For those of us who live in a seasonal climate, summer is the time to be happy and nostalgic, providing the opportunity to eschew the excessively serious and reconnect with the things that reliably make us happy. For many, this includes listening to music that is cheerful, poppy, and slightly retro... something new and familiar all at once. Of all the young bands that have stepped up to satisfy this demand, Dartmouth college-rockers Filligar seem familiar with the territory; considering that these guys (3 brothers and a friend) have been releasing albums since they were freshmen, it is safe to say that they know what they're doing.

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Pet Ghost Project is the inaugural band on up-and-coming new indie label On Another Note Records, and is all the work of one man: Justin Stivers. While Stivers brings along multi-instrumentalists Jacob More and Justin Gonzales for his live shows, that wall of sound you were just consumed by is the work of one very dedicated, very informed individual.

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Looking for that retro dance track to put on your summer mix? Intrigued by the idea of fusing musical concepts that range from disco and stadium rock to synthed-out '80s pop ballads? Sick of playing Purple Rain over and over?

Check out Alan Wilkis's latest EP, featuring free tracks "N.I.C.E." and "Pink and Purple". These jams will have you grooving your way through the Reagan years. (RIYL Chromeo)

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Musical genius and mega-nerd Ben Jacobs is the mastermind behind the delightfully feverish songs of London's Max Tundra, one of the most eccentric and enjoyable acts you may ever experience. Drawing from anything and everything he can get his eager hands on, Jacobs loads his robust dance tracks with musical references so eclectic and bizarre, you would think he's listened to every song ever written.

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Chris Palko a.k.a. Cage is the kind of person who shouldn't worry about rumors, mostly because it would be damn near impossible to even come close to competing with the truth. While his new EP I Never Knew You -- which he's giving away to promote the upcoming 7/7 album -- is certainly not lighthearted, it does contain promising evidence that Palko is willing to expand his artistic horizons beyond the confines of his fascinating, albeit horrifying past.

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Let me introduce The Kickdrums by listing just some of the artists that they have produced for, remixed, or mashed-up: 50 Cent, Talib Kweli, Slaughterhouse, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Estelle, The Black Kids, MGMT, Justice, The Tings Tings, and Kid Cudi. Phew!

With an eager aptitude for navigating genres and two killer mixtapes under their belt, the Kickdrums come to us with their official debut, Just A Game.

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On this debut LP for Domino Records, Kendal's Wild Beasts spill their guts across the room with a lusty flamboyance unrivaled in its uniqueness. Vocalist Hayden Thorpe is a force to be reckoned with; transitioning from feral growl to soaring falsetto with arresting proficiency, he declares "I'm not a soft touch and I won't be seen as such."

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If you've already exhausted the deep Sonic Youth catalog, and can't get enough of those thrilling seven-minute guitar surges, check out this 2005 album from Electrelane. Supposedly recorded straight through in a single take, it's got all the excitement of Sonic Youth plus some unusual instrumentation to spice things up. And it's less than $3!

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