”, that their sound is something like “Beach Boys meets The Flaming Lips.” I can say with certainty that these descriptions and influences are true as I grew up with two guys from the band, Nick and Nathan, so I have a bit of a unique perspective.

From what I’ve heard of the X’ed Out this is their most ambitious effort yet. “Bite” actually reminds me of a pop inspired version of a Deftones song, but with a lot more complexity. I’m also getting a Primus vibe when it comes to the drums, in particular. That’s an odd combination but it’s exactly what makes Tera Melos such a unique band. I think it’s also interesting how the track is mixed, with the vocals being at an equal weight to the rest of the instruments. Lead singer Nick Reinhart’s voice and choruses float and along with the other instruments, combining to create a cohesive whole.

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Anenon is the musical moniker of L.A. based musician Brian Allen Simon, and he’s just released a new EP titled Sunsets and Clocks.

Anenon recorded ‘Sunsets and Clocks’ in the weeks directly preceding a whirlwind tour of Japan, where expectations and preconceptions (both false and true), collided over and over again in anticipation of the trip to come. In this collection of songs, Brian Allen Simon shares that intimate space, where he was both highly conscious of the relentless march of time and simultaneously removing himself from it, delving into an inner space where the lack of time smeared memories, fantasies, and fears into one another.

The title track above is something I’ve been listening to on repeat for the past week or so. It’s got this saxophone part that loops over and over that’s absolutely beautiful. Add in some hand claps and steady backbeat and you’ve got yourself quite an infectious track. He also has a limited edition book of photos that’s meant to accompany the album, providing a visual element to the musical tracks.