Purity Ring
who: Corin Roddick [synthesizer/ samples] and Megan James [vocals]
from: Halifax/Montreal
sound: creepy lyrics sung with and exquisite, graceful vocal range. electro-pop provides appropriate dark moods and strange beats. the album ubiquitously pushes and pulls your emotions.
album: Shrines released July 24
label: 4AD
my picks:
“Fineshrine”— “get a little closer/ cut open my sternum and poke/ my little ribs around you”
—building a shrine from a human body if you want to read into it closely . . .
“Grandloves”—super delicate vocals and this churning techno feeding off it
purchase at Amazon: Shrines
Sea of Bees
who: Julie-Ann Bee[guitar, bass, keyboards, voice]
from: Sacramento, Calif.
sound: expansive, lush, layered folk-pop. at times lovely, aching, wistful and aspiring.
album: Orangefarben, out now
label: Team Love Records
PR: Riot Act Media
my picks:
“Gone”—pain never sounded so gorgeous
“Give”—Bee’s stunning vocals with a funky beat
“Leaving”—striking cover of John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane”
purchase at Amazon: Orangefarben
Laetitia Sadier
who: former singer for Stereolab (one of my favorite 90s bands)
from: the French singer resides in London, UK
sound: this solo album is much softer and more demure than the upbeat techno beats that Stereolab provided in the 90s. Reminds me of Autour de Lucie and April March.
album: Silencio, out now
purchase at Amazon: Silencio
