Australia has hardly been short on awesome new music in the past few months; when it comes to intelligent, atmospheric new sounds, it’s right up there at the moment. fait, an anonymous female musician from Perth, has just released her debut track, the shimmering Koto, a startling wash of shoegaze guitars riddled with dream-pop undercurrents. Entirely instrumental, the influences are clear to hear; My Bloody Valentine, Jesus & Mary Chain and Slowdive spring to mind instantaneously alongside a whole host of post-rock outfits (God Is An Astronaut in particular), with an equally as expansive production style. Check out Koto below, and keep up with fait via Facebook.

With the sheer amount of music uploaded onto the internet every single day, it’s crucially important not to underestimate the affect that visual elements can have on whether deciding someone takes a chance with listening to your music or not. The stunning artwork provided by Peaceful Circles, for each of their five tracks so far, alongside another for the EP itself, was certainly the deal breaker when it came to pressing play, or ignoring it completely. Hailing from Paris, Peaceful Circles have little to information available online so far, barring a five track EP, currently titled Please Name Album (Tongue in cheek title or have they simply not got round to naming it yet? You decide).

Sugary sweet dreampop filtered through a gentle shoegaze waterfall, it’s a release that grows with repeated listens, blossoming wondrously whilst remaining startlingly intimate at times. From the opening chimes of 01 to the cascading guitar trembles of closer Wave, it’s a thoroughly engaging listen, overflowing with potential. Two standout tracks, Love and Driving Rain, interlock beautifully, with sweeping female vocal melodies pirouetting freely throughout. Check out Driving Rain below, and the full EP under that, oh and be sure to check out their Soundcloud for all the artwork.

If there’s one positive we can take from the untimely demise of WU LYF, it’s that it’s brought what were previously side-projects to the forefront, with Francis Lung, Los Porcos, and Ménage à Trois all stepping up to the limelight in recent months. This beautiful live performance of UB40′s Don’t Break My Heart by trio Ménage à Trois adds further evidence to the claim that they’re one of the most exciting new acts in the UK. With a couple of covers and a handful of original tracks now kicking about online, it’s becoming clear that the Manchester outfit are big fans of the crooners, not only that but with as with WU LYF, there’s a real attempt to craft a narrative, in both the music and the creative approach. Check out their version of Don’t Break My Heart, filmed live at Manchester Art Gallery.

Brooklyn is arguably the ‘buzz-iest’ city in the world, with artists from all over the world moving to the NY borough, both to be surrounded by like-minded creative individuals, and simply to be able to brand themselves as ‘a Brooklyn based outfit’. Garlands, a relatively new and as yet anonymous group hail from the aforementioned part of the world, and with only two tracks to their name, it’s clear they’re still very much in the embryonic stage. Of the duo of tracks, What Am I Gonna Do is the more immediate, and single-worthy; a slice of Best Coast, 60′s inspired surf-pop, with romantic and melancholic undertones. ‘If I was sixteen, I would feel the same way, oh there’s nothing in the world that can make me change my ways‘. Check out What Am I Gonna Do below.

Returning with their first original material in seven months, UK duo Avec Sans (featuring 1/3 of Run Toto Run) are showing no signs of letting up. Another indie-disco floorfiller in waiting, Hold On isn’t quite the UK’s answer to Purity Ring like I originally predicted, and wanders a far more pop-orientated path, however there’s few electronic acts around at the moment writing with such confidence and ambition.

The tag ‘Emotional indie rock’ hardly sells your own music, immediately drawing comparisons to the likes of Snow Patrol, Coldplay and of course kings of the genre; U2. Don’t let that put you off Verlaine however, as their debut track Painted Lights may verge into epically cheesy guitar pop, it’s the strength of the songwriting, and the tenderness, particularly in the latter section of the track, that make it such an appealing listen. ‘So, tonight is all we have, to make this moment last‘ may be a lyric worthy of One Direction, but Painted Lights is just about the right side of stadium ready anthems. Check it out below

I first heard about Arizona natives .CULT after 16-year-old producer prodigy XXYYXX shared a track he’d produced for one of the group’s members last year. Since then I’ve been following them with interest, their heady, hazy and lazy flow standing out in a sea of aspiring rap stars.

Now following the release of their debut album, The Three Beggars, we’re proud to premiere the video for Naughty By Nature featuring Canadian-American hip-hopper Noah23, better known for his work with Buck 65, Jim Guthrie and Cadence Weapon.

Check out the video for Naughty By Nature and stream The Three Beggars in it’s entirety below.
.CULT consists of Yawning Boy, FACES, and Yung Gungho – Three artists from Phoenix, Arizona.

Ever since Foals decided to become a U2 cover band, there’s been an opening in my heart for intelligent, quirky math-pop, and Genoa’s DOCKS may well be the ones to fill the gaping hole. Having only formed earlier this year, the quartet comprised of Andre, Carlo, Matte and Wil, bear a striking sonic resemblance to the tracks that first made a name for Foals (Hummer, Cassius etc.), with their jerky guitar lines and percussion driven builds. It’s not often that Italian acts feature on CitR, and it’s even less frequent for me to be so excited about an Italian act, so cherish this one whilst you can. Check out Forever below, and keep up with DOCKS via Facebook.

Fresh out the blocks, Brooklyn’s Ang Low (Angelo Whitehead) backed by production duo Dan Drohan and Jeff Fettig, has just dropped his debut track, the stunning Life Goes Down. So it fits rather snuggly into the R&B / indie crossover, alongside the likes of Bipolar Sunshine and The Neighbourhood, with it’s clean, precise production and slick vocal sectionsfa, but that’s by no means a fault. With this, Ang Low’s first release, it’s ambitious and certainly crying out with commercial intentions, whilst remaining a touching love song at its silky core. Check out Life Goes Down below, and keep up with Ang Low via Facebook.

Fast-rising London duo The Death of Pop have clearly been on a My Bloody Valentine trip as of late, judging by new track Sun In My Eyes. Far and away their most shoegaze inspired number, and arguably their most confident release to date, it continues the growth of a very exciting young band. Layers of reverb coat the vocals and guitar sections, not quite as in your face as much of the original 90′s movement, and lathered with a sugary sweet frosting, it’s further proof that they’re one of the most exciting UK groups are at this moment in time.