Moving day

As of of today Discoverband has moved to it's own website: Discover-band.com

The One AM Radio - Sunlight

The One AM Radio is the musical project of Hrishikesh Hirway, a composer and songwriter from Los Angeles. The sound is often characterized by Hrishikesh's lush, soothing vocals over dream-like instrumental arrangements. He does most of his own recording, playing several of the instruments and producing all the beats. The style borders electronica, folk, post-rock, chamber music and ambient music.

Born in Massachusetts, Hrishikesh began The One AM Radio while being a student at Yale University, where he studied art and film. After moving to Los Angeles, the project expanded to include new bandmates Scott Leahy and Fontaine Cole.

Sunlight is the lead track from the new album Heaven Is Attached By A Slender Thread. The song is about driving all night through the empty city, waiting for the sun to come out and bring the chance to start over.



The One AM Radio @ Myspace, Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter

Source: Wikipedia

Galaxie - Camouflar

Galaxie , formerly known as Galaxie 500, is a francophone indie rock band, formed in 2002 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Under their original name, the band released two albums, Galaxie 500 (2002) and Le Temps au point mort (2006). The lineup that recorded Galaxie 500 consisted of Olivier Langevin, Pierre Girard, Fred Fortin, Simon Gauthier and Michel Dufour.

Several changes in personnel occurred between the recording of the two albums. For Le Temps au point mort, Langevin was joined by returning members Girard and Fortin, Vincent Peake of Groovy Aardvark (1986–2005) and Frank Lafontaine of Karkwa.

Camouflar is taken from their third album, Tigre et diesel, which was released in February.



Galaxie @ Bandcamp

Source: Wikipedia

Hoop Dreams - XCPR

Hoop Dreams is a mellow indie pop band from Blacksburg, made up of Max Brooks and Jeff Haley (former members of Wild Nothing), Tommy Davidson (Dream Cop), Jordan Mrazik, Julie Shepherd and Marcus McDonald. They make clattering, slightly neurotic pop songs in the vein of a deconstructed Cure.

The band is currently mixing a batch of songs for an LP release with Captured Tracks due out late this summer / early fall. Their first ever 7", XCPR, was released on 21 June. It stands for “cross country personal record”. Basically, it's to get people moving fast: dancing, running, speeding down the road.



Hoop Dreams @ Facebook, Bandcamp

Source: One for the people

Jesse Ruins - Sofija

Nobody seems to know who or what Jesse Ruins is, except that it’s some sort of project out of Tokyo which has put out a collaboration record on Cuz Me Pain records. Jesse Ruins maintains “that [he or she] is not doing this intentionally.”

Three songs have been released slowly over the past few months: Dream Analysis, Inner Ambient and Sofija. There are no plans for a record release yet.







Jesse Ruins @ Myspace, Facebook, Soundcloud, Bandcamp

Source: Subrepublic

Body Language - You Can

Brooklyn-based group Body Language consists of Matthew Young, Grant Wheeler, Angelica Bess and Ian Chang.

The band has risen from the DIY venue basements armed with the kinetic dynamite you would expect from the name. Their original music was born from weekly dance party remixes crafted by Wheeler and Young, and graced by the soul stylings of Bess. Their efforts, which illustrated their arrival into Brooklyn, were delivered in a five track EP called Speaks.

Since the EP release, Body Language has been touring with Zero 7, Sia and burning holes in New York City dance floors, appearing with the likes of Passion Pit, Little Boots, La Roux, School of Seven Bells and Theophilus London.

Single You Can is taken from their EP Social Studies. A deluxe edition of this EP is scheduled for release in October.



Body Language @ Myspace, Bandcamp, Twitter, Facebook

Source: Body Language

Sun Airway - Symphony In White, No. 2

Sun Airway is the Philadelphia-based project from ex-A-Sides Patrick Marsceill and Jon Bathmus. The duo comprise the core of the band, but they also expand to a fuller band for some of their live sets.

In a way, Sun Airway has a common sound with Animal Collective, but there is also hints of the melancholy side of British rock, from The Beatles to Blur. It’s this distinction that seperates them from many of their peers that are putting together records on their basement computers.

Sun Airway released a 4-song EP called Oh, Naoko, in 2009 and debut full-length, Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier, in October 2010.

Symphony in White is the B-side from their new 7-inch Wild Palms, scheduled for release on July 19.



Sun Airway @ Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Soundcloud

Source: Operation Every Band, LastFM

Future Islands - Before the Bridge

J Gerrit Welmers, William Cashion and Samuel T Herring have been making music together since 2003, and as Future Islands since 2006. Formed as college friends in Greenville, NC, they relocated to Baltimore after becoming friends with electronic musician Dan Deacon, an early and avid supporter of the band.

