Still Corners released their sophomore album, Strange Pleasures, on May 7th, and to celebrate this joyous occasion, today we turn our attention to “Berlin Lovers,” the first single off the London group’s indie pop album.  Still Corners impresses me with their ability to change their sound just enough to keep it fresh, while maintaining a familiarity by keeping the band’s essence intact.  Their first album, Creatures of an Hour, had a thematic haziness that was utterly calming and intoxicating.  ”Berlin Lovers,” which first hit airwaves in February, signified a bit of a sharper exploration into electronics.  Don’t get me wrong.  That dream pop aura still hovers over Strange Pleasures like a mist but every now and then a jagged little synth dagger slices through the fog.  Enjoy.

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It’s been at least four or five minutes since I’ve posted something imported from Australia.  The latest is synth’s newest heavy hitter, Chela.  Chela‘s star is on the rise as she appears to be churning out catchy, lovelorn electro-pop hits pretty regularly these days.   Chela built her buzz by appearing with LA’s buzzworthy Goldroom but is showing now that she can easily take the reins.   Each song she releases comes with a visually simplistic video focused solely on the songstress. The most recent to receive the video treatment is “Guts,” a slick track with an anthematic chorus and beats that make staying away from the dancefloor close to impossible.  Enjoy.

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Side note: Looks like Chela saves a fortune on paint.

Sometimes all I want is to listen to a band that is just having a good time making its music, which brings me to Foe Destroyer.  The Texas trio released their debut album on March 2, 2013, which includes the slightly funky, playful “Strut.”  What’s playful you ask?  The elastic guitars throughout the track, the tambourine backed harmonic chanting, the cool delivery of the lyrics, and my favorite part, the spastic, amazingly excessive guitar solo that closes it out.  There, now stop asking so many questions!  Enjoy.

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Any song inspired by an episode of Futurama, especially one where men are forced to engage in “snu snu” on a planet dominated by giant Amazon women, gets my attention without even hearing a note.  Good thing “Amazon,” by GRRL PAL, has a lot more going for it than just pop culture references.  Formed in 2012, GRRL PAL has only released one song, “Amazon,” an upbeat, synth-pumping pop track led by the ethereal chants of leading lady, Jay Daniel.  GRRL PAL promises the release of their debut EP this month and let’s hope this grrl keeps her promises.  In the meantime, hopefully Amazon motivates you to go out there and get some snu snu.

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Romanian producer Exal unites his ambiant, electronic constructs with the celestial vocals of UK’s Emily Underhill to form “Your Love,” a sedated electronic track  that emits mystery and romanticism with each synthesized blip and seductive verse.  ”Your Love” will be featured on Exal’s upcoming EP, To the Stars, set for release about one year after the 19 year old first came onto the scene with his impressive, instrumental chillwave EP, Stranger in the Lights, in March of 2012.  Underhill has also been around for about a year, with two EPs filled with downtempo, soothing indie tracks.  While each artist’s EPs confirm that they have serious skills alone, “Your Love” proves that, like the Wonder Twins, their powers are much stronger when combined.  Let’s hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  Enjoy.

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I know it was only last week that I posted an entry about the instrumental skills of Slow Magic, but the single “On Yr Side,” released in September of 2013 (five months after Slow Magic‘s debut album, Triangle), redefines chillwave with its soft, vocal echoes, spindly synths and synchopatic beats.  The progression of Slow Magic‘s musical talents is tangible when comparing Triangle to “On Yr Side.”  The recent single showcases a more worldly command with Middle Eastern-influenced electronics snaking through the track that can transport you to a party in a Williamsburg warehouse or a hookah bar in Turkey.  Enjoy.

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Chvrches, the electropop outfit from Scotland, isn’t a collection of really poor spellers or a group going for some Roman vibe.  Chvrches simply replaced the “u” with a “v” so internet searches for the band wouldn’t result solely in religious destinations.  That is not the only simplisticly impressive quality from the trio, who formed in 2011 and have created huge buzz for their upcoming EP, Recover, set for release on March 26, 2013.  The attention is due in large part to “The Mother We Share,” the synth absorbed electronic track that has an irresistible hook and the sharp, smooth vocals of frontwoman, Lauren Mayberry will not, perplexingly, share real estate on Recover.  ”The Mother We Share” .  ”The Mother We Share” is a promising track that all but guarantees us that Chvrches’ debut EP will be the answer to ovr prayers.  Enjoy.

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It’s hard to tell whether Slow Magic is dream pop,  chillwave, or some marriage of the two.  Either way, Triangle, the 2012 debut instrumental album by Slow Magic, lives up to both labels, matching trancelike beats with gleaming synths to create relaxing, transcendental music.  While I would love to tell you more, the individual behind the music is a mystery.  According to Slow Magic, “The main reason for hiding my identity is to make music the main focus of the project. I think it is important that people notice the music first instead of a face or a location.”  Maybe he has a point, because when I listen to Triangle, all I can think about is where the music is taking me, instead of who is taking me there.

Best Tracks:

Toddler Tiger

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Feel Flows

When & Where:

When you need something more therapeutic (and a hell of a lot cheaper) than seeing a shrink.

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When I was in my late teens, I was trying to figure out how to skip all my college classes without failing any. George Townsend and Adam Kaye, the teenage duo also known as Bondax, definitely make me feel like a complete underachiever, having put their energies elsewhere and creating some of the most buzzed about indie electronic music on the net. Townsend and Kaye meld synth, blues, hip-hop and R&B in a way that shows an understanding of composition well beyond their teenage years. They recently released the incredibly soulful, “Gold,” which has more flavor than Baskin Robbins. I expect big things from Bondax in 2013. You should too. Enjoy.

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The beauty of technology is that anyone with a soundboard and an imagination has the potential to create great music.  Jeremy Malvin a/k/a Chrome Sparks is proof of that theory.  Born in Pittsburg and now planted in Brooklyn, Chrome Sparks is finding out that his trippy, spasmodic electronic music fits right in with one of the main breeding grounds of all things indie.  In 2011, he put out “Still Sleeping,” which utilizes ebbing synths, stuttering electronic drips and is held together by the breathy guest vocals of indie folk songstress, Steffaloo.  At first listen, you may think that “Still Sleeping” is incredibly weird and catchy.  Listen again and you’ll realize you were exactly right.  Enjoy.

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