Self-identified folk-step foursome alt-J have released a video for the track “Breezeblocks” off of the band’s upcoming album, An Awesome Wave, out May 28th via Infectious Music. The Leeds-based band has more quirks than its folk-step genre or keyboard shortcut name (which creates a delta sign (∆) when the keys are pushed on a Mac) may suggest. After changing their name twice and finally settling on alt-J to avoid confusion with other bands, members Gwil Sainsbury (guitarist/bassist), Joe Newman (guitarist/vocalist), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards), and Thom Green (drums) made it quite difficult for anyone to find press shots showing any of their faces for quite some time. In almost every interview, the band talks about how they strive to be different looks-wise and sound-wise than other bands out there–including some sites suggesting that the band has hired a plain-clothes choir to be a part of the audience during live shows.

The video for “Breezeblocks” is no exception to alt-J’s commitment to doing things differently, recounting a bath tub murder in reverse. Weighed down by a cinder block in bloody water, a woman is pulled out of the tub as the murder goes back to the beginning. Newman’s nasal vocals and the song’s heavy bass lend the perfect amount of eeriness to the scene, singing “She bruises coughs she splutters pistol shots/But hold her down with soggy clothes and breezeblocks.”

You can stream An Awesome Wave on alt-J’s Soundcloud now before the album drops next week.

STREAM: Alt-J – “Breezeblocks”

Bay Area indie pop duo Midi Matilda may have released the Red Light District EP back in February, but members Logan Grimé and Skyler Kilborn have slowly built up recognition around the blogosphere with their video for “Day Dreams.”

Grimé and Kilborn met at college in 2008 and have been making music together ever since. The video for “Day Dreams,” a cut off the Red Light District EP, has garnered attention from The Huffington Post, Neon Gold, and Pretty Much Amazing. Earlier in the year, San Francisco’s Live 105 even crowned Midi Matilda one of the best local bands of 2012. And after watching the video, it’s easy to see what the hype is about. Against reverberating, fluctuating falsetto vocals, bright piano chords, and a punchy drum beat, Grimé and Kilborn are projected onto 3,300 different photos of the Bay Area that create a stop motion video in the background. The video was shot over a period of 10 nights in San Fran and Berkeley, CA and it was edited by Grimé.

You can download a name-your-own-price copy of Midi Matilda’s Red Light District EP on the duo’s Bandcamp page.

MP3: Midi Matilda – “Day Dreams”

Jean-Philip Grobler, the creative force behind Brooklyn-based St. Lucia, has released a video for “Before The Dive,” a track off his debut self-titled EP. The record is the first album release for Neon Gold — as part of a joint venture with Columbia Records – and if you’ve heard any of St. Lucia’s bubbly, synth-heavy pop tunes, it’s easy to see why they kicked things off with Mr. Grobler.

St. Lucia’s electro pop anthems are throwbacks to inspirations like early Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, and Peter Gabriel, splashed with Grobler’s South African roots layered into the music. These influences are easy to hear in “Before The Dive”; reverberating piano chords, a heavy bass drum beat, and soaring vocals make for another shimmering ’80s pop-inspired addition to the EP.

The video follows two faceless lovers, whose first kiss takes a cataclysmic turn for the worse. You can watch the visually stunning piece above.

STREAM: St. Lucia – “Before The Dive”

Despite the overcast weather and eventual downpour, DC sustainable restaurant Sweetgreen’s Sweetlife Food and Music Festival filled the Merriweather Post Pavilion’s main stage tent as thousands more looked on from the expansive lawn area Saturday, April 28th. Boasting a diverse and exciting line-up as well as a variety of eco-conscious food options, it’s no wonder that the festival was packed–even with the rain forcing many who weren’t lucky enough to make it into the tent to don ponchos and open up umbrellas.

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Not long ago we got a taste of The Walkmen‘s upcoming album in the form of its title track, “Heaven.” Today the band released another cut off the album, “We Can’t Be Beat.” If the song is any indication of Heaven‘s direction, its title could not be more accurate.

“We Can’t Be Beat” starts with a slow, acoustic guitar melody, frontman Hamilton Leithauser’s distinctively sonorous vocals and soft vocal harmonies from the rest of the band, setting the tone for some decidedly reminiscent lyrics. Lines like, “Oh, golden dreams, golden dreams all lose their glow” create the feeling of remembrance, but about halfway through the track is where the listener really starts to hear the band’s nostalgia. “It’s been so long, been so long/But I made it through,” sings Leithauser against a slow tambourine beat, triumphantly drawing out the notes as he sings, “We’ll never leave, oh/We can’t be beat, oh.” Against a steadily plucked guitar and jingling tambourine, the lyrics certainly ring true for a band over ten years in the making.

Check out summer tour dates for The Walkmen on the band’s website. Heaven drops May 29th on Fat Possum.