Rolling Stone describes their style as, “adding punishing heft to simple pop melodies, making blippy electropop sound oddly confrontational.” Future Islands calls it “Post-Wave,” taking in part from the emotional fragility of New Wave and coupling it with the power and drive of Post-Punk.

New single Before the Bridge will be released on 18 July as a limited edition vinyl 7-inch single.

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Future Islands @ Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr

Source: Thrill Jockey

Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra)

Wouter De Backer (born in Bruges, Belgium), also known as Walter (or Wally) De Backer, was raised in Australia, and is often referred to by the name of his solo-project Gotye (pronounced: ‘Gaultier’).

De Backer is an ARIA Award-winning singer-songwriter. As Gotye, he has released two studio albums independently and one remix album featuring remixes of tracks from his first two albums. He is also one-third of Melbourne indie-pop band The Basics, who have independently released three studio albums and numerous other titles since 2002.

Gotye’s sound is a melting pot of samples from sources far and wide, mixed with Wally’s vocals and home recorded sounds to form original songs that are as likely to channel ’80s New Romantic pop or ’60s Motown soul as they are to be experiments in kooky turntablism or progressive trip-hop landscapes.

New single, Somebody That I Used To Know, is the first single from his new album, Making Mirrors, scheduled for release on August 19.



Gotye @ Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud

Source: LastFM, Wikipedia

Gardens & Villa - Black Hills

Gardens & Villa is the project of five college friends from Santa Barbara, formed following the collapse of a noisier post-punk band and a hitch-hiking journey up the west coast. Members Chris Lynch, Adam Rasmussen, Levi Hayden, Shane McKillop began playing as Gardens & Villa in 2008. The name is pulled from the location of their house on Villa Street, and the property's garden to which they tend.

The music they make is very much connected to the coastal city they call home -- the stoney bike rides, dance parties, a scene free of judgment. The band refers to this Santa Barbara feeling as "coco vibes."

For two weeks in the summer of 2010, the band camped behind visionary and now-labelmate Richard Swift's Oregon studio. No shower, no kitchen, but all the magic you could ask for. After taking a band oath to always play all parts live -- a la Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense -- the band added member Dusty Ineman to supremely execute the live incarnation of the band.

Black Hills is taken from their self titled debut album, released this month.



Gardens & Villa @ Myspace, Bandcamp, Facebook

Source: Secretly Canadian

The Kill Van Kulls - Lost and Found

When you think of finely tuned guitar-pop, Stockport, UK is not what necessarily comes to mind as a breeding ground for the next big thing. Indie rockers The Kill Van Kulls - now Manchester-based - have only been together for less than 1 year and have already garnered attention from the likes of XFM and BBC.

What started out as a three piece plus a drum machine, has evolved into a more robust and lush sounding quartet that’s reminiscent of The Doves, The Cure, Simple Minds and pretty much any John Hughes film soundtrack.

Their latest single, Lost and Found, is released this week via the band’s own label, KVK Records.



The Kill Van Kulls @ Soundcloud, Myspace, Facebook, Twitter

Source: Alt Sounds

Burning Hearts - Into the Wilderness

It all started with 2 bands. Le Futur Pompiste, released one album in 2004, Your Stories and Your Thoughts, before the vagaries of adult life scattered them far and wide; and Cats on Fire, whose debut long-player, 2007’s The Province Complains, captivated all who were lucky enough to hear it.

It was inevitable that this pair of bands, whose music shares a poise and sophistication, would find each other. When they did, two members - Cats on Fire drummer and multi-instrumentalist Henry Ojala, and Le Futur Pompiste singer Jessika Rapo - decided to make yet more music on their own. The result is Burning Hearts.

New single Into the Wilderness is taken from their debut album, Aboa Sleeping.



Burning Hearts @ Myspace, Facebook, Soundcloud

Source: LastFM

The War On Drugs - Baby Missiles

The War on Drugs is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The band is the creation of a pair of Dylan fans, Adam Granduciel and Kurt Vile, who met at a party in 2003. After several drinks, Granduciel and Vile discovered their shared fascination with the Bard of Minnesota, and began working on songs together. By 2005, the pair had enough material to launch a proper band, and the War on Drugs were born. With Granduciel and Vile fronting the band, a variety of accompanists drifted in and out of the lineup before the War on Drugs settled on a stable lineup of Granduciel, Vile, Charlie Hall, Dave Hartley and Kyle Lloyd.

