Stage: Soul Music, “March 9th.” Something comfortably old-school about this whole single. First, it’s a single. Second, it’s a sweet soul number. Third, the name of the act is Stage, a straight-up declaration of old entertainment values. Fourth, this is a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G., one of the immortals. Fifth, it’s so retro and smooth and soulful that the comments on the iTunes posting of the track are hilarious: the first says “Huh?,” and the second echoes that with “DaFuk? Is this nonsense?” It’s not. It’s charming.

Gengahr, “Haunter.” Whispery mystical pre-Zep psychedelic prog-rock reborn. So fragile and sweet that turns into a butterfly before your very ears. I doubt I can ever listen to this track again, but I’ll never forget it.

Michael Feuerstack, “Clackity Clack.” This guy would be Rod McKuen reborn if he didn’t temper some of his simplistic life-is-like-that lyrics and obvious metaphors with wild absurdities and some inspired musical accompaniment. Simpicity wins out. “Clackity clack, clackity clack.” The song’s on Feuerstack’s new album The Forgettable Truth.

Sick of Sarah, “Giving Up.” With such savvy promoters in the state, and with Connecticut still the most obvious stop-off between Boston and New York, it’s annoying to read the tour dates of such an intriguing band as Sick of Sarah and realize that their just-announced spring tour will be in two non-Boston Massachusetts cities and in New York state but not in Connecticut. I think we could use a look at a band like this—an alleged girl group that eschews the usual high-energy perkiness for a steady, breathy, dark pop sound. They seem to enjoy wrenching new sounds out of their instruments and otherwise seem thoughtful and experimental where other bands might just cluster around a mean hook.

Aero Flynn, “Dk/Pi.” Just in time for the most filling of Pi Days (March 14, ’15), “Dk/Pi” has the pretentious vocals of a U2 poseur joined with the fiddly synth keyboards of ‘80s New Wave. It’s a modern wash of sound that’s hard to swim against, or get too worked up against. Pleasant and amiably gloomy, then it’s gone. NPR has it on its Heavy Rotation, here.
http://www.npr.org/2015/02/26/386973174/heavy-rotation-10-songs-public-radio-cant-stop-playing

Boots, Motorcycle Jesus original soundtrack. The songs and tunes from Boots’ new short film. Careful, wistful, slowbuilding, abruptly shiftly in both tempo and volume. Not so much soundtracky as concepty, with sturdy yet unobtrusive melodies exhorting characters to do things like “stay right there” and “run away.”

PUJOL, “Manufactured Crisis Control.” Fast throbbing animation adds to the punk gluttony. Sounds a lot like very early XTC.

Male Gaze, “The Shining Path.” Frantic, intense yet oddly controlled musing on society and greater meanings. Wild and busy, then switches to such clean chord changes that it almost comes off as a Rutlesque joke.

Etiquette, “Outside In.” Gentle, whispery yet oddly dance-friendly song about, you know, feeling isolated.

Le Volume Courbe, “The House.” Classical guitar goes mainstream rock, with wild swirls and big beats and high sweet vocals that are almost swallowed in such a wild mix.