STREAM: The Walkmen – “We Can’t Be Beat”

Brooklyn-based George Lewis Jr., aka Twin Shadow, has released “Five Seconds” off of his upcoming album Confess, slated for release July 10th via 4AD Records. Known for his new wave ’80s aesthetic from his 2010 debut Forget, Lewis’ latest release expands on the ’80s vibe with an uptempo drum beat, soaring synths, and his signature smooth, crooning vocals.

As Lewis explained to Stereogum in February, his new material is still very synth-heavy, but with more emphasis on sampled acoustic drums, as evidenced on “Five Seconds.” The nostalgia-tinged track feels like it could easily be on the soundtrack of a John Hughes movie with Lewis’ distinct style of slightly bittersweet lyrics that are so full of heart.

And after reading on the Twin Shadow website that a motorcycle crash with a friend and the feeling of eventually riding a new bike inspires Confess, it’s even clearer where Lewis is coming from with his latest material: “…I got a new bike and went to LA to record what is now called Confess. I took the bike out at 6AM one morning after not having done much riding in the couple years between Forget and Confess…I inched toward 100 on the speedometer and punch the last five. TON UP! My mind is filled with words. My heart is full of love. This is where I want to be. I want to stay here, and I want to tell you everything.”

MP3: Twin Shadow – “Five Seconds”

LA-based Electric Guest released its debut album, Mondo, today. The duo, composed of Asa Taccone (younger brother of the Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone) and Matthew “Cornbread” Compton, met shortly after both had moved to LA a few years back. Compton knew some of Taccone’s housemates, and after Taccone invited him to play bass and drums on a few tracks, Compton started coming over to play music all the time. One thing led to another and Electric Guest was born.

After years of working on Mondo, the two have just premiered a new video for the track “This Head I Hold.” Not only is the song ridiculously catchy — thanks to Taccone’s soulful falsetto and a hand-clap rhythm from Compton — but the two have taken a page from The Lonely Island’s book, brining just the right amount of goofiness to the clip. As Taccone waits to audition for a talent show with an American Idol-like set of judges, his nerves build up while the other competitors break dance and use a variety of props–including a pair of three — pronged swords — to outdo one another. Suddenly Taccone bolts, running for miles and becoming a desert nomad. After a nearly two minute interlude with a nomad woman and child, Taccone bolts again, heading back to the competition to face his destiny on stage.

Catch Electric Guest on their U.S. and European tours, with dates including May 2nd at Bowery Ballroom in NYC and May 5th at Rock N Roll Hotel in DC.

STREAM: Electric Guest – “This Head I Hold”

Ten years after The Walkmen‘s debut album, the lauded New York quintet is slated to release its latest effort, Heaven, on June 5th via Fat Possum/Bella Union. And as with many bands ten years in the making, the youthful moodiness and naivety has been replaced with a more mature, seasoned sound fit for the grown men and fathers they’ve all become. The album’s first single and title track, “Heaven,” features bright, elated guitar melodies, toe-tapping drums, and an infectious chorus of “Remember, remember/All we fight for,” that is just begging to be stuck in your head for days. It may have been a decade since the band’s first album, but if “Heaven” is any indication, the Walkmen are only steadily improving with lots more to offer as accomplished vets.

Produced by Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, The Shins, Band Of Horses), the bands sixth album promises a “bigger, more generous statement,” as reported by frontman Hamilton Leithauser, even featuring Fleet Foxes’ frontman Robin Pecknold on two tracks. And if you’re looking forward to hearing some of the new material live, The Walkmen will be headlining The National-curated Crossing Brooklyn Ferry on May 3rd, as well as supporting Florence And The Machine‘s North American tour in July.

STREAM: The Walkmen – “Heaven”

Lo-fi Chicago native Willis Earl Beal (WEB) has been pegged as an outsider artist from just about every article or blog page on the Internet about him. And if you didn’t hear about his ‘wandering the streets of Chicago and singing on subway platforms’ back story, his latest video for the song “Monotony” shows him doing just that. The video captures what was once most likely Beal’s daily routine—passing out flyers to anyone who would stop, singing to anyone who would listen, and just watching the crowds pass by in the monotony of their every day lives. In what seems like security camera footage, WEB stands on a busy sidewalk wearing a light blue jacket and what looks like snowboarding goggles. As slews of people are rushing off to one place or another, one person stops to really notice Beal for just a few seconds and he hands her a flyer. Gently plucked strings and WEB’s soulful soft-spoken singing set the tone for the perpetually monotonous task of waiting to be discovered, a task that Beal is no stranger to.

And even after signing a deal with XL Recordings’ new imprint Hot Charity, WEB isn’t giving up on his highly publicized DIY outsider lifestyle. His website lists a number to call him at to hear him sing a song or an address to write him at so that he can make you a drawing. Beal’s debut album, Acousmatic Sorcery, is now out on Hot Charity/XL Recordings.