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VCMG - Ssss

VCMG stands for Vince Clarke / Martin Gore. Both were original members and songwriters for Depeche Mode until Vince split in 1981 to eventually form the bands Yaz then Erasure. In the following years both of these men became regarded as synth wizards who undoubtedly inspired countless young electronic music lovers, some of whom would one day become musicians themselves. Skip ahead 30 years to today and this is where inspiration comes full circle. Vince and Martin reunite for the first time to create an album of retro-futuristic minimal techno to pay homage to the artists who were once influenced by them. Just imagine an 80's sci-fi movie soundtrack set to some beefed up dirty dance beats and you'll have an idea of what this album is like. For fans of either DM or Erasure this collaboration is a huge deal as these artists successfully revisit their own roots while embracing some very contemporary techno sub-genres.

Azari & III

This Toronto based quartet is poised and ready to unleash their highly anticipated debut eponymous album. Since last year the band has wisely utilized the medium of music blogs and free downloads to attract music lovers and dj's to their first two singles 'Manic' and 'Reckless (For Your Love)'. Both of these tracks are among the strongest on the album and showcase the bands obvious love for early 90's underground dance music. The album itself plays out as an upfront and unapologetic culmination of styles from this era and perhaps more impressively, it manages to fit snugly with the beefed up sounds of today. While this recipe may not be entirely new (see Chromeo, Hercules & Love Affair) Azari & III's approach is definitely aimed more directly at the dance floor and it's success is evident as you catch yourself groovin' out, track after track. Even the album's instrumental songs such as 'Indigo' and 'Infinity' have enough bass slaps and sonic zaps to keep the energy level high and the party rolling. Rumour has it Azari & III have just been asked to open for Madonna on her upcoming tour, which means they could become a household name very soon, and deservedly so.

Burial - Kindred

The newest offering by young British dubstep artist Burial is released as an EP and clocks in at nearly 30 minutes long. Even at it's least daring William Bevan's music can be hard to stick a label to as he flirts with an array of styles. Shifting between 2 step garage - ambient - dubstep & house, his innovative genre bending has gained him a lot of respect and critical acclaim, particularly for his 2007 album 'Untrue'. This EP aims to take the experiment to another level. Made almost as 'thinking man's ambient music' Bevan now moves away from the traditional 3-4 minute long song to offer 3 tracks which stretch each of his soundscapes to over 10 minutes in length. Each track is sure to saturate every nook and cranny of your room as these shadowy hooks, beats and echoed vocals twist and mutate into one another. As the last track 'Loner' comes to an end you realize you've been taken on a journey that leaves you feeling mystified yet content. There are many layers to peel through here with repeated listens as is often the case with music as satisfying and unique as this.

Erasure * Tomorrow's World

During their 25+ year musical career Andy Bell & Vince Clarke have outlasted most 80's bands by helping to pioneer the synth pop sound, sold over 25 million records and even achieved 24 consecutive UK Top20 Hits. With their 14th studio album Erasure seem intent on welcoming new listeners to their loyal following. Just as young acts like La Roux, Robyn & Monarchy seem eager to re-vitalize the synth-pop movement the timing could not be more perfect for Erasure to create an album that not only pays homage to their own past but also utilizes the tricks of today's 'modern' sound. To do this the band enlisted 25 year old producer Frankmusik, and even though he was born the same year Erasure were formed, he manages to get the balance right. With an obvious respect for Andy and Vince's strongest weapon (their ability to write some of the catchiest hooks known to man) he finds the balance of Erasure's classic sound and marries it with the full-on, balls to the wall sound of today. The result is a more in your face and dance-floor oriented Erasure album than any that have come before it. The best results can be heard in the super-sassy "I Lose Myself" with it's Yazoo-esque synth riffs and some of Andy's most aggressive lyrics "I'm not concerned about the bitch I've been, I'm sure they must have all deserved it". Even the slower tracks like the outstanding "What Will I Say When You're Gone" manage to highlight the beauty of the songwriting while busting out a flurry of manic drum beats and a slew of vocal & synth effects. With 'Tomorrow's World' Erasure seems to celebrate the resurgence of the synth-pop sound while also showing their younger contemporaries that they are by no means out of the game.

Standout Tracks: I Lose Myself, Be With You, Just When I Thought It Was Ending, What Will I Say When You're Gone

GusGus * Arabian Horse

It's been two years since GusGus graced us with their enigmatic Kompakt debut "24/7". This album was return to form for the trio, earning much acclaim and fanfare thanks to its conceptual rigidity and pure glamour. Conceived solely with the help of two precious Doepfer modular systems and Daniel August's all-pervasive vocals, it could have been easily characterized as Gus Gus' unofficial live album. If you had the chance to catch one of their many live shows on their exhaustive world-wide tour, you know what drive and emotion their show brought to the stage and crowd. Let's fast forward to present day. The trio comprised of President Bongo, Biggi Veira and Daniel August felt the urge to reunite. They set up a makeshift studio in a summer cottage in the depths of the lava field. Secluded in silence and beauty they began working on their seventh studio album and have delivered "Arabian Horse" - a full length that brims with highlights showcasing GusGus' versatility and stunning songwriting ability to creative levels that we feel is their greatest accomplishment in their 15+ year history. A vast array of illustrious guest musicians and singers abound on these powerful ten new songs. Most prominently, we welcome the long awaited return of former band member and gifted vocalist Ur?ur "Earth" Hákonardóttir who appears on the three songs "Be With Me", "Arabian Horse" and "Over". Hogni Elisson recently released a wonderful album with his band Hjaltalin and lends his voice to some of the album's most memorable and deepest moments. Samúel Jón Samúelsson contributes the elevating, goosebump-inducing string arrangements, Davd Thor Jonsson contributes accordion and the banjo. Even an un-named Gypsy combo leaves their mark on "Arabian Horse"! Compared to GusGus' stripped down predecessor for Kompakt, "Arabian Horse" is much more "in your face" - the songs brim with big gestures, enthralling hooks, pop and soul! GusGus have perfected the craft of balancing that fine line between commercial pop and underground dance music. But who needs compartmentalization when we're talking about music and emotion? Take the powerful schaffel (aka shuffle) anthem "Deep Inside" which makes use of big room chords you'd normally hear in more commercially tunes but balances that with a ferocious bass line and vocal duel that belongs to anyone. This sincerity in their music carries throughout "Arabian Horse". Another prime example of this is the Högni fronted "Within You" - strings converge with his breathtaking vocals backed by a thoroughly addictive techno bass kick. It's a fact that GusGus retrace their original influences and have created a dance pop album that equally resonates a forgotten period of early '90's dance pop (think The Beloved), classic house music and urban soul a la Massive Attack. But make no mistake, "Arabian Horse" does not sound like pure retro in any way. It's deeply rooted in the sound of today backed by one of the most state-of-the-art quality productions Kompakt has released to date.

Standout Tracks: Over, Arabian Horse, Deep Inside, Within You

Luomo * Plus

Finland's Sasu Ripatti works in so many styles of music that releasing everything under one name wouldn’t make much sense. His new album Plus out this month is released under his Luomo alias.

The most obvious difference betweenPlus and its predecessors lies in the use of vocals. Generally Luomo invites vocalist on a per track basis, but not here. On Plus, the relatively unknown Chicago Boys are the sole vocalists throughout the whole album. The all male group from Chicago, delivers with great precision and always with soulful undertone. Their timbre ranges from mysterious and hushed (Spy) to typically eighties wave (Immaculate Motive). The consistent approach with vocals makes Plus a much more coherent album than Convival, which featured eight different vocalists.

The music on Plus showcases some of Luomo’s finest trademarks: the dreamy strings of Twist remind ofVocal City, whilst the disco sound ofHow You Look perfectly fits the mould of Present Lover. Another example ofVocal City inspired house is Medley Through which is pure bliss and almost seems suspended in time.Form In Void is an emotive, eighties inspired track with vocals and synth stabs forming a perfect match. On Immaculate Motive, orchestral synthesizer strings overlay a complex and evolving rhythm. Starting off as a shuffle beat, more percussive elements start to fill up gaps until it morphs into a sort of regular 4/4.

Plus may be one of the best albums from Luomo’s discography. It contains all the elements which make Ripatti’s music so interesting: intricate rhythms and beautiful melodies. The overall sound is more urgent and maybe less sugar-coated than its predecessors. On Plus, Ripatti innovates Luomo’s sound whilst staying true to its roots.

