Sounds like: Memoryhouse, Sparklehorse, Brian Eno, Slowdive, Foxes in Fiction

What’s so good?

MPSO, or Mount Pleasant Sympathy Orchestra, is the side project of Toronto-based Daniel Gray of the dream pop band Memoryhouse.

Self-described as “atmospheric, indie electronic, folk, minimalist-maximalist doom,” Gray’s work ranges from gentle musings to a smart cover of indie singer à la mode Lana Del Rey. In this, he demonstrates not only a diverse range but a certain niche-defining panache.

His talent doesn’t immediately make clear his expertise in Memoryhouse as first and foremost a drummer. What it does bring to mind is the broader function of the backbone of any group – the relationship of a rhythm section to the band that begins with a beat parlaying into bass rippling outward, leadership qualities often sprouting behind the scenes. In MPSO, Gray makes his craft loud and clear as producer at-large with great things on the horizon.

A Tumblr blog serves as home to each song alongside personal and mostly casual notes from the author. It serves as his public sketchpad – a place for musings and revelations, new demos and fresh reworks. Each post is a gem in which we discover the backstory behind each new bit of music as it’s published. Even if you’re not looking for music, the blog is an excellent example of the 1:1 connection every musician should have with his or her audience.

The first MPSO album, Wisdom Teeth, is coming as a free download this month. See the announcement along with tracklist here.

This post is syndicated from Indie Shuffle.

Sounds like: Ulrich Schnauss, Caribou

What’s so good?

As I exited Hollywood’s Music Box last Tuesday night after being blown away by Girls, a smiley dude approached with a handful of flyers for an upcoming show. “Tycho, at the Echo?” he said with a grin, half-expecting me to blow him off on the unusually chilly evening as show goers quickly walked by. “What?! Yes. I’ll take one!” I tucked the flyer neatly into my handbag, gingerly placing it on my desk the next morning like a newborn baby owl. Not only in a semi-reverent state of a recently neglected lifeline for live music, but to also serve as a reminder to buy tickets, dammit!

I was eager to get lost in the live setting that only Tycho’s signature stylings can provide. Tycho is an artist in every sense of the word: a musician, a virtuoso, a creator, and an artistic treasure of our generation. A thoughtful sea of his gentle and expansive electronic beats can heal even the crustiest of curmudgeons from the inside out!

And I also had two drink tokens burning a hole in my pocket, leftover from aspeaking engagement at The Echo a few weeks back!

Tycho, known in the design world as ISO50, is the one-person prodigy of Scott Hansen. Hailing from San Francisco, the West Coast inspiration is absolutely evident in his work. His sound matches to pictures through his video installation work and invokes visuals of endless coastlines, waves moving in a rhythmic slow motion, and the warm feeling of sunshine on the back of your neck. The soaring ambient rhythms are beautiful in any setting. Paired alongside a backing band and live video projections, his dreamlike landscape truly comes to life.

As I listen to it now while nursing coffee and avoiding doing “real world things,” I can’t help but notice how the album sounds somewhat bottled in comparison to the full, sonic soundscapes appropriate to music of the electronic genre, particularly when a full band is involved. Not only a treat but circumstanced evidence that the live music experience will never die.

Tycho’s new album Dive is out now on Ghostly International.

What’s so good?

Poignant yet fierce, striking and soft, the UK-born and Berlin-based Emika is a much needed beacon in electronic music, a space seemingly laden with emo-ridden dudes sporting thoughtful beards with a five o’clock silhouette for any given niche.

Emika shakes things up by bringing some serious skin to the game. She’s a force to be reckoned with — the anti-Ellie Goulding — leaving behind anything sugar-coated and sweet that offers a gently affected tonality for remixers to deepen. Emika singularly achieves depth by speaking through her superb technical and artistic prowess. Her style is unique with a tonality that’s consistent. And this is just her first album.

The standout track “3 Hours” drives a steady beat with a riding bass line that allows plenty of room to get lost on the dance floor. Tunes like “Professional Loving” cut to the chase with a waltzing piano line that meanders and terrifies all at the same time.

Cooler than cool, Emika worked as a sound designer for Native Instruments, the tech company that brought us music production & DJ tools like Maschine and Traktor. She began making field recordings from the legendary Berghain nightclub just last year and records in her bedroom.

She’s the other girl — the one we outwardly shutter yet identify with deep down on the inside. She’s full of emotion and truth, and while not always overt in her messaging, will always call it like it is. Emika is the girl we want to be (or be with) in the end, but never will because we’re too chicken shit to go there.

She’s the one who describes what it’s like to feel dark and twisted, on the opposite end of everything shiny and bright because let’s face it, you know you’ll always be the other kind of girl.

Emika’s self-titled album is out now from Ninja Tune.