Caught in the net: A smooth start for Daughter

The 4AD-signed band Daughter had passed me by until I saw a video of the London-based trio performing on the David Letterman show youtu.be/VZy_vVAUej8.

Though frontwoman Elena Tonra seems painfully shy on stage, she and her fellow players turned out a powerful performance of the brooding track "Youth" from an EP released last year. This month the trio also released a single, "Smoother", with "Run" on the B-side. It can be found on Spotify and iTunes. Both tracks offer delicate downbeat pop with hints of folk and melancholy guitar soundscapes. Find more from them at facebook.com/ohdaughter and http://soundcloud.com/ohdaughter.

Kendrick's heart is on his sleeve

Good kid, m.A.A.d. city, from Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar was released this week to rapturous reviews, but he also managed to drop a non-album track over the weekend. "The Heart Pt 3 (Will You Let It Die?)" is available as a free download at snd.sc/XDo2Pe, and finds Lamar spitting confident but introspective rap growls over a loose track of languid string and flute samples, and skittering beats.

Indie darlings duet together

US indie music movers and shakers Adam Green and Binki Shapiro have got together to make a collaborative album due out in January. The project calls to mind the partnership of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood and other classic pop duets down through the years. Their first song is "Here I Am", a delicate folk pop number, free at damandbinki.com.