alt-J-Left Hand Free

English rockers alt-J drop their new single "Left Hand Free." alt-J experienced huge success back in 2012 with their debut album An Awesome Wave. Their sound combined some electronic production, awesome instrumentals, and completely incoherent vocals. When asked about their new single, alt-J said that "Left Hand Free" would be "too normal", as their label was concerned that their last release "Hunger of The Pines" was not a big enough single. While not as abstract as some of their other music, it's still far from normal, infused with their ridiculous lyrics and the "unique" organ solo. Look for alt-J's new album This Is All Yours September 22.

Air Traffic Controller-The House

Air Traffic Controller was definitely my favorite discovery of the past year. Their sophomore album, Nordo, continues to be one of my favorites. The Boston band always uses intriguing lyrics, whether funny or heartfelt, and combines them with emotional instrumentals. "The House" is their first new song since 2012 and sounds more like a pop anthem then their usual alternative sound, but still reflects Dave Munro's skills as a songwriter by avoiding the senseless lyrics of most other bands today. "The House" will be available on iTunes July 29th and be sure to check out their superb album from 2012, Nordo.

Young The Giant-Islands (Ark Patrol Remix)

Ark Patrol decides to remix one of Young The Giant's older songs, "Islands", from their debut album. The Hawaiian producer strips the already eerie track of all instrumentals and adds his own backdrop. Using a beautiful combination of synth chords, AP carefully builds around the vocals of Sameer Gadhia. For more of Ark Patrols incredible work check out his Ambition EP.

Catfish and the Bottlemen-Kathleen

As is with most good rock bands nowadays, Catfish and the Bottlemen are a new group out of the UK. The beginning of "Kathleen" sounds like the usual catchy alternative verse, but the band quickly changes pace when they enter the chorus. The lead singer's voice gets deeper and the instrumentals follow with heavy percussion. It's this part of their sound that gets me excited for what they'll release in the future. For more Catfish and The Bottlemen, download their debut EP Kathleen and the Other Three on iTunes now.

RDGLDGRN-Robots

The multicolored trio comes out with their first single since their 2013 debut RDGLDGRN EP. "Robots" demonstrates their signature style of combining upbeat instrumentals and both rapping and singing.

Vacationer-In The Grass

Undoubtedly the best new band of the summer is Vacationer, who after releasing a couple of singles have dropped their sophomore album Relief. "In The Grass" is a song you can play over and over again before summer comes to an end.

Dirty Heads-Sound of Change

Another single off of Dirty Heads' upcoming album, Sound of Change is an anthem for this summer. With an uplifting chorus and some good verses by Dirty J and Duddy B, the eponymous track has me even more excited for the group's third studio album. Look out for Sound of Change on July 8 and download the single on iTunes now.

JMR-Closer

I realize it's been a full week since I've made a new post but it's not due to laziness, there's a music drought. May isn't really a month for music, everyone is busy with finals and it's not quite time for summer music. However, I have found a few gems, one being Joshua Michael Robinson's second single "Closer." The song begins with hardly any instrumental, giving the vocals a chilling sound. As the song progresses and the instruments start to come in, the impressive vocals turn into some arresting verses. "Closer" will be featured on JMR's upcoming album, American Hell.

Dirty Heads-My Sweet Summer

SoCal band Dirty Heads are back with their new single "My Sweet Summer." The track is off their upcoming album Sound of Change, out July 8. "My Sweet Summer" seems to show DH reverting back to their old style, circa-Any Port In The Storm, a little more punk-infused reggae than Cabin In The Sea.

Lorde-Tennis Court (Flume Remix)

Fuck the haters, I may never get sick of Lorde remixes. Flume's remix of the New Zealand 17-year old's single "Tennis Court" is no exception. Flume keeps the dynamite verses in the song but greatly improves on the poor chorus, adding some really awesome drops that only Flume could create.

Vacationer-The Wild Life

Vacationer is back with their new track "The Wild Life." As soon as you press play you'll begin to realize that summer is oh so close. The upbeat anthem uses all kinds of Caribbean vibes and instruments that's sure to have me blasting this obnoxiously throughout Dallas. "The Wild Life" will be featured on the Vacationer's next album Relief, out June 24.

Street Joy-Same As Me

LA alternative band Street Joy releases their third single "Same As Me". The smooth jam shows the band's instrumental talent and the lead singer's perfect alternative rock voice.

Sticky Fingers-Gold Snafu

Melbourne band Sticky Fingers is back with their best song yet, "Gold Snafu." The upbeat track starts off with some flute and goes into a repetitive lick. The lead singer creates a great melody, though, which sounds like something from Smash Mouth circa 1997 until the song breaks into a mixture of little girls singing, an increase in instruments, and some awesome harmonizing.

Magic!-Rude

Reggae band Magic! from...Canada... released their first single back in October but I just recently found this one. It's got that great reggae-rock/ska sound that I love so much.

Elliot Moss-Slip

When I first heard "Slip" the first thought I had was "How the hell have I not heard of Elliot Moss before?". Turns out the New York singer released his first album, composed of 10 songs, all the way back in October. I listened to the whole album immediately and it's obvious the guy has a lot of talent. His music consists of beautifully composed dark alternative electronic songs with emotional lyrics that aren't quite seen as often as they used to be. I was even more baffled when I discovered that Elliot Moss also produced all of his Highspeeds album. Though I highly recommend the album, it's "Slip" that truly showcases future star Elliot Moss' skills as a musician.

Yeo-Kobe

Melbourne band Yeo is blowing up ever since their single "Kobe" dropped. The cheerful track comes with a catchy chorus and some cool synths.

PHOX-Slow Motion

Wisconsin band PHOX releases their first single. The six-piece indie pop band makes their a debut a hit thanks to the smooth instrumentals and the impressive voice of lead singer Monica Martin. Their first album, PHOX, is slated for a June 24 release date.

RÜFÜS-Take Me (Chloe Martini Remix)

Chloe Martini remixes RÜFÜS' dance single "Take Me" and turns it into an incredibly relaxing song.

D/C-Daughter, Daughter

British singer/songwriter D/C drops the beautiful "Daughter, Daughter", which features a simple beat of percussion and a little guitar that keeps the focus on the great vocals.

Elli Ingram-C'Dawha

Elli Ingram releases her sophomore EP The Doghouse. She's been described as the hip-hop Adele, and it's hard to argue. The Doghouse hasn't been released in the states yet, but in the UK it's a big hit and not hard to see why. This track combines her vocals with some really awesome production by Felix Joseph and Aston Rudi. Also check out "All Caught Up", "When It Was Dark". and "The River."