Standout Tracks: Spy, Happy Strong, Good Stuff

Monarchy * Around The Sun

Though re-hashing 80's synthpop with a modern electronic twist seems to be one hot and popular music trend these days, only a year and a half ago (when Monarchy began work on their debut album) the concept was still just bubbling up in the indie-electro scene. The Monarchy duo was obviously intent of reinventing the lush sounds and sing-a-long melodies of bands like Erasure, Yaz, Pet Shop Boys & The Human League by paying attention to the humanity and soul in the voice being coupled with cleverly melodic and sophisticated electronics. If the band had only managed to get this album on the shelves 12 months ago when they intended, they would have succeeded both at being one of the first acts to take advantage the the perfect timing to bring mature listeners back to that era as well as doing it damn well perfectly.

Wisely, while Monarchy wrote and recorded this album they gradually built up a solid following by releasing sneak peeks of the progress simply by posting early versions of the songs on sites like youtube and soundcloud. Electro/Synth pop lovers & bloggers (including me) quickly starting falling in love with each song as they came out and the anticipation for the full album's release began. So much so that the Australian duo had the opportunity to take breaks from their own LP by fulfilling requests to produce remixes for the likes of Ellie Goulding, Kelis, Kylie Minogue, Lady Gaga, Marina & The Diamonds and Jamiroquai.

After a couple of tentative release dates were stated and then withdrawn the wait for this mysterious Monarchy album began to get a little too long and many acts began popping up in the last year all showcasing a similar 80's mantra. But after numerous re-recordings, a record label change and obvious attention to every sound & detail the band have managed the give us "Around The Sun", an album that proves to be (despite it's slightly ill timing) not only worth the wait but also shows all the other new synth-pop acts exactly what they were doing wrong.

Monarchy's vocalist has such a uniqueness in his timbre of voice that it is instantly fresh and memorable as well as being comforting and recognizable. This matched with their infectious melodies, harmonies and vocal synth trickery he lays the perfect foundation for the many layers of beautifully arranged keyboard orchestrations. It's smart and concise pop. The formula has been written and re-worked many times but every now and then a band and album re-create it in such a perfect way that it seems effortlessly new again.

Songs like "Maybe I'm Crazy", "Call", "Love Get Out Of My Way" & "Floating Cars" would be impossible to resist for any lover of the classic 80's acts mentioned above. In fact the entire album, consisting of a whopping 15 tracks in it's deluxe itunes format, manages to be quite consistent and extremely enjoyable. If you grew up blaring music and singing along in the car, dancing and singing along with your friends in the living room or just getting lost in the music with a pair of good headphones then you'll be happy to know Monarchy have supplied the perfect pop album to do all of those things again.

Standout Tracks: Maybe I'm Crazy, Love Get Out Of My Way, Floating Cares, Gold In The Fire

Junior Boys * It's All True

Jeremy Greenspan and Matthew Didemus, the bi-continental pair behind Junior Boys, offer a fascinating new permutation of their melancholic electro-pop vision with It's All True, the duo's fourth full-length album. They manage to further refine what's made them great to date—sublime pop songwriting and spotless production—while pursuing as many directions as there are songs on the album, exploding their sensibilities into several new shapes that, while incredibly varied, are both inspired and infectious, whether taken together or as individual tracks.

The album sounds immediately more buoyant than any of their previous, more brooding releases. It turns out to be more multifarious too, and this variety is initially a bit confounding—the shift from "Itchy Fingers" into the considerably slower, contemplative second track, "Playtime," for instance, is pretty jarring at first, and the radical transitions only continue from there—but the album's internal logic gradually reveals itself on repeat listens. What turns out to tie it all together is not only the quality of the songs, but Greenspan's expressive vocals and the duo's fundamental production instincts, molding what are, at face value, outmoded-sounding synth and drum patterns into endlessly listenable pop.

After eight-plus years of releasing music, Junior Boys demonstrate handily with It's All True that they remain fresh, luminous, and highly relevant. The album may not be as aesthetically cohesive as, say, 2004's Last Exit or 2006's So This Is Goodbye, but aesthetic uniformity appears not to have been the point with this record to begin with—its array of styles, disparate as they may seem, dovetail into a record of depth and lasting impact.

Standout Tracks: Second Chance, Banana Ripple, A Truly Happy Ending, Kick The Can

Death Cab For Cutie * Codes And Keys

Indie rock used to be about crafting shambling odes to slackerdom — and not caring much if the guitars were in tune. But music on the fringes has grown increasingly gorgeous: intricately built bedroom symphonies from the likes of Fleet Foxes, the Shins, and Bon Iver.

Before them all, Death Cab for Cutie kick-started the prettiness revolution with 2003'sTransatlanticism, their breakout fourth album. A major-label deal, mainstream acclaim, and a Hollywood marriage (frontman Ben Gibbard wed Zooey Deschanel in 2009) followed, but the Pacific Northwest natives steadily maintained their melancholy charms.

Codes and Keys, the band's seventh disc, eschews both the guitars and the rawness of 2008's Narrow Stairs in favor of heavily textured studio elements. As limited as that may sound, there is a gratifying sense of restlessness and motion running beneath it all. The album's centerpiece, the breathtaking ''St. Peter's Cathedral,'' builds gradually on an echoing Eno-esque guitar and great waves of organ buzz, allowing the lyric ''There's nothing past this'' to ascend from a sad-eyed statement on mortality to a glorious hands-in-the-air refrain. It's a reminder to the rest of the pretty-rock community that loveliness is worthless if there's no heart behind it, and Death Cab's beats stronger than most.

Standout Tracks: Some Boys, You Are A Tourist, Monday Morning, home Is A Fire, St.Peter's Cathedral

Cinnamon Chasers * Science

Russ 'nephew of Ray' Davies dons the Cinnamon Chasers alias again for a second full-length of synth-heavy dancefloor groovery. Perhaps wisely considering the album format, Science explores poppier pastures than many of his previous single outings (notably sleeper hit "The Bomb"). Unashamedly melodic, heavy on FX-laden vocals (think auto tune and/or vocoder) and rippling with radio-friendly synth riffs, it sounds like a hipster-matic fusion of Aeroplane, Friendly Fires, Kris Mencace and Alain Braxe, with a dash of Vangelis and Jean Michel Jarre thrown in. While those who loved "The Bomb" may struggle to connect, the bittersweet melodies and sparkling synths are certainly hard to resist.

13 & God * Own Your Ghosts

As a seven-headed conglomerate comprised of two genre-pushing bands, 13 & God are admirably accessible and ego-free. Adam “Doseone” Drucker of Themselves keeps his scene-stealing vocal delivery succinct, stepping out altogether at times and even singing it straight at others. The recompense is the occasional, well-timed breakout of his galloping, head-spinning prose. It’s countered by bucolic vocals, acoustic guitars and glitch electronics from The Notwist, laying down some typically sublime cuts.

Album highlight Armored Scarves is indicative of what works best with this side-project, a rich tapestry of disparate vocal harmonies and staccato percussion that would fall apart with any attempt to study its constituent parts. At other times the delineations are clearer. It’s Own Sun will be pure Notwist to most ears, with follow-up Death Major much the same story for Themselves. No bad thing of course, and with 13 & God being touted as a bigger concern by both parties, Own Your Ghost should stand as a solid bedrock.

Standout Tracks: Old Age, Unyoung, Janu Are, Armoured Scarves

Gorillaz * The Fall

The latest from, UK based cartoon band, Gorillaz is a bit of an experimental novelty. Recorded entirely on founder Damon Albarn's iPad while on their fall 2010 tour across the United States, the album largely lacks the collaborations and expansive sound of Plastic Beach, instead delivering its own unique vibe, separating it from anything else Gorillaz have released.

Heavy on electronic instrumental pieces, they keep things interesting with a varied sound that pays homage to the constantly changing scenery on tour. From the chip-tune cool of "Phoner To Arizona" to the flickering synth of shimmering "Detroit", the album never stays in one place for very long. Albarn captures the desolate, isolated emotion of the road on icy, heartbreaking ballad "Amarillo", complete with early eighties inspired electro vibe, and fuzzy ode to roadside litter on "Little Pink Plastic Bags".

