About time for a Top 5 list!

1. Dead Lazers - Kap Bambino
2. Quiet Little Voices - We Were Promised Jetpacks
3. 1901 - Phoenix
4. Fembot - Robyn
5. Solar Apex - Chateau Marmont

Full Spotify playlist here
OMG, It so good! - Let's pop the hood.

1.
Kap Bambino has hit my music life like a ton of bricks. Last couple of weeks they have assumed almost complete dominance over my playlists with their crazy electro-punk. Kap Bambino is a two-person band from Bordeaux, France. Caroline Martial on vocals and Orion Bouvier on the production side.
On a side note, Bordeaux seems to have an awesome electro-scene, rivaling that of Paris. Kap Bambino and Just A Band are great examples of this.
Anyways, Kap Bambino fully embraces the energy-bursts of Punk combined with heavy dance-floor beats, vocoders and blip style melodies. Where Kap Bambino really stands out is definitely in their attitude and it's just impossible to resist!
Dead Lazers is the first single from their second album entitled Blacklist. Really cool video to this song as well.
Spotify Itunes


2.
More Punk! Classical, melodious Punk this time. Glasgow's We Were Promised Jetpacks (probably the coolest band name EVER!) are great at producing that type of melodious songs with painful lyrics that I'm such a sucker for. So there is no surprise that I immediately liked them upon my first listening. I strangely found this band through Tycho, of famous internet comic Penny Arcade, as he indicated that he listened to them. I don't know what this means... But cudos to him I suppose!
The song - Quiet Little Voices is taken from the bands first album These Four Walls.
Spotify Itunes


3.
Phoenix is also French! I just love all things french and there is so much great music coming from there! Amazing!
Phoenix has been around for some time but had been off my radar up until the release of their fourth album last year. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is an almost perfect pop album for me, full of great, memorable songs. It was the second track, 1901, that captured me to the band and it's been played almost to the point of death now at my house. That's actually why it wasn't on the previous lists. I simply had to take a Phoenix brake because of over-consumption, they are that good. Listen beyond the great guitar/keyboards and you'll find Phoenix true strength, extremely skilled rhythm musicians.
Spotify Itunes


4.
Robyn! Holy crap, she's back!
Can't stand the wait for the new album and if the Fembot single is any indication, we are in for one hell of a treat this summer. Great song!
This single came out only just recently and i think it's safe to say that it will be a huge hit in time.
Exciting!
Spotify Itunes


5.
French (again!) Chateau Marmont takes their name from the famous hotel in West Hollywood and make smooth, instrumental electro-pop in a similar vein to AIR. Solar Apex is their first EP and they are apparently working on a full-length album. Chateau Marmont represents for me the perfect counterpoint to the more noisier bands i listen to. Even my ears tire occasionally!
Spotify Itunes



That's all! Thanks
/Lo

Top 5 list - this time with electro/glitch/chip/blip/synthpop/indie focus!
I know! I can hardly believe the awesomeness either!

1. Lion Hat - Unicorn Kid
2. Sponsored By Destiny - Slagsmålsklubben
3. Crimewave - Crystal Castles
4. Dead End - You Love Her Cuz She's Dead
5. Purple Cactus - Nobody Beats the Drum

As usual, the whole list is available on Spotify here.

And as usual I'll now present this compilation of musical goodness.

1.
Lion Hat. Just take a moment to reflect on the title... -_-'
Anyways, young Oliver Sabin from Edinburgh crafts wonderfully playful and naive blip-electro tunes under the moniker Unicorn Kid. It's dance music and it's fast, wild and crazy. Simply Irresistible.
An excellent way to kick off my electro/glitch/chip/blip/punk/indie list!
Unicorn Kid is exploding in the UK and probably soon the rest of the world. There will be fluffy lion hats all over the place. Something to keep your eyes on for sure.
Itunes Spotify
Not a video as such, but here is an interview with the “kid” from UK tv show “In the City”. Yes, he wears THE lion hat.


2.
Swedish, 7 piece, electronica collective Slagsmåsklubben (Fight Club) have been at it for quite some time in their native country, growing a large fan base and arriving at the top of the blippop/synthpop scene there. Serious international fame has eluded them, until now, when they are poised to make a breakthrough in style. Sponsored by Destiny is the main track and single from latest album Boss For Leader. Slagsmålsklubben is characterized by their playful, artful and highly energetic approach. Boss For Leader tinted the sound in a slightly darker shade but also elevated the bands technical skill to new heights.
Itunes Spotify
Awesome fan video for this song that I just had to share. Recognize the style? W00t!


3.
We move into slightly darker territory now, with Crystal Castles strange and haunting Crimewave. Taken from their eponymous debut album, the Canadian duo have made a killer album. Putting a strong focus on atmosphere and feeling instead of a clear message or, indeed, even audible lyrics. This might feel as a weakness initially but it actually shows a strong artistic intent and exciting creativity. Just listen and you'll see what I'm talking about. Crystal Castles are going from strength to strength and I predict a bright future for Alice and Ethan.
I really recommend checking out their entire album, it's so hard to just pick one track like this as they are all great.
Itunes Spotify
Crimewave in a TV-video. I'm very pleased by the fact that they play the song live.


4.
You Love Her Cuz She's Dead (UK) takes many cues from Crystal Castles but are something very different altogether. Dead End is taken from their debut EP Inner City Angst and is energetic, noisy and has a distinct punk-electro atmosphere. They are more straightforward than CC and puts a big focus on the upbeat choruses and sing-along lyrics. More party I guess, and more focused on the dance floor, not that many Dj's would have the stones to play them. I am eagerly awaiting their first full-length album, planned for a 2010 release. I believe that we are going to see a lot more of YLCSD.
Itunes Spotify
Love the video! The fox is a clear nod to the french label Kitsune that they are on. (Kitsune means fox in Japanese. Multicultural to say the least!)


5.
Nobody Beats the Drum is the coolest thing I've seen or heard for a long time. They are Dutch of course, that explains a lot (gotta love them). Purple Cactus is a typical NBTD track. Heavy breakbeats, sample-rich and playful. Edgy and raw. The track might not work on all dance floors perhaps but give it time! This sounds as crazy and fresh as Prodigy's first album did way back in the 90's. I would not be the least surprised if NBTD will be the Prodigies of the 2010's.
Itunes Spotify
Video to Purple Cactus. Warning! Video contains actual purple cacti, viewer discretion is advised.


Bonus video!The Drum by Nobody Beats the Drum – Explains who the Drum is, if you were wondering... well kind of ;) Now panic and freak out!


/Lo out