Falsetto voices, and drum machines, and keyboards, oh my!

Been kicking around for quite some time now, Metronomy has gone from the pet project of Joseph Mount, to one of the quickest rising electronic bands in the UK. Whether as a solo project, trio, or more recently a duo after the departure of Gabriel Stebbing from the band, Metronomy have consistently delivered quirky, catchy, and always unique sounding songs. Metronomy is also well known for putting out some rather good remixes from the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Klaxons, CSS.

With the release of Nights Out, the band has seen a huge increase in their audience, due undoubtedly in part to the release of infectious singles like "A Thing For Me" (see video), as well as "Heartbreaker":

Metronomy - Heartbreaker

With their growing success in the UK, it seems time that some record company took time out from crafting the next answer to Lady Gaga, noticed what decent music sounds like, and released Metronomy's shit on this side of the pond.

Troublemaker

Combining rap and rock seems to be all the rage these days. Just look at what Lil Wayne is doing, along with that other douche whose name escapes me at the moment. You know the one...looks like he should be living under a bridge feasting on the homeless...

I digress.

Going all the way back to 2005, Trouble Andrew was cranking out songs which combined hip hop swagger and a rock edge, and named the combo "Crunk Rock". Yeah the name kind of makes you not want to listen...BUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE IT'S NOT THAT BAD. His original work flew pretty much under the radar, but as of late he has enjoyed much larger exposure due to supporting gigs with the likes of Justice and Santi Gold, as well as the release of his remastered and remixed songs after being signed to Virgin.

Check out the single "Chase Money" to see what you're missing out on:

Trouble Andrew - Chase Money

Gotta Catch 'em All!

Yeah that's a Pokemon reference. Big whoop. Wanna fight about it?!

For now let's switch focus to Animal Collective's amazing new album. Released this past January, Merriweather Post Pavilion is easily the band's most accessible album. As it is impossible to fathom what these guys will do with each subsequent release, MPP throws out some interesting beats reminiscent of Coconot or el Guincho. Just one listen to "Brother Sport" and you can't help but envision yourself on some tropical beach, possibly drunk, losing your shit in the process:

Animal Collective - Brother Sport

Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of Animal Collective, give Merriweather Post Pavilion a chance, you may just find yourself converted.

Death From Above 1979

Listen to them.

Primary School

Remember high school? Well the parts you didn't forcibly erase from your memory? You're the new kid in school, trying to figure out where you fit in this mess, while at the same time trying to develop your own personal niche. This is getting too real...

Enter Grafton Primary: the new kid in school. This Australian Trio, with their own brand of synth-driven, electronic music, is one of the newest groups to emerge from Australia's exploding dance music scene. With the likes of Cut Copy, The Presets, Pnau, and numerous other Australian acts having already established themselves as global sensations with the dance crowd, Grafton Primary faces stiff competition to create a following, while avoiding the inevitable comparisons to the aforementioned groups. By focusing their attention on a minimal amount of instruments (Synth, Key[hell yes]tar, and drums), the band manages to create a sound which while simple in its elements, produces hard hitting songs. The single "Change", off their Relativity EP (2007) embodies just this dynamic, with minimal sounding verses leading into an anthemic, sing-a-long chorus guaranteed to get even the most jaded show-goer on their feet:

Grafton Primary - Change

while the title track off of Relativity brings to mind synth-driven hits from the likes of Devo or New Order:

Grafton Primary - Relativity

With the full length album "Eon" released late last year, the band produced more of the same synth-driven dance numbers (see the single "She Knows It"), while throwing in a healthy dose of slower, more morose songs indicitve of depeche modes work.

Grafton Primary - She Knows It

Carving out a signature sound, Grafton Primary seems poised to graduate from Aussie hit to global phenomena.