Young Summer is DC’s own Bobbie Allen. I recently got the chance to watch the Virginia Tech alum open for BOY at Jammin’ Java and what I saw were the makings of someone with a bright future. Bobbie’s voice is something quite special, so much so that it’s been compared to both Florence Welch and Sarah McLachlan. Not bad company at all. Her talents, coupled with honest songwriting, are what will resonate with listeners and keep them coming back for more. In “Fever Dream,” we get Bobbie’s alluring alto over music that would feel at home on the Drive Soundtrack. Above you can check out the video for “Fever Dream,” which will leave you craving those beachside summer nights.

STREAM: Young Summer – “Fever Dream”

New Desert Blues continue to win the West with their video for “Adam.” The piece fits the band’s bleak alt-folk just nicely, featuring a man suffering from a fatal case of mistaken identity in the middle of the desert. Watch it above and study up on these UK up-and-comers.

STREAM: New Desert Blues – “Adam”

I was first introduced to Cosmo Sheldrake when I caught a video of him playing live in a pig sty. Yes, you heard me correctly – a pig sty. Cosmo is part of a new generation of one-man shows with his expertise as a master looper, vocalist, beatboxer and multi instrumentalist (I can barely recognize half the instruments that make up his live arsenal). He regularly performs on his loop station, banjo, keyboards, double bass, drums, didgeridoo, penny whistle, sousaphone and more. Growing up playing piano from the age of 4, Cosmo has taken massive strides towards crafting a truly signature sound that is a blend of blues, folk and classical, all at the ripe young age of 22.

Cosmo’s latest effort, “The Fly,” is another step in the right direction. With exotic sounding vocals that walk us through life as a fly and an old school bluesy beat, I can confidently say you’ve never heard anything like Cosmo before. Stream it below.

STREAM: Cosmo Sheldrake – “The Fly”

Every morning, after I shower and get dressed, I take a moment, just for myself, where I stare into the mirror and wonder, longingly: “Is this the day an up-and-coming American folk artist will finally give Sixpence None the Richer‘s seminal 1998 hit “Kiss Me” the cover treatment it deserves?” And at the end of the every day, as I brush my teeth before bed, I have to stare back in that same mirror and come to grips with the fact that no, today was not that day.

IT ALL CHANGES NOW. Mikal Cronin, he of the solo career and also the bands Okie Dokie, Epsilons and Ty Segall, has gone and done the world a god damn favor. That’s right: he’s taken on the holiest of holies, and he’s done a quite soothing job of it if I do say so myself. I dare you to listen to the track below and not get instantly transported back to your first awkward 8th grade makeout/fumble session. I DARE YOU.

We’ve reached out to Rachel Leigh Cook for comment and will report back when we hear something. Freddie Prinze Jr. told us he’d say the song was great but only if we paid him “50 dollars cash,” so do with that information what you will.

STREAM: Mikal Cronin — “Kiss Me (Sixpence None The Richer Cover)”

Just to be clear: It’s Oliver Wilde. Not Olivia. Although we welcome those of you looking for celebrity news to stick around and listen to “Flutter,” the latest track from this Bristol artist. “Flutter” is a downtempo alt-folk track — or in the words of Mr. Wilde, “lo-fi glitch tinsel” — that’ll hit the spot if you’re looking for a strange, soothing break to your day. Fans of Deer Hunter and Atlas Sound should take notice. Stream “Flutter” below.

STREAM: Oliver Wilde – “Flutter”

Did you know that Iron & Wine‘s name comes from a dietary supplement called “Beef Iron & Wine” that Sam Beam found in a general store while shooting a film in Georgia in 2001? In the intervening 12 years, Mr. Beam has stopped shooting movies about what I assume must be the Oregon Trail, and started consistently turning out solicitous, simple and melodic folk songs that have grown more lush and impressionistic over time.

Iron & Wine’s new album, Ghost on Ghost, came out today on Nonesuch Records, and if your musical tastes are trending anti-subtle these days (I think I spent yesterday listening to dub remixes and Drake exclusively) try their video for “Joy” out as a reintroduction. It is detailed and mesmerizing – director Hayley Morris projects hand-painted watercolor animations onto stop-motion assemblages of paper, wood and bone – and “Joy” emerges as an love song of ambivalence and shaky promise. Watch it above.

It’s hardly rare for artists these days to find some common ground between pop and folk music. More often than not, the final product can be described as “cute,” “whimsical,” or something else of the fluffy variety. Rarely, though, do you find music that manages to capture these two genres in their rawest forms.

Enter Misty Miller. The London singer-songwriter is gearing up to release her sophomore EP, Next To You, and today we’re happy to be premiering of its tracks, “I’ve Got Everything.” “I’ve Got Everything” doesn’t rely on much other than a bare-bones acoustic guitar and Miller’s folk sensibilities. As minimalist as it is, though, Miller’s knack for pop melodies shine under her sweet, earthy vocals. Listen below and see for yourself. You can also check out some of Miller’s other tracks — “Anything For You” and “Little Drummer” — after the jump.

Misty Miller’s Next To You EP is set for release on May 19th via Relentless.

STREAM: Misty Miller – “I’ve Got Everything”

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It might as well be The 1975 week here on ATG with all our talk this week about the band’s upcoming NYC/DC shows. The fever continues with this lovely folk cover of their single “Chocolate” from Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt. Nesbitt’s enchanting voice fits right at home in this acoustic pop take on the original. Stream it below.

The 1975′s Music For Cars EP is out now on Vagrant. Expect a fourth EP from the band this May.

MP3: Nina Nesbitt – “Chocolate (The 1975 Cover)”

Dallas Green is not an easy man to pin. Originally known as the melodic-vocals frontman in Canadian screamo outfit Alexisonfire, he forsook the band (who have since broken up as a result) and hardcore metal altogether to pursue his acoustic solo side project City and Colour full-time.

From City and Colour’s upcoming fourth album, Northern Wind, “Of Space and Time” is a perfect example that Green may be on to something. Open, spacious and breathable, the waltzing track rolls effortlessly on hushed brush drums, easy-strummed acoustics, atmospheric lap steel, cello and Green’s accessible buttery baritone. It’s a mark of a maturing artist who traded heavy distortion and top-of-your-lungs aggression for space and time, and the 180-degree metamorphosis feels completely natural. Stream it below.

Northern Wind is slated to drop Summer 2013 via Cooking Vinyl in the UK/Europe and Dine Alone Records elsewhere.

STREAM: City And Colour – “Of Space And Time”

Jack White‘s Third Man Records has produced some fine recordings through its Blue Series releases, but the latest one, featuring soulful songstresses Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes) and Ruby Amanfu (Jack White’s “Love Interuption”), might be the best one yet. The A-Side is a rowdy, upbeat cover of Rodríguez’s “I Wonder” while the B-Side is a stripped down version of Memphis Minnie’s, “When My Man Comes Home,” which you can stream above.

The Blue Series I Wonder 7″ comes out March 12th via Third Man Records.