The poppy Oxfordians known as Foals are set to release their third LP, Holy Fire, this Tuesday on Transgressive records. It could be easy to overlook the clean-cut five piece, swimming as they are in the same pond as the likes of Twin Shadow and Violens, both bands with a remarkably refined sense of self. What Foals lack in flourish they make up with good taste and consistent song craft. Check out the video for their second single from Holy Fire, “My Number,” and pick up a copy of the record here.

While technically sequenced as a b-side on Ducktails’ latest long-player The Flower Lane, “Letter of Intent” is a clear stand-out on an consistently stellar record. A multitude of guests are featured on this one, including vocalists Jessa Farkas (Future Shuttle) and Ian Drennan (Big Troubles), as well as bass and synth work from Joel Ford and Daniel Lopatin (Ford & Lopatin) respectively. Its a long list of collaborators for what amounts to a relatively simple and well-crafted pop tune. You can pick up a copy of The Flower Lane HERE.

She may be the little sister in the first family of pop c. 2012, but Solange represents an altogether unique and even strange bird among these regal creatures. Known as much for her Dirty Projectors cover and well-recorded Grizzly Bear appreciation as her own LPs, Solange inverts the Kanye cross-over model, inserting a modern soul aesthetic into an indie mold. Her newest single, “Losing You,” features production by Blood Orange, mixing by Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor and an inescapable, ear worm of a pop hook. Watch her scamper around Cape Town with some well-attired friends in the video, then pick up the 12’’ via Terrible Records.

A few months late on this… but Egyptian Hip Hop are young. That much we know. The precocious Mancunians wrote and recorded much of their debut EP “Some Reptiles Developed Wings” before turning 18, and the first full length, “Good Don’t Sleep”, before cracking 20 years of age. Released this past Halloween on respected dance imprint R&S, “Good Don’t Sleep” is a moody collection that gently glides between highs and lows without ever losing a sense of motion that gives the record its sense of cohesion. Tempos dip but the spirit remains the same. Check out the first single from the LP, “SYH.”.

LA two-piece Rhye infuse lounge-appropriate downtempo with an earthy soulfulness on their breakout track “The Fall.” Warm vocals evoke a continental Victoria Legrand (Beach House), though supposedly they belong to the very-much-a-man Mike Milosh. The sounds are at once burdened and heartfelt, but never melodramatic. The video is spot on as well, featuring the wandering eye and imagination of a well-dressed 30 something party-goer as he considers a life he can no longer lead. Take a listen… one more time, and grab the EP HERE.