Rock music is continually undergoing a heavy transformation process, with new artists dredging up old influences and putting innovative spins on the sounds we love to hear. One sound that has been going strong for decades is the electronic rock movement, which has spawned such diverse bands as The Killers, Ima Robot, and TV on the Radio.
While characterized by synthesizers, electric guitars, and electronic keyboards, modern electronic rock has become deeply entangled with other sub-genres, most notably New Wave, post-punk, and synth pop music. As a result, the electro world can offer music lovers a range of styles, from feel-good dance beats to dark, haunting melodies. Here is a list of 5 talented artists who are making high-powered waves in electro-rock.
1. Late of the Pier
Somehow Late of the Pier has discovered a way to encapsulate several decades of electronic music, along with their own style of hysterical dance punk and vocals that resemble Ima Robot’s Alex Ebert on steroids. The four-man English band includes the Sams Eastgate and Potter, along with Andrew Faley and Ross Dawson. If you missed the Electroclash movement the first time around, here’s a chance to catch up with the 2009 U.S. release of debut album Fantasy Black Channel.
Stand-out tracks: Bathroom Gurgle, The Bears Are Coming, Broken, Heartbeat
2. Hot Chip
With three outstanding studio albums under their belt and a 2010 release on the way, Hot Chip has secured a future on the music scene. The variety of styles featured on Coming on Strong (2004), The Warning (2006), and Made in the Dark (2008) makes this British electronic band nearly unclassifiable, ranging from mellow indie pop tendencies worthy of the Postal Service to more experimental forms with catchy dance rhythms at its core. You are guaranteed to be confused or taken aback at first listen, but Hot Chip’s cheeky, unabashed lyrics – Excuse me miss/ I'm a dog on heat/ I'm a complicated being/ With love songs to eat – can hook even the most stubborn music lovers.
Stand-out tracks: The Warning, We're Looking for a Lot of Love, Shake a Fist
3. La Roux
The 2009 self-titled debut album of the British electropop team of Eleanor Jackson and Ben Langmaid goes ten steps beyond simple dance tracks. Jackson rightly identifies Blancmange and The Human League as key influences. The perky synth sound and lyrics exploring the lighter and darker aspects of relationships are in the same vein, but Elly Jackson’s feisty falsetto vocals make La Roux distinctly modern.
Stand-out tracks: Bulletproof, Tigerlily, Growing Pains, In for the Kill
4. Passion Pit
The five-piece American band accidentally became a campus hit while they were attending Emerson College, which led to the release of the debut EP, Chunk of Change. Passion Pit rides on a cheerful blend of energetic synth pop with obvious influences from 80’s rock and R&B. Frontman Michael Angelakos’s high falsetto is sometimes soft, but more often a well-balanced blend of melodic and shrill. The band’s latest effort, Manners (2009), is a must-have for electronic fans.
Stand-out tracks: Cuddle Fuddle, Sleepyhead, Little Secrets
5. Empire of the Sun
Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore are the twisted minds behind the Australian electronic duo, Empire of the Sun. The band’s self-titled album dropped in 2008 and has been entrancing audiences with its impressive scope and whimsical attitude. While Steele’s vocals could easily be mistaken for the lead singer of the better known group, MGMT, Empire’s sound heads in the opposite direction with songs that are simultaneously retro and futuristic, and incorporating the dream-like psychedelic style that popularized Air. Steele and Littlemore complete the fantasy with their over-the-top, costumey performance garb and lighthearted lyrics.
Stand-out tracks: Walking on a Dream, We Are the People, Swordfish Hotkiss Night
For more tips on finding edgy electronic rock music, read The New Faces of Electronic Rock.
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