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”

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)”

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”

Some artists write songs with only one goal in mind: to make you dance. If there were an olympic event for making people want to jump around like some jump-roping puppy, Parisian group Nameless would take home the gold with “Angelina.” The almost shamelessly catchy chorus explores the universal struggle of getting snubbed on the dance floor, but like their relentless riffs, they’re not giving up any time soon. It’s a bit cheesy—maybe don’t listen to the lyrics if you’re not into that. Regardless, it’s fun as hell, and sometimes that’s all you need.

MP3: Nameless – “Angelina

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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As frontman Alex Schaaf noted at the beginning of their set, this was Yellow Ostrich’s third time playing at Black Cat but their first time headlining. The sold out crowd at Black Cat seemed to realize the subtle significance of this statement. The band’s popularity has changed quite a bit since recording Strange Land. The critically acclaimed album has put them on a clear path to indie stardom. Their inclusion in this year’s Lollapalooza line-up should be enough proof. Needless to say, last night, their fans were psyched.

The first thing you notice about Yellow Ostrich is that, for three members, they have a lot of gear. I counted at least 40 foot pedals, three different horns, and a steel pedal guitar to go along with the traditional set of instruments. Once the show kicked off, it was impressive to watch Schaaf and multi-instrumentalist Jon Natchez harmonize and play off each other in innumerable ways. The way they kept track of so many things at once, you would think in another life they were air traffic controllers.

The set started with “Whale”, a surprise from Schaaf’s first album, The Mistress.  Schaaf’s superb vocals were in full display from the get go, and drummer Michael Tapper’s minimalist kit somehow provided for some complex percussion. By the time “Marathon Runner” rolled around, the entire crowd joined the band in singing every, single, word. “Daughter” and “Elephant King” brought a good amount of energy into the show, and pretty much everyone was frothing at the end as they listened to “The Shakedown”. The encore started with a nice surprise version of The Talking Heads’ “Heaven” and closed out with a powerful rendition of “Mary”.

All in all, a great set from an up-and-comer on the indie circuit. They are a talented trio, destined for the main stage when they come back to the District. Check out some pictures from the show after the jump.

MP3: Yellow Ostrich – Marathon Runner

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Every now and then we and our partners in crime at Neon Gold Records get the opportunity to bring an artist down to DC so special that it’s impossible not to break our usual schedule. In February, it was Chiddy Bang. This month, it’s Alex Winston. The Detroit songstress has been spending a lot of the past year serenading the Brits overseas. Her record release party in New York last night marked her first show there in a year. Crazy, right? Well we’re making sure the District gets a taste of the fun and hosting a performance by Alex at U Hall, next Thursday, April 19th. Supporting her will be one of DC’s finest acts, Long Walks On The Beach, who we’ve been aching to see again since his performance at our Gibson series last summer.

Join us at U Street Music Hall next Thursday, April 19th for an early show starting at 7PM. Tickets are available now for $7, or $10 at the door. Hurry though — they’re going fast.

TICKETS: ALLTHINGSGOLD.US

STREAM: Alex Winston – “Velvet Elvis”

STREAM: Alex Winston – “Sister Wife”

DOWNLOAD: Long Walks On The Beach – “metaPhysical”

If any band embodies the All Things Gold ethos, it’s French Horn Rebellion. We’ve seen the NYC duo — comprised of brothers Robert and David Perlick-Molinari — prove their party-starting chops with their eccentric brand of electro-pop on a number of occassions. Why we haven’t had them down to DC yet, we don’t know. But tonight is your chance to witness their wizardry when they open for French electronic producer Yuksek at U Street Music Hall. Doors are at 8PM and tickets are still available HERE.

STREAM: French Horn Rebellion – “This Moment”

STREAM: French Horn Rebellion – “What I Want”

STREAM: French Horn Rebellion – “Up All Night”