I haven’t been listening to much new music this summer, mostly new releases from established bands I already like. Surprisingly, I discovered the most interesting band I’ve heard lately on the Urban Outfitters blog.

Battles recently released their first full length album, and the song Atlas has been a lot of fun driving down the road in my truck or trapped in headphones at the office. The song is a high speed juggernaut of indie rock, with relentless pounding drums, and nonsensical chipmunk-like vocals. The music video is very creative and visually stands out as one of the best videos I’ve seen in a while.

This is one of those tracks that most people around you won’t understand. The vocals are strange, there isn’t much of a hook or anything to sing to, and the song is 7+ minutes long. Stick with it though, it’s a fist pounder, and there’s a lot to appreciate here.

Battles - Atlas