While they were hesitant to quit their jobs and begin touring extensively, the band became a frequent presence on the Philadelphia music scene. In 2007, they completed their debut EP, called Barrel of Batteries, posted online as a free download. Debut LP, Wagonwheel Blues, was released in 2008.

The lineup underwent several changes, and by the end of 2008, Kurt Vile, Charlie Hall, and Kyle Lloyd had all exited the group. Granduciel and Hartley were joined by drummer Mike Zanghi as the group slimmed to three members.

The long-awaited follow-up to 2008′s Wagonwheel Blues will be released on August 16th.



The War On Drugs @ Myspace, Facebook

Source: Wikipedia, itunes

Blouse - Into black

Blouse is based out of a 6,000 square-foot warehouse in North Portland. The project started in the summer of 2010, after Los Angeles native Charlie Hilton met Patrick Adams in art school. They made a few home recordings and soon began spending nights at the warehouse recording with Jacob Portrait (Producer of Mint Chicks, Dandy Warhols, Starfucker).

Having played music since their teens, the three found that there was something inexplicable in their coming together. After posting two demo tracks to Bandcamp's website, the group was picked up by Captured Tracks. They are currently recording their first LP which has been set for release around July

Into black is Blouse's debut single.



Blouse @ Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter

Source: Sub Pop records

Discoverband @ Spotify

The Shoes - Wastin' Time

The Shoes (aka Guillaume and Benjamin) are a French duo who make fluffy post 4am dance music, the likes of which have not been since the Beloved were riding high in the charts.

They have earned wide respect for their remix and production skills, and in turn called on various names on their debut album Crack My Bones (March 2011). The likes of Gonzales, Esser, The Cock’n Bull Kid, Primary One and Wave Machines can all be found adding keys, vocals and percussion to the well-rounded long player.

Wastin' Time is their second single.



The Shoes @ Myspace, Soundcloud, Facebook

Source: LastFM, Electronic Beats, News Digital Media

Capital Cities - Safe and Sound

Los Angeles-based electro-pop duo Capital Cities isn’t afraid to let the Southern California sunshine seep into their music. The band has steadily been building a loyal following in their hometown and abroad with their catchy tunes.

In 2008, core members Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian met by chance through Craigslist and formed a composing team. After writing hooks and jingles for numerous high-profile ad campaigns, they realized their musical chemistry was destined to create something more personal. In 2010, Capital Cities was officially born.

Their self-titled debut EP has been released this month featuring single Safe and Sound. The record is mastered by Mike Marsh (Phoenix, Empire of The Sun, Royksopp).



Capital Cities @ Facebook, Twitter

Source: Capital Cities, LastFM

Trust - Candy Walls

Trust is a synth band from Toronto, Ontario. Born out of desperation in the brutal Canadian winter of 2009, Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski (also a member of Austra) began writing songs about nostalgia, lust, and erotomania.

On debut single, Candy Walls, they keep that dark, “dirty” energy in place by combining layered synthesizers, live and programmed drums, and processed vocals with a deep sense of spacious, catchy melody. It's dark, electronic, sexual and nostalgic without being retro.

An album is due later in 2011.



Trust @ Myspace, Facebook

Source: Stereogum, Sacred Bones Records

Still Corners - Cuckoo

"Mixing 60s production with dream-pop shimmer, are these wafty British etherealists heralding a new golden age of indie?" (Source: Guardian)

Still Corners is a dream pop group which formed in 2008 in London, England. Built on the siren-like vocals of Tessa Murray and atmospheric songs of Greg Hughes, they create a wash of Lynch-esque inspired love songs.

The in 2008 self-released EP titled Remember Pepper? quickly gained momentum with the indie blogoshere and paved the way to their first string of live shows with Leon Dufficy on guitar and Luke Jarvis on bass. By 2010 Still Corners had garnered wide critical success with a string of singles.

The band recently signed to the legendary Seattle label Sub Pop. Cuckoo is the first single, with a full length to follow later in October 2011.



Still Corners @ Myspace, Facebook, Bandcamp

Source: LastFM

Kindest Lines - Destructive Paths To Live Happily

New Orleans (Dark Band To Watch) Kindest Lines is made up of vocalist and keyboardist Brittany Terry, guitarist Jack Champagne, and keyboardist and drum programmer Justin Blaire Vial.

The trio are influenced by a wide variety of genres including minimal synth, dream pop, post-punk, 60's girl groups and Italian horror movie sountracks, using monophonic synths and heavily modulated guitars drenched in echo.

Destructive Paths To Live Happily is the second single from their debut album album Covered in Dust (released on June 15).



