Cool Hunting

The Kiss Off
Though they formed last year in Brooklyn, The Kiss Off could easily pass as Manchester natives from the early '80s. The band was founded by guitarist Adam De Rosa and bassist Nathan Lithgow, who lay distorted melodies over catchy drumming and synth drones. Sam Tyndall's vocals complete the band, which sounds something like a better-produced Joy Division or a more brooding Franz Ferdinand. The...

Three Recent Releases
Ida: Lover's Prayers Trying to avoid obvious comparisons like Low and The Spinanes is tough, maybe only because I love all of these bands, but Ida's new record Lover's Prayers is easily one of the strongest of its ilk. Interweaving pianos, guitars and transcendent harmonies with a timeless, bittersweet Americana, the New York-based band delivers an album that is as starkly beautiful as it is...

February 2008 Playlist
This time of year brings a surplus of album releases and, for us, along with the fresh tunes comes a desire to do little more than stay home and listen to music while watching surf videos. The result is a collection of new faves and old jams, both up-tempo and down, to get you through the leap year. Magnetic Fields: Distortion The first album from...

The E.L.F.
The E.L.F. is the new side project of Gerling frontman, Darren Cross. A genre agnostic, Cross throws a tantrum on "Stevie Nicks Hearts," the first EP created el solo in the dark underbelly of his Sydney home studio. The indie-infused aesthetic smashes itself against the wall, whilst '80s synth-beats get thrown across the room like a bad break up. It's like Beck made babies...

Lauren Molina
If you're looking for a little sunshine to brighten up a cold winter day, check out the delightful debut album from indie pop singer-songwriter, Lauren Molina. An accomplished Broadway actress currently playing the role of Johanna in the national tour of Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd," Molina is a veritable one-woman orchestra, whose innovative arrangements for Doo-Be-Doo have her playing cello, ukulele, guitar, accordion, Wurlizter...

Ida Maria
So we heard the most amazing unsigned band in Williamsburg, Brooklyn the other night. Except we were at a noodle and dumpling bar called Snacky and the band was blaring from an iPod. Norwegian-by-way-of-Sweden Ida Maria and her bandmates are sure to be the next hot-shit-of-the-moment and their song "Oh My God" will not stop playing in our collective brain. Currently self-released on their...