L.A. singer-songwriter Sam Kang‘s new video for “Love Drama” relates a story that literally jumps from the pages of a book. The whimsical stop-motion narrative sees our 2-D hero burst out of his paper prison to pursue love in three dimensions. The tiny character traverses an expansive living room, slipping through other stories and battling dragons and evil knights in one of the most quirky and adorable hero’s journeys ever put to screen. The fanciful lightheartedness perfectly matches the sweet rhythms of the song, whose laid-back melodies would be at home on any number of late-2000 indie-pop hits.

Pay what you’d like for a download of the song at Noise Trade.

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”

Let’s be honest. You like Grimes. You like her music a lot. But to fully appreciate Claire Boucher’s work, you have to also acknowledge the visual and performance art that makes her act what it is. The Canadian songstress’ new video for “Nightmusic” embodies this total art experience.  Equal parts Game of Thrones, Tron and the Hunger Games, one run through this stunning video and you’ll be a step closer to knowing what Grimes is all about.

Although Emil & Friends‘ “Crystal Ball” was the only song of theirs to make it onto our Top Tracks of 2011 list, there were a number of others off the band’s last full-length, Lo & Behold, that were strong contenders. The album’s lasting impression comes thanks to Emil Hewitt’s — the creative force behind the project — off-kilter, technical approach to writing true pop music. Hewitt’s style shines in his cover of Neon Indian’s “Polish Girl.” Borrowing a little bit from Kavinsky, the Emil & Friends rework of the Era Extraña cut brings down the tempo, scatters quirky synths throughout, and drops a much-welcome 80s guitar riff in the bridge. Download the track below.

MP3: Emil & Friends – “Polish Girl (Neon Indian Cover)”

ATG’s favorite tribal-poppers Reptar have a must-see new video, fresh on the heels of their excellent debut release Body Faucet. “Three Shining Suns” is a slow and sparse but incredibly soulful and funky number; the track’s rich tone and sprightly bounce of keys combine perfectly with the drum-circle-like percussion. It’s proof that Reptar have found yet another recipe for sonic success. These guys are good.

We already knew these cats were capable of near-magic with their instruments. But this video suggests that they are actual shamans—makes sense—with the ability to resurrect the dead and concoct awesome fireworks from the materials of the forest. Just watch.

Ever wonder what Soul Train would look like if it were powered by modern indie-pop? Thanks to Cincinnati pair Bad Veins, we have the answer. The video for “Dancing on TV”, a cut off of the recently-released The Mess We’ve Made, opens with a minute and a half sequence featuring a spot-on recreation of a 70s living room. Complete with giant television cabinet, Atari, terrible color palettes and a bored teenager in knee-high tube socks, our main character flips through channels on her giant, clunky remote control as she happens upon a particular show just in time to catch Bad Veins performing amidst pastel-clad dancers. As the on-screen talent gets down so does our heroine, mimicking the moves alone in her living room as countless numbers of us have done before. The Mess We’ve Made is out now on Modern Outsider.

MP3: Bad Veins – Dancing On TV

After suffering a tragic accident whilst filming a music video, Foster the People require a few changes under the hood to get back in action. See what happens to these musicians-cum-cyborgs in the band’s new video for “Houdini.” Foster the People’s Torches is out now on Columbia.

STREAM: Foster The People – “Houdini”

Last Thursday the one and only Alex Winston played one of her first shows in the States for a long while at a special edition of All Things Gold. Fortunately, U Hall now allows concert photos so we were able to capture her, along with fantastic openers Long Walks On The Beach, on camera. Scroll through some fantastic shots of the night, courtesy of the always-amazing Laura Lopez, after the jump.

STREAM: Alex Winston – “Velvet Elvis”

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Donora‘s second album, Boyfriends and Girlfriends, is influenced by a slew of time periods from the American songbook, from 60s girl-groups to early 90s rock. The band’s latest video for “And Then The Girls” borrows heavily from late 70s/early 80s dance pop, so it’s appropriate that it opens up with some old school clips of folks showing off some serious roller disco moves. The song’s grooves work in perfect time with the skaters’ and the retro flourishes don’t end there. Neon color swatches flash across the screen before lead singer Casey Hanner appears clad in a pleated jean jacket with a popped collar with the background fading into a starfield lit by disco balls. The song – not to mention the album – largely functions by mixing together older sounds to create something fresh and whimsical, and the video matches it step for step. The pixelation, cheesy effects, and too-obvious green-screening are all nostalgically hilarious and are wonderfully capped off with an epic series of star-wipes. It’s random, cheeky and a ton of fun. Do you need anything more than that?

STREAM: Donora – “And Then The Girls”

There are about 5 different states and one district that can claim hometown status to Jukebox the Ghost, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say what really matters is where a band meets and begins forming the foundation of their sound, even if they’re transient college students at the time. With that in mind, DC’s Jukebox the Ghost has suddenly announced a whole heap of good news, including a new album and summer tour dates. “Somebody” kicks off the upcoming album Safe Travels, and it’s about to become your summer crush. As in, get out of the pool, go grab a seat across from it on the trampoline, and cross your fingers the bottle spins straight to this song, because there’s no way it’s getting out of your head before the leaves start falling in September. And there’s no reason it should—Jukebox the Ghost is coming to 9:30 Club in June with our BFFLs Savoir Adore. Life just works out sometimes, you know?

And if all this isn’t enough, make sure to catch our interview with the GW boys here.

MP3: Jukebox the Ghost: “Somebody”