Mouse on Mars

Mouse on Mars have mastered many genres by showing allegiance to none; rather, they rely on sound songwriting to make even their most adventurous work feel just right. This cut off their eighth LP, Radical Connector, is a case in point: a breathy vocal pop track sliced 'n' diced in a vocoder-stutter-funk stylee without once losing sight its memorable tune.

Mine Is in Yours [MP3, 6.8MB, 192kbps]

www.thrilljockey.com
www.mouseonmars.com

Daedelus

Cacophonic intro track to Daedelus' hip-hop record, Rethinking the Weather, layers a psychotic amount of voices over noodles of acoustic guitar, clattered beats, and flute loops. It's but a small, imperfect glimpse into Daedelus' expanding, eclectic universe.

Fin [MP3, 5.1MB, 192kbps]

www.dirtyloop.com
www.daedelusdarling.com

Headset

Allen Avanessian (Plug Research) and Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel, Postal Service, Figurine) hit the lab with a hard drive full of devolved beats and glitch-and-paste collages, then invite a who's who of electronic and hip-hop innovators to muse over the sparse foundation. The result ranges from head-nodding to chin-stroking; this track, featuring verbal gymnast Subtitle flowing over what sounds like a dying music box, exemplifies the latter.

Breath Contrails [MP3, 6.5MB, 192kbps]

www.scapemusic.de

Fridge

UK post-rock trio, not unlike Tortoise, prone to toy with electronic and sometimes jazzy improvisations. Although Fridge can sometimes resort to experimentation for experimentation's sake, these tracks are a fine sampling of their more accessible work. FYI: Fridge has spawned two solo projects, Four Tet (Kieran Hebden) and Adem (Adem Ilhan).

Ark [MP3, 7.3MB, 128kbps]
Cutup Piano And Xylophone [MP3, 3.0MB, 160kbps]
Lign [MP3, 625KB, 128kbps]
Lojen [MP3, 3.8MB, 128kbps]
Surface Noise and Electric Piano [MP3, 6.1MB, 192kbps]

www.temporaryresidence.com
www.brainwashed.com/fridge

Greg Davis

Reluctant beats rinsed in rippling, melancholic guitars — perfect for after hours listening (assuming you're driving home after getting dumped).

Brocade [MP3, 1.7MB, 56kbps]

www.carparkrecords.com

Blockhead

Another Ninja Tune victory: scratchy electronic that sounds like how the movie 28 Days Later felt. This track seems to feature a bit of Strongbad right towards the end as well.

Bullfight in Ireland [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]

More music from Blockhead:

Which One of You Jerks Drank My Arnold Palmer [MP3]
From the album The Music Scene out 1/12/10 on Ninja Tune.

http://www.ninjatune.net
http://www.ninjatune.net/blockhead

Salvatore

Is it live or is it Memorex? (Wow, that reference seems really dated...) A band or someone hiding behind a curtain of computers? Either way it's as if robots recorded My Bloody Valentine music in the Mojave desert. But robots like the Tin Man, who had heart.

Easy [MP3, 3.5MB, 128kbps]

www.racingjunior.com

n.ln

A prolific chap, Nyles Lannon (Film School, n.Lannon), a double major (how far can a I push the collegiate allusions?), hard at work in his computer science courses (I can run them into the ground I tell you).

I Never Heard [MP3, 9.3MB, 192kbps]
4 Little Fires [MP3, 7.1MB, 192kbps]

www.highpointlowlife.com
www.nlnmusic.com

Havergal

Prairie drawl and bug zapper glitches = campfire music for the computer age.

I Am a Frequency [MP3, 5.6MB, 160kbps]

www.secretlycanadian.com

Magnus

Distant vocals served over cool techno and coupled with solid funk basslines and snappy guitars bring an old-school (circa 1994?) vibe to today's dancefloor.

Jumpneedle [MP3, 5.8MB, 192kbps]

www.anti.com
www.magnsumusic.com

RF

If you had to pigeonhole RF, you might label it Intelligent Acoustic Music. His whispering guitars and gentle programming make me want to snuggle up with my iPod and a good Haruki Murakami novel.

Bis [MP3, 5.5MB, 160kbps]
Falls (2) [MP3, 5.2MB, 160kbps]
Difference [MP3, 4.1MB, 128kbps]
Sunday Park [MP3, 6.5MB, 128kbps]

www.oddshapedcase.com
www.are-f.com

Intuit

German duo enlist flamboyant Brazilian vocalists to add their smooth touch to this shimmering, summery jazz track.

Crianca Das Ondas [MP3, 6.0MB, 192kbps]

www.compost-records.com