Ladytron
Velocifero
Their fourth album is the best yet in my book. Velocifero maintains a dark yet danceable mood throughout. Generally a harder sound than past works. “Ghosts,” “They Gave You a Heart, They Gave You a Name” and “Predict the Day” are particular highlights, but they’ve also crafted a wonderful album, and not just a collection of singles. This will inevitably be one of my favorites of the year.
Juno Reactor
Gods & Monsters
Juno Reactor changes things up by moving towards trip-hop although not entirely abandoning the act’s more traditional electronic stylings. The different sound may put some longtime fans off, but it works for me as a fan of both genres. It might not quite excel at one or the other, however. Still a decent listen.
Girl Talk
Feed the Animals
If you’re not familiar with Girl Talk, it constitutes a single man taking a whole lot of samples from hits of today and yesteryear and turning them into kinetic dance tracks. It’s mashups taken to an extreme. Perfect as a seamless hour-long party mix that never gets boring or wears out its welcome with any single sound. There’s also something fun about picking out specific samples and enjoying the unique ways in which they’re combined.
Sigur Rós
Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
(With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly)
It’s Sigur Rós, what else is there to say? It’s light, optimistic and cheery. This time around they’re dabbling with shorter tracks, and they even give English a spin on one song. All around a very pleasant evolution to their sound.
