Andy Hull’s solo project, Right Away, Great Captain, is coming to a close after more than five years. In his previous two albums, The Bitter End and The Eventually Home, Hull spun the tale of a cuckolded 17th century sailor, returning home to confront his unfaithful wife and her lover–his brother. His impeccable storytelling continues into the first song off The Church of the Good Thief, “Blame.” The song sounds particularly Mumford and Sons-y–certainly appropriate for the storyline’s heavily charged homecoming, but it will be interesting to see where the rest of the album goes as things start heating up. If you haven’t been following the Right Away, Great Captain odyssey, don’t fear–you have a whole month before The Church of the Good Thief is released and the trilogy’s long-awaited ending is revealed. Learn your lessons from that time one LOST spoiler wasted those hours spent squeezing in 2/3 of the series and get caught up now.

Stream: Right Away, Great Captain – “Blame”

Over the last few years, the state of Wisconsin has been churning out new American folk acts at an unprecedented rate. Field Report is the latest concoction from the Badger state. The band is the project of Chris Porterfield, formerly of Justin Vernon/Megafaun’s band DeYarmond Edison. When the band broke up, Porterfield stayed in Wisconsin and began writing his own songs. He has created something similar to his former bandmates, yet starker, combining guitars and echoing vocals in uniquely haunting ways. The lyrics are introspective, with lines like “They were blocking out the clouded out son/while he was hoping against a daughter” and “I could have been a preacher/if I suffered fools.” Porterfield paints the scene and lets the harmonies carry the message through the rest of the song.

MP3: Field Report – “Fergus Falls”
MP3: Field Report – “I Am Not Waiting Anymore”

Alex Winston hails all the way from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  After a handful of EPs, Alex worked alongside production wizards and All Things Gold alum The Knocks on her debut album, which was met with critical acclaim. Though she’s classically trained in opera, she’s covered music greats from Chuck Berry to The Rolling Stones, and her songs have been remixed by the likes of Beach Fossils and RAC. Tomorrow night you can catch her as she makes her second stop in DC, alongside local outfit Long Walks on the Beach.

Grab a free download of her stellar Sister Wife EP here, and buy tickets for her show at U Street Music Hall HERE. Doors open at 7PM.

STREAM: Alex Winston – “Velvet Elvis”

STREAM: Alex Winston – “Everlasting Light”

Fans eagerly anticipating another record from the exuberant and mercurial Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros should be happy to hear that the band’s second album, Here, is set to drop on May 29th – reportedly the first of two scheduled releases for 2012. The second track to be released – which is also the second track on the album – is titled “That’s What’s Up” and is powered by Jade Castrinos’ adorable, scratchy, sweet vocal. Usual lead singer Alex Ebert chips in as backup and the two create the sort of off-kilter harmony that was only hinted at on Up From Below.

Previous work from this group flirted with folk and country rhythms while mostly showcasing a ton of bubbly indie-pop. This track, however, hearkens directly back to a time when Johnny Cash and June Carter were keepin’ on the sunny side without sacrificing one bit of the charming enthusiasm the band is known for. It’s rich, textured, and the last thirty seconds are infectious enough to create an instant toe-tapping, hand-clapping epidemic.

STREAM: Edward Sharpe And The Magnetic Zeros – “That’s What’s Up”

A good friend sent me the video for Husky‘s “The Woods” yesterday, though I dismissed it at the time because the band was from a land down under and my head was full of zombie. It was only until I revisited it last night that I realized the huge mistake I made. The Melbourne-based quartet consists of Husky Gawenda on guitar, Gideon Preiss on keys, Evan Tweedie bass, and Luke Collins on drums. “The Woods” is an enigmatic indie folk tune that makes good use of all the band members’ tremendous vocal abilities. The video for the track was created by animator Brendan Cook, who has previously worked with Aussies Gotye and Temper Trap. He places the real into the abstract, creating a captivating story that parallels the Ents in the Lord of the Rings. Cook receives top marks for this one, using fantastic animation to flesh out the plot of the song. Make sure to grab Husky’s album, Forever So, when it comes out July 10th on Sub Pop.

