New Song by Gardens & Villa, "Fixations" (New Album Out August 21 & NYC Tour Date September 25)

Adam Rasmussan (left) & Chris Lynch (Photo Courtesy Secretly Canadian)

Gardens & Villa is one of those bands that are simply interesting to listen to, so I jumped on the new single "Fixations" from the upcoming third album Music for Dogs (due August 21 via Secretly Canadian). The sound is multi-layered and quirky, without any alienating thoughts of mainstream acceptance: "Colony Glen" from the group's last album Dune was an easy pick for my Winter 2014 New Music Playlist and "Black Hills" off the self-titled debut was featured on my Winter 2012 New Music Playlist.

This self-categorized indie rock band was formed in Santa Barbara in 2008, but has recently downsized to a duo and re-located to L.A. Adam Rasmussan and Chris Lynch found warehouse space in the Frogtown neighborhood, christened it Space Command and opened it up to visual artists and designers along with other creatives. They set about creating the new album with Dusty Ineman on drums, Shane McKillop on bass and Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Jacob Portait as producer. New songs were infused with disparate influences such as Brian Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, David Bowie's Low, Bill Nelson's Chimera and Cleaners from Venus. Check out the video for the single "Fixations" here or on YouTube -- it's a parody of modern party life excesses complete with e-cigs, drones and colorful drugs, while Sam France of Foxygen makes an appearance on a Segway. Their label calls the music full of "Zen Pop-Nihilism" if you're looking for some sort of description, but I say just let your ears dig in. Also catch Gardens & Villa live in NYC on September 25 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg.