Russian Circles are one of the few dark instrumental bands that have risen out of obscurity into the indie limelight. The recent release of Empros, their proper Sargent House debut, is only going to bring them more notoriety. Despite being only six tracks long, the songs on this album clock in at an average length of six to seven minutes and each packs quite the punch. “Mladek” is one of my favorites cuts off Empros, showcasing the balance between bright hopeful melodies and ominous metal riffs that Russian Circles seems to strike so well. It’s a long but good one — check it out below. Empros is out now on Sargent House.

MP3: Russian Circles – “Mladek”

This Thursday night, grab something nice to wear and prepare to get champagne and St. Germaine sprayed all over it as Que Sera returns to Napoleon for its midsummer edition. John Thornley of U.S. Royalty and Phillippe Chetrit of Fatback team up behind the decks to provide a soundtrack for a party of Gatsbyesque proportions. You can download “She Kissed Me (It Felt Like A Hit)”, a recent Que Sera mix, below.

STREAM: “She Kissed Me (It Felt Like A Hit)”

Sometimes post-rock can get a bit too drawn out for my taste. That’s when driving numbers like Maserati‘s “Pyramid of the Sun” come in. The track’s explosive guitar riff and pounding drums are perfect for when I’m fed up with the usual fare. The accompanying video comes to us from the folks over at everybody’s favorite messed-up TV network, Adult Swim, who have recently begun throwing their hats into the music ring — their latest is a video for Best Coast’s “Gone Again.” This visual piece fits the song just right. Gives Doc Brown’s flux capacitor a run for its money.

MP3: Maserati – “Pyramid Of The Sun”