Zola Blood leave little on the internet about who they are and therefore leave a lot to the imagination.  One thing we do not need to imagine is the level of talent based on their first single, “Grace,” which was released over the summer.  Dark and rich, “Grace” gives us a hazy peak into a band that looks to be taking a more ominous approach to synth music.  The electronics are grinding, the bass is heavy, the vocals are desolate, and my fascination is barely containable.  Enjoy.

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Most indie female songstresses use breathy, pixiesh vocals to disarm you.  But on Indian Summer’s “Shiner,” guest vocalist Missy from Ginger and the Ghost drops eerie vocals that are pulling double duty: scaring you while luring you in for more.  Indian Summer has been grinding it out as producers for the past few years and has found a unique sound with their latest piece of work.  “Shiner” starts off like a ghost in the shadows and then the bass drops, shattering the ground at your feet.  I’m hooked.  Enjoy.

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R&B gets me every time, and when it’s as smooth and seductive as Tora’s “Overcome,” it’s pretty much a lock that I’m going to post it.  These five guys from Australia primarily focus on electronic chillwave, but with the assistance of Merryn Boller of Potato Potato, it looks like they’ve got a hold of a whole new genre.  Boller gently presses “Overcome” forward as Tora let’s the rhythm and blues flow while painting the track with its signature alt-electronic hues.  This is music to melt to.  Enjoy.

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There’s a pretty good chance that at some point I will be posting every song from DWNTWN’s self-titled EP, released earlier this year.  The quartet have produced a library full of EPs, singles, and covers over the past few years but have honed their synth pop skills and with the new 5-track record, emerge as musical transcendence.  Every track off the EP is a subtle play of emotions, gently layered instruments, and soft vocals that seem to consume your surroundings like a mist.  “Skins” is a perfect example of the vaporous aura that the voices of Jamie Leffler and Robert Cepeda softly thread through a track laced with muffled drums, guitars and delicate electronics.  Yeah, DWNTWN is pretty good.  Enjoy.

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Closing out the week with a funky little jam called “Ukiyo” by electronic, (mostly) instrumental duo, Hermitude.  Not newcomers to the world of indie or sleek computerized tracks, Hermitude has been unleashing LPs since 2002.  Over the past few years, more eyes and ears have taken notice for good reason.  Songs like “Ukiyo” show that Hermitude can turn just about anything into an R&B groove.  Enjoy.

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M.I.A., watch your back.  Sleigh Bells, move aside.  Here comes Kill J, a duo from Denmark, led by siren, Julie Aargaard, giving pop music a razor sharp edge with their new single “Bullet.”  This is the second release from the Danish pair. “Bullet” sports a carouseling opening chant that quickly switches to a soft beat once the vocals are laid down.  Aargard can easily switch from sultry and bare to powerful and aggressive as she transitions from verse to chorus.  Every shout of “Bullet” is exactly that, fast, piercing and extremely dangerous.  Enjoy.

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It’s hard to tell if dance floors were invented just for Mystery Skulls or vice versa.  Luis Dubuc, the man behind Mystery Skulls, consistently produces tracks that make sitting down a sin.  His newest single, “Ghost,” doesn’t break the trend, surging with a breakneck beat and towering electronics.  As always, Dubuc can’t help but infuse the sounds of an ’80s synthesizer, melding old school pop with the current DIY indie scene.  With a bunch of singles and about a thousand remixes to his name, Dubuc has finally started working on his debut album, which presently has no release date.  If “Ghost” is any indication, we should be getting a sharp, experimental, bass heavy pop album…sometime within the next few decades.  Enjoy.

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The irony that Big Data – Brooklyn producer Alan Wilkis and Joywave alum, Daniel Armbruster – bring to the table is nothing short of…big: warning us of the dangers of the Internet while doing what most bands deem a necessity, using the Internet to spread the word.  At least with “Dangerous,” a track off their debut EP, 1.0, they are sending their message with a hella funky beat, slick electronics, and a bass that thumps so hard, your eardrums just might explode.  As if ripping the Internet wasn’t enough, their video for “Dangerous” targets the absurdity of advertising with a whole lot of blood and murder by headbutt.  I seriously doubt Don Draper would approve of this.  Enjoy.

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Little Daylight proved that they were a synth pop force to be reckoned with when we heard the single, “Overdose,” last year.  They keep that streak alive with “Siren Call,” the first single off the summer release of the trio’s upcoming debut album, Hello Memory.  They still keep things a bit darker and more ominous than your average pop act, but the spattering of electronic blips and the energy that surges at the chorus makes “Siren Call” more than just a somber affair.  As is the standard with Little Daylight, the track is stacked with addictive hooks that keep us jonesing for more.  Looks like we’ll have our fix this summer.  Enjoy.

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A new album brings a new sound for London’s We Have Band.  On the other side of the pond, the electronic trio is a pop music force and while they may not be as well known in the states, their new single, “Someone,” may change all that.  Shedding their skin of the dark, ominous synth production that typically dominates their work, “Someone” introduces an upbeat melody, smooth falsettos and a tropical sound that makes the new track ripe for the dance floor.  We Have Band’s new album is due out on April 28th and if “Someone” is any indication, We Have…a reason to celebrate.  Enjoy.

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