The shuttering vocal samples of "The Speak It Mountains" and borrowed train station sound of "California And The Slipping Of The Sun", with Albarn's vocals retouched to sound as if coming from the same speaker, are interesting concepts that feel half baked, while the here-and-gone electro-country waltz of "The Parish Of Space Dust" feels like a sleepy demo that could evolve into something better. Still, for few strange bits that feel incomplete, the spangled acoustic guitar and hazy synth-fuelled bass of "Revolving Doors" and blippy cascading cool of "Shy Town" make it worth sitting through a few lackluster moments to get to the good parts.

The scarcity of guest stars adds up to The Clash's Mick Jones and Paul Simonon popping up on dark, distorted horn tune "HillBilly Man" and gorgeous piano stepping instrumental "Aspen Forest", with a salsa inspired beat, respectively. Albarn gives way to Bobby Womack's raspy soulful vocals on R&B flavored standout "Bobby In Phoenix", with loosely flung acoustic guitar breezing through. Though it is easy to love The Fall for its experimental, homemade origins, there is plenty of charm and originality to this largely instrumental set to tie over fans until the next proper album.

Standout Tracks: Revolving Doors, Detroit, Amarillo, Bobby In Phoenix

Hauschka * Salon des Amateurs

Though making prepared piano the focus of his work would seem limiting, Hauschkas Volker Bertelmann has pushed against any perceived boundaries with each of his albums -- except for Salon des Amateurs, where he smashes them. Named after a club in his native Düsseldorf, the album is Hauschka's take on dance music. While merging electronic and post-classical music is nothing new, bringing an instrument as delicate as the prepared piano into an arena as forceful as dance music is certainly nove. Yet Salon des Amateurs never feels like a novelty; instead, this is dance music onHauschka's terms, at once refined and compulsively rhythmic.Bertelmann c ontinues to choose his collaborators wisely, teaming with Mum drummerSamuli Kosminen to give the album its percussive heart, and Joey Burns for additional percussion. While these tracks aren’t bangers or dancefloor anthems in the traditional sense, they are extremely danceable and nod to dance music’s roots as much as they point the way to post-classical music’s future. “Cube” and “Radar” incorporate electronics subtly and seamlessly into their delicate but relentless rhythms, while “Two AM”'s looping piano melody and four-on-the-floor beat hold up a largely acoustic mirror to house music. Whether or not these songs are ever played next to the latest dance music sensation at a club, Salon des Amateurs is a bold, accomplished work that ranks amongHauschka's most exciting albums.

Standout Tracks: Two AM, Radar, Girls, Taxitaxi

Mother Mother * Eureka

When an album starts with dialogue instead of music, it requires more of the listener. It asks the listener to become active, to pay attention both to the album and to each track. Mother Mother introduces us to their third album, Eureka, with the song “Chasing it Down”; however, the album actually begins with a grand statement announced by a voice that makes one think of a 1960’s flight attendant: “Commonplace things seem to have great significance. Hi.” And then: a guitar solo soon accompanied by the rest of the five-piece band. Well, if commonplace things seem to have great significance, does that really make the unordinary insignificant? Mother Mother proves no: Eureka is not ordinary, but it does hold its significance in a way that invites us into its melodic variation and poignant lyrics.

Invites you to listen either on a November day when you want to feel that cool air against your face, or a summer road-trip south on California’s Highway One. Do not be turned off by the more abstract lyrics and titles. Eureka is accessible; you will like it for the catchy, gentle melodies, the dreaminess instead of dreariness found in even the most melancholy of songs on the album, the male-female vocal combination, and the right arrangement of drums, keyboard, bass, and guitar throughout.

With success at three Canadian music festivals, Mother Mother has gathered a fan base that has brought acclaim from many in Canada, and, undoubtedly, such acclaim will spread to the United States with Eureka. Combining the male-female vocals and indie-pop hints of The New Pornographers, and the profundity of an Arcade Fire album, Mother Mother has successfully created a solid and varied album complete with coy, clever dialogue between Ryan and his sister Molly; and moving lyrics—whether about dreamy vacations in “Getaway,” or the dim reality of handling it all in “Simply Simple.”

Eureka brings us up and down, pulls us in and out, in a way that is natural and welcome. The flirty dialogue in “The Stand” is clever and intriguing and the progression of the song inviting. While still engaging, “Born in a Flash” brings us down gently. It’s a surprise, but a welcome one, and the song serves as an opportunity to hear the range of melody this band is capable of; to hear the gentle nuances—the “click click” of a 35mm camera in the background—that make the album go in a direction we are ready for. “Simply Simple” and “Getaway” emote in a way that invites us in and even entices? us to stay longer, to keep listening, therefore providing a subtle momentum to the album.

Pantha du Prince * XI Versions Of Black Noise

At first, the track listing for XI Versions Of Black Noise seems deliberately confounding. Much of the remix album is devoted to reworking only two tracks from the German producer-DJ’s 2010 minimalist techno breakthrough, Black Noise. And the guest list is glaringly light on crossover appeal, featuring German house old-schoolers and obscurities like Carsten Jost, Moritz Von Oswald, and Die Vögel, whose names sound like they were culled from a textbook on the Thirty Years War. But any confusion is quickly cleared up once the music kicks in. Take “Welt Am Draht,” originally a springy track made lush by plucked guitar harmonics, clanking hand percussion, and waves of synths. Moritz turns it into a glacier, all crisp percussion, deep bass, and thick atmosphere. Then Vögel recreates the song with orchestral instrumentation and a bouncy, almost silly groove. Animal Collective goes straight for summer with the track, bathing “Welt” in tape-warped tones, breathy harmonies, and tribal rhythms. Each remix is dramatically different from the last, testifying to the elastic breadth of Pantha’s music. A similar thing happens with “Stick To My Side,” which is flipped into an industrial house bug-out (by Lawrence), itchy maximalist funk (Four Tet), a hypnotic club thump (Efdemin), ambient film music (Jost), and a beachy guitar jam (Walls). XI Versions is electronic tiramisu—slightly unnecessary and a little showy, but wholly dynamic, and a fine finish to a satisfying main course.

Bag Raiders * Bag Raiders

A full length studio release from Bag Raiders was always on the cards, it was just a matter of timing.

The Sydney electronic duo of Chris Stracey and Jack Glass released their debut self-titled record on 1 October.

However, unlike regular debutants, Stracey and Glass nerves would surely not have been that much of consideration as the pair has been on the dance scene for many years.

Since 2007, the duo has released an EP a year with Fun Punch (2007), Turbo Love (2008) and Big Fun (2009).

While the releases have been stellar in their own right, the band are perhaps better known (until now of course) on Australia’s DJ circuit for remixing the likes of Cut Copy, Galvatrons, Lost Valentinos, Muscles, K.I.M, Midnight Juggernauts, and Sneaky Sound System.

With a lull in album releases from the golden boys of Aussie electro The Presets, Midnight Juggernauts, Cut Copy, and Art vs Science, Bag Raiders’ release has been perfectly timed.

‘Bag Raiders’ is a heady mix of electro pop anthems, smooth electronica and darker instrumental mishmash.

‘Castles In The Air’ starts off with an infectious beat that balloons into a wall of electronic sound. The purely instrumental track takes you through many peaks and troughs.

‘Sunlight’ is brilliant. It’s fun, energetic and is sure to be a major summer anthem. While some of the lyrics are a little hit and miss ‘when I see your face/ it’s like sunlight dripping’, the song as a whole is superb.

The duo released ‘Shoot Stars’ as a stand alone single late last year. It peaked at number 62 on the ARIA Charts and made number 43 on the ARIA 2009 end of year top 50 Australian artist singles.

‘So Demanding’ will no doubt be another crowd pleaser with its beats and melody. The track harks back to 80s pop, with smooth beats and ‘oooh-baby-you-know-you-like-that’ attitude.

‘Gone Away’ has a touch of the Presets about it with the timing and depth of the vocals sounding a little Julian Hamilton-ish. There is the inclusion of a female vocal on this track, something that is scarce on the record. It works well.

‘Prelude’ kicks off with beautiful piano work. It’s simple yet just so gentle. It has a great lullying power, you drift along with the notes, happily drifting along with the percussion and melody. It begs us to rest a little before taking in the second half of this release.

‘Not Over’ has an uptick in tempo. It’s a little buiser that previous tracks. It’s also a little more mainstream than others, with, dare I say it, cheesy hooks.

‘Golden Wings’ is all goodness. The cinematic keyboard intro is fantastic.

Bag Raiders have impressed on debut. Yet again, stellar work.

