Electronic rock is emerging as one of the most attention-grabbing genres on the music scene today. Beyond the simple use of synthesizers, electric guitars, and electronic keyboards, diverse bands like Gorillaz, The Postal Service, and the Faint have penned their own sound ranging from bubbly pop to edgy rock and rap fusions.
As electronic music continues to transform and become interwoven with other subgenres like dance punk and New Wave, there will always be new artists on the stage ready to take the warping a little further. Here is a list of five memorable electronic rock and pop bands who deserve more than a second glance.
1. Shiny Toy Guns
Former lead singer Carah Faye Charnow helped to define the four-piece band’s original 70s and 80s inspired retro sound. On the 2006 album We Are Pilots, Charnow and Chad Petree alternated vocals on songs that were diversely influenced by genres like New Wave and disco. On their sophomore album, Sisely Treasure’s high-pitched singing is piercing without Charnow’s polish, but a stronger effort from Petree creates a balance that makes Season of Poison (2008) a worthy second album. Leaving most of their retro roots behind, Shiny Toy Guns returned with a darker style that revealed traces of progressive rock and power pop. Their next big release for 2009 is a mix album that could recapture the old magic, entitled Le Disko.
Stand-out tracks: Le Disko, Ghost Town, Richochet, When Did This Storm Begin?
2. Miike Snow
The Swedish trio consists of singer Andrew Wyatt and the talented production team Bloodshy & Avant, the masterminds behind sassy electropop hits sung by artists like Kylie Minogue and Britney Spears. Miike Snow’s self-titled album is an instant hit amongst the indie crowd, and the songs “Animal” and “Silvia” have been featured on several popular television shows. Miike Snow has perfected their brand of laidback, emotional pop by combining low-key, unpretentious electronic melodies with graduated piano progressions and Wyatt’s haunting, velvet vocals. The slower paced tunes never lose the overall upbeat spirit of the album, and even the darkest lyrical moments are delivered with an unexpected optimism.
Stand-out tracks: Silvia, Animal, Song for No One, Cult Logic
3. Young Love
Electropop was only one of the genres showcased on Dan Keyes’s first full-length album, Too Young to Fight It (2007). Young Love bounces from cheerful alternapop to smooth R&B to up-tempo disco-inspired tracks, and does so without losing fluidity. The 2009 follow-up One of Us is more focused with a stronger emphasis on straightforward dance rock, but Keyes’s polished vocals and charming sense of urgency is still to be found in newer tracks like “Don’t Fight It” and “The Picture.”
Stand-out tracks: Discotech, Give Up, Close Your Eyes, Unafraid
4. White Lies
Even with a keyboard, it might be a stretch to categorize White Lies as an electronic band. They’re better described as a product of the post-punk revival with a sound resembling much-loved acts like Joy Division and Tears for Fears. The British-bred band’s 2009 debut album, To Lose My Life…, led to a spot on the NME Awards Tour and popular music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza. Comprised of singer Harry McVeigh, bassist Charles Cave, and drummer Jack Lawrence-Brown, White Lies plays their own brand of 80s-inspired pop with a chilly darkness that never quite descends into gloominess.
Stand-out tracks: Nothing to Give, From the Stars, Death
5. Röyksopp
Röyksopp is by no means a new band. The Norwegian duo of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge formed in the late 90s and rapidly rose to fame in Europe with their debut album Melody A.M. (2001)and subsequent releases, The Understanding (2005), and Junior (2009). Röyksopp songs are frequently used in commercials by major companies like Geico and Apple, and have also appeared in feature films. Often described as “quirky,” the band appeals to both electronic devotees and casual music listeners who prefer the softer end of the spectrum. Röyksopp’s music is smooth and melodic, blending relaxing trance-like tunes and computerized beats with an edgier jazz and funk side at times. Popular European female artists serve as featured vocalists on many tracks and add diversity to a sound that is already a pleasant fusion. Röyksopp’s next album, Senior, will be available in 2010.
Stand-out tracks: Happy Up Here, Follow My Ruin, Poor Leno, Remind Me
To hear about more bands that rock with an electronic edge, read The Electro Bands You Ought to Know.
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