Red Bull Music Academy put together an incredibly impressive video called “Too Old To Be New, Too New To Be Classic,” a short look at the history and personality of DFA Records. It’s a lovely collection or oral histories, cheeky one-liners (like James Murphy asserting that peanut butter is the greatest American flavor) and “I’m so glad they captured that” photos and videos.

Marc Maron earnestly narrates the whole thing, which is exceptionally edited to highlight both the impressiveness of the record label and the essential charisma of everyone involved. If you’re in the DFA fanbase, which they describe as “European vinyl nerds” and “a lot of really dorky white people,” then you’ll love taking 12 minutes out of your day to watch this.

STREAM: The Rapture – “House Of Jealous Lovers”

Buzz and fuzz are in full effect from the get-go on Loon Lake’s “On Fire”, but the 8-bit bursts and wailing vocals make me feel like this is what Cold War Kids would sound like if they were still good and played with more fun toys. The entire song from his Melbourne outfit shimmies along with an energetic, carefree vibe that by the time the tom-heavy breakdown hits, the quick chance to catch your breath is appreciated. The subsequent ramp-up brings the energy right back up to rebellious levels in time to close out this short and sweet spring jam.

While the quintet’s earlier catalogue boasts thrashed out garage rock like “Into The Office“, they’re also able to pull off covers of The XX’s more morose tracks, which isn’t an easy task in the slightest; a band with talent and range like this is a pretty deadly combo. Stay tuned for their debut album, out later this year.

MP3: Loon Lake – “On Fire”

When it comes to TNGHT, expect the unexpected. The trailblazing trap duo, comprised of Hudson Mohawke and Lunice, blew up with one of my favorite debut EPs in recent memory and are back with a new track, “Acrylics.”

“Acrylics” starts off ominously with a haunting piano lullaby that soon gives way to a satisfying beat drop. The song begins to find its groove in the ensuing frantic synth line, but once you think it’s nearing its musical apex, Mohawke and Lunice give you a quick sock in the face with a heavy bombardment of bass.

“Acrylics” is textbook TNGHT; what makes the duo so special is their ability to consistently raise the stakes, energy and emotion with every drop. TNGHT tries to make each explosion bigger than the last, leaving me wondering how they’re possibly going to top this one. Knowing them, though, they definitely will.

This was dropped on their Soundcloud page with the note, “A new one track single from TNGHT to blow up the road to Coachella with some select headline US dates,” so start salivating at the thought of experiencing this live.

STREAM: TNGHT – “Acrylics” [via Soundcloud]

ATG has an exclusive premiere to the new track by DC producer/collaboration DUMBO GUSTO, comprised of Grey Goon and Davis Clayton Kiyo. They’re sound bleeds energy, mixing live instrumentation and vocal samples with fierce electronic drums as if it was born to live as the soundtrack to your favorite dance party. “Brass Stacks” features over a hundred layers of live trombone (performed by the late (great) Chuck Brown’s trombonist) that rise and fall over thunderous drums and creaking synths. You can catch DUMBO GUSTO spinning it tonight when they hit up Chez Billy starting at 10pm.

MP3: Dumbo Gusto – “Brass Stacks” [EXCLUSIVE]

With a digital presence as sparse as their ethereal R&B, Project Maldonado are days away from being the next big thing. You heard it here first…after I heard it on Earmilk. Their debut EP, and its enticingly stellar first track “Seraphim”, is a testament to meticulously crafted rhythm and blues. Parts Citizen Cope, parts Damian Marley, parts something else indescribably soulful.

Little internet birdies are chirping that this might be the work of English musician Liam Bailey, but I am basing that purely on hearsay, so take that with a couple spoonfuls of salt. In the meantime, get lost in their mixed-media website and stream their debut EP on Soundcloud.

MP3: Project Maldonado – “Seraphim”

“Promise Me” harkens to the catchy fuzz of Swedish pop that bands like CHVRCHES have implemented so well, but where Lauren Mayberry always sounds as wide-eyed as Daisy from Great Gatsby, Misun Wojcik asserts a vocal authority on the track that keeps the whole thing a little closer to ground level.