Standout Tracks: So Demanding, Gone Away, Golden Wings

Cut/Copy - Pharaohs & Pyramids

Cut/Copy - Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution

Casey Spooner - Perfecto

Casey Spooner - Faye Dunaway

Starfucker - Astoria

Starfucker - Mona Vegas

Duran Duran - The Man Who Stole A Leapard

Duran Duran - Runway Runaway

Florrie - Give Me Your Love

Florrie - Come Back To Mine

Gypsy & The Cat - Time To Wander

Gypsy & The Cat - Gilgamesh

Chromeo - I Could Be Wrong

Chromeo - Hot Mess (feat. La Roux)

We Love - Our Shapes

We Love - Cruise Control

Miami Horror - Moon Theory

Miami Horror - Soft Light

Cut/Copy * Zonoscope

While standing as a definite high point, Cut Copy‘s 2008 breakthrough In Ghost Colours was anything but the pinnacle of an overnight success for the Melbourne-based group. The album peaked on the Australian charts and was lifted to a respectable position on the Billboard 200, fueled in part by singles “Lights & Music” and “Hearts on Fire”; the latter eventually being honored as the seventh best track of the year by Pitchfork. By this time however it had already been over seven years since Cut Copy dropped its first EP: 2001′s I Thought of Numbers. Now nearly a decade after that initial release the band returns with their third full length, Zonoscope.

Mixed by Ben Allen (Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley), the hour-long collection shows a willingness to explore a global sound while remaining dedicated to the dance pop that has taken the group this far. Opener “Need You Now” leads the way with nearly a minute and a half of progressive electronics before the track subtly develops into a booming synth-pop piece. “Pharaohs & Pyramids” continues the electronic theme, bubbling with bouncing synth and airy stylized vocals before evolving further; the gap between the past and present sounds eventually narrows as the song builds to its energetic conclusion. Different approaches are then utilized in terms of the group’s electronic blending, “Strange Nostalgia for the Future,” for example, glimmers with sprinkled bursts of sound through its brief two minutes before bleeding seamlessly into the rhythmically heavy “This is All We’ve Got.” While it’s easy to get lost inside of the blissful maze of hazy synths, the track is one of a handful that really go to show how rhythmically strong Zonoscope is.

Standout Tracks: Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution, Take Me Over, Pharaohs & Pyramids, This Is All We've Got

Casey Spooner * Adult Contemporary

As a member of chic NYC group Fischerspooner, Casey Spooner has become known for making slick, arty electronic music. On his first solo album, Adult Contemporary (out January 25th), he takes a completely different path.

What Spooner gives us on his new album is a surprisingly pretension-free dose of pop rock. The results are not groundbreaking in the least, but they are pleasant and enjoyable.

The record opens with "Exquisite Corpse", a track that features a dark '80s pop aura that is not indicative of what's to follow. Horns come in and out, with the occasional synth, but it's traditional rock arrangements that are at the heart of these songs.

You wouldn't necessarily know it from Fischerspooner's canon, but Spooner has a fairly well-developed pop sensibility. Tracks like "RSVP" and "Tuxedo" boast enough hooks to reel in the listener and keep them snagged.

The whimsical "Cliche" and the ominous album closer "Complicit" help to ensure that there's enough variety to keep things interesting.

Standout Tracks: Perfecto, Faye Dunaway, RSVP, Exquisite Corpse, Spanish Teenager

Starfucker * Reptilians

Reptilians is Starfucker's second full-length and first with Polyvinyl.

Lyrically, the album focuses primarily on death and the end of the world, two intertwined subjects at the forefront of songwriter Josh Hodges’ mind following the passing of his grandmother. Yet, amazingly, the record manages to be not the slightest bit depressing.

In reality, it's quite the opposite -- a trait likely attributed to the fact that the band, like British philosopher Alan Watts (whose lectures are excerpted at various intervals), believes death is responsible for giving meaning to life.

For Starfucker, this comforting notion is expressed musically via vibrant crescendos, explosive drum beats, and layered synth melodies that drive a theatrical live show where dance party meets Roxy Music.

As such, Reptilians marches effortlessly from the stripped-bare psychedelia of "Born", which conjures David Byrne's ghost, to the funeral parade of "Bury Us Alive" (a track that greets death with open arms in a moment of animated celebration), to "Death as a Fetish," where the title becomes a liberating mantra sung over an immediately hummable keyboard-driven loop.

Just as with the band’s previous two releases, Reptilians was written almost entirely by principal songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joshua Hodges.

This time around, however, the group’s sound is bolstered by the addition of Keil Corcoran (whom Hodges describes as a “human drum machine”) and producer Jacob Portrait (The Dandy Warhols, Mint Chicks).

The result is Starfucker's most well-rounded and full-sounding album to date -- a blissfully buoyant affair that will have you dancing to songs about death while having the time of your life.

Standout Tracks: Born, Astoria, Bury Us Alive, Mona Vegas

Duran Duran * All You Need Is Now

Duran Duran has endured their fair share of ups and downs since their days as THE platinum-selling mega stars of the ’80s. Lineup shifts, record label changes and evolving tastes have played major roles in the roller coaster ride Duran Duran has experienced throughout their long tenure. Most significant, however, has been their struggle to find a sound that reallyrepresents the band. Since their fifth studio album, 1988’s Big Thing, the band has toyed with ideas and concepts that were either too contemporary sounding, too far removed from what their devoted fans expected to hear from them, or, plainly stated, just weren’t suitable for them.

That’s all changed with All You Need Is Now. Duran Duran’s 13th studio album has not only brilliantly bridged the gap between their pop-glam-disco masterpiece, 1982’s Rio and now, but has managed to reestablish themselves as true originators and purveyors of modern dance music, experts at melding many different genres and crafting smart, danceable, sexy, seductive pop music that was also catchy as hell.

In recent years, other acts — like Scissor Sisters, Dandy Warhols, The Faint and Electric Six — have tugged forcefully at the fabric that Duran Duran created and done their damndest to recreate the glossy, titillating dance grooves that Duran Duran perfected on standout club hits like “Girls On Film” and “Planet Earth.” Meanwhile, Duran Duran’s members were battling their own worst enemies — themselves — and beating their heads against the walls while sorting through record producers, sound experiments and formulas. The band has made their message crystal clear with All You Need Is Now: they are back … and boy, are they ever.

A sonic match made in heaven, the band enlisted brilliant whiz kid and hit-making machine Mark Ronson to handle the production duties for Now. A self-admitted Duran lover since his teens, British-born Ronson has lent his talents and well-trained ear to the careers of platinum-selling artists Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse andRobbie Williams. Ronson has managed to evoke the true spirit and pizazz that’s always lain inside of Duran Duran and he’s done so like no other producer has been able to since Colin Thurston (who produced the band’s first two albums) or Nile Rodgers, producer of the band’s funky 1986 LP, Notorious.

Ronson’s wisest and boldest move was to stand back and let Duran Duran be Duran Duran; an obstacle the band has been plagued with for years now is the attempt to stray too far from the building blocks upon which their unique mesh of styles and sounds was borne. Whether it be at the suggestion of a producer or their own desire to change too drastically with the times, the end results have often been met with mixed reviews. Their last project, 2007’s Red Carpet Massacre, produced by veteran hip-hop producer Timbaland, was less than embraced by fans and by radio despite the fact that hit-maker Justin Timberlake contributed to the bands sound and appeared on the album’s lead single, “Nite Runner.”

While it’s admirable for a veteran band to continue to strive for relevance and in doing so, be willing to adapt themselves to fit in with current musical climates, sometimes it’s easy to lose touch with the inner confidence and the fire that put them there in the first place. With All You Need Is Now, Duran Duran have tapped into their own rich fountain of musical textures and nuances and successfully created a record that’s as contemporary and modern as it is traditional and true to form.

Fans who’ve longed for a Duran Duran sound that hearkens back to their days as a dance club act first and foremost will undoubtedly revel in the grooves found on Now. Of the nine cuts featured on the digital version of the album — released exclusively on iTunes tomorrow (December 21) and with a physical version featuring extra cuts coming in February 2011 — about seven of them could easily draw bodies to the dance floor. In what seems like an intentional attempt to prove their mettle and inspire their adoring fans to get off their asses and dance, Duran Duran has managed to create a record that will undoubtedly remind everyone, fans and detractors alike, what it was that set them apart and made them so special in the first place.

