T.R. Burge & The Temple: This Bird is Flown

Manchester-based band T.R. Burge & The Temple peddle the kind of Gothic folk that will sound familiar to fans of DeVotchKa. They recorded the basic tracks from their forthcoming album Godache in thier hometown, before setting up shop at Klangbild Studios in Berlin, and the German love for the classics spilt over to their new single This Bird is Flown, with a prominent role for Aninka Rosa's violin, slowly taking over from the sad sounding keyboards. It is about loss and mourning, before finding some kind of solace in art.

Alien Chicks: Madmen

London-based progressive power-punk trio Alien Chicks have used their righteous anger about rightwing nutjobs and other dictators for their new intense single Madmen. "Democracy does not exist anymore" was a line that nobody expected to become true, but it becomes more real each day.

Great Lakes: "Fear of the Fear" video

American folk rocker Ben Crum has unveiled a video for Fear of the Fear, the title track from the new album by his band Great Lakes on which he is trying to get to grips with the death of his close friend Ryan Trammel. He is not haunted by demons on this one, but the feeling of "being haunted by twenty hounds" is scary enough. It is a rambling rocker with a purpose: to find some kind of closure as he mourns the loss of his pal.

Jon Madof Trio: Netzach

NYC-based composer and guitarist Jon Madof has been mixing genres for decades to create his own sound. Traditional Jewish music, surf, jazz, rock, metal, punk and avant-garde are thrown together on Netzach, the new album with his Jon Madof Trio. It is aseamless jigsaw puzzle that will have listeners scratching their heads about what they are being exposed to. Is it a soundtrack for a Western, a late night speakeasy that treats the punters to music or a sweaty rock club with a denim clad crowd bobbing up and down? The short answer: yes, it is all of that and more.

Netzach, which translates as "eternity", is an ode to music and the big city that houses such a wide diversity of cultures. Madof steers his trio along all the sights, paying tribute to his heroes John Zorn, Nick Cave and Derek Trucks, who are also have created their own niche. The mood is both joyous and introspective, going through hills and valleys. The musicians reach for the sky, fully aware that the destination will remain out of reach. The neverending journey ensures that more of these adventurous and intricate compositions will see the light of day in the future.

Dear Misses: Lost Mind In Beauty

Swiss neo-psych band Dear Misses teamed up with singer Belinda Villforth who also wrote the lyrics for their dreamy single Lost Mind In Beauty. It is a love song about emotional turmoil, built upon the premise that you have to go to a lot of shit to feel better, but it does not end well. "Feeling full of cockroaches in my head" is bad news. The dream is a nightmare after all.