indie electronic

Minneapolis-based band Polica might have the personality of a solo artist, but they’re surprisingly made up of five band members. Their debut Give You the Ghost was the type of record that grew in quiet notoriety, mixing twee sparseness with pop melodies to create an undanceable dance record. However, their newest album, United Crushers, proves the band is no longer playing it safe, showcasing a more confident sound — and even a confident message. Their single “Wedding” is a testament to that, strongly critiquing police brutality with a music video that strongly satirizes our love affair with the righteousness of law enforcement. The rest of the album continues in that realm, being a bolder, better version of the Polica we’re used to. And hopefully they keep it up.

United Crushers is currently out now.

Following the release of his 2014 critically-acclaimed album Double Youth, Ecuador-American Roberto Carlos Lange (aka Helado Negro) is back with a single that speaks to his moody, tropical sound. Helado Negro is a master at subtlety. Where another artist would be tempted to put in soaring verses that build to explosive choruses, Helado Negro’s music simply lingers, like a groovy lullaby.

“Young, Latin & Proud” is just like his other songs, except instead of mending a broken heart à la “Invisible Heartbreak,” he’s  weaving an anthem of personal strength.

“‘Young, Latin and Proud’ is a lullaby, a song of encouragement when you’re not really sure if you fit in with your surroundings,” says Negro. “It rocks you to sleep in your space hammock and lets you know to embrace the weird and beautiful that is being Young, Latin and Proud.”

Did you hear that, Donald Trump? Eat your heart out.

While listening to an old playlist I made, I came across this old song from Psapp‘s 2006 debut album, Tiger, My Friend. The electronic duo are credited with creating the genre “toytronica,” a form of electronic music created with–you guessed it–toy instruments. But the band is probably better known for their track “Cosy in the Rocket,” the opening theme for Grey’s Anatomy. But “Hi” is still my favorite track from them. It’s the first track on their debut album and it does a good job at being an explosive introduction that’s equal parts catchy and psychotically cheerful. Up until today I didn’t even know there was a music video for the track, but there is! And of course it’s a quirky stop-motion video full of dancing robots. Enjoy.

I was just 14 years old when my brother sat me down and played “Echo’s Answer” for me. He was into harder music–bands like Nine Inch Nails and Linkin Park. He thought Broadcast was more “my thing.” He was right.

Broadcast, an indie electronic band from Birmingham, was the kind of band that had a certain allure to them. Maybe it was Trish Keenan’s soft but recognizable vocals or the dreamy ’60s pop sound they later adapted as their trademark. Whatever the reason, the band had a quiet notoriety that lasted throughout their decade-long career. After Keenan’s death in 2011, the band’s last and only member unsuccessfully tried to keep the band afloat and released an album in 2013. But the band just wasn’t the same without Keenan, and so the band quietly died along with her.

This month, Warp Records is reissuing all of Broadcast’s out-of-print albums on vinyl, including personal favorites Tender Buttons and Haha Sound. Some albums also include a snazzy booklet, which you can buy here. Now is your chance to discover (or rediscover) one of the best bands from the ’00s.

Blue Hawaii’s debut album, Untogether, was surprisingly one of my favorite releases of 2013. The indie electronic duo from Canada might have a sparse sound that tip-toes too closely to similar-sounding indie electro duos, but tracks like “Try to Be” and “Sweet Tooth” prove that Blue Hawaii has a gift for creating elegantly chilly tracks with surprising tenderness. And for their mixtape Agor Edits, released January 2015, the band remixes and retools tracks that originally appeared on their debut. Tracks like “Strawberries and White Light” are a slight improvement over the original, while tracks like “Get Happy” provide a nice, fresh experience. Although there’s no new material here, it’s a nice treat for fans waiting for their next album.

Indie-electronic duo AViVAA‘s past singles have been producer-heavy jams that relied on heavy beats and catchy hooks, but they slow things down with their single “Guilded Cage.” The Sydney-based duo shines in songs that show off their emotion, and “Guilded Cage” does not only that, but also creates a comforting atmosphere that’s as familiar as a Lana del Rey track and as theatrical as a medieval play. Their idea of romance might sound like eagles soaring over mountains while corseted maidens twirl in gazebos, but that’s also why it’s amazing.

The enigmatic indie-soul duo Rhye have released the latest video taken from their debut album Woman. The video for “3 Days” is made from found black and white footage of burlesque, cabaret, and exotic dancers. The spliced-together 1930s footage works oddly well with the duo’s neo-80s sound even if it does feel a bit like a fan-made video as opposed to an official video released by the band.

If nothing else, it should serve as a good reminder to go check out Woman if you haven’t already. The lushly orchestrated electro-RnB songs, sung by the androgynous Mike Milosh and produced by Robin Hannibal, are still some of this year’s best.