Sapphire - Sapphire  EP (self-released) This one's been a long time coming. Sapphire, the duo of Lily Govrik and Ava Levy, were one of the first bands I wrote about for this column. Since that spellbinding first song ("You Are," which thankfully turns up on Sapphire ), I've been excited for a more definitive musical statement. Here it is, their self-titled EP. Govrik and Levy turn up with a quintet of fun, cloudy tunes, ranging from the fuzzy "Ska Song" (it's not even a ska song) to the quietly devoted "You Are." Mellowness abounds; easy-going melodies cross paths with low-key production and understatement. Indi Koonce provides lead guitar across the EP and Isaac Levy contributes booming live drums on several tracks. Closer "Vyvance" is practically a garage rock song, crashing in out of nowhere. "You Are" is still the best song, reworked slightly from its original Caleb Hinz-produced version. It's definitive in its...

From the ashes of one column rises another! Welcome to the inaugural Local Music Round-Up (tentative title)! In this column, I write about local music that I discovered this week with an emphasis on recent releases. But hey, if I find a great underground punk single from years ago, I'll shout it out here. I hope you check out the bands mentioned here and continue to read this column as it proceeds into a (probably not) fruitful future! Dreams We've Had - "Makeout" Dreams We've Had is a Minneapolis dream pop band, and "Makeout" is their new single. Besides being a fantastic song, it marks a notable development for the band - it is the first single with project mastermind Bennett Blumberg on lead vocals. It may be a slight change of pace from the group's recent album, Dear Friend  (also worth checking out), but "Makeout" sets an exciting precedent for any forthcoming music. The song personifies yearning in a hazy, beautiful mann...