Kindest Lines @ Myspace, Facebook, Blogspot

Source: LastFM, Reverbnation

Hooverphonic - One Two Three

Hooverphonic is a Belgian rock/pop group formed in 1995. Though initially placed in the trip-hop genre, they quickly expanded their sound to the point where they could no longer be classified so easily. The band originally called themselves Hoover, but had to change it after discovering other groups were already using the name and to avoid any legal issues with a vacuum cleaner company.

The band achieved international recognition through the inclusion of the track 2Wicky (from A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular) on the soundtrack to Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1996 film Stealing Beauty (Io Ballo da Sola).

On their latest album, The Night Before (released in November 2010), the Belgian trio have come up with a totally new sound that features string dominated 60s pop. Joined by new singer Noémi Wolfs, the band has made a promising new start. One Two Three is their latest single.



Hooverphonic @ Myspace, Facebook, Twitter

Source: LastFM, Wikipedia, De Beschaving

PNAU - Solid Ground

Pnau formed in Sydney by Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes. The two met at secondary school and began performing together in the mid-1990s, initially playing acid house and trance music.

In 1999, the duo released their debut album Sambanova . It turned out to be a surprise success when it won Best Dance Release at the ARIA Music Awards. A week later, however, the album was pulled from record stores for using uncleared samples.

In subsequent years Pnau went on to make many live appearances at music festivals. However their second album Again, was considered to be a failure and a disappointment among fans and critics alike

The two reunited in 2007 and started to lay down an entire album. They sent a work-in-progress track to long-time friend Luke Steele, who sent back the track with his own vocals. The song became known as With You Forever and the finalized album was released under the self-titled name Pnau. The album received critical acclaim and gained unexpected favorable attention from Elton John, declaring it to be the greatest record he'd heard in ten years.

Inspired by their track With You Forever, Pnau started collaborating with Luke Steele. Side-project Empire of the Sun made its debut on October 4, 2008 with Walking on a Dream. Littlemore and Steele took the roles of bandmates, while Mayes assumed the role of producer. The project achieved international success.

Early 2009 Littlemore left Empire of the Sun to begin work on the fourth Pnau album along with Elton John. The album, entitled Soft Universe, is expected on July 2011 featuring the new single Solid Ground.



PNAU @ Myspace, Facebook, Twitter

Source: Wikipedia

We Are Animal - Luminous Lights

Indie rockers We Are Animal hail from North Wales and cater in buzzing guitars and pummelled drums. Together they trek off into the Welsh wilds to walk, contemplate and put together the music and melodies that make up the band’s sound. Using an old-school 8-track, they’ve been recording their songs the same day they write them in old quarries and abandoned buildings.

We Are Animal have leapt to widespread recognition in the time it takes many to book a rehearsal. Since the start in December 2009, Owain Ginsberg, Dion and Cynyr Hamer, Sion Edwards and Liam Simpson have accumulated accolades from the likes of the BBC and NME, as well as releasing two singles and debut album Idolise.

New single Luminous Lights is released on June 5th.



We Are Animal @ Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud

Source: BBC, The miniature music press

ANR - Stay Kids

ANR (previously known as Awesome New Republic) is an indie dance-rock duo from Miami. Founded in 2004, the duo is comprised of multi-instrumentalists John Hancock and Brian Robertson, who began working together as students at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

Citing influences that range from Prince and Parliament-Funkadelic to Giorgio Moroder and Talking Heads, Hancock and Robertson initially recorded a pair of homemade albums, Witness Now the Birth of an Awesome New Republic (2004) and Courageous! (2005), the highlights of which were later compiled for release on the full-length commercial album debut ANR So Far (2005).

ANR So Far garnered generally positive reviews, including write-ups in mainstream indie publications. A few years later -- following a period during which Hancock released a solo album, Part Mongolian (2007) -- ANR re-emerged on a new indie label, with Post Crunk and Hard as Hell (2008) and Rational Geographic (2009).

In March the group released their latest album Stay Kids . The album is about not letting the act of growing up shame all childlike instincts out of you. Let yourself still be surprised; still wonder, and still try. Don’t take yourself too seriously, because it’s the playfulness that keeps you sane.



ANR @ Myspace, Twitter, Facebook

Source: Allmusic, Quit mumbling

Friendly Fires - Live Those Days Tonight

Friendly Fires is an English dance punk band from St Albans, England. They consist of Ed MacFarlane, Edd Gibson and Jack Savidge. Their self-titled debut album was released on 1 September 2008 and was announced as one of the shortlisted twelve for the 2009 Mercury Prize.

