Blue-eyed-cottage-soul, bringing the groove and the vibe. The Naked Wild sure are. Bare, super-clean production, and great energy make for some superb late-night, laid-back party songs you could play all day long. Throwing back some mean guitar licks and air-tight rhythm, the boys make the record sound fun, and like they had fun recording it. “Brett’s Song” has lead singer Nick belting out some fun-rhyme schemes coupled with some real-rock out moments, with brother/lead guitarist Mitch really ripping through the whole tune. “Neighbour” calls back to a 50’s pop-groove, coupled with a modern-ambience that makes you wonder why you haven’t it heard a million times already, as the bassline pops and skips around them. “Rabbit Proof Fence” has some beautiful melodic moments, even a post chorus “la-la-la” that I dare you not to catch yourself singing later. Last but not least “Summer” finds Mitch taking over the mic, with a raspier take on a song that begs to be played as a backdrop to the start of a night-to-be-remembered. The mellow verses and rock-chorus serve as a great close to the short but sweet EP. All in all, Beauty Fools catches the essence of what playing music with friends is supposed to be, fun, and hopefully loud. Make sure to Check out their full EP, and keep up to date with their facebook for up-coming shows. - Cody Wright

Bad Dad & The Pool Girls have been charming the local scene for a couple of years now with their soul-infused, west coast melancholic folk rock. In fact, “charming” pretty much sums up everything about this band. Their description on their facebook page (which you can go ahead and “like” right here) states that their music is “where old souls meet young bodies.” This frame of mind resonates perfectly throughout their recent self-titled LP. Over the course of nine tracks, the music morphs from a west coast folk style to a melting pot of funk, soul and indie. Lyrically, it’s all over the place, with the majority of the songs either about laying down the funk on a member of the opposite sex (“Lay It On Me”, “Get Down”) or a good ol’ fashioned murder ballad (“Bloody Murder”, “Forty-Five”). Somehow, someway, the BD/PG’s are able to make these subjects mesh behind catchy melodies. Mr. Bad Dad and his pool girls will be playing their hazy summer tunes at The Silver Dollar Room on August 6th. - Chris PJ D

I could write a few sentences comparing The Sun Lions' latest work to Dinosaur Jr., or some other mostly-well-known 90s "indie rock" band, but that'd be too easy. Whatever's On Your Mind does scream 90s "indie rock", but there's way more to it than just that. This record has lo-fi grit with hi-fi choruses--an impressive combo of hard-hitting rock n' roll and pop sensibilities. These tracks are jammed with intricate guitar solos and super-tight band chemistry; the stops and starts these guys are capabale of executing are some real high-caliber stuff. My favorite track is "Sammy", with its slow, drunkenly-plodding guitars that take off into a punk-rockin', arm-flailin' riot. The song seems to end just as it began--powerfully trudging to the finish line, but with the addition of a gang-vocal chorus. Sammy's definitely "got a-hold on me" with this one. 

If listening to Whatever's On Your Mind has you looking for more tunes from The Sun Lions, head over to Zuzu in Cambridge, MA tonight and catch their live set. More info about the show can be found here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn) 
Photo credit: Jess Hodge

The San Jose based indie rock band, A Yawn Worth Yelling has released a single entitled Start Somewhere in anticipation of their upcoming 2015 release. The band's new EP, Play Pretend is due out on September 18th.

Start Somewhere is an intricate indie rock-pop track that is creatively layered with electro-acoustic instrumentals and coated with thoughtful lyrics. Lend your ear to this song and make sure you support this Bay Area band at their live performances as well!

The San Francisco based music project, Split Screens has released a free download and bonus track from their LP, Before The Storm! The track is entitled, Black Pines and we're super excited to premiere it!

Inspired by a childhood spent in New York's remote Catskill Mountains, 'Black Pines' is the brand new single from Split Screens and it's a track that offers the kind of woozy Summer retreat that instantly captivates. Front man Jesse Cafiero's radiant vocal guides the track through three minutes of weighty pop music, shaped by a West Coast glow that is palpably invigorating. Impressive in scope and assured in delivery, 'Black Pines' is a further step forward from a songwriter who continues to grow and flourish with each release.

Take a listen and don't forget to mark your calendars for Split Screen's Tuesday residency at Amnesia in September!