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