Holidae: Tantrum

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A new synthpop band featuring vocalist Ashley Gold and producer Garrett Neal, Holidae made a big and quick splash by winning the Star Tribune's Are You Local? contest in February, earning a Mainroom gig with Allan Kingdom and King. Holidae are ready to release their debut album Tantrum, and they've enlisted GRRRL PRTY's Sophia Eris and Manchita to host their release party on Friday night at Icehouse. The music will go late, but you'd better get there early.

Soap: The Life We Live

"Jam-packed with headbanging rockers, emotional anthems, and everything in between, the album tip toes the line between darkness and joy," write Soap about their new release. The Life We Live comes out next Tuesday, but the band will be celebrating the album with a Saturday night show at the Cabooze. This summer, they'll be busy on the festival circuit.

Davina and the Vagabonds: Nicollet and Tenth

Davina and the Vagabonds' relationship with the Dakota Jazz Club goes back farther, with more moments of transcendent emotion, than most peoples' relationships with their significant others. The band are celebrating the relationship with a new live album, named after the intersection where you can find the famous Minneapolis venue — and where, of course, the collection was recorded. The album's out now, and the band will be at the Dakota this weekend for a mini-residency. The band recently stopped by our studios for a live session; listen here.

Lucid VanGuard: The Jig Is Up

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A band built around the collaboration between Warren Thomas Fenzi and Karl Remus, Lucid VanGuard say they're interested in "dissolving the ego" associated with the typical singer-songwriter format. They'll be at Vieux Carré tomorrow for the release of their new album The Jig Is Up, led by easygoing pop-blues single "Be True."

Adam Meckler Quintet: Wander

Local jazzman Adam Meckler has been collaborating with saxophonists Nelson Devereaux and Joe Mayo; bassist Graydon Peterson; and drummer Greg Schutte for the better part of a decade. Their release Wander swings with confidence, pristinely recorded for premier Minnesota jazz label Shifting Paradigm. The album drops on Saturday with a Vieux Carré show that kicks of an album-release tour making its way east.

All the Islands: Modern Man

All the Islands. All of them! Fortunately, Modern Man doesn't sound too much like Jimmy Buffett — though you can find a tropical flavor in there somewhere. "Twangy banjo, bluesy harmonica, smoky saxophone, stormy cello, crisp acoustic guitar, heartbeat bass and driving drums," write the band by way of describing their sound. "Mmmm, take a whiff of that musical smorgasbord." What you'll probably smell most strongly are the Avett Brothers, whose winsome Americana is evoked by All the Islands' music — led by frontman Joey Olson's sweet vocals. The band will be at the Fine Line on Friday for a release show, but maybe the most important thing they've done to support their new album is to pose for the year's most epic promo pic.

Wailing Loons: Fire in the Cold

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It's not an EP, it's a "mini-LP" — and dig that cover, which features what appears to be a literal wailing loon. No wonder, given that the first track on the release is titled "Death Canoe." Yikes! On Saturday, Wailing Loons will celebrate the release with a show at the 331 Club — a perfect venue for their warm and folky vibe.

Ghost Army: Sleepywood Dojo

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The title of Ghost Army's fierce new release, Sleepywood Dojo, sounds like a tea you wish Celestial Seasonings would make — as does the name of single "Drunken Phoenix." Ghost Army are dropping the new release on Saturday at Gamut Gallery as part of Genrebeast's "anti-genre residency" spanning five nights, five bands, and one constant member: the multitalented Gus Watkins.

Pale Spectre: Principles & Faculties

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The title of Pale Spectre’s new EP is very punny, but their "post-punk, new-new-wave, neo-disco" music is no joke. Fronted by Aaron Hammerly, the band also includes Jeff Cornell (Gloss) and Gunnar Kauth (Frankie Teardrop) among others; last year they told City Pages that they don't care whether the '80s revival has come or gone — they're making the music they want to make. They'll be at the Triple Rock on Sunday to release Principles & Faculties, with support from Gloss and the Chambermaids.