There are a few things you can usually count on with a new track from Oakland's Shannon and the Clams: a melody that could be ripped from a classic R&B or doo wop song, an impressive surf rock guitar solo from Cody Blanchard, and some awesomely brazen, full-throated, vibratto-filled vocals (also from Blanchard in this instance, though he and Shannon Shaw trade off vocal duties). Sure enough, that's what you get in their moon eyed new song "Mama"—yet another great single from a consistently great band. It's the latest entry in Suicide Squeeze's split singles series, out April 29 and backed by a new one from Portland surf fiends Guantanamo Baywatch. 

Shannon and the Clams: "Mama" (via SoundCloud)

Melbourne producer Joseph Cookson's first single "What I Had 2 Do" sampled Death Cab for Cutie, the perfect transition point for apprehensive indie bros looking to dip their toes in a higher BPM. His follow-up builds on that promise with self-deprecating vocal samples, only this time he dives right into the beat. "My life isn't that interesting", a woman nervously giggles, and you can envision pigeon toes cluttering the dance floor, hands in pockets, anxiously swaying side to side. True to Cookson's alias, his tracks as Amateur Dance evoke the feeling of the first time you step into a club. You scan the room and try to mimic everyone else—and as you adjust to this new environment, you realize you're actually having a really good time.

Amateur Dance: "Still Amateur" (via SoundCloud)

“No excuses, no demands” are the first words from Tara Green on this cut from White Hex’s upcoming sophomore album Gold Nights (out June 24), and the fierce, stern quality of the music underscores that statement. The opening synth/beat combination sets a mood of a version of the 1980s that never was, and Jimi Kritzler’s piercing lead melody towers over the arrangement like a skyscraper. Green’s own performance feels tightly focused and controlled, stretching out the song's title as the music takes on a coldly beautiful exultance.

White Hex: "Paradise" (via SoundCloud)

Timothy Showalter has a very active fantasy life: the singer/songwriter behind Strand of Oaks has previously written songs about giants, bowling-related fatalities, exacting vengeance on John Belushi's drug dealer, and lunar colonies. On the lead track from his Dead Oceans debut HEAL, the Hoosier-born Showalter simply relates his own origin story: "I was fat, drunk and mean," he snarls, and he was also wasting away in his basement with Casio keyboards and singing Smashing Pumpkins songs in the mirror.

You can hear how this influenced the prog-folk on 2010's still-fascinating Pope Killdragon, but on "Goshen '97," but Strand of Oaks have evolved into a raw and reckless rock band here, ripping away the shame and humiliation of Showalter's teenage years. He looks back with more honesty than nostalgia, the chorus admitting, "I was lonely, but I was having fun." But "Goshen '97" doesn't need to be overt about what it's actually celebrating, which is Showalter actually living his own dream: he's on the same label as his idol (Jason Molina) and the artists he's toured with (Phosphorescent, the Tallest Man on Earth, Damien Jurado) and, yup, that's J Mascis playing guitar on here.

Strand of Oaks: "Goshen '97" (via SoundCloud)

Dirtnap Records released the Exploding Hearts' classic LP Guitar Romantic back in 2003. Eleven years later, they're still offering exciting power pop. Montreal's Sonic Avenues prove that quickly with "In Your Head" (off Mistakes, which is out April 15). The track finds its footing with some initial kinetic-but-acoustic guitar work, and from there, they springboard into rafter-reaching electric solo territory. By the time it picks up with handclaps, Max Desharnais' nasal vocals come in with some full-throated multi-tracked harmonies, and right as the chorus ends, he screams "GO!". It's got all the ingredients to keep Dirtnap's power pop stable as vital as it ever was.

Sonic Avenues: "In Your Head" (via SoundCloud)