With All You Need Is Now, Duran Duran somehow manages to appeal to the diehard fans, to those who lost interest along the way AND to a whole new crop of eager dance-pop enthusiasts. I’ll go as far as saying that anyone who loves Rio and holds that album near and dear to their hearts will also love All You Need Is Now. Cut from the same cloth of daring, charisma and elation — those key elements that made Duran Duran such huge stars — the new album is a reminder of how and why this band was able to reach the heights they did and more significantly, why they still deserve to be lauded as groundbreakers and pioneers.

Duran Duran have found themselves and they’re screaming it from the rooftops: one listen to All You Need Is Now more than exemplifies their new-found confidence and their return to their well-deserved throne of dance-pop royalty. Dust off your dancing shoes … Duran is back... again.

Standout Tracks: All You Need Is Now, Blame The Machines, The Man Who Stole A Leapard, Runway Runaway

Florrie * Introduction

Florrie is a drummer, singer, songwriter and guitarist. She was formerly a part of the production team Xenomania who produced fantastic slices of pop for artists like Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys. Now however, she has been working hard at her first batch of original songs, an EP and tons of dancefloor remixes and has one of the hottest producers around to help her out, Mr.Fred Falke. Currently she is happy remaining an unsigned artist and is offering all of her tracks and mixes online for free. Though some of these tracks have been bouncing around the internet for awhile and stirring up some attention, she has recently offered everything so far on her website. Do yourself a favour and grab these while they are still free and become a fan before the masses catch on. Florrie is sure to be a hit!

Florrie’s bold, attention-grabbing pop music is at once robotic and human, chunky and svelte, big on ideas and not shy of explosive choruses.

Standout Tracks: Summer Nights, Panic Attack (fred falke club mix), Call 911 (fred falke remix), Call Of The Wild

Gypsy & The Cat * Gilgamesh

Gypsy & the Cat are a pair of French house-loving DJs turned singer-songwriters from Melbourne, now based in London.Their lush, layered pop songs are half-programmed and half-played, and equal parts acoustic and electronic, but this is definitely not folktronica – it's miles away from the likes of Adem and Four Tet.Their music has a shameless MOR feel. Equally shameless are their high falsetto vocals, which are pure disco-era Bee Gees, while the sumptuous production (which they did themselves back home in Melbourne, the clever boys), the mellifluous melodies and billowing harmonies, will remind you of what Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks got up to over at the legendary Record Plant Studios in LA in the late 70s.An Aussie duo offering a take on coked-out LA pop? Think Empire of the Sun without the kabuki makeup and sci-fi warrior regalia. When pushed for a label to stick on them, Messrs Bacash and Towers, who are 21 and 25 respectively, quite like "semi-acoustic chillwave" but eventually go for "electronic soft-rock". "We love anthemic, inclusive pop music and big ambitious songs," they told us, before showing just how shameless they really are by listing their favourite acts. "We love all the big stars of the 70s and 80s: the Police, Toto, Michael Jackson, Queen ..." They're starting out indie-ishly, with their imminent first single Time to Wander.

Standout Tracks: Time To Wander, Jona Vark, The Piper's Song, Sight Of A Tear

Chromeo * Business Casual

Drenched in a kind of recycled atmosphere that's not as much ironic as wistful, Business Casual grabs these kinds of recherché elements, be they untrammeled sax solos or well-timed triangle strikes, with both hands. But their placement of them is always cautiously considered. Vocoders, talkboxes, and booty-talk breakdowns abound, but they are laid out in such an ordered way as to provide a constant shine, albeit a vulgar one, to the surface of the songs.

To consider the album as anything other than a vacant good time is impossible. Business Casual is transparent and tacky enough that its not becoming insufferable is a triumph in itself. Its earnestness, and the enthusiasm which it presents its reconstituted '80s sounds, is even lovable. Even as I write this (with the group's tremendous Bushmills billboard, which has irked me for months, looming outside my window), it's impossible to feel any animosity toward the album.

"The Right Type" is pure yacht-rock, with cascading MIDI flutes and a lilting, falsetto chorus. "J'ai Claqué La Porte" invokes the group's Montreal background through half-spoken French lyrics, something they seem required to do at least once an album. Even opener "Hot Mess," which is annoyingly slick and dim-witted at times, is impeccably conceived and plotted.

The care evident in these songs' structures is what eventually saves Business Casual from turning into a joke.

Be sure to get the version of the album that is packed with additional remixes!

Standout Tracks: I'm Not Contagious, Hot Mess, Night By Night, Don't Turn The Lights On

We Love * We Love

An air of mystery surrounds oddball Italian electronic duo We Love. Their live sets take in film, fashion and (logically) music, and the pair regularly perform in costume, a la Daft Punk or Kraftwerk.

Opening with downbeat duet "Ice Lips," the Florentine outfit show a yearning desire reminiscent of early Fink, The XX and Casiotone For The Painfully Alone. There's little of the acoustic, psychedelic or suicidal tendencies inherent within those respective acts, but the send and return vocals of producers Giorgia Angiuli and Piero Fragola marry darkness with desperation just as well.

"Even If" is perhaps as close to perfection as is reached here. Angiuli's vocals swoop, loop and stretch while guitar strings gently pluck above sub-mariner bleeps. Similarly impressive outings are found in "Underwater," and the heart-stopping "No Train, No Plain." With both vocalists equally effective at hypnotism, the former offers male-dominated epicness, while the latter is the best club track here, contrasting siren-like femininity with pitch-black atmosphere, no doubt earning a place in sinister sets from forward-thinking DJs.

We Love on the whole is rarely strictly club music, and it's a world away from what most would call "real" downbeat. It instead bridges the gap between couch and club with seemingly effortless ease.

Standout Tracks: Hide Me, Even If, No Train No Plain, Our Shapes

Miami Horror * Illumination

Dancefloor anthems that magically double as relaxing, laid-back tunes in the mould of Stardust’s 1998 hit ‘Music Sounds Better With You’ (which Plant has remixed in the past). Better yet is lead single ‘Sometimes’; a smooth as silk ditty that glides along effortlessly and never feels cluttered despite the numerous layers of sound it contains.

Many cuts owe a lot to 1970’s disco-pop as well, adding a further texture of infectious accessibility to proceedings. ‘Imagination (I Want You To Know)’ stands out in this regard, as does the addictively – if lyrically questionable - ‘Moon Theory’; a cut which also highlights Miami Horror’s ability to seamlessly infuse live instrumentation. ‘Illumination’ is not perfect however, as in addition to the only passable lyrics, it is arguably overlong and falls a little flat when it attempts to push too many boundaries and be too cool (see ‘Echoplex’, which is helmed by Swedish singer MAI). With a few tracks bleeding into each other, the album’s more experimental latter half is likely to be most polarizing. Yet, the brilliant club banger of an instrumental interlude that is ‘Grand Illusion’ is perfectly placed to ease such concerns, even if ‘Illuminated’ is not anywhere near as effective two tracks later.

If you could not already tell from the LP and song titles, ‘Illumination’ carries a strong concept revolving around light. More than that however, this is a summer album which contains a rather airy feel throughout – though it never succumbs to Palomo’s disliked Chillwave categorization. And therein lies Miami Horror’s greatest accomplishment with their debut full-length; ‘Illumination’ is such a versatile album, that it is just as appropriate to listen to as you are lying by the pool at 2pm, as it is when you are dancing in a nightclub at 2am. Much of the credit must go to Plant, who clearly is a dedicated music aficionado not to dissimilar to the likes of Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos. His astute attention to detail is sublime, and ‘Illumination’ becomes even more accomplished when one learns that it was produced and engineered by the man himself in the palatial surrounds of his own bedroom studio!

Standout Tracks: Moon Theory, Summersun, Echoplex, Soft Light

Gui Boratto * Renaissance / The Mix Collection

When one of electronic music’s most respected staples, Renaissance, and Brazilian DJ and producer Gui Boratto teamed up for the first time, the result can surely be compared to a spacey sound journey through an atmospheric rainforest. Boratto gets in the mix with this groovy third release for the Renaissance name, following the likes of M.A.N.D.Y, Dave Seaman and James Zabiella. For the mix, Boratto picked tracks by some of his favorite artists and producers of the moment—Tricky, Josh Wink, Martin Buttrich, Lusine, Christian Smith, Mathew Jonson, and Bomb the Base, to name a few—as well as his own material, including four never heard before productions. While one might get locked in from song two, which is a John Tejada remix of Boratto’s 2009 “Take My Breath Away,” almost every song is a trip of its own, including Tricky’s “Past Mistake” making for a surprisingly eerie, yet beautiful ending.

