class actress - keep you

class actress - rapprocher

do your ears a favor.

rapprocher is the impeccable full-length debut album from american electronica artist class actress. this is one of the catchiest records i have ever had the pleasure of listening to and believe me; i listen to a LOT of music. rapprocher is possibly the best pop album of the year!

elizabeth harper, better known as class actress, used to be a solo folk artist until she ventured into electronica territory with her ep, journal of ardency. though that release featured great tracks, rapprocher only builds upon that wonderful electro-pop foundation.

class actress sounds like the lovechild of neon indian and 80's madonna. harper's soft vocals of an ingenue sing sweetly over electronica dance beats and layers of new wave synths. "keep you," "prove me wrong," and "need to know" are my faves, but this album is flawless. rapprocher is akin to the greatest dance record from the 80's with the crispest production that today's technology allows. if you like pop music at all, then you owe yourself a listen.

01. keep you
02. love me like you used to
03. weekend
04. prove me wrong
05. need to know
06. limousine
07. all the saints
08. bienvenue
09. missed
10. hangin' on
11. let me in

do your ears a favor.

kisses - kisses

kisses - the heart of the nightlife

do your ears a favor.

the heart of the nightlife is the debut album of american pop duo kisses. the record is packed with radio-ready tracks that should have been huge hits, if only anyone knew who the hell kisses is. and that's what i'm here for!

kisses is comprised of frontman jesse kivel and his adorable band mate zinzi edmundson and together they make musical force to be reckoned with.

essentially, the heart of the nightlife is an album of fun boy-girl pop anthems but flourishes of disco and electronic touches add a layer of depth that is hard to come by in the pop world. my personal favorite songs are "kisses," "people can do the most amazing things," and "midnight lover," but all nine tracks are standouts. i have had this record for roughly a year now and i still love it as much as i did when i first got it. that alone is testament to how good this shit is. what are you waiting for? download it now and dance your sexy ass off.

01. kisses
02. bermuda
03. people can do the most amazing things
04. women of the club
05. the heart of the nightlife
06. lovers
07. weekend in brooklyn
08. midnight lover
09. on the movie

do your ears a favor.

adventure - lesser known

do your ears a favor.

lesser known is the sophomore full-length album of the american electronica powerhouse known as adventure. though his debut self-titled disc was a fine record in its own rights, everything is bigger and better on lesser known.

a recent transplant to baltimore, benny boeldt (better known as adventure) pushes himself as hard as he can with his second lp and sings for the first time, often to great success.

lesser known is no run-of-the-mill electronica record. elements of dance, pop, and house fuse into an eclectic schizo realm full of glorious synths and sick beats. the entire album is a perfect gem but i like the tracks "rio," "lights out," and "meadows" the best. lesser known is a must-have for anyone who enjoys good music with a futuristic edge. i find myself going back to it again and again. now get your download on!

01. open door
02. feels like heaven
03. smoke and mirrors
04. fool's paradise
05. rio
06. lights out
07. relax the mind
08. another world
09. electric eel
10. meadows

do your ears a favor.

foster the people - houdini

pnau - soft universe

do your ears a favor.

soft universe is the fourth album from the awesome australian electronica duo pnau. have you ever heard of pnau? unless you're from the great land of oz, chances are, you haven't. no worries; that's what i'm here for!

for a little background information, pnau is comprised of nick littlemore and peter mayes. they released their debut acid house album sambanova in 1999, with the sophomore effort again dropping in 2003. though these records feature a slew of good tracks, they were mostly instrumentals and the band didn't bother much with vocals until their self-titled pnau in 2007, which garnered elton john's interest and the rest is history!

now signed with elton john, their 2011 disc soft universe features their most epic production and instrumentation like never before. it is too difficult to pick and choose between the songs because this is just one of those must-have records for anyone who just has to shake their ass every once in a while. "everybody," "glimpse," and "better way" are my top favorites, but i also included their 2007 anthem "embrace" with ladyhawke, because it simply is a must-have for fans of dance music.

01. everybody
02. solid ground
03. unite us
04. twist of fate
05. the truth
06. glimpse
07. epic fail
08. better way
09. something special
10. waiting for you
11. embrace (featuring ladyhawke)

do your ears a favor.

firefox ak - color the trees

do your ears a favor.

color the trees is the third album from stunningly sexy swedish electronica singer firefox ak. okay, i know what you're saying: WHO THE FUCK IS FIREFOX AK?! well, that's why you come to both my babies; to learn this sort of thing. (and let's face it, how can you not be curious about an artist with a stage name like that?)

firefox ak is andrea kellerman. she released two previous albums, madame! madame! and if i were a melody, respectively, but color the trees is by far her best work. the production values are stellar and the elecronica itself is lush with soft folk flourishes. add in a great vocalist and some poetic lyrics and call it a day.

this record is one of the few i find myself coming back to again and again. kellerman's delivery melds well with dreamy electro melodies and light folk flourishes. my fave tracks are "boom boom boom," "the wind," and "honey locust," but they're all terrific. and look, i even added a bonus remix for your listening pleasure! which tracks do you like the most? i can dig it; can you?

01. brother to brother
02. meet me there
03. boom boom boom
04. the wind
05. heavy with rain
06. color the trees
07. honey locust
08. old city delusion
09. between these walls
10. running on my own
11. my sister and i
12. the way that i do
13. boom boom boom (boeones kaelstigen remix)

do your ears a favor.