The LA-based lo-fi outfit 3 ½’s sound may be as adorable as its debut EP First Recording’s album art, which depicts each member of the trio, instrument in hand, with the head of a cat. Led by vocalist Leila Jarman, the three-piece produces straightforward, uncluttered indie-pop with sugary sweet melodies. After taking a two-year hiatus, local radio station KXLU rediscovered the EP, with the help of local record label Co Wave’s radio show on the station, resulting in a scheduled performance at this year’s SXSW festival. You can discover the EP for FREE on the band’s site, and for those of you lucky dogs (or cats) heading down to Austin in March, be sure to check out 3 ½’s set! - Katrina Nattress

Caught up in swirling layers and textures, Lucky Dragons emerges with a new album next month. A collaboration of two LA based artists, Sarah Rara and Luke Fischbeck, they have been known for visually and physically exciting live shows as well as their own brand of psychedelic pop that follows no discernible trend. The looping repetition in their new single "Existers" off their upcoming LP of the same name, remains constant, but evolving. Layers are added and subtracted and all of a sudden, what seemed the same is completely different. It's quite a trip at just under 7 minutes, but it feels like an idea completely fleshed out. They have a few shows in LA in the next few months; one on January 27 at the Black Box, one on January 28th at the Mahasukha Meditation Center and then on March 10 at the Smell. If you're looking for some good vibes, they've got plenty to spare. - Taylor Lampela

Two of Sacramento's best-known rock musicians have started calling Los Angeles home and been working on a new spellbinding project called ††† (Crosses). Long time friends Chino Moreno (of the Deftones) and Shaun Lopez of Far and Chuck Doom will be releasing the second installment of an EP series this Tuesday. The EP is simply called "EP ††". The first release, "EP †",  was made available for free on the band's website last August. With dark themes and soft electronic beats, the music is somewhere in between Moreno's previous projects Deftones and Team Sleep. The songs are haunting and full of unsettling tension, but at the same time can be alluring in a non-depressing and free-flowing way. Moreno's wails do not get as fierce as on Deftones records, but do carry strong intensity and sense of longing. Later this spring, the band will hit the international festival with appearances at Lollapalooza in Chile and Quilmes Rock in Argentina. However, before heading out of the country, ††† will play a few shows in California including The Glasshouse in Pomona on January 3st. - Karla Hernández

Little Red Lung create melodies that are almost as twisting and turning as saying their name three times fast. Their song “50 Fingers” is as beautiful as it is somber. Zoe-Ruth Erwin, the band’s vocalist and keyboardist, almost dances around Charlene Huang’s eerily bittersweet violin.  Also comprised of Nathan Kondor on drums, Rob Hume on bass, and Mike Agentis on euphonium, they create their own upbeat melody by working as a nice juxtaposition to that lingering feeling that there’s something more going on, which Zoe and Charlene do such a great job in conveying. Close your eyes. Let Little Red Lung immerse you with their dark imagery and chilling atmospherics. Something most bands cannot do these days. The band will be playing at the Echo on January 31st. - Ryan Bussard 

It’s hard to find quality in today’s modern rock bands. Tune into a modern rock station and what you get is a playlist of esteemed bands from a bygone era faultily mashed with shallow, supervised by a suit and tie contemporaries. It’s a shame, really. The Alternates seem tailor-fit for what a modern rock station used to sound like before this past decade heavily distorted the influence of younger bands, whose frame of reference doesn't go any further than vacuous, deafening noise and trite post-grunge. When you listen to the Alternates’ meaty, reverberated riffs and soulful delivery, it’s apparent the LA band have overseen the modern designation of what guitar rock has become and gone back to its more Southern-tinged seventies touch. That’s not to say they have modest aspirations – the songwriting found in their EP Spiders and Webs balances a fuzzy tonality with lighter-hoisting choruses, all executed with casual confidence. As long as they continue to evolve within their classicist intentions, their upcoming debut long player may give the radio airwaves a much needed rattling.

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Pageants is one of those bands that teases listeners with a mesmerizing dream pop sound and captivating female vocals that linger in your brain for days. Having only released a handful of songs, the Long Beach duo, comprised of Rebecca Coleman and Devin O’Brien, is building up much anticipation for a full-length release. Some may recognize Coleman from her time playing with Avi Buffalo, but with a voice like hers, it was well overdue for her to start a new project. In addition to playing all over the Los Angeles area, the band has also been buddying up with Best Coast’s Bobb Bruno, who helped record a few tracks in the studio. Let's hope that they do not keep us waiting for too long. - Karla Hernández

Evan Goytas is a Pennsylvania transplant to the LA area, but the city seems to have helped him produce a unique brand of synth-pop. On the 24th of this month, he'll release a new EP, entitled Feel Me, on Dovecote Records. Surrounded by looping synth sounds and a simple piano melody, Goytas' voice floats on top bathed in reverb. It's almost like post-club music; something for the cool down after the crazy. There's a certain relaxing effect that makes it the perfect song to sit and listen to in the dark. It's brooding, but not in a heavy handed way. There's sure to be more songs on the upcoming EP, which you should check out. You can listen to "Can't let Anybody Know Who You Are" and other releases on his myspace page. - Taylor Lampela

Can't Let Anybody Know Who You Are by evanvoytas