Vampire Weekend

KIDS: Summer Frights EP

Assuming that most readers here are music lovers, then at some point you must have started, dabbled or thought about starting your own band. Some make it, a few start and soon after lose interest, while others actually become good at what they do and stick around a bit. Summer Frights from KIDS is one band that has stuck around. All of the members are under 20 and even though there's still room for growth; there's already plenty potential brewing from their pot. The album contains fresh and unpretentious original tracks along with one very lovely cover of the Ronettes track, Be My Baby.

Karma Tree: Sleepium

Karma Tree mostly sounds like a Swedish version of Vampire Weekend. Although occasionally they venture out and mix alternative and sugar pop, it's hard to deny that the boys have a knack for the indie sound. Sleepium is the full length debut for the trio. It was recorded late 2009 and released the following year. Much of the songs on here showcase the band's penchant of mixing everything up, they can easily go from pop with bright twinkly guitars, to heavy metal sounding riffs and even boyband sounding beats.

The Miracals: Hermosa (EP)

If you miss the days of surfer rock music, rest assured, you'll be able to relive the nostalgia as you listen to The Miracals. (Yes, their name spelling is a bit weird but their music is quite pleasant.) All four members are college students from Southern California. They initially called themselves, "The Smiles" but for some reason changed it to The Miracals. They like to describe their music as "beach rock" or the more quirky "tropical grunge," gathering influence from one of the bands that shaped the genre, The Beach Boys. Hermosa EP is a nice compilation that screams of summer fun. Even in the dead of winter, it's perfect for bringing some sunshine to dreary mornings.