For those that haven't heard of Thundercat he is a funky bass magician, somewhat like this generation's Bootsy Collins. He has been gaining a massive fan base from the likes of listeners and musicians alike, most recently as the man behind Kendrick Lamar's highly acclaimed To Pimp A Butterfly.  It's Thundercat's solo work where he really shines though.  His most recent single "Them Changes" is one of those indescribably catchy songs. With the help of an Isley Brothers drum sample, Thundercat soulfully sings about heartbreak and loss while perfectly juxtaposed to a video of a modern day samurai who loses his arms to a superior swordsman.

The art of the music video has come a long way since the days of MTV.  Nowadays the best ones can be as good as a full length movie. Punk rockers Pup have delivered a true gem in this regard with their music video for the song "Guilt Trip".  Even if their punk rock sound isn't your thing, the video is worth a watch as it tells the Stand By Me kind of story of childhood shenanigans that takes a turn for the dark. It's a great song too, so what's not to love?

In trying to keep in touch with the kids these days I took a dive into the fine print of this years Bonnaroo Music Festival to see if there was anything up and coming to look out for. What I discovered was yet another Australian band with a catchy sound about them.  In all honesty, I downloaded Little May's single "Hide" with my wife in mind, thinking it would be right in line with the radio pop that she loves. What ended up happening was that I can't stop listening to it, while it took a back seat to her Beyonce. There is something whimsical about them that I just can't put my finger on. Anyway, see for yourself, and as always Enjoy!

Now that Game of Thrones has ended for yet another year, sometimes the best hungry fans can do is follow the actors and actresses from the amazing show.  In doing so, the London based duo Seafret deliver with a moving music video featuring none other than our favorite under-age-assassin-in-training Maisie Williams (Arya Stark). The song itself is a devastating story about being distant in a relationship both physically and emotionally.  

Run The Jewels released their highly anticipated second album recently and it's a damn fun listen.  The collaboration between underground hip-hop stars El-P and Killer Mike consists of super heavy beats and funny, yet "hard" lyrics.  Run The Jewels 2 is one of those legendary hip-hop albums that will keep you coming back again and again just for the good times. While they receive basically no radio play, they are currently in heavy rotation in lots of other popular media, from commercials, to Adult Swim bumps, to comic books.  Run The Jewels has exactly the right chemistry to take the world by storm. As an added bonus, on their new album, they even manage to rustle up a rare appearance by Rage Against The Machine's highly reclusive frontman Zach De La Rocha. What's not to love?

The hip-hop co-op that is Hail Mary Mallon is at it again with their fantastic beats, dark humor, and cool videos. For those uninitiated Hail Mary Mallon is a Rymesayers outfit bringing together the likes of Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, and DJ Big Wiz. Enough talk, its time to listen (and watch) now.

Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band have been a festival staple for many years now, and show no signs of slowing down with their newest roots blues endeavor So Delicious. For more grumbley blues check out their newest single "Pot Roast Kisses" and of course "Raise A Little Hell" (below).

Kelvin Jones is an aspiring singer who has been tearing up YouTube with his various covers ranging from Stevie Wonder to the Gorillaz.  Aside from his beautiful voice, what really stands out are his original tracks.  The track has gathered the most attention is "Call You Home", and for good reason.  See for yourself, and keep an eye out for this rising star.

L.A. based rapper Rheteric Ramirez has a pretty mean flow about him.  He got his name by making big splashes in the rap battle pool and continues to kick ass all over the place. Check out this live rendition of "Roskin Doblin".

Wisconsin based indie band Phox has been making some interesting music lately.  It kind of reminds me of The Head and The Heart crossed with The Alabama Shakes.  Although there is no official word on when their first full length album comes out, it looks like they will be hopping on the summer festival train to get their music out there. Until then, check their single "Slow Motion" and a nice live take of "Evil".

Apparently Atmosphere released a single last year called "Bob Seger". How did we miss that? They also have a brand spankin' new album coming out in May! Here is the video of last years one-off single. I suggest giving it a watch and listen separately to get the full effect, because the video is pretty captivating.

The UK based indie singer Daughter has finally dropped her debut full length album.  If there is one thing to be said about Daughter, it's that she has been consistently brilliant with her previous releases.  Here's hoping that If You Leave is a continuation of that hot streak. I think it's a safe bet.

What better song for the official start of the summer than a song about the ice cream man? Hailing from Vancouver, Five Alarm Funk is a high energy ska/funk band whose sound is just plain fun.  Here for your viewing pleasure is their newest track/video "We All Scream".

JENI aka Jenny Suk is a rising star on the YouTube front.  Not only does she have quite the vocal range, but her production chops are pretty tight too.  Here is her cover of SBTRKT's "Wildfire (fet. Little Dragon)" with some Drake thrown in for good measure.  Keep an eye on this one.

The Last Bison continue to impress with the release of their newest effort Inheritance.  While doing some research on the album I stumbled across something pretty awesome.  I present to you The Last Bison's take on M83's "Midnight City". Enjoy! 

Today we have one coming in from across the pond.  UK indie rock band Foals has done something pretty sweet with the first single off their new album Holy Fire. "Inhaler" follows the same recipe as AWOLNATION's "Sail" in a lot of ways, and comes with a pretty cool (and slightly NSFW) video too. Have a great day.

Warning: Video may be NSFW

Caught A Ghost has a great retro/soul vibe going on. If they keep it up, you may be looking at the next breakout band in 2013. Check out the "Somehow" video below, and sign up for their mailing list for free downloads.

Downtempo/trip-hop wizard Emancipator dropped his new album Dusk To Dawn  a few weeks ago.  For those familiar with his body of work this one will fit right in with his past two albums (three if you count last years remix album).  For those new listeners, Emancipator is a multi-instrumentalist/DJ who somehow captures soniclly the visual beauty of a slow snowfall.  It's the perfect music for a late night in studying or an early morning watching the sun come up.  I highly recommend.

In case you missed it, the prog-rock professionals Coheeed and Cambria have released a two disc concept album over the past few months.  The albums are called The Afterman: Ascension and The Afterman: Descension. They are true to Co&Ca's typical style while throwing in a few interesting twists.  Check out a few of their videos spanning both albums below, and for the true believers out there stop by the official site for their "Inside The Concept" video series to make sense of it all.

 Psychedelic rockers Tame Impala not only locked down one of the better band names we've heard in a while, they also make some fine music.  Stop reading this and start listening.