Friendly Fires met at St Albans School. At age 14, the members formed their first band, a post-hardcore outfit called First Day Back which existed until they began university. During this time lead singer Ed Macfarlane released his own music (under his own name). Upon leaving university they formed a new band inspired by dance music, "lush shoegaze melodies" and classic pop songwriting. The name Friendly Fires originates from the opening track of the Section 25 LP Always Now. The band consider German techno label Kompakt, Carl Craig and Prince to be their greatest influences.

The band’s second album, Pala, was released on 16 May 2011. The title is a reference to the doomed utopia of English writer Aldous Huxley's novel Island. It is the account of Will Farnaby, a cynical journalist who is shipwrecked on the fictional island of Pala, where parrots whisper uplifting messages to the islanders.

The first single from the album is Live Those Days Tonight.



Friendly Fires @ Myspace, Facebook

Source: Wikipedia, Songfacts

Memory Tapes - Yes I Know

Memory Tapes is the recording alias of New Jersey-based Dayve Hawk, former frontman of Philadelphia-based Hail Social. After initially releasing material under the names Memory Cassette and Weird Tapes, his first LP, Seek Magic was released in September 2009.

Memory Tapes was initially associated with the Chillwave music genre but is now seen more as a producer in his own right. Debut album Seek Magic used a lot of dance rhythms and sounds and had touchstones such as New Order and Cocteau Twins. Hawk played everything on his record and used such unusual sounds as a bicycle pump on the track Bicycle and the sound of sneakers on a basketball court on Green Knight.

His second album Player Piano is due for release on July 4th. He is quoted as saying it will be "psychedelic girl group music".



Memory Tapes @ Myspace, Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter

Source: Wikipedia

Modern Tapes - Caroline

According to their bio, Israeli band Modern Tapes formed in 2010 in a bomb shelter on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. They played and recorded underground for almost a year under pretty claustrophobic conditions using equipment left behind by a past generation to make music.

It's either that or Modern Tapes don't want you to know where they're from. Their sound is a play on that from a generation ago, tweaked and adjusted to be new and fresh. It’s a sound that blends a post punk efficacy with an influence of dark 80s new wave pop.

Debut single Caroline is taken from their self-titled debut EP.



Modern Tapes @ Myspace, Facebook, Soundcloud

Source: Fensepost, Modern Tapes

Housse De Racket - Chateau

Housse de Racket, originally a tennis racket cover, is also a french duo full of synths, guitar and drums tricks. They said after the release of their first album Forty Love that this name was made due to the idea that they wanted to “racketter la house” which literally means to threaten house music.

After the success with their singles Oh Yeah! and Synthétiseur in 2009, they recently signed with the Parisian label Kistuné and are preparing a new album named Alésia. For this new record, to be released on August 22nd, they worked with French producer Philippe Zdar (Cassius, Phoenix, The Rapture) on eleven songs, with a wide range of influences from Morricone to Carpenter, from Sparks to Bowie, walking in the steps of their elders Air and Phoenix.

Chateau is the first extract from their 2nd album and featured on the new Kitsuné compilation Kitsuné Parisien.



Housse De Racket @ Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Soundcloud

Source: Kitsune, Thevonstampbach

Poolside - Do You Believe?

Filip Nikolic and Jeffrey Paradise are the masterminds of Poolside. Filip is a Danish producer now living in LA who plays bass in Ima Robot, Jeff is a party promoter in San Francisco and used to be in the hardwave band the Calculators with Luke and Vito from the Rapture. They met in San Francisco in 2003 when Filip was on tour with Junior Senior and Jeff was playing as a DJ at their afterparty.

The duo started their musical project in their pool house turned recording studio, hence the name Poolside. Embedded in these pleasant surroundings they captured the sound of a perfect afternoon, communicated as "day time disco."

Poolside’s debut single Do You Believe? was charted by Aeroplane while Dazed & Confused praised the song for its “pop-tinged disco", and NME lauded its “supremely casual decadence.” Poolside is currently working on their debut album.



Poolside @ Myspace, Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter, Tumblr

Source: Echo Park Records, Mixed Tape

City and Colour - Fragile Bird

City and Colour is the recording alias for Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green, who is also the guitarist and vocalist of the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. He plays melodic acoustic and folk music and is often accompanied by a rotating number of Canadian indie rock musicians, such as Daniel Romano and Spencer Burton of Attack in Black.

The name City and Colour comes from his own name: Dallas (a city), and Green (a colour). His reasoning for the name was that he felt queasy "putting the album out under the name Dallas Green".

Already renowned across Canada thanks to the success of his previous two full length albums, 2005’s Sometimes and 2008’s Bring Me Your Love, Green is set to propel his profile to a new plateau with the June 2011 release of his third album, Little Hell.



