Butterfly Bones, Pretty Feelings EP. For some, this is the sound of sunshine: gleeful synths, featherlight melodies, no-fuss rhythms, and laidback tempos for dancing when it’s too hot to dance. More specifically, it’s all about the attitude of those ubiquitous electronics — smooth, smiling, just happy to be there. In five songs and 22 minutes, Bay Area newcomers Butterfly Bones drop the soundtrack to your Indian summer. (self-released)
At Kimo’s (1351 Polk St., San Francisco) on October 3. 9 p.m., $5
Yard Sale, God Bless Our Camper. They may be wrong about everybody wanting a Midwestern girl, as the opening track attests, but Yard Sale’s take on low-key Bay Area folk, country, and string-band fare is just right. The Oakland group features three female musicians who also sing and write their own songs, and the resultant diversity of vision and voice makes God Bless a success. (Clemezzie Records)
At Hotel Utah (500 4th St., San Francisco) on September 19. 9 p.m., $7
Various Artists, Music Lives Here Vol. 2: High School Edition. High-school bands are a rich resource in the East Bay; there’s a lot more talent than we have any right to expect. Here, Walnut Creek’s youth-oriented Red House Studios shares twelve of its favorites; highlights come from Dublin dance-rock group Dance My Heart, Walnut Creek pop-punk group the Story So Far, and San Ramon Christian metal group the Ninth Hour. (Red House Studios)
Sonya Cotton, Red River. Sonya Cotton’s Red River will soothe a roiled sea. Although what she sings about (treachery, sickness, death) is hardly calming, and the record was fueled by carnage in her personal life — there is, in fact, a photo of Cotton kneeling astride a dead deer on the cover — something about the soft vocals and reverent instrumentation clears the mind like a childhood lullaby. (self-released)
