Originally from New York’s Greenwich Village, Elizabeth and the Catapult released their debut album Taller Children in June to the delight of their strong downtown fan base. A founding member of L.A. Symphony, Flynn Adam presents his solo work with b-side single “Dishes.” Gary Baker, who records under the name Gary Go, released his first self-titled LP in May. Having both dropped prior solo albums, Marco Polo and Torae decided to collaborate together for 2009’s Double Barrel. Polly Scattergood brings her quirky musical styles to the States straight from Essex, England.

Elizabeth & The Catapult

“Taller Children”

This song was a little slow to start for me, but once it hit bridge I was really enjoying it. The band is pretty adorable, as were the paper instruments, and that little kid is pretty cute too. At first I kind of wanted to say, “Hey, didn’t Lily Allen already write 20 songs in a similar vein?” but the group is so delightfully playful and self-aware. (Case in point: This song was written specifically about the crisis on Wall Street and the current recession.) It’s hard not to fall for the whole package. They’ve peaked my curiosity because I now have a hankering to see them live and will probably catch a performance.

Flynn Adam

“Dishes”

Personally, this song aggravates me a tiny bit. Shrinking love into a series of simple tasks and reducing it to merely doing the dishes… ladies help me out here. Annoying, right? Also, there’s a lot of out-dated slang running through these lyrics. That was sort of grating on my nerves as well.

Gary Go

“Wonderful”

Just a warning: There are tons of hipster glasses in this round of Freshmen. I mean, I dig the whole Buddy Holly look so I’m a fan. Overall, the song is pretty standard pop and I didn’t find the video appealing. It seems to drag a little. But I do understand how it could be uplifting on a downer day.

Marco Polo & Torae

“Party Crashers”

Didn’t this movie come out like five years ago? I did like the glasses the girl at the door was wearing. Hipster alert! (I told you guys. Ha ha.) In all seriousness, this video did give me a chuckle if only because I’ve attended some of those ridiculous art parties. They’re boring. I would have loved someone to bust it up in a similar manner. Also, the office presentation. That was funny. And who doesn’t love cheeseballs? (I’m talking about the snack food.)

Polly Scattergood

“Please Don’t Touch”

Scattergood is one of those quirky wonders where you have to stop, ponder, and consider if she’s a little too weird for her own good. I am actually a fan of this album, but she’s quite the odd duck. However, I think with this video in particular, it works in her favor. Setting her unusual voice against very simple backdrops provides a wonderful, delicate balance of normalcy. And since she seems a bit fragile around the edges herself, it’s a wonderful reflection and mirror to her personality. The result ends up being rather charming.

My pick for the week is Polly Scattergood with strong honorable mention going to Elizabeth and the Catapult. What’s yours? Let me know in the comments section just below.

Voting runs from 11 AM (EST) Monday until 2 PM (EST) on Friday.