This is not really a mix to listen to on the go, rather slower and more gratifying given the proper time of day, it blends and bends styles ranging from minimal to tech house to tribal to simply beautifully crafted vocal tracks, all along being a very, well, Renaissance album. If the compilation was to represent any given club night it would be the one where you didn’t really want to stay out till 4:30 am but did anyway because the music was too good to leave. Or the provisions for the night had kicked in too hard.

This is not a compilation of bangers; rather subtle, dark, and smooth, the mix flows in a signature Gui Boratto style—intricate and deep.

Standout Tracks: Dolphin Smack (Josh Wink) , Forgotten (Andre Sobatta), Telecaster (Gui Boratto)

fun. * Aim and Ignite

It’s frothy and bubbly and tickles the ear with playful melodies, honest lyrics, soaring crescendos and a general good-time attitude. Singer Nate Ruess has finally found his happy place, and he is absolutely unafraid in declaring it.

All of the qualities that Ruess began to shape on the last Format record have been embraced and embellished by his fun. bandmates—Andrew Dost of Anathallo (huh?) and Jack Antonoff of Steel Train—on Aim & Ignite. The showy songwriting, rich arrangements, the incredible vocal range; they’re all rolled into an album that would aptly be described as displaying a degree of theatricality. A few traditional rock-style songs aside, most of the record’s tracks are little tales unto themselves; dynamic compositions with plentiful tempo and tone changes, snappy vocals and absolutely gorgeous string and horn arrangements. The songs of fun. often begin with quiet lyrics and sparse instrumentation, build steam giddily through a couple of verses and choruses, and happily burst into a falsetto-led climax during an interlude, an ending, or both. Every string, horn, guitar and bass note is crisp and perfectly mixed; the record’s production is superb, especially for a band without a label.

In short, Aim & Ignite is everything I’d hoped for: it’s honest and quirky and buoyant and effusive and flawlessly put together. It might make the cynics among you giggle at its breezy nature despite the confidence with which it’s delivered, but you’ll be hard-pressed to keep a smile off your face.

Standout Tracks: All The Pretty Girls, I Wanna Be The One, The Gambler, Light A Roman Candle With Me

Thomas Fehlmann * Gute Luft

Thomas Fehlmann's Gute Luft is both a new album and also a companion to the 24-hour-long television documentary series 24h Berlin, which follows a handful of Berliners' lives over a one-day period. Fehlmann composed music for the project separately from fellow musical contributor Maurus Ronner, and much of Fehlmann's work didn't make the documentary. So the re-edited and refined material presented here is more of an imagined soundtrack than a definitive one, even though a few of its tracks make regular appearances throughout the series.

Gute Luft works as a survey of everything Fehlmann does well. He's stated that while putting the album together, he "brought in elements from tunes from my previous albums," and anyone with a working knowledge of his solo work (not to mention his contributions to the Orb) will recognize where he's drawing from. The spiraling build of opener "Alles, Immer" and the more amorphous "Von Oben" recallHonigpumpe's epic-stuffed back half, while the hiccupped tones and static wash of "Berliner Luftikus" resembles that record's swampy front end.

These sounds are nothing new for anyone with a passing familiarity with Fehlmann's catalog, but when they're executed by someone with his ear and sense of structure, the results still feel fresh. Even the ostensibly incidental music here rewards close attention, and the whole is striking enough to make you wonder which direction Fehlmann will take next.

Standout Tracks: Speeding, Soft Park, Fluss im Wasser, Schwerelos

The Album Leaf * A Chorus Of Storytellers

The wise step is made on the part of The Album Leaf to make a semi-instrumental album. It probably works out around 60/40 in favour of instrumental song, yet the ones with lyrics do add a pleasing anchor to the experience. "There is a Wind", "Falling From the Sun", "We Are" and "Almost There" are perhaps the predominant ones of these. In all of these the band make no comprises on behalf of the vocalist, the music underpinning it is still just as lush, still contains the same level of complexity and fiercely preserves its free-form state, unwilling to be crushed into easily-measured bars and riffs.

The nigh-on perfect placement of the vocal-led tracks throughout the album really boost its appeal between clawing at your intellect and roping in your emotional response. Somewhere between the worlds of post-rock, electro and shoegaze, The Album Leaf found a formula that is all of them and none of them.

"Until the Last" is a flawless example of this multi-lingual approach. Using the first part of the song to present neoclassicism, rock and electro independently, they then combine all of these forces for the final climax.

How can adoration not be on the cards for such a wonderfully understated, yet richly-textured approach to music.

Standout Tracks: There is a wind, Blank pages, Until the last, Stand Still

Booka Shade * More!

Veteran German electro-housemeisters Booka Shade (Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier) are anomalies in clubland. They’ve released a succession of global dance floor hits, including 2004’s “Vertigo”/“Memento,” 2005’s “Body Language” with M.A.N.D.Y. (which was famously sampled by will.i.am on “Get Your Money”), and their ubiquitous “Manderine Girl,” but the duo are actually album-oriented artists who tour as a live act, performing songs from their three acclaimed albums, 2004’s Momento, 2006’s Movements and 2008’s The Sun & the Neon Light. Their fourth album, More!, arrives after a tumultuous 17 months of experimenting and recording in their Berlin studio. From the start of the creative process, Merziger and Kammermeier decided not to re-purpose any sounds they’ve used in the past. The result is an album brimming with fresh ideas and beefy textures that serves as another departure from the floor-rocking sound they are famous for.

The uptempo “Bad Love” might be the obligatory first single, but it’s a truly bad-ass house tune featuring Get Physical cohort Chelonis R. Jones — who fronted “S.T.A.R.R.Z.” on Memento — on lead vocals. Austrian legends Yello offer spoken-word vocals on “Divine,” a novelty pop-house track that would sound great on any dance floor at 4 a.m. “This Is Not the Time” is a fantastic take on synth-pop, and “No Difference” is an enthralling slice of ambient-gaze tailored to sunrises. Dance music might be perennially obsessed with the future, but More! triumphs in the now.

Standout Tracks: Bad Love, Havanna Sex Dwarf, Divine, This Is Not Time

Chew Lips * Unicorn

Last year both Little Boots and La Roux carved their mugs into the musical rockery, and as we write, 2010 is predicted to belong to Ellie Goulding. So you could be forgiven for feeling a little shoulder shruggy about British born lady-led electro-pop. Haven’t we heard quite enough for now?

Chew Lips say no. And it’s impossible to argue with a debut like Unicorn. Stripped of all the superficial polish and glitzy sheen that so often equips haters with all the ammunition they need to call this genre throwaway, the band have crafted a truly unique, low-key and yet utterly captivating sound. The ten tracks are based around varying combinations of fluttering synths, big basslines, pianos, guitars, beats and strings; all intricately arranged to showcase the real standout element of this record – lead singer Tigs’ sumptuous vocals.

It’s a corker of a voice; the type that makes you want to skip with joy when it soars and then drags the heart over hot coals in its more melancholy renderings. As such Gold Key, with its sweetly sung talk of tied hands and playing with guns, takes on an even more sinister quality, Karen’s incredibly catchy melody has huge impact driven by Tigs’ very capable lung power, and stark ballads Piano Song and Too Much Talking are downright catch-your-breath sad.

But it’s not all just smiles and sobs. Propelling Chew Lips is a sonic expertise and wizardry that would leave even the most technically minded musician scratching their noggin in an attempt to get to the bottom of the band’s dynamic This is where tracks like Slick, Eight and Play Together come in; all three baffling displays of savvy songwriting and subtle arrangement complete with well-timed starts, stops and instrumental breakdowns

And all too quickly it’s over, and you’ll want to go right back to the start again. Because Unicorn is that rarest of things: a record imbued with genuine talent and emotion which wipes the floor with the majority of its makers’ contemporaries, while calling to mind the classic vocals of Karen Carpenter and the pioneering spirit of Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Quite startling.

Standout Tracks: Seven, Salt Air, Play Together, Too Much Talking

Goldfrapp * Head First

Masters of atmospheric studio engineering, Will Gregory and Alison Goldfrapp can convert any mood or era into a kitsch electronic sound postcard. They’ve done it with stoned-out Sixties psychedelia (The Seventh Tree) and thigh-high Seventies glam rock (Supernature). And no doubt they’ve been itching to get their knowing little fingers on the Eighties.

Their fifth album sounds like they’ve fed the complete works of electronica pioneer Giorgio Moroder into a magical mixing desk, along with a home perm kit, a pair of leg warmers and a copy of Top Gun and then given the whole thing a whooshing big blow dry.

