The hipster olympics are coming to Chicago this weekend. No, I am not talking about PBR chugging contests and fixed gear races (although I am sure both are to happen), but am alluding to the Pitchfork Music Festival. In fact, the only contesting this weekend will be the jaunt between stages and the depth of ones music knowledge. Pitchfork is known to act as a trampoline for relatively unknown artists, shooting them over the hype horizon and into the trendy stratosphere.  Admittedly, I would like to consider myself a veteran of sorts to the music festival scene (two Lollapaloozas and one Cornerstone under my belt, with smaller ones sprinkled in between,) but this will be my first ever Pitchfork experience.

What exactly is it about the sound of disheartened guitars and beaten-like-old-leather voices that can draw the magic out of anything? From peering out the windows on a gray winter afternoon to letting the grass brush against our feet in the summer time, folk music always seems to have a way to say what is needed. While we have our constant litany of standbys for this mood--Oberst, Dalton, Guthrie, Drake, Cash-- it is always charming to see it not only continued, but reinvented. Enter First Aid Kit, a duo that, despite their youth (19 and 16 respectively), takes the mundane and turns it into lyrical salvation.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is a one-man-band project from Los Angeles whose music is signified by an incredibly-murky, lo-fi sound. Pink was first unearthed by Animal Collective who began releasing the vast volumes of Ariel Pink home recordings on their Paw Tracks label. By the end of the 2000s, it was clear that the 'Ariel Pink sound' had had an unexpected influence over indie music.

As another month has slipped quietly into the night, we have new music which we must explore. Last month saw a wide variety of new releases, from the eclectic vibes of Cocorosie to the sweet melodies of Josh Ritter. This month proves to be no different, which artists from all around the world contributing to what is bound to be yet another exciting releasapalooza in the music world. June marks the official beginning of the summer months, where we not only soak in the rays, but the tracks that come along with it. By popular demand, here is another list of the recent and future releases that have saturated the web, independent radio stations, and ipods at those parties you only partly remember. If you wish to create a list that will surely get the conversation going and score you some points at the next show you attend, look no further than what is in store below. Some of these recommendations have barely been out, while others may already been leaving the tips of your tongue as you cruise down the highway on those epic Saturday night adventures. Ultimately, you'll be sure to find something that will perk your ears and leave you salivating for more:

Are they as buzzworthy as they seem? That is the question that always comes to everyones minds as soon as the blogs begin to tremble with new musical disturbances. Once again, we find ourselves in the thick of yet another shake up in the music scene by a band known as Sleigh Bells. A year ago, we barely knew much about this group. Tracks from their demos had been placed on the internet in late 2009 but appeared quite infrequently in the world of music journalism. Soon after these digital leaks, Guitarist-producer Derek Miller (formerly of Poison the Well) and singer Alexis Krauss (formerly of RubyBlue) played a few high-profile gigs at last year's CMJ Music Festival, made a few widely circulated demos and quickly inked a deal with M.I.A.'s N.E.E.T. label. So, how did this Brooklyn based, noise rock group succeed in becoming of the internets viral groups, putting the sweat on such past buzz groups such as Passion Pit or Crystal Castles and securing shows with Yeasayer?

 

Jonathan Platt, co-Producer of the Friday Night Lights soundtrack, talks with Papa Crunch on Fearless Radio.  Friday Night Lights amazing music includes Band of Skulls, White Rabbits, Augustana, and Sufjan Stevens to name a few.