Singled Out

Hot Chip - One Life Stand

Astralwerks

This British quintet endeared themselves to the indie kids who secretly love Europop with 2008’s Made in the Dark. So it’s no surprise that their follow-up continues their habit of creating electronic-based pop that veers off on all kinds of musical tangents — at once emo and disco. The hard sell, however, are the vocals: You will either be a fan of Alexis Taylor’s wavering falsetto and Joe Goddard’s mopey voice or you won’t. (Both bring to mind too-literate lovesick guys who grew up watching Dance Fever.) When the combination doesn’t work, it results in grating exercises like “Hand Me Down Your Love,” which has the feel of a rehashed early ’90s house jam with fey lad vocals superimposed, and “Slush,” a plodding six minutes of balladry that makes Taylor sound like he has a bad cold. When the formula does work, it results in songs that recall the best goth pop from the ‘80s. The title track and the closer, “Take It In,” are good examples, with the latter employing a bubbling synthesizer and foreboding electronic drum beat that gives way to a soaring, hummable melody on the chorus. These are glimpses of a band that enjoys making unrepentant pop and invites their audience to join the party. Who needs earnest ballads when there’s dancing to be done? —Mikel Wadewitz

autoKratz

ANIMAL
Kitsune

The proper debut from London’s autoKratz (aka duo David Cox and Russell Crank) just might be the perfect electronic disc to kick-off the new decade. Opening with a gut-punching trifecta of fierce singles — the stone-cold synthetics of “Always More,” the staccato-drenched “Stay The Same” and the vocoder buzz of “The Idiots Are Winning” — this Animal lunges squarely at its glowstick target and captures its prey. Spiraling electro pop is pretty much the order of the day. But amid this blitz and fuzzy mélange comes a polished melodic sensibility, peppered with a low-key vocal ennui (think New Order’s Bernard Sumner). And if the frenzy doesn’t grab you, the sublime pulse of tracks such as “Last Show” and “What You Want, What You Got?”—which has a Presets at the bathhouse kind of vibe—will. It’s no wonder La Roux took them on tour, and they’ve remixed the likes of Fischerspooner and Digitalism. But yeah, autoKratz definitely stands on the shoulders of electronic forefathers like New Order, Kraftwerk, Yaz, The Prodigy, and Underworld, but if this is the sound of space-invader electro in 2010, I say “Yes, please!” They’ll easily crush our dancefloors with spiked heels and subjugate the speakers with this blend of riotous machine noise and earworm melodies. —Paul V.

Dan Black

((UN))
The Hours

Creating an internet buzz can be a blessing and a curse. Dan Black’s “HYPNTZ” wowed many a listener and music blog last year and left us wanting much more — and here it is. That oddly uplifting track — an angelic cover of Notorious BIG’s “Hypnotize” backed with John Carpenter synths and the drums from Rihanna’s “Umbrella” — soon had to transform into “Symphonies,” as Biggie’s estate refused permission of the original lyrics. So the Londoner rewrote it, using the loss of the lyrics as a touchstone for his celestial, heartbreak pop. With shades of Deathcab for Cutie, Radiohead and the bedroom hip-hop beats of an early Beck, Black pieced together his user-friendly debut at a French studio. His twee falsetto is immediately inviting, anchoring lysergic lullabies like “Ecstasy” and the string-laden “Cocoon,” while he shines a light on the discoball with glitchy, bottom-heavy dance numbers like “Pump My Pumps” and the elastic “Yours.” As he croons “I’m gonna change this world. Man, I got a million ideas” on “Cigarette Box,” Black seeks a kaleidoscope of styles, and he pretty much gets his wish. Check the bonus tracks too: The Muse-esque drama of “Poet” and a reworking of “Symphonies” featuring Kid Cudi. And you can catch his L.A. debut on Feb. 23 at Cinespace. —P.V.

OK Go

Of the Blue Colour of the Sky
Capitol

Quick: hum the melody for that song with the guys on the treadmill. You recall that one, right? But don’t worry if you can’t remember the song or its name (“Here It Goes Again”). For a band as funny and pop-friendly as Chicago’s OK Go, it’s strange how little of a musical impression they’ve made with, you know, songs. (Their videos are a cut above, however.) So here comes their third release, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, and damn if they aren’t working on their skills. Whether it’s the contribution of new guitarist/keyboardist Andy Ross or simply maturity, this is their first release that makes an aural impression. Could also be the heavily processed influence of Prince in the elastic rhythms and vocalist Damian Kulash’s sweetly employed falsetto in songs such as the tinkly “End Love” or the hand-clapping single “WTF?” Or it could be the newfound depth (i.e., sincerity) that infuses the Kid A-inspired “Before the Earth Was Round” or the space-rocking “Needing/Getting” that breaks down the relationship divide sweetly and succinctly. Wonder what the video might look like for that? Pretty awesome, I bet. —Dan Loughry

Patty Griffin

Downtown Church
Credential

Described in press materials as a “gospel album,” Downtown Church may cause some Patty Griffin fans to wonder what, exactly, the acclaimed folk-rock artist has created. Yet it is quintessential Griffin—and exactly what her fans have come to expect from her: a mix of folk, country and blues that is sometimes inspired and loud, sometimes heartbreaking and quiet. It is also an album that is not necessarily about God; it is, rather, primarily about our relationships to each other and the world around us and how we try to make sense of it all. Griffin calls gospel the foundation for all American popular music, and she makes a strong case for that here with interpretations of classic spirituals like “Wade in the Water” and “Death’s Got a Warrant.” She is not married to traditions, though—stretching the genre heading to include tracks such as the scorching blues kiss of “I Smell a Rat” as well as two of her own understated compositions and the Spanish classic “Virgen de Guadelupe.” Not as immediately satisfying or complex as a collection of Griffin’s own songs, Downtown Church is nevertheless a continuation of Griffin’s high-quality output and proof of why she is held in such high regard by fellow musicians and fans. —M.W.

Shitting Glitter

Ppen For Business
Decadrisco

It’s possible and highly probable that I’m predisposed to love a band that name-checks Nicolas Cage’s most unhinged creation — “Peter Loew” from the cult flick Vampire’s Kiss — in a goofy tune called “I’m a Vampire,” complete with impressions of Cage running through lower Manhattan screaming. But that’s what this L.A. neo-new wave duo does on their latest release, Open for Business. They have a great fondness for what the mainstream press might call “the fringes” but what vocalist Amy Crosby and jack-of-many-trades Devin Tait would just call their crowd: dykes, faggots, drag queens and trannies (oh my). Their slinky genderf*ck “19th and Lexington” has a supple groove that would benefit from a bass-heavy remix pronto, while “Socially Activist” is a catchy take on the pop-happy vibe of Le Tigre. I’d love to hear what the band might do with some production money; Crosby’s vocals are limited here, though she makes up for it with attitude and a sharp mind—she’s a pretty deft lyricist. And like many bands before them, they have trouble when they slow it down. You think there’s a brave major label or well-connected indie (Matador, perhaps) who’d take a chance on some queercore kids with both something on their minds and the talent to communicate it? —D.L.