The results of their experiment are so authentic that you’d have difficulty telling it apart from a genuine Eighties feel-good movie soundtrack. Listening to this on your ipod, you’d constantly be on the lookout for groups of strangers bursting into impeccably choreographed dance routines on the steps of municipal buildings.
With the pulsating neon beats of up-tempo tracks like Rocket and Alive, they’ve perfectly captured that decade’s hairspray high – the cheesy exhilaration of hanging on to the back of a movie star’s motorcycle. You can almost hear the frosted pink lipstick in Alison’s vocals – so breathy she could be drying her nail polish as she sings of “danger” and “passion”. “I like the way you drive your car” feels like a particularly era-nailing line.
Hardcore fans of the duo may still find themsleves missing the hard-hitting, grungy synth sounds of earlier Goldfrapp albums but it is clear what the band intended to achieve with this album and they've done it very well.

Standout Tracks: Believer, Alive, Head First, Dreaming, I Wanna Life

Miike Snow * Miike Snow

It's a strange name, Miike Snow. And it's not even one person - this trio are a New York-Stockholm hybrid, the 'surname' an engineer in LA, the first name a homage to Japanese film director Takashi Miike. They can already lay claim to one of the finest pop songs of the last ten years, having written Britney Spears' Toxic.

Handily enough, the story of their name just about sums up their music. Well engineered for sure, it nonetheless contains some strange twists, turns and syncopations as it unfolds, not to mention some decidedly dark lyrics.

What works handsomely in their favour is the fact Miike Snow are one of those outfits whose music refuses to go away. They've mastered the art of the album as a 'grower'. Give the record one listen only and it might pass you by, leaving you fleetingly impressed by its unusual harmonies, ironed out into pop structures. Go back to it once more and the process of reeling the listener in begins, as the barbed lyrics reveal themselves and the catchy tunes and rolling drums start to pop their heads above the parapet.

Nowhere does this happen more obviously than the lead track Animal, which sounds like a lost Police song given a new, vividly coloured change of clothes. It's uniquely and strangely joyous, a mood that continues through the album, with choice lyrical vignettes and hooks that seem awkward at first listen, gloriously different the next.

"Don't forget to cry at your own burial!" they entreat in Burial, which after a few listens will reveal itself as a song about a serial killer. Black & Blue does likewise, a more soulful approach revealing a possible debt to Outkast, while hinting even a bit of gospel may have been used.

Throughout the album danceable rhythms, melodic hooks you could hang a coat on, and vocals that would grace many an accomplished boy band vie for top billing. The carefree Song For No One breezes on by with a jaunty rhythm, complementing the lovelorn Silvia rather well, while even the later tracks - A Horse Is Not A Home, Plastic Jungle and In Search Of, impress greatly with their polished yet human approach.

Empire Of The Sun might have thought they had the crown of the year's breeziest electro pop album sewn up, but they reckoned without this trio. For Miike Snow make weirdly wonderful music, not without its strange lyrical dark side, but with an overall vibe that raises you to your feet and makes you gaze at the blue sky. In a phrase, life-enriching.

Standout Tracks : Black & Blue, Sylvia, Sans Soleil, Burial, Animal

Hot Chip * One Life Stand

While the capricious, erratic behaviour of musical mavericks like Neil Young and Bob Dylan might enthral their followers, it's always nice when a recording artist behaves in a rather more sensible, rational way. Five-piece pop act Hot Chip are a case in point. From the listener's perspective, it seems as if Hot Chip have behaved rather like a customer services-orientated business: they've listened to their customers' complaints, and they've sought to remedy their faults.

To explain: Hot Chip's last album, 2008's Made In The Dark, was a good record but it never quite delivered the pop perfection promised by its predecessor album The Warning and its superlative lead-off single, Ready For The Floor. Made In The Dark was a purposely eclectic record, veering from the hyperactive disco of Hold On to ultra-sparse ballads like In The Privacy Of Our Love. But the album proved a mild disappointment not because of its all-over-the-place nature but rather because of its dearth of truly compelling songs.

But, much like Marks & Spencer, it would seem that Hot Chip are willing to change their approach to please their customers. "I feel like the melodies on the new album are much more in-your-face, and it's more coherent," said vocalist Alexis Taylor in a recent interview. "The songs are a little bit 'straighter' than (those on) Made In The Dark, there's less craziness to it", echoed Taylor's bandmate Joe Goddard. And they're right, too: One Life Stand is more coherent and there is indeed less of the slightly self-conscious 'craziness' that occasionally threatened to de-rail Made In The Dark. One Life Stand comprises a concise 10 tracks, the standard of which is consistently high.

The album's two high points occur around its mid-point and both songs are Hot Chip's most organic (ie. least synth-bound) to date. Slush is a ballad performed (mostly) in a 6/8 time signature. It opens with a curious vocal exercise filling in for the expected guitar arpeggio. Alexis Taylor (in fine voice throughout the album) sings a sweet, if derivative, melody. And then, at the song's halfway point, some trembling steel drums arrive, Goddard loses all his vocal inhibitions and it transforms into a thing of staggering beauty.

The next track, Alley Cats, is better still and it might - might - just be the best thing Hot Chip have ever recorded. Its continually-evolving melody and pulsing rhythm recalls previous career highlight And I Was A Boy From School. But the song's building blocks - Rhodes keyboards, sawing violins and dislocated, eerie backing vocals that recall Tusk-era Fleetwood Mac - hail from a different musical territory altogether. When the three vocalists harmonise on the line "There is no pain I don't know", it's a true lump-in-the-throat moment.

This is great music. It's also very English music. In recent years the idea of 'English' music has been debased through association with the horrible, aggressively heterosexual music produced by the likes of The Enemy. But One Life Stand feels English in the best possible sense: it's cosmopolitan, unassuming and ever-so-slightly eccentric.

Standout Tracks: Alley Cats, I Feel Better, Take It In, One Life Stand, Slush, We Have Love

Letting Up Despite Great Faults * Letting Up Despite Great Faults

"Bashfully bittersweet shoegaze from Los Angeles that wear their hearts on every inch of their body. Sounds like: Programmed beats, droning, washed out guitars and softly whispered vocals. As if Sweden's The Radio Dept. dropped the cold, Scandinavian front and embraced their inner lovesick puppy. . . the sort of dreamy indie pop that boys want to make and girls want to fall in love with; with synths that ooze romance, guitar lines straight out of New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies and vocals that provide as much warmth as a bearskin rug by an open fire."

"Lovely LA band gets right the balance between tight strumming and swooping electronics, turning out light, charming songs that are long on both melody and heartache."

"Catchy guitars, almost dancey beats and Mike Lee's soft vocals coupled with shoegazey synths deliver enchanted melodies that make you feel all sorts of warm and wonderful."

Standout Tracks: In Steps, Our Younger Noise, Folding Under Stories Told

The xx - xx

The xx are an increasingly rare case of a band who deserves all the hype. In under a year, the band of four London 20-year-olds went from bedroom pop experimenters to the pages of the NME and beyond, thanks not to their haircuts or grandiose statements made to whoever sticks a mic in their face but to the strength of their music. Which, coupled with their totally distinct sonic makeup, sets them apart -- and above -- from about every group of young Brits hitting the airwaves in 2009.

For a pair of 20-year-olds, Croft and Sim have something of a virtuosic ability to write cutting songs about love and its messiness, deftly outdoing bands with more mileage.

If you’re not sold by the lyrics or the masterful distillation of R&B and indie-pop influences, it’s the little moments that takeover on XX. There’s the way the lightning bolt synths play like a whiplash to the cerebellum on “Infinity.” The way the bass grumbles retorts to the verses on “Islands.” How the emptiness on “Basic Space” is as important as the parts that make a noise. How Croft struggles to say everything she has to say on “Night Time,” and how she and Sim finish each other’s sentences on “Stars.” Throughout its 11 tracks, XX doesn’t so much as demand your devotion as it just slowly and completely takes it. The xx recorded not only the year’s best debut but also one of its best albums, period.

