TELL YOUR SHADOW WHAT TO DO.

Storybook escapism is pretty much the name of the game with Australia's Jinja Safari, and nowhere is this more evident than on debut single "Peter Pan". Nursery rhyme glockenspiels set the scene in the prelude, and when you open your eyes to take it all in, you're flying high above chimneys and treetops, as the mundanity of everyday life melts away below. All afropop rhythms and starry-eyed guitars, it's a bit like if Jonsi, Local Natives and The Dodos all met up in Neverland to give it all up and form their very own Animal Collective. It's inspired unironic folk pop, and a shot of fresh air that feels like basking in early teenhood bliss. They were a bristling force of nature at the Great Escape, so choose your adventure wisely and indulge in Jinja Safari. The band make their NYC debut this week at Mercury Lounge tomorrow night and Pianos on Wednesday, so get involved and experience the magic for yourself.

MP3: "Peter Pan" - Jinja Safari

THICK AS THIEVES.

Attention industry heads: there's a new next big thing in town. Ambassadors rolled quietly onto the scene earlier this year and wasted no time shaking Brooklyn's sleepy indie rock scene up with their visceral soul-powered vocals, primal percussive beats and arena-sized live show, quickly establishing themselves as the kind of immense hybrid of Kings of Leon and Local Natives that could take mainstream rock radio in the US (and the UK for that matter) by storm. With one of the bigger live shows we've seen from a new band this year and their debut album Litost already in hand, Ambassadors strike us as the kind of thing major label bidding wars are made of, as the four piece look to establish themselves as a formidable presence in the rock landscape of 2011.

For proof, look no further than triumphant lead single and live highlight "Unconsolable", all militaristic drums and ominous brass surges, as glass-half-empty lyrics are consoled by a blanket of industrial guitar swipes and brooding synth-noir washes. Coming on strong as Ambassadors' unflinching statement of intent, it's an ambitiously well-layered song with a stomping Dodos-esque percussive heartbeat that picks up immediately where your last heartbreak left off.

MP3: "Unconsolable" - Ambassadors [exclusive]

TINY LITTLE WAVES OF THE FOREST.

We're pretty much all about the burgeoning Miami music scene - I mean, who hasn't been inspired by the sounds of the Miami since Will Smith first preached the city's gospel way back when? Born of the hot hot heat, palm trees and neon pastels of the Magic City are up and comers like Lil Daggers, Millionyoung and of course the amazing ANR, and if you haven't gotten lost in the very special jams of the latter to this point you need to make haste and do so immediately. ANR's debut album Stay Kids is chock full of psychedelic pop gems but none more epic than their STRAIGHT UP power ballad, "The Endless Field of Mercury." The track starts out sweet: choral arrangements and soft keys as far as the eye can see. Then come crashing waves of percussion and urgent vocals that put them somewhere between Yeasayer and Local Natives, and suddenly you've got a severe case of contagious elation on your hands. And though we posted the mp3 yesterday it gets better still - the music video is JUST as epic as the song and strikes the same angelic yet powerful chord - who knew that 1970's beauty pageants could be so affecting?

Then there's the live show, which takes things to another level entirely. Not since The Dodos have we witnessed a two piece unleash so much raw power and intensity on stage, as drummer/vocalist Michael-John Hancock and virtuoso keyboard/synth man Brian Robertson Not planning on heading to Miami any time soon? Worry not - we got you covered. Check them out at the next Popshop (tickets here) along side Walk The Moon and Savoir Adore next Thursday April 7th.

MP3: "The Endless Field of Mercury" - ANR

I WANT YOU BACK.

Of the hotly tipped bands at SXSW '09 only Local Natives and New Villager were both unsigned and previously unproven in the presence of industry types, and A&R's from New York and London packed out venues all week to see the much hyped West Coast acts for the first time. New Villager succumbed to poor sound systems and a heavy dependence on backing tracks, but Local Natives flourished in the spotlight, consistently dropping jaws all week long. Their forthcoming debut album, Gorilla Manor, walks the line between The Dodos and Cold War Kids with rollicking percussion and melodies to die for, and if the response so far is any indication the Silverlake five-piece are going to have A&R's crawling all over one another trying to lock them down them in the months to come.

MP3: "Airplanes" - Local Natives

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