MP3: Husky – “The Woods”

Fresh off his recent Grammy victories (much to the dismay of most of America),  ATG darlings Bon Iver are back with the stunning new video for “Towers,” the standout track from Justin Vernon’s self-titled sophomore effort. The video, shot and directed by Nabil Elderkin, follows a weathered old man who sets out to build a tower, travelling across environmentally-protected lands in Washington state. Elderkin does his best to capture the breathtaking beauty of the countryside, which is mostly Native American-preserved. “When Justin [Vernon] sent me a breakdown of what certain parts/lines of the song meant to him I did my best to decode it and curate into something simple, and hopefully the viewer can take from it their own feeling of what the towers represent,” said Elderkin. The only thing that rivals the dark, rolling landscapes in terms of emotion is the track itself; a track bursting at the seams with a mixture of nostalgia, regret, and love. The track, and video, are just further proof that Bonnie Bear haters are missing out.

Watch the video above, and listen to Vernon and friends play “Towers” live at 9:30 Club back in August of last year below.

MP3: Bon Iver – “Towers (Live @ 9:30 Club)”

My good buddy Ryan who curates War Begun passed me this video from a while back for Deer Tick‘s “Christ Jesus”. It’s a day-in-the-life of Gary Ford, a vagrant guitar player whose story is ubiquitous and yet somehow, entirely foreign. This isn’t a video with a happy ending, but neither is the song. It’s a tale of desperation, it’s the bottom of the barrel, when you’re not entirely sure you will ever make your way back out. No, this isn’t a video that will brighten your day, but it’s one that will stick with you for a long time.

I was turned onto Of Monsters and Men by KEXP’s live/acoustic video rendition of “Little Talks” last spring. Their call and return male-female vocals reminded me of a favorite of mine, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Fast forward a few months and the six-piece Icelandic wonder is back with a music video for “Little Talks”. The narrative plays on the band’s name, focusing on a fantastical netherworld in which a lonely tribe of paint-adorned humans with special powers sail across the land on ships and icebergs. The nod to their folksy Scandinavian roots here is just as endearing as it is undeniable. Those of you heading down to SXSW will have a few chances to catch Of Monsters and Men in person. You can stream their EP Into The Woods over on Facebook.

STREAM: Of Monsters and Men – “Little Talks”

It’s no secret that I am absolutely, positively, 100% head over heels for The Head and the Heart. Ever since their angelic harmonies on “Lost in my Mind” made their way to my ears, I have not been able to stop listening. Today, they put out their third video for “Down in the Valley” from their self-titled debut album. Director E. Ryan McMackin pieced together clips from their last tour and created a moving portrait of the diverse landscape that comprises America. The scenes are one-part fun, one-part emotional and one-part travel. It encapsulates what has endeared tens of thousands of fans at sold-out shows across the country. Their lyrics, sensibilities and performance remind us all of our roots and the strange feeling that takes over when we are stripped from them. It’s a tribute to the band’s meteoric rise that they can still produce art that stays true to what made us love them in the first place.

Catch them on tour this Spring.

MP3:  The Head And The Heart – “Down In The Valley”

Night Beds is the moniker for one man orchestra Winston Yellen. He just released a new song, “Ramona,” from Night Beds’ forthcoming album Country Sleep. Channeling the alt-country rock energy of recent acts such as Dawes and Deer Tick, ”Ramona” skillfully combines acoustic guitar, a pedal steel and creative song construction to paint a detailed story of one heartbroken lonely girl. Yellen’s falsetto at the end is particularly impressive. While this song doesn’t rock as hard as Night Beds’ aforementioned genre mates, Yellen’s other work indicates that he knows how to get loud and I, for one, can’t wait to dive in further.

MP3: Night Beds – “Ramona“