WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO COME TO HALIFAX?: Marching Banana Records has released the newest installment, Vol. 3, in its Bananagrams series. Unlike most compilations, this series is collaborative, in that artists from several different bands compose songs specifically for the comp, then everyone works together to flesh out the ideas and record the material. This batch of songwriters and players comes from the bands Futo, New Wives, Mothers, Dana Swimmer and Padre. Generally speaking, the collection is peppered with psychedelic pop, a smattering of drone and some delicate acoustic instrumentation. It's all filtered through that peculiar 21st Century brand of optimism that seems to be so omnipresent in music these days. For my money, the best track here is “Halifax, All Glittering Glass And Steel.” Your mileage may vary, of course, but put the gas on over at marchingbanana.bandcamp.com.

THE HOT ROCK: The hotly anticipated first full-length from Motherfucker can be previewed in abbreviated form at motherfuckermotherfucker.bandcamp.com. The three tracks posted are pretty representative of the whole thing: attack-oriented guitars, driving rhythms, etc. The best track here is “Carl Sagan's Ghost,” so if you've only got a couple of minutes, hit it up first. The album is scheduled for release July 30 from Chicago's Sick Room Records, which has a totally solid stable of artists, although my fondness falls solidly on the shoulders of Austin, TX band The Gary, with whom I'm certain Motherfucker is totally proud to share a label. Keep up with MF via facebook.com/mfrocksyourfaceoff, because they keep getting busier and busier.

CHOOSING YOUR CATHARTIC BRUISING: Perpetually understated indie rockers Deep State have released a new full-length album named Nice. Just like last year's Bein' Mean EP, the album sounds well-recorded but with the sheen totally buffed down. The aesthetic used to be simply the best anyone could do, but these days, it’s certainly more deliberate. The overall effect is one of timelessness, which is entirely welcome. For the uninitiated, Deep State specializes in directly heady guitar tunes that fill headphones as easily as they do performance spaces. They're alternately urgent and recalcitrant, and it's time well spent over at deepstate.bandcamp.com. In other news, Deep State is touring the first couple of weeks of this month, mostly on the East Coast, but they’re hitting Ohio for a couple of dates, too. When the mood strikes, welcome them home at facebook.com/deepstatega.

POTS AND PANS: The window of opportunity to participate in this year's Moeke Records Summer Singles Compilation is closing quickly. If you're interested in participating, know this: If chosen, you'll enter The Glow Recording Studio with engineer Jesse Mangum for a four-hour session to record and mix a single song; then that song will be on the comp. That's it! Plus, it's free to participate. You won't pay for anything, unless you'd like to use your particular recording for another project at another time, in which case you'll negotiate that then. Artists already lined up include Monsoon, co co ri co, Tongues, Fake Flowers, Noseeum and a handful more. If you're interested, drop a demo version or rehearsal recording of the song you'd like to record to [email protected]. Just like last year, a new song from the comp is to be released every week, with the first coming next week. In a new twist, all of this year's singles are to be recorded in glistening mono. For an idea of how this all comes together, check out last year's comp over at moekerecords.bandcamp.com.

REAL TALK: Out of everything mentioned in this week's column, all of which I totally enjoy and endorse, I'd be dishonest if I didn't say that the new release by Stay At Home Dad is easily the one closest to my own aesthetic wheelhouse. The solo project of Dillon McCabe (Programs) is a synthesizer-and-keyboard-centered project about which McCabe says, “[It] is a small collection of songs made between March and May. I started this project as an exercise in songwriting and audio production, though it has quickly become my main creative outlet.” The seven tracks are fairly varied and incorporate elements of boom bap, trip-hop, ambient electronica and more. Dig it at 1800stayathomedad.bandcamp.com.