As we sit and wait patiently for new Echo Lake material to surface, the band’s guitarist and principal songwriter Thom Hill gets busy with Peaking Lights and flips ‘Marshmallow Yellow’ on its head.

A distant cousin to Teen Dream opener Zebra, it’s another hugely confident step forward for a band that never cease to dazzle – coming of age like a fine wine. This could be the duo’s boldest moment to date. Take a deep breath…

Akin to Sonic Youth’s poppier moments, ‘Forever Grinning’ propels itself towards the skies with a steady force – all off-kilter guitar lines, sporadic bass rumblings and… seagulls.

Amandine are back! Blending obvious Americana references with the natural surroundings of their Swedish homeland; the band set about creating the aural equivalent of a warm and tender embrace. Stunning.

Vanbot continues her ascent with this first taster from her as-yet untitled second album. Grab ‘Got To Get Out’ as a free download inside.

A taster from the forthcoming Beat Connection album, due sometime this summer, ‘Think/Feel’ is the first single to feature the expanded lineup (and no, the cute cat pictured is not the new member).

If ‘Violent Sea’ is any representation of things to come, we could be looking at the first essential partnership of 2012. A technicolor wonder – essential listening.

‘Mutiny’ dips, ducks and soars in all the right places and goes some way to prove that, when it comes to intelligent yet accessible indie fayre (see also: Outfit, Zulu Winter) – Liverpool continue to lead the way in 2012. Catch up, London.

With their eagerly awaited debut album Instinct due to drop on May 14 and the floor filling call to arms anthem ‘DJ, Ease My Mind’ out today, Niki & The Dove continue their assault by releasing this brand new remix of ‘DJ’ by Seamus Haji.

There’s an excitement contained within these three and a half minutes that can only be described as primal. Ferocious, bleak and fuelled with bile and movement. More please.

Beautiful. Malin Dahlström performs a stripped back rendition of forthcoming Niki and the Dove single ‘DJ, Ease My Mind’ in her parents’ garden.

Phantogram return with the eagerly awaited Nightlife EP – due out via Barsuk Records this forthcoming Monday 20 February. As a pre-cursor, the track ’16 Years’ has been made available as a free download.