Well, everything seems to be quieting down, or at least the flood of buzz around new releases has abated until the new year. At this point, everyone is buckling down and writing their year end list (still working on mine!)  or enjoying a bit of vacation from what has been a truly excellent year for new music. However, I still found some great stuff this week. Tracks that are evenly split between atmospheric electronic music and bouncy indie pop. Enjoy!


Pacific Air - "Float:" Mixing melancholy and playfulness, "Float" feels like that slight bit of warmth from the sun that you sometimes notice when walking somewhere in the winter (especially handy at that point where you regret not taking your car). Punctuated by light whistling in the background and a bouncy beat, this bit of bright indie pop should give you that extra push to your destination.


Flume - "Star Eyes:" Oh look, another young kid making catchy and interesting electronic music. How old is this one? Oh, 20, of course. Whatever happened to being 20 and staring blankly into space unsure of what to do with yourself and completely void of any sort of meaningful ideas? Worked for me just fine. Anyway, a short track driven by slowed vocals and stuttering beats. This sort of thing (which is annoying, stop, I am not getting any younger and I have not made anything this cool) has become somewhat commonplace, but Flume has made his contribution catchy enough to make it all interesting and at least for us to take notice.


Golden Grrrls - "We've Got...:" We have what? We have whaaat? Tell me!!! Anyway, I have always been a sucker for indie pop like this so I am rather enjoying the fact that the genre seems to be experiencing a bit of a resurgence. Another Slumberland band, Golden Grrls mix male and female vocals with jangly guitars to great effect.


M. Geddes Gengras - "Night Work:" M. Geddes and Sun Arraw's collaboration with The Congos earlier this year was one of this year's best albums. And where that album, with its dub and reggae themes was great for  summer, this solo material from M. Geddes is perfect for late November. An icey minimal track, "Night Work" is driven by a slowly building but consistently sparse beat. Backed by a staticy hum and higher pitched clicks and blorps (blorps is a word right?), M Geddes offers us an immersive, hypnotic track.

Sorry I could not find this anywhere else! This track is only available for stream here!

Majical Cloudz - "What That Was:" The opening hum brings to mind Broadcast until Devon Welsh's (aka Majical Cloudz) vocals kick in and the song's tone instantly changes. An earnest song about lost friendship, plaintively sung over a minimal electronic backing. Welsh's powerful vocals further impart the song's mood and the song's abrupt ending only underscore that sadness. It is as if Welsh just gives up, realizing the futility of his recollection in conjuring the past.