Child Actor’s Sedgie Ogilvy can lay down vocals that seem so cold and distant yet warm at the same time.  Perhaps it’s her smooth delivery or how perfectly her voice is contrasted over sparking, sharp synths.  “Against the Night” also strikes a balance between intimacy and brash electronics, with lyrics that are at times a call to arms (It had to be you and me/Against the night) or a reveal of vulnerability (Hold me close and everything starts to burn/I know it’s late but it’s never too late to learn).  “Against the Night” is the group’s first new song in over a year.  The new track evidences growth for the group in production since their debut album (Victory) and recent EP (Promise) while also more reflective of the music they crafted with their first EPs over two years ago.

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This is surprisingly the first entry on EWH for Alt-J.  The UK outfit have a reputation of crafting music that is a bit shy or subdued.  However, there is a complexity to the music that eliminates the need for it to be aggressive or laden with upbeat commercial choruses.  Their recent single, “Hunger of the Pines,” continues the path of stripped melodies.  The track starts off barren but slowly leads into a synth-based chant, with a sample from Miley Cirus’ single, ‘4×4.’  Don’t run from this track simply because a 3 second blip of Miley Cirus is on it.  Alt-J seems to have picked the few words to loop and embed perfectly, adding confusing yet irresistible dimensions to the track.  “Hunger of the Pines” is the first single off Alt-J’s sophomore album, and I have a feeling more surprises are on the way.  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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Sometimes, simplicity just works best.  Just look to the electro pop “Standing In This Dream” by Parisian duo, My Dear.  The track and verses are sharp, clean and far from complex, looping consistently.  But thanks to the skill of Raw Man, one half of My Dear, the track never feels repetitive.  This is a perfect track for summer and is making waves at just the right time.  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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I’m typically not a fan of remixes but when a few of my favorite electronic producers put a spin on a Destiny’s Child song, it’s almost impossible to resist.  Cosmo’s Midnight, the duo that expertly chopped up Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody” into the synthesizer blasting “The Dofflin” has set their sights on Beyonce and the gang with their fizzy version of “Say My Name.”  The track starts off like some 80s aerobics theme with vocals shooting out at breakneck speed.  Where the song really pulls you in, though, is when it grinds to a slow jam at the chorus, putting a lush spin on a track that we never even knew needed it.  If this is the start of some R&B remix trend for Cosmo’s Midnight, then it looks like I’ll be posting a lot more remixes than I ever planned.  Enjoy.

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X Priest X simply describe themselves as “the project of Madeline Priest and David Kazyk.”  No other description provided.  And none needed when their music is this crisp, sharp and engaging.  The Orlando duo are pretty new to the scene but have been swirling a bit of buzz over the past few months, especially after the April 15th release of their debut EP, Samurai.  The single of the same name, off the 4 track record, is what you hope synth would be: lush electronics, metallic blips, and Priest’s pixiesh vocals.  The EP is solid throughout, but give “Samurai” a listen first.  It’ll be the wisest decision you make all day.  Enjoy.

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We’ve seen a lot of groups come onto the scene by remixing popular songs, opening the door for them to release original material.  Peking Duk started the same way, releasing a Passion Pit remix, but has blown the hinges off the door with their new single, “High.” The track opens with the sweet voice of Nicole Millar, who is slowly becoming a dominant indie guest vocal presence. After a few seconds, “High” really takes off when the bass drops like a piano from a 40 story building.  There are so many layers to this song: the rapid fire beat, the high pitched electronic sirens, the blasting synths.  Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles, the Aussie duo who make up Peking Duk, make all these components work perfectly, resulting in an undeniable party anthem.  Enjoy.

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Conducting a search on the web for information about ambient pop group, Seoul, only results in gaining an absurd knowledge of the capital of South Korea.  Now, I obviously have nothing against South Korea, but in the indie blog world, knowing that Seoul was founded in 18 BCE by Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, really does me no good.  Anyway, the Seoul that I was searching for appears to hail from Montreal and only has one single to their name – the hazy, soft “Stay With Us.”  The debut single is the kind of track that makes everything around you fade into nothingness.  This is great music to get lost in and makes me eager for the group’s first album, I Become a Shade, due out later this year.  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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