Discoverer 143: new indie findings

Back with another trio of new proposals in our discoverer series. Three versions of indiepop you won't like to miss!

Oscar. Let me introduce you to Oscar Scheller and his music. Hailing from London, UK, this young musician who started to make some noise in spring of 2014 with debut 7" 'Sometimes' that June via Brown Rice, followed by 7" 'Daffodil Days' in 2015, his first release with Wichita Recordings. EP 'Beautiful Words' surfaced that summer, confirming here was an indiepop auteur to get excited about. In 2016, after 7" single 'Sometimes' he has delivered the album 'Cut and Paste', out just now. No longer a "laptop pop" maker (hate that lame definition, anyway), Oscar is a modern pop artisan, blending lo-fi gems with his baritone voice, recalling Stephen Merritt, Damon Albarn, Jens Lekman, melancholy and upbeat optimism, kind of gathering the 90s'slacker-Britpop-quirky-alternative-songsmith altogether. One to follow closely.

Desario. Hailing from Sacramento, CA, Jim Rivas and John Conley began Desario in 2004, as a side project from their other bands (Holiday Flyer, California Oranges, Rocketship), recruiting Michael Yoas and Mike Carr to form a full band, playing their first gig in September 2005. In a pretty slow-burning process, debut album 'Zero Point Zero' arrived in 2009 via Darla Records, with sophomore record 'Mixer' following in 2012 thanks to our dear friends at Test Pattern Records, achieving overall praise and even a Sammie nomination at the indie category. After drummer Jim Rivas left the band a year later, being replaced by Kirklyn Cox, Desario decided to work with recording engineer Tony Cale on their new songs with EP 'Red Returns', out just now, showing how wonderful are the results. Slightly gloomy jangle rock with a foot on the 80s indiepop classics and the other on the 90s Britpop and shoegaze. Elegant, intimate but irresistibly melodic, here's a heavy contender for EP of the year and, hopefully, an exciting promise for much more about to come...

Mercury Girls. And we end in Philadelphia, PA, to meet this mindblowing quintet featuring Sarah Schimineck (formerly of Pet Milk), Kevin Attics (Literature), Andrew Hagiwara, Chris Schackerman, and Kevin O'Halloran (Little Big League). Formed just in March of 2015, the first demos arousing at their bandcamp started making the buzz around the band's potential, collecting endorsements by fans, critics and other bands as they were sharing stage with the likes of Joanna Gruesome, Beverly, TEEN, Expert Alterations or Eternal Summers. Now they are ready to offer us first release, out now through the wise people at Slumberland Records, the 7" 'Ariana' backed with the equally gorgeous 'All that Heaven Allows'. I don't care if it sounds too bombastic, but they sound as the most incredible group ever: you'll hear Sarah Records for sure, but also the darker vibes of post-punk, with a firepowered rhythmic base along with guitars raging with urgency and a carefree intention to face some sonic experimentation. Add huge choruses and dreamy vocals and here's the instant crush. Oh my...