With two producers handling the instrumentation for Misun, this bounce-heavy track is more what I think most people assumed Misun would originally sound like, with its hypnotic drums and high synth line that resembles the dreamiest parts of Odelay. But by establishing their “aqua pop” sound with their debut, The Sea EP, this track now comes as a welcome, toe-tapping surprise and a strong follow up to recent releases like “Battlefields” and “Harlot“.

Misun member William Devon told me, “We’ve kinda been using this winter as a time for development. We moved studios and started spending a lot more time together, but we also took a break from live shows to really focus on writing new songs. ‘Promise Me’ was recorded on a pretty warm afternoon last month, and it’s sorta been our feel-good theme since.”

I can’t argue about the feel-goodness, and I’ll be excited to hear it live with they play the BroccoliCity Fest on April 21st.

MP3: Misun – “Promise Me”

Freedom Fry has been carefully crafting its sound over the course of a handful of releases and singles, whether that be the pleasant Let The Games Begin EP or the wild-west themed Outlaws EP, which was inspired by a visit to the grave of Billy the Kid. Tacking on the pop-organed “Earthquake” or the surf-rock anthem “Summer In The City” to their catalog only further proved that the Paris-NY duo were capable of utilizing diverse genres in a creative way.

Now, with their upcoming Friends And Enemies EP, Freedom Fry have blended that creative streak with airtight songwriting to produce a very solid three-track collection. The highlight is the EP’s eponymous single, which borrows a bass line from Spoon, a guitar riff from Interpol and a disco drumbeat as background for a sugary sweet vocal melody. Stream it below.

Freedom Fry will be releasing the Friends and Enemies EP digitally on April 2nd.

STREAM: Freedom Fry – “Friends And Enemies”

DC natives and personal favorites of yours truly Misun are following up their post-The Sea EP release, “Harlot“, with the seductive new track “The Battlefield.” The dirty, syncopated guitars of “Harlot” have been ratcheted up to James Bond-levels of crazy-sexy-coolness, but the smoky 60s pop sound is just as palpable with “Battlefield”. Given that two of the members of Misun spend their spare time behind the decks making incredibly dance-worthy music, it’s impressive how casually restrained the percussion is with this song, relying more on guitar scratches, a metronomic bass line and a pounding kick drum to keep the track moving along. Misun Wojcik’s vocals tantalize throughout; it seems like the energy that she puts forth in their live shows is starting to really be captured well on their recordings, which is a very welcome evolution in the band’s sound.

You can catch that live energy when they open up for Brett at DC9 this Friday.

MP3: Misun – “Battlefields”

MS MR stormed the scene following the release of their debut single, “Hurricane”, last May. When their Candy Bar Creep Show EP came out the following September, it contained three more stellar tracks, including the follow-up hit “Dark Doo Wop” that showcased lead singer Lizzy Plapinger bellowing her haunting vocals over dark synth lines and driving, bass-heavy percussion.

In anticipation of their debut album, Second Hand Rapture, they’ve let its first single, “Fantasy,” out into the world. “Fantasy” has a bit more levity than anything on Candy Bar Creep Show and does nothing but embolden existing comparisons to Florence Welch. The rolling thunder drums, hand claps and expanded vocal prominence have lifted MS MR out of the mood-pop Tumblr basement show they emerged from and positioned them as a band that is ready to sell out halls and theaters once Second Hand Rapture hits record stores this spring.

MS MR’s Second Hand Rapture is due out May 14th via Columbia. Catch them at SXSW this March as well as Governor’s Ball in June.

STREAM: MS MR – “Fantasy”

Swim Deep are the latest product from the burgeoning Birmingham scene. Their most recent single, “Swim Deep”, is the best song the four youngins have come out with so far, adeptly living up to their self-proclaimed “grunge pop” sound thanks to fuzzed out guitars interlacing seamlessly with carefully crafted vocal arrangements. Promotional pictures of the band showcase the group as an almost alternative boy band; they’re fresh-faced and polished, but also draped in Nirvana sweatshirts and non-threatening angst. They seem like they’re on the verge of catching lighting in a bottle with this catchy bit of beach-pop, and their forthcoming album (helmed by Florence and the Machine producer Charlie Hugall) has the potential to be one of the breakthrough records of the year.

STREAM: Swim Deep – “The Sea”