Get lost in the kaleidoscopic trance-inducing images for Castle Kids’ latest video "What You See." The music of Castle Kids mixes elements of trip hop with ambient, chilled out psychedelia, creating both a relaxing and engaging aural experience. In the same way, the video mixes elements from what seems to be an obscure 80s movie – which also appears to be the source of the audio samples in the song – and abstract, DMT-inspired imagery. The visual aesthetic reinforces the musical sampling effect washing all your senses simultaneously. Watch the video below, and wait for that detuned synth melody to be introduced. That’s when things really get interesting. "What You See" is the lead single off the band’s recently released full length, ‘Are You Even’ streaming on soundcloud. – Jacqueline Caruso

Diamonds Under Fire are a female trio that write exhiliratingly raw music, best exemplified on the video for their latest track "Everything Fades to Red". The squally rocker is fronted by singer Vanessa Silberman, healing her mangled emotions alongside heaps of fuzzbox distortion that rattle with an impenetrable force. The track can be found on their recently released EP Hearts of Hiatus, a five-track collection of demos, B-sides and remixes that serves as a gift for their fans until they unveil their next full-length in 2014. 

As her name implies, Bedouin is a citizen of the world. With no country to her name, she found the inspiration for her latest musical efforts right here in LA. Collaborating with producer Jake Blanton (The Killers, Father John Misty) on her self-titled debut EP due out January 7, the anonymous songstress cultivated a tapestry of influences that meld into a hypnotic and soulful offering. Her voice is enchanting, her songwriting filled with whimsy and intrigue. There’s a thread of longing throughout the EP, almost a distant, far away dreamy-ness, that intones her gypsy nature. Stream "The City" here and catch her live tonight at The Standard in Hollywood. – Jacqueline Caruso

The buzz surrounding Elizabeth Le Fey, the songwriter behind Globelamp, may have less to do with her music and more to do with another buzzband. Le Fey spent a tumultuous period as a touring member of Foxygen, as well as founding member, Sam France’s girlfriend. In spite of all the drama, and the eventual break from France, Le Fey never lost sight of her own artistic aims. The two even worked together to put the songs of Globelamp into an experimental EP, made entirely on a 8-track. She calls it an experiementation, and that spirit is what makes it magical. Truly lo-fi, her folk psychedelia is on full display, conjuring images of 60s mysticism, seances and free love. Throughout the recordings her voice is mostly layered and hidden, but having had the pleasure of seeing her perform live proved she has the vocal prowess of one well beyond her youth. She fits so many ideas into each song, shaping her voice to each moment. Le Fey is offering a feast for the ears that will leave you stuffed, yet never tiring for seconds. And I get the sense that she is a wellspring ready to burst. Stream her entire EP, ‘Star Dust’ on bandcamp, featuring standouts, "Daddy’s Gone" and "Witch House." – Jacqueline Caruso

 "Lost" couldn’t be a more apropros title for musical soulmates Scavenger Hunt, the confident new single by a duo of non-LA natives who moved to the city and found each other by way of happenstance. It all started when multi-instrumentalist Dan Mufson moved from Philadelphia in search of a luminous set of pipes, and he finally struck good fortune when he first heard trained jazz/folk singer Jill Lamoreux. He couldn’t pass the opportunity, so called her up, invited her to his studio and well, the rest is history. Theirs is a meeting a two like minds, who opted to take the electro-pop route with an anthemic pop slant laced with scorching synth lines and effervescent call-and-response vocals. Have a listen to "Lost" below, and check them out tomorrow night at the Lyric Theater.

Female-fronted bands are being celebrated tonight at The Lexington. Headliners HOTT MT will be joined by L.A. Girlfriend, Haunted Summer, as well as new artist to watch, Mean Dream. They recently released a two-song samplr on bandcamp. Mean Dream Samplr is drenched in lo-fi scuzz, 80s teenage ennui, and peppered with dreamy, listless vocals reminiscent of Chrissy Hynde. The opening song, "Swamp Thing," stutters and starts, yet maintains a hypnotic bass line that tethers you to their madness. At times the edges are so rough, you feel as though you’ve been dropped into the midst of a heroin haze. Miraculously, they seem to slide right back into the groove making you realize they never really lost their way in the first place. The band proves their true pop prowess with "Full of Holes." The lighter companion to the shadowy opener, this tune’s driving beat never quits. Just as you get lost in the rhythm, they hit you with the lines, "you can get in and out of my bed," shoving you off the seesaw of indifference. Mean Dream perfectly combine elements of the silly, the spooky, and the twee, with the ever-so-seriousness of shoegaze for a delightfully visceral experience. Catch them live tonight at The Lexington. – Jacqueline Caruso

The pulsing rush of slinky electro duo Drab Majesty slickly changed gears on their debut EP Unarian Dances, interspersed somewhere between throbbing electronic textures and irreverent lo-fi sonic excursions. They followed that EP with a pair of songs that featured a more pronounced darkwave aesthetic, emanating bouncy synth lines and snappy mechanized rythmic patterns like a mysterious silhouette shifting across the walls in a dance-fused frenzy. The project of main songwriter Andrew Clinco is making one last 2013 appearance this Sunday night at the Echo, opening for Captured Tracks electro-pop fixtures Minks in their infamous Part Time Punks series. Drown yourself with lavish sadness by streaming their gleaming track "Foreign Eyes" below. 

Levels sport a frustratingly Google-unfirendly name, so let me shine a light on their background – the trio of Florida residents Cody Wilson, Mikey Rollingchild, and Roxor Evensen have been longtime friends ever since they met 15 years ago, and through thick and thin they finally stopped at California and made it their home. The sludge-pop enthusiasts like to bridge a gap between noise and melody, employing jerky guitars and vibrant choruses that incite listeners to stand up and shout. Check out the payfully sinister promo cut for their song "Regrets", which accentuates their pop tendencies in both their tasteful riffs and call-and-response vocals. – Juan Rodríguez

If you do one thing today, it should be to watch this latest video from Wages. It will leave you with chills and the desire to hug someone you love. A visually stunning interpretation of the song’s lyrical messages, the video is inspiring from the first string embellishments to the final unexpectedly unresolved ending. The artist, Yarrow Kraner, spent days painstakingly implementing live ink techniques to create patterns in the water, setting the perfect visual mood at every moment of the song. As it swells, the images move faster as the colors collide into each other like an underwater storm. Trust me, this is a video you’ll be watching on repeat today. It is Monday after all. – Jacqueline Caruso

Nick Campbell & Wages – Pull Through from CHISEL INDUSTRIES on Vimeo.

I can’t even begin to fully scratch the surface of The Intelligence. In their latest release Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me, listeners get a feel for how the album will sound, garage mixed with revival punk and 60’s psychedelic rock. The guitar strums last for days, tripping out every listener as the Casio piano enters stage left with its mellowed transitions into a lazy Sunday afternoon. Lars Finberg is a great musician, and is less than simple with his instruments, but his quirky perspectives brings back the lost art of trippy garage punk rock and feels like you’re listening to a throwback album circa 1986. The band can help you find peace in your week while getting down to their unique musicianship at least for a good 40 minutes. They’re a loud, backyard concert that never ends, and you kind of don’t want it to. – Kayla Hay