City and Colour @ Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud

Source: Wikipedia, City and Colour

Wolf Gang - The King And All Of His Men

Wolf Gang, led by frontman Max McElligott, are one of those blog bands that seem to have been around for ages yet are only just about to release their debut album.

The 23-year-old singer, was the curious creator of singles Dancing with the devil and Lions in cages. Supports with Florence And The Machine, Miike Snow and Metric have cemented his status as one to most definitely watch and he's now joined by a full line-up of three permanent live members.

Wolf Gang's debut album Suego Faults was written and recorded solely by McEligott, and produced by Dave Fridmann (Mercury Rev, MGMT, Flaming Lips). It is set for release on 27th June 2011. The second single from the album, The King And All Of His Men, will be released shortly before the album on 13th June.



Wolf Gang @ Myspace, Twitter, Facebook

Source: Guardian, LastFM

Germany Germany - Natural

Germany Germany, the musical pseudonym of Victoria, Canada-based artist/student Drew Harris, is an independent project born out of curiosity and experimentation. His music draws influences from ambient music, electro-house, new wave and post-rock.

Germany Germany released four albums in 2010. Distorted Disco, Electrolove, and Last Summer are available for free at his website while Radiowave can be bought on iTunes. All albums received positive reviews from some of the most influential music blogs.

Adventures, his fifth and longest album (17 tracks), has been released on May 15th and can be purchased at his Bandcamp page.



Germany Germany @ Facebook, Bandcamp, Tumblr, Twitter, Myspace

Source: Germany Germany, LastFM

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Morning Thought

With an ear for Brian Wilson-esque harmony, the irreverently named Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. swirl indie pop, folk, and electronic elements into one breezy package.

Based in Detroit, the duo of Joshua Epstein and Daniel Zott came together in 2009. Working out of a basement studio, the pair worked to create a sound that is danceable without sacrificing anything in the songwriting department, merging intricate and airy melodies with solid programmed beats and synth atmospherics. The band garnered some praise for their first release (2010′s Horsepower EP) and their cover of the Beach Boys’ God Only Knows.

Morning Thought is the first track off their anticipated full-length debut album, It's A Corporate World, set for a June 7 release.



Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr @ Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, Soundcloud

Source: Allmusic

Labyrinth Ear - Walk on the Moon

Labyrinth Ear (Emily Jacobs and Tom Evans) formed in the summer of 2010 in New Cross, South East London. Their most recent album, the Oak EP (available as a free download from their website), features songs that range from great '80s retro to straight-up dance. It earned them incredible critical praise, and saw Labyrinth Ear become one of the “most blogged” artists on Hype Machine.

The duo has recently reworked the late Arthur Russell's This is How We Walk On the Moon which they have shortened to Walk on the Moon. The entirety of the 1994 cello- and horn-driven original remains, including the strings and Russell's vocals. Labyrinth Ear added soft female vocals, a steady-but-not-overpowering beat, and some playful keys.



Labyrinth Ear @ Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Soundcloud

Source: Prefix, In your speakers

Handsome Furs - Repatriated

The duo of Handsome Furs, comprising Montreal residents Dan Boeckner (frontman of Wolf Parade) and his wife Alexei Perry, began as an idea in the winter of 2005. Dark and minimal while noisy and earnest, the point was to be as sparse and repetitive as possible with the help of little more than vocals, guitars and a new drum machine. The band’s name comes from the title of a short story that Alexei was writing at the time of band’s conception.

The husband-and-wife team released the atmospheric debut album, Plague Park, in 2007, utilizing drum machines and world-weary melodies to distinguish the band's debut from Wolf Parade's own output. The growing buzz prompted Handsome Furs' return to the studio in late 2007. Despite initially planning to cut an EP, the duo recorded an entire album instead. The resulting Face Control was issued in March 2009.

On June 28 the Handsome Furs will return with their third album, Sound Kapital, which is written exclusively on keyboards.



Handsome Furs @ Facebook, Myspace, Tumblr, Twitter

Source: LastFM, Allmusic, RSLblog

Gang Gang Dance - MindKilla

Gang Gang Dance is an American experimental music band based in New York City. Members were previously seen in The Cranium, Angel Blood, Actress and Ssab Songs. The group has become well known within the New York experimental/art scene for its distinctive sound which features synthesized electronics and percussion, plus the varied vocal styles of singer Lizzi Bougatsos.

While Gang Gang Dance is generally associated with fellow space cases (Animal Collective, Black Dice), their sound is wholly unique. Their earlier sound was much more chaotic and sprawling, but the latest material is a combination of skewed pop music with the unpredictability of experimental/noise performances. The band belts out Arabian synth lines mixed with delayed out shimmer guitar, over dark poly-rhythms. And yes, you can dance to it.

