Why listen to Vampire Weekend when you can just listen to Elvis Costello? 

Or, you could listen to the Jealous Girlfriends, whose slightly shoegazer-y but undeniably lovely music is far fresher.  Lead female vocalist Holly Miranda has a deliberate, versatile voice that runs the gamut from airy to edgy (the closest I can get is somewhere in between Leona Naess/Cat Power/Sheryl Crow[!]); the dual vocals with Josh Abbott are friendly and sweet.  Interesting instrumentation (trombone, anyone?) and surprising tone shifts (“Something in the Water” is a shocker after the first half of the album) keep this S/T record engaging.

Download: “Organs on the Kitchen Floor”