Apex Manor

Add Date: February 1 

Artist: Apex Manor 

Album: The Year of Magical Drinking 

Label: Merge 

Genre: Rock, power pop 

Comments: Southern California musician Ross Flournoy founded Apex Manor after his old band, The Broken West, broke up in 2009. The Year of Magical Drinking is the first Apex Manor record, but it could easily pick up where I Can't Go On, I'll Go On and Now or Heaven (the two LPs from The Broken West) left off. A power pop peddler whose music is directly descended from Alex Chilton and Matthew Sweet, Flournoy's music will appeal to fans of Sloan, '60s pop, or Merge Records labelmates like Telekinesis, The Love Language and Spoon.

Start with "I Know These Waters Well," "Teenage Blood" and "Under the Gun."