MindKilla is taken from their fifth album, Eye Contact, released on May 10.



Gang Gang Dance @ Myspace, Facebook

Source: LastFM

Fredrik - Chrome Cavities

Fredrik is a melodic, experimental folk three-piece consisting of a songsmith, a sound-painter and a conceptual artist. All three of them mostly live and work in Malmö, Sweden and they create captivating melodies, rich layered arrangements and complicated charming instrumentation somewhat in the vein of Sigur Ros and Efterklang. Without overloading the compositions, Fredrik builds layer upon layer of atmospheric, melodically overpowering and somewhat mystical soundscapes.

Some people call their music surreal. A lot of people call the music soothing. Almost everyone says it makes them think of trees.

Chrome Cavities is the new single of their 3rd album Flora, released last month.



Fredrik @ Facebook, Soundcloud, Myspace

Source: Fredrik, LastFM

Planningtorock - The Breaks

PlanningToRock is the moniker of Janine Rostron, an English artist who plays an odd blend of experimental pop and chamber music. She's probably best known for 2010's Tomorrow, In a Year, the electronic opera she co-produced with Mt. Sims and The Knife. Much like her Swedish contemporaries, Rostron's music comes with a very theatrical stage presence, complete with costumes, video projections and sometimes a custom-made helmet.

W is her new album, the follow-up to her 2006 debut Have It All, which was a full-on chamber-pop romp that established Planningtorock as anything but orthodox. She produced the album over the last three years at her studio in Berlin, then mixed it in Sweden with Christoffer Berg, who also worked on Fever Ray's album. Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem contributed some drumming. W will be released on May 24.



Planningtorock @ Myspace, Twitter, Facebook

Source: Resident Advisor, LastFM

STRFKR - Julius

STARFUCKER (or STRFKR if you prefer) was founded in 2006 in Portland. Starting as a solo project for Joshua Hodges, STRFKR quickly became a three piece with the addition of former Sexton Blake bandmate Ryan Biornstad, and new friend Shawn Glassford. Hodges says that they chose the name Starfucker just based on the curiosity of how far they could get "with a stupid name like that".

As a three piece, the band released their self titled debut album in September of 2008. In January of 2009, the band brought aboard Keil Corcoran, and shortly after released EP Jupiter in May of 2009.

In late 2009 the band suffered a brief marketing nightmare that saw the band change its moniker to Pyramid, then Pyramiddd, then back to Starfucker (and when they’re trying to avoid censors, they can still be seen listed as STRFKR). The Portland quartet has narrowly escaped slipping through the cracks, and has returned with its second full-length album Reptilians.

Hodges describes the band's music as "dance music that you can actually listen to, that's good pop songs, but also you can dance to it." Passion Pit’s dance-rock is an obvious reference point, but Starfucker also references Beck, Pinback, Pet Shop Boys, and even My Bloody Valentine.

Reptilians was released on March 8, featuring single Julius.



STRFKR @ Myspace, Facebook, Twitter

Source: LastFM, A.V. Club, Wikipedia

Colourmusic - You For Leaving Me

Colourmusic, created by Ryan Hendrix and Nick Turner, began in Stillwater, Oklahoma by composing music based on Sir Isaac Newton’s theories of sound and colour.

Hendrix and Turner met in 1998 when both were attending Oklahoma State University. Turner, a British exchange student, and Hendrix struck up a quick friendship, even though neither one liked the other's musical interests or creative sound. They continued their friendship after Turner returned to the UK and began discussing their musical ideas. Eventually, after many trips to the States, Hendrix and Turner started recording in Hendrix's apartment. Both quickly realized that neither was a very good drummer, and Hendrix's roommate Cory "Cry" Suter was recruited for the job. After making a three-song EP, they started playing some local bars, usually using friends to play live, such as band members from Kunek. Nick Ley and Colin Fleishacker started joining the band for the live performances and they became full-time band members.

Colourmusic has been described as a cross of The Polyphonic Spree and The Flaming Lips but the band states that what really influences them is color. They became interested in Isaac Newton's Theory of Color and Sound and focus their musical styles on a color. That color represents each song. They have produced two EPs called Red and Yellow, each song on the EPs reminding the band of that representative color

New single You For Leaving Me is taken from their debut album My ______ Is Pink, out this month. In the video, directed by Funny or Die directors Matt and Oz, bearded butchers prepare their cutting boards for the slaughter of some very cute and cuddly teddybears. You've been warned!



