Hosannas, formerly known as Church, are only a little over a month away from seeing the release of their Hush Records full-length Then & Now & Then. Cursory listening sessions with the advance of the album reveal a lush, melodic soundscape full of acoustic guitars, lots of echoed vocals, and layered keys, specifically in opener "The Sea."

Subsequent spins have uncovered even more sonic noodling from the Portland quartet. There's an innocence employed here, with tempered digs into early '00s Merge motifs, as well as a (hopefully) prevalent sense of purpose. It's all pretty intoxicating stuff, even if its oft-lauded tag of psych-pop doesn't really fit.

But be warned: The first leaked track, "Happiness," is the least indicative tune for the purposes of considering listening to this album, but is still a decent listen. Give it a whirl below...

Take our word for it, and get your hands on the full disc or download when it's released on May 11th.

The band will hold what's likely to be one of the most anticipated Portland album releases of the year on May 9th at Mississippi Studios. Opening will be the amazing Tu Fawning, and Ah Holly Fam'ly. $6, 9 p.m.

- Ryan J. Prado

At SXSW this year YAWN caught the eye and ear of a lot of folks. Here is some footage of their performance at Levis Fader Fort courtesy of the WILD honey pie. They will be performing at Abbey Pub on April 13th with Caw! Caw!.

Everyone I know who has heard the songs of Daniel Knox has fallen in love with his brand of music. He is an undeniable musicial genius and he is opening for The Watson Twins on April 4th at Old Town School. If you missed it you need to check out his live session with Coach House Sounds.

Cast Spells has been everywhere lately and on May 4th Dovecote Records will release their debut ep, Bright Works and Baton on clear vinyl. There will only be 500 copies pressed so you should preorder your copy today. This 12” edition will include an additional track “All Brass” which was not included on the Sargent House release.