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Every year brings an ton of new albums by, well, new artists, but the most anticipated releases, as far as I'm concerned, are new albums by established acts who aren't relying on a single or a sparse EP to fill up a too-large music hall. That's why the Cold War Kids' fourth studio album, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, is an album I'm looking forward to in the next couple of months. 

The Cold War Kids have been on the road for the past few months in support of their latest album, Mine Is Yours, with upcoming performances at both Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. In the meantime, the group continues to roll out the album's accompanying videos, the most recent of which is “Skip The Charades.” During a little downtime, lead singer Nathan Willett shared a few tidbits on recording the new album and filming the latest video.

Interstate Highway 35 divides the East side of Austin from the rest of the city and has, for decades, been a relatively isolated section of town for low-income minority families, hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants, and supply warehouses. However, as Austin has boomed over the past decade, there has been a push past the highway, to venues like The Scoot Inn and Longbranch Inn, echoing back to an Austin of old. I spend the second day of SXSW in the heart of the “Eastern Block,” as its called.

The Cold War Kids have been steadily gaining momentum since their debut album Robbers & Cowards, which captured the hearts of the indie community and Gossip Girl fans alike (their music has been used on the show more than once). Their latest effort, Loyalty to Loyalty, continues where they left off, with bluesy bass lines and yelping vocals -- this time with a darker tint. On stage they extend this aesthetic, with the backdrop of a Grateful Dead-esque skeleton (the cover of the new album) looming in the background, intermittently illuminated by the light of a strobe. See and listen for yourself as the band is currently on tour and are also releasing a live EP on April 18 for Record Store Day. But first, bassist Matt Maust enlightens us about the YouTube sensation “kittens inspired by kittens” and having tea with PJ Harvey in our irreverent-‘cause-we-wanna-be Pop Quiz.

Matthew Aveiro, drums. 1. Gwen Stefani, “Hollaback Girl.” Apart from being a Gwen Stefani song, the lyrics are the hardest thing to swallow: “This shit is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S.” 2. Three 6 Mafia, “Stay Fly.” I feel least guilty about this one. There are some weak lines, but the guilt I feel is mostly from my pleasure seeming ironic. 3. Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights.” The synth part is so good it nearly redeems the awkward rhymes and lyrics.

Since their first album quietly dropped in 2006, the Cold War Kids have been steadily popping up on hipsters’ playlist, mainly with their hit anthem “Hang Me Up to Dry.” They’ve played mainstage at the Glastonbury Festival and have been heard on shows like Entourage and Gossip Girl. Their second LP, Loyalty to Loyalty drops on September 23, when they’ll embark on an extensive tour across the US. The band’s lead singer, Nathan Willett took some time to talk about their popularity in the UK, the digital music age, and the philosopher that galvanized their new album.