I never felt like the movies got it right when it came to voluntary submersion. As far as I can tell, jumping fully clothed into a pool always signals either whimsical sexiness or face-numbing depression, but sometimes you just want to chill and reflect under the water. If you agree and happen to be in the process of soundtracking a major motion picture, have I got a treat for you: J A W S. Don’t worry, you can stay in the water; this UK band gets their name from the Bond villain rather than anything out of Spielberg’s brain.

J A W S’ debut EP features “Surround You” and “Toucan Surf,” two songs that will snake through your body like the most immaculate lazy river on earth. They call it “slacker-pop,” which must refer to the person you become after listening to them; nothing here sounds careless or thrown together, but after a few runs through the EP, the chances of me calling in sick and hitting the coast tomorrow are skyrocketing. And if I happen to jump into the ocean fully clothed, at least I’ll have the music to match.

J A W S’ Surround You/Toucan Surf EP is out now via Cosine Records.

STREAM: J A W S – “Surround You”

DOWNLOAD: J A W S – “Toucan Surf”

April is the COOLEST month *kickflips over Eliot’s grave while pouring mountain dew all over face* so I wanted to celebrate by reminiscing about the coolest art form of the 80s, 90s and today: poetry. Unfortunately, the suggestion was met with threats of expulsion from the ATG crew, so I acquiesced and settled for music videos instead. Check out our staff’s number one favorite music videos of all time after the jump and let us know what we’ve missed in the comments.

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Last month, the ATG team celebrated Valentine’s Day with a writer-by-writer exposé of the number one love song of all time. This month, our tenderness has turned, and we’re taking a look at the Wario of love songs, the breakup song. Which homage to heartbreak reigns supreme? How do the breakups break down? Check out our answers after the jump and let us know what we missed in the comments.

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Choosing your favorite love song is no easy task. Do you dig in your memory for that nostalgic gem of teenage tenderness, or stick with the song that soundtracked your last kiss? Which passion do you prefer: gushing exuberance or deep longing? Or perhaps you have a soft spot for cultural impact. I asked my fellow ATG writers to choose their favorite love song of all time and share with the world what makes it THE ONE. Find out what we had to say after the jump.

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2000 PVC plates never looked so elegant. A bit late on this one, but only because I’ve spent the last 10 days watching this video on repeat unable to focus on anything else. I’m a sucker for stop-motion music videos in general, but Shugo Tokumaru‘s new video for “Katachi” (Japanese for “shape”) turns the style on its head. The whole point of stop-motion is to trick the viewer into seeing fluid movement where there isn’t any, but director/animator team Kijek / Adamski keep shapes from each shot throughout the whole production as a visual reminder that nothing here is actually changing, just growing. Nothing I can say will do it justice — just check it out above.

Stream: Shugo Tokumaru – “Katachi”

We got wise to Pacific Air last March when the artists previously known as KO KO rocked the internet with “Float.” The California brothers had to change their band name for legal reasons (lots of Kokos in the world apparently) but Pacific Air has retained the same introspective breeziness we fell in love with almost a year ago.

After a successful tour with Passion Pit, they’ve hit the road with Walk the Moon and arrive in DC for a sold-out 9:30 Club show tonight. Make sure you arrive early — these guys won’t be an opening act for much longer.

If you’re still not convinced, here are four ways to get acquainted with the band in the next 24 hours:

1. I got a chance to talk with the band about life on the road, SXSW anticipation and Ryan’s secret NBA aspirations. Check out the full interview after the jump.
2. Fall in lust with the brand new sunsoaked babe-kaleidoscope of a video for “Float” here.
3. Stream their EP Long Live KoKo, featuring “Float,” “Intermission,” “Roses” and “So Strange” in its entirety below.
4. Grab the ATG-exclusive Pacific Air curated playlist here.

STREAM: Pacific Air – Long Live KoKo

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I had a poetry teacher who warned me against rushing to get anything published, noting, “if you’re decent now, you’ll be so good in five years you’ll be embarrassed by anything you publish today.” It was a strangely comforting thought, and since then, I’ve gained a lot of respect for artists who keep their craft close to their chest rather than throwing up premature work all over the internet.

With that in mind, props to Little Daylight for taking their time. The group of three friends spent 2012 remixing the likes of Passion Pit, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes and St. Lucia and learning to perfect what they call their “tribal flair.” Now they’re gracing us with their first original song and video, “Overdose,” and it’s full of catchy singalong moments you’d expect from a pop veteran. Don’t hit play if you’ve carrying something delicate, because your arms will be up in the air faster than a mug can shatter on a floor.

The video may be full of flashlights, but these kids are no flash in the pan. Check out the video above and head over to their Soundcloud to surf through their equally ebullient remixes.

MP3: Little Daylight – “Overdose”

Oh, Starfucker. You of the name that stumps and embarrasses Google autocomplete, you of the perfect dance music for any mood, you who understands the nuances between moods of dance music. Your new album Miracle Mile comes out in February, but you’ve already graced us with three excellent tracks: “While I’m Alive,” “Leave It All Behind,” and now “Say To You,” a gentle yet riffy number that’s as tender as it is catchy. Like its predecessors, the group gives us what we love about Starfucker without sounding self-derivative. Listen below, and since I’m feeling effusive, check out the other two new singles while you’re at it.

STREAM: STRFKR – “Say To You”

STREAM: STRFKR – “Leave It All Behind”

STREAM: STRFKR – “While I’m Alive”

Modern physicists didn’t invent the particle, but that doesn’t mean we’re not giving them scientific high fives for shooting them into hyperdrive via particle accelerators. After all, without them we wouldn’t have Ghostbusters. So let’s enjoy Ryan Hemsworth’s latest track, “BasedWorld,” for what it is–which is something like Crystal Castles serving you bottle service in the clurb–and not make a huge deal about the fact that it is essentially just a sped-up version an M83 song from 2005 called “Moonchild“. Regardless, Hemsworth is rightfully establishing himself at the forefront of dance music innovators and is definitely worth watching in 2013.

MP3: Ryan Hemsworth – “BasedWorld”

Turns out there’s a HUGE difference golden fields and gold fields (and, for that matter, “Fields of Gold”). Google image search “golden fields” and you’ll get exactly what you expect. “Gold Fields,” however, lands you black-and-white photos of miners and their broken dreams.

Well, those miners need to cheer up because Gold Fields is coming to All Things Gold this Thursday and it’s nothing to lose color about. The down under wonders promise to pick your dreams up off the floor and put them back together with their misty mountain pop and jagged little thrills. This isn’t your typical Australian synth parade–these guys change genres faster than Facebook changes privacy settings, yet manage to pull it all together into a cohesive ocean of new new wave.

Don’t miss out. Grab your tickets below and make sure to invite your friends on Facebook.

TICKETS: All Things Gold (Fields)
RSVP: Facebook

STREAM: Gold Fields – Treehouse

STREAM: Gold Fields – Dark Again

STREAM: Gold Fields – The Woods