Thursday, August 23, 2007

My New Favorite Record This Week - Midnight Juggernauts

Australian synth-rock-electro-pop trio Midnight Juggernauts have a great debut album out called Dystopia. Unfortunately it is an Aussie only release, with the rest of the world pending. These guys fuse all of the best elements of the current French electronic music scene to some solid indie/new wave/rock and pop songs. They then polish everything up with spacey electronics and dance floor glitter. I first encountered them through Paul's review over at 75 Or Less. He referred to it as the "sleeper hit of the summer", and my interest was piqued. I am hooked. A few years ago fellow Aussies Cut Copy really grabbed my attention with their debut album Bright Like Neon Love, and I get the same feeling from this. I am a big fan of indie dance, and these guys hit all the right notes. The '70s flavor comes in the disco beats and breezy ELO/Fleetwood Mac-isms. The '80s are represented by new wave keys and New Order-isms. The '90s dance revolution forged by Daft Punk and the surge of their followers is here in the gloss and cutting edge electronics. It is a seductively good listen, and deserving of a wider audience, so let's hope that it gets a US (and Euro) release soon. Shadows was the first single from the album, and is a semi-spooky disco number with gloriously huge bass riffs. However, it is Into The Galaxy that really has me entranced. Slowly building on a wave of synths, it explodes into a prime slice of 1981 new wave, all herky jerky with moody vocals. That is, until the chorus, when the gleaming ELO vocals kick in. And what a catchy hook. I can't get enough. Enjoy!

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