The only thing I knew about Tom Vek before now was that he once made a fantastic remix of a Bombay Bicycle Club song. His original work has been described as dance-punk, and seems to ride the border between garbled, lo-fi guitar music and attack-oriented electronics.

I didn’t think I’d be able to deal with the initial synth stabs and Vek’s punctual drawl on repeat listens, but something about the insistent beat and twisted guitars draws me in. It’s not just a catchy song, it’s a song with attitude, and delivered with frankness. If you feel it too, you might want to check out his album Luck when it comes out June 9.

Give it a shot. It might grow on you.

Fast becoming my favourite new band, Sylvan Esso have just released the video for another flawless single from their upcoming debut. The album is self-titled, which makes perfect sense because they’re quirky and awesome and their music is quirky and awesome and you should all go and listen to it after the May 13 release.

The band is made up of producer Nicholas Sanborn (bassist of Megafaun and solo artist under the moniker Made Of Oak) and singer Amelia Randall Meath (darling of the lovely trio Mountain Men). ‘Play It Right’ is the tune that brought them together - originally a Mountain Men song, Meath met Sanborn and asked him to remix it in his own style. The collaboration felt right, and the seeds of Sylvan Esso were sown.

Below you can hear the emphatic and vibrant new version, as well as the gloriously a cappella original. Did I mention that Sylvan Esso are awesome?

A somewhat mellow turn by this not-Glaswegian noise-pop outfit, ‘Crushin’ is downtempo, gentle and wandering; a song to get lost in.

Dreamy vocals flow over a bed of synths, and intermittent, scatty guitar trails lead off into the woods. Simple, unforced drums fade into the background like a heartbeat as the song comes to life. It’s organic and ethereal at once - alternative songwriting at its best.

Those who like it a little less organised: digress below.

Scottish synth-pop trio Prides have just released a video to accompany ‘Messiah’, from February’s The Seeds You Sow EP. In it, two priests display some very reckless driving, are very rude to some hitchhikers and dispose of a corpse in a very remote body of water. If you have any idea what to make of it, let me know.

The music itself, though, is great: upbeat, triumphant pop in the vein of 2013 buzz band Magic Man, it draws you in with big, shiny hooks and holds your attention with deft dynamics. Apparently producing some incredible live shows, Prides are all set for a huge 2014, and good luck to them.

Based on the video, perhaps they’re right to be begging for a messiah. Just as long as they fit in a tour down under first.

Shifting and emotive, JMR’s ‘Pioneer Of Your Heart’ takes its listeners on a journey far beyond the monochrome confines of the room in which its music video takes place.

The song opens with a sparse, jutting guitar progression, to which Joshua Robinson’s voice is added like a drop of ink into a glass of water. As the arrangement thickens and transforms, his stunning vocals remain a focal point around which the music anchors itself. A metaphor for this effect, a single bare bulb lights the room in which Robinson sings for the film clip. It’s simple and complex at once, and certainly worth repeat listens.

Since producing the best song ever to soundtrack a Grand Theft Auto game last year, Twin Shadow has been relatively quiet - until now. ‘To The Top’ is another gigantic, soulful pop anthem to add to his already impressive record.

While the lyrics relate the desire to begin again when things spiral out of control, Twin Shadow himself has no need of a second chance - he is a star on the rise. Reverb-laden piano chords and soaring whoa-ohs draw us in, and big 80s drums top off a stirring power ballad. It’s a song made to be shouted along to during the last dance of the ball. Lose yourself below.

‘Unsettlingly beautiful’ seems to be the best description of Talos’s ‘Tethered Bones’ and its film clip.

According to Talos, the song was written about the way a relationship can consume you. The video unfolds like a psychological thriller, as a young woman and an older man occupy an increasingly volatile world alone in the woods. The themes of isolation and dependence are drawn out by eerie black and white dream sequences between depictions of the deterioration of a prison-like bond. The music’s ethereal grace belies the darkness of the subject matter and makes for a gripping listening experience.

Watch it below. You have been warned.

Prawn are a New Jersey indie rock four-piece who have been writing and touring for 7 years and deserve more attention than they get.

They make music that’s simple and genuine. Two guitars, a bass and a drum kit, with a vocalist singing about how he feels via strong, catchy melodies. They don’t need anything more and they know it; they’re the sort of band who works hard for lasting success rather than rising to internet fame overnight to have it fade in the morning.

The video for single ‘Why You Always Leave A Note’ has the same feel to it - it looks like the band threw a house party, paid for an open bar, invited all their friends and got someone to film the antics that ensued. Unlike so many modern film clips, you feel like you’re watching real people actually having a good time, and it’s a refreshing way to experience a great song.

Success might be just around the corner. ‘Why...

So Chet Faker finally got around to recording an album. Having heard various snippets on Triple J, where it was feature album for a week, I finally got the chance to give Built On Glass a listen through this evening - while I took a long, relaxing bath, as it happens. As long as you’re on board with bath-dancing (and really, why shouldn’t you be?), I highly recommend this mode of listening.

Sharing various merits with a bath, this is exactly the kind of album you want to sink into after a difficult week and with an icy drink in hand. It’s warm, smooth and bubbly, and that’s probably about as far as the bath metaphor can take us. It may even have gone too far already. No matter.

Faker splits the record into two halves with a dreamy interlude: the first is where he consolidates on his strengths, and the second is where he gets a little more adventurous. Both are great, and they lend the...

She’s called her forthcoming album Ultraviolence, so we were kind of expecting a strong dose of grit, aggression and Tarantino-esque theatrics. This is not that. Once you move past your frustrated expectations, though, you can only agree that it’s a really strong release in general.

Del Rey’s vocals are swooning and powerful as ever, with typically sultry and vainglorious lyrics wrapping themselves languidly about an easy beat. Warm, vintage-style production pairs well with the west coast theme as Del Rey sings about her baby swinging. It’s rich, indulgent and gratifying - everything we’ve come to expect from this seductive songstress.

Currently we’ve only got the official audio, though if it’s a video experience you’re after, Del Rey’s rather bizarre art-film experiment is highly recommended.

Have a listen or two.