Berated

He is eight days from home and Carl Shapiro, namesake of DC-based Shapiro, can’t wait to get into his own bed. The 6-foot-2, lion-maned bassist has been sleeping in a 15-passenger van for the past month, on the road with his bandmates to spread their sound of piano-infused pop-rock with audiences in small clubs and venues all over the United States. Here is a look at the band's journey toward success and recognition.

The best featured tracks from the past month are collected and compiled into one file. This month has been very stylistically diverse, along with several debuting artists, so some worthwhile additions are bound to be included on your playlists. Artists include Kula Shaker, Ferraby Lionheart, Big Boi, Tamaryn, Spirit Night, of Montreal, Games, and more.

"Early Bird" quickly transitions between haunting organ sounds and quick swipes of guitar, the former more in the vein of neo-psychedelia and the latter more like garage-rock. A lovely meshing of vintage sounds, to be sure, much like contemporaries in the vein of Ariel Pink. Lotus Feet show comfort in their influences only to a certain extent though, as their musicianship is apparent in itself.

If Funeral was the personal homage to life, love, and loss, as Neon Bible was a straight shot at the gut of political immoral corruption, then Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs is merely a simple acknowledgment of the two concepts. Not to mention, the powerful realization that "we can't run from our upbringing", especially when two-story brick houses and shopping malls stand in our way. The band's third album is obsessed with this concept, but musically it serves as another success.

The sound of Ghost Mall is indescribable. But the band, made up of college roommates Pierce, Alex, Cody, and Jimi, give it their best shot. "Garage-y ramshackle pop/ethereal," lead singer Pierce Lightening struggles, attempting to put a label on his own music. With a lead singer named Pierce Lightening, and influences along the lines of "Babes, Springsteen, Comic Books, and Star Wars," listeners are naturally drawn to the quartet.