Standout Tracks: Crystalised, Heart Skipped A Beat, Shelter

Bad Lieutenant * Never Cry Another Tear

With Peter Hook's departure in 2007, prospects for new material from New Order were looking increasingly dim, so the surprisingly workmanlike Bernard Sumner formed Bad Lieutenant to record his new songs. Sumner looked for help to various sources: latter-day New Order keyboardist Phil Cunningham; bassist Tom Chapman; a young Manchester head named Jake Evans for guitar, vocals, and a little songwriting; plus, on a few tracks, bassist Alex James of Blur and New Order drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner can't help but recall New Order as soon as he puts pen to paper or opens his mouth, but there are slight differences between this material and what he's been known for. If anything, Never Cry Another Tear accentuates the melodic guitar pop and straightforward lyricism of New Order's work in the 2000s. Although Hook is missed, the low end sounds quite good indeed in the capable hands of Chapman and James. As good as Hook's bass work was, its range was limited, and it's intriguing to hear a wider range of sounds here -- from sprightly Brit-pop on "Summer Days on Holiday" to the towering work on "Dynamo" and "Walk On Silver Water". Of course, new bands have lower expectations than established bands, and while virtually every listener will contrast Never Cry Another Tear with New Order's best work, it has the sweep and grandeur of the group's classic moments.

Standout Tracks: Summer Days On Holiday, Walk On Silver Water, This Is Home, Poisonous Intent, Running Out Of Luck

Raz O'Hara & The Odd Orchestra * II

Raz Ohara and his Odd Orchestra return for their second album for Get Physical, II. It's a warm, organic collection of avant-garde, open-hearted pop music which positively teems with life; a forest of pleasures and possibilities which you'll want to lose yourself in indefinitely.

The origins of the album are in summer 2008, when Raz embarked on some informal jam sessions with guitarist Tom Krimi on the latter's outdoor terrace. This relaxed, natural approach to music-making suited the duo perfectly, and they soon decided to take it one step further: to escape the city, and write and record out in the countryside. You can almost hear the fresh air blowing through II, the insect life teeming in its undergrowth.

The process was simple: Raz would program rhythms, simply to give himself and Tom a "clock" to jam around, and play some loose chords on acoustic guitar or bass; Tom would join in with effects-laden guitar and a 4-track loop machine. These sounds were then developed, re-arranged and finessed by Raz with his long-term collaborator Oliver Doerell (who worked on Raz Ohara's previous album, and is also known for his productions as Dictaphone and Swod on the City Centre Offices label - giving them the real Odd Orchestra touch.

Opening with the plaintive, cinematic scene-setter - the first of three gorgeous bridging instrumentals - we're drawn straight into ‘The Burning (Desire)', which matches jazzy shuffling drums and double-bass with crisp digital edits and a multi-tracked vocal from Raz that is more open, more vivid than anything we've heard from him before, but no less intimate. The loop-heavy, classic-sounding psych-pop of ‘Losing My Name' and the beautifully arranged, tumbling ballad ‘Varsha' are just incredible: shimmering, shifting pieces richly evocative of an idyllic woodland hideout.

II is certainly less melancholic than its predecessor - it's imbued with good feeling, energised by the rhythms and cadences of summer and the great outdoors - but it's not euphoric; there is an underlying note of caution, of trepidation. This emotional mix is what makes the record so powerful, especially when allied to a similarly ambiguous musical mix: one which imperceptibly melds folk, classic pop, electro-acoustic experimentation and modernist electronics.

Standout Tracks: The Burning (desire), Losing My Name, Kingdom

Calvin Harris * Ready For The Weekend

Ready For The Weekend was tailor-made for clubbing, having fun and partying and Calvin Harris makes no excuses for it.
“These are the good times in your life, so put on a smile and it’ll be aright” he sings on album opener “The Rain”. Punctuated by lightweight lyrics and a cheesy sax solo, this track quickly sets the tone for the rest of the disc.racks like “You Used to Hold Me”, “Relax” and “Limits” see Harris trying new sounds, adding acoustic guitar and mixing house with pop.

Elsewhere, “Greatest Fear” (not available on all versions of the album) never really divulges the panic, but after six minutes of rave dub, it’s safe to say it's not about running out of dance material. A full 16 tracks long, Ready For The Weekend packs a dancefloor wallop.

Ready For The Weekend closes with a doleful version of “I’m Not Alone” remixed by Deadmau5 which puts in focus the lyric “I can’t do this anymore”. The track hints that maybe after 16 blissful cuts stock made for the dancefloor, the party’s over, the alarm’s buzzing and it might just be time to get ready for Monday morning.

Standout Tracks: The Rain, Stars Come Out, Blue, Relax, I'm Not Alone

Marsheaux * Lumineux Noir

Airy melodies, playful sounds without fear of crossing the border into sweet catchiness, yet paired with coolness, energy and a small hint of dark pathos – if there is one band these days that manages to preserve the spirit of the Golden Eighties, it must be the electronic girlie-duo MARSHEAUX. Fortunately, Sophie and Marianthi do not resort merely to blindly copying well-tried success formulae from pop-eras past, but rather use the same tools to cook up a delicate and delicious electro pop stew of their own. On this, their third album, the two girls prove yet again that they have got a formidable talent for writing irresistibly catchy melodies, spiced up with a healthy dose of modern club sensibility. The darker note that haunts a few of the tracks, quite befitting of the album title, provides an interesting counterpoint, as well. This album find MARSHEAUX are as versatile as never before: minimal disco anthems like the singles "Stand By", "Ghosts" and "Breakthrough" go hand in hand with picture-prefect pop tunes and excursions into more beat-oriented territories. "Lumineux Noir" is the perfect fusion of Pop and Club, an irresistible minimal disco trip... in short: an album to fall in love with!

Standout Tracks: Stand By, Summer, Exit, Faith

Junior Boys * Begone Dull Care

At a time when dance music is obsessed with throwing back to the old school, Junior Boys are a welcome breath of fresh air. Since the early 2000s, the Hamilton duo have never failed to march to a different drum machine, not so much by being fearless innovators but by boiling down a quarter-century of influences into a style that's theirs and theirs alone. Take their latest, Begone Dull Care, an album that drops all smoke and mirrors to stand as one of the most forward-thinking electronic pop records in ages. Compared to one and two, album number three shows Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus at their most cool, calm and collected, sounding less like a night at a club than the comedown that follows. And yet all of Junior Boys' signatures are here — Greenspan's sentimental R&B croon, the drive-by-night synths, the rhythmic disco-sis — but with subtlety powering this slow-motion romance, and a beautifully complex subtlety at that. Overstatement or not, Begone Dull Care quite easily marks a high in a career already littered with them.

Standout Tracks: The Animator, Bits & Pieces, Parallel Lines, Dull To Pause

Styrofoam * A Thousand Words

Seriously! If smart, precise, interesting and clever pop music is your thing, you need to listen to this album.
Styrofoam's Arne Van Petegem has come a long way from what he describes as the “shy electronic guy afraid of singing”. Starting off his career with some sporatic, abstract more than obvious sounding albums. Now, with each new album (this being his fifth) he comes more and more out of the shadows, both sonically and lyrically. After recently signing on with North America's Nettwerk Label he must have made a conscious decision to embrace melody and structure and add it to his trademark sounding blips, bleeps and cut n' chop production. Again he has recruited a fantastic string of guest vocalists like Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eats World, singer/songwriter Josh Rouse and Tanya Donelly of The Eels who each add their own element to their specific songs. To the untrained ear, this album could easily pass off as that new 'Postal Service' album that has been in hiatus for the last year. But for those who know Styrofoam's previous work, this sounds like a very logical and rewarding step forward.

Standout Tracks: No Happy Endings, A Thousand Words, Microscope

Apparat + Walls

Walls dips into a pretty wide variety of genres, with pieces that touch on everything from a minimal classical influence to more straight-up electronic pop goodness. The aforementioned are both touched on during the first two songs on the release, as "Not A Number" starts things off with overlapping chimes, texture washes, and some layered strings. "Hailin' From The Edge" is one of four songs on the release to feature Raz Ohara, who's soulful voice is a nice offset to the more fragile and plain words of Ring. Musically, the track is one of the more thumping on the release, with a growling bass, sharp beats, string flourishes and all kinds of electronic background trickery.
From there out, the album veers back and forth from largely instrumental electronic pieces that shimmer with texture and often crack with subtle beats. The two-part "Fractales" bursts out of the gate with a smooth dance pop feel before the second section pushes forward with a more chamber-influenced opening section before morphing into a wave of humming drone. "You Don't Know Me" is one of the best tracks of this variety on the release, as a crunchy rhythm marches forward while strings, layers of electronics, and guitar feedback all peak in a glorious crescendo.

Standout Tracks: Hailin'From The Edge, Useless Information, Birds