Colourmusic @ Myspace, Facebook, Twitter

Source: Wikipedia

Burial - Street Halo

Burial (William Bevan) is an electronic musician from London. His music contains elements of dubstep, 2-step garage, ambient and house music. His ghostly self-titled debut album, from 2006, and the follow-up Untrue (2007) were widely hailed in both dance and indie circles.

Although both albums have been met with much critical acclaim, Burial remained anonymous until August 2008, stating in a past interview that “only five people know I make tunes”.

Street Halo, released on March 28, is taking Burial’s traditional sound into a deeper and more up to date depth. It keeps it all in the right direction by a driven beat style that hasn’t been present in any of his previous work



Burial @ Myspace, Facebook

Source: The Futurist, Wikipedia

Yuksek - On a train

Yuksek (Pierre-Alexandre Busson) is a French-born music producer, remixer and DJ who's debut album, Away From The Sea, was released on 9 February 2009.

At the time of the release of the album, Yuksek was a one-man act. Never an aspiring dj or clubber by nature, his shows were a live flurry of keyboards, mixing consoles, wires and drum machines. It’s this experience of solo performances to anonymous crowds, the lengthy hours and days away from spouse and child,that inspired the songs that make up for his second album Living On The Edge Of Time.

When Busson got back home in Reims, he instinctively knew these songs weren’t cut out for a one-man treatment, so he rounded up friends and fellow Reims scenesters such as The Shoes and The Bewichted Hands to participate in the studio. Also, for the first time, he took upon himself all vocal duties.

His new single On A Train is released on May 2 and features three new tracks. Album Living On The Edge Of Time is coming out on June 13th.



Yuksek @ Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, Blog

Source: Yuksek, La.Ga.Sta.

Kids Of 88 - Just A Little Bit

Introducing slutty new wave/electro duo Kids Of 88, who are Sam McCarthy and Jordan Arts. They describe their music as "a cross between a late 80s police drama intro theme and a sophisticated super hussy". With sleazy basslines and mind-numbingly catchy hooks, Kids Of 88 are all about poking tongues and making sweaty suggestive inuendos.

Arts and McCarthy have been best friends for ten years. They attended St Peter’s College in Auckland where they first formed the band Incursa and ended up winning the 2004 Smokefree Rockquest. Sharing a passion for music, they then decided to become professional musicians. Both McCarthy and Arts were in a band named Cap Gun Hero before KO88, and McCarthy was also a member of Goodnight Nurse.

Kids of 88 are best known for their 2008 single, My House. They have since signed through Dryden Street to Sony Music and released the album Sugarpills in August 2010. Just a Little Bit won 'Single of the Year' at the 2010 New Zealand Music Awards.



Kids of 88 @ Myspace, Facebook, Twitter

Source: LastFM, Kids of 88

Headphone - Woods

Headphone is the musical project of Belgians Nico Steenkiste and Ian Mariën. Their sound can be described as rock with electronic beats coming straight from the 80s. When asked to describe their music, “Pop with a definite dark side” is the standard quote.

Woods is the first single of the upcoming 2nd album, due to be released in September. Download Woods for free here.



Headphone @ Myspace, Facebook, Twitter

Source: LastFM, label:INDIE

Heartbeat Hotel - Windowsill 1

Heartbeat Hotel (formerly Mariposa) observes no boundaries when melding the popular song with psychedelic soundscapes, creating music that is at once both mesmerizing and involving. Band members Chris Lyons, Andy Smith, Dave Connolly and Matt Mitchell have spent the last 10 years together having arguments, writing music, and staying up all night in fits of laughter.

Under all of their 3 previous band names, their mission of finding a new inventiveness (both on stage and in studio) has stayed the same. The debut full-length and self-produced album Fetus Dreams was released in March 2010.

Heartbeat Hotel recently released a video for Windowsill 1, a collaboration of istoica, Mary Gerretsen and James Cooper. Their second full-length album will appear in the summer of 2011.



Heartbeat Hotel @ Myspace, Twitter, Facebook

Source: LastFM

Arquettes - Crafty

Arquettes are the next best thing from Belgium, and consists out of Koen Wijnant, Jan Borremans, Tine Gernaey and Mario Govaert.

They released a first single called It's A Relief in 2007, followed by an EP later that year. In the slipstream of this debut-EP they did support acts for Built To Spill, The Veils and played numerous festivals (a.o. Pukkelpop).

In March 2010, Arquettes started recording their first full length album Wave on with French topproducer Stéphane 'Alf' Briat (Air, Phoenix, Alex Gopher). The album was released in September 2010 and contains their new single Crafty.



Arquettes @ Twitter, Facebook, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, Myspace

Source: Ancienne Belgique