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

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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