Summer is the perfect time to introduce Thao with The Get Down Stay Down, a playful indie-rock group from San Francisco that has a sound as light and breezy as a warm evening on the beach. Talented singer-songwriter Thao Nguyen leads the trio, backed by Willis Thompson and Adam Thompson. There’s an intimate slacker-cool air to Thao’s songs, which are always thoughtful but never overwrought.

The trio’s second album, “We Brave Bee Stings And All,” is full of youthful songs about swimming pools (“Swimming Pools”) and puppy love (“Fear and Convenience), and the sound is correspondingly innocent and cheerful. The most recent album, “Know Better Learn Faster,” takes on heavier topics, as the anatomically-correct heart piñata on the cover would suggest. The songs are darker, more adult, but there is still a playful charm in Nguyen’s expressive voice.

Click here to visit Thao with The Get Down Stay Down’s official website.