Guilt-free music: Bowerbirds, Foreign Born, Antlers, Jay Reatard

Bowerbirds, "Northern Lights" (mp3)
Bowerbirds hail from Raleigh, North Carolina, and their country-folk style seems like the kind of thing you'd expect to hear in the Appalachian wilderness. The lead singer's voice reminds me a little bit of a different musical Bird. They played T. T.'s last month; if, like me, you slept on it, catch them when they come back around in the summer.

Foreign Born, "Early Warnings" (mp3)
More rootsy pop, this time with an emphasis on acrobatic guitar arrangements. I don't have much to add, except to point out that they're also playing T. T.'s this summer. 

Antlers, "Two" (mp3)
The Antlers are an ambitious band who will probably be well-known - at least within indie circles - soon enough. "Two" reminds me a bit of the Arcade Fire hanging out with Justin Vernon, to give you an idea.

Jay Reatard, "It Ain't Gonna Save Me" (mp3)
Reatard, who's about to release his first proper album on Matador (the singles collection that came out last year doesn't count), is often lumped in as part of the polarizing lo-fi movement in punk, but to these ears, this song just sounds like gleeful indie power-pop. Side note: this is the only album mentioned in this post that hasn't leaked as of this writing.