UK import La Roux (vocalist Eleanor Jackson and producer/keyboardist Ben Langmaid) is generating monumental buzz across the globe with their new self-entitled album, which is a beautiful concoction of killer hooks, New Wave-inspired synthesizers and Erasure-like drum loops. This new Electro-pop band is very much a duo as both Jackson and Langmaid channeled their talents to create a winning formula of electronic wizardry and love-themed ballads.

During In For The Kill, the group raises the question of whether relationships are built on love or lust. Jackson’s spectacular falsettos take center stage during the intro portion of the song, “We can fight our desires, but when we start making fires…” The production on this track is highly reminiscent of songs from retro-Manchester bands like New Order and Electronic.

The band’s second single, Bullet Proof, could be deemed a modern mash-up of Blondie meets The Pet Shop Boys. The keyboard electronic, blip drum machines and vocorder effects provide an inner sanctum opportunity to travel back to the 90s British pop scene.

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Passion Pit can best be described as a sweet hybrid concoction of Death Cab Cutie, MGMT and Polyphonic Spree. But this band’s feisty foursome is packing a mightier electronic-driven punch with Manners by infusing a heavy dose of new wave electronica into the core of their modern Indie melodies.

The new album’s first track Make The Light, features a flurry of guitarist Ian Hultquist’s soaring riffs followed by Michael Angelakos’ formidable falsetto. Then, 90s retro synth grooves kick into full gear. This new tune serves as a reminder that a bands established longevity is not confined by simple keyboard-driven melodies (e.g., Keane- I hope you are listening).

Backed behind a resonating campfire-chorus, this 80s beat-intensive tune features retro dance samples reminiscent of vintage Pet Shop Boys. This track has become a staple for many deejay sets across the globe, who are providing their own creative concoction for this mega Indie single.

The Erasure-esque Sleepyhead is an Orient-flavored sonorous melody that could be considered an unofficial tribute to the British synth group’s 1990s chart-topping single Always. Passion Pit employs multi-vocal sound effects, strings and minimalist techno soundscapes, recalling flavors of the Far East. The lyrics leave the impression that the band is crooning about having an out-of-body experience while having a lucid nightmare."With all their lions and all their might and all their thirst, they crowd your bedroom like some thoughts wearing thin."

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After rolling out back-to-back top-flight albums, Modest Mouse’s latest B-side EP, No One’s First, And You're Next, is a huge step back for the band composed of guitar vocalist Issac Brock and Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths). Despite a few gems, most of the material is generic and could have been recycled after hearing a couple of spare John Mayer records. This is a classic case where some B-side material should have remained unreleased.

Autumn Beds begins as a sweet lullaby acoustic-country-rock tune that epitomizes the superior, eclectic vocal range of Brock. Halfway through, it he incorporates distorted backbeat and vocals to give the song a very haunting and eerie feel. Even though it’s ultra-catchy, the song never shifts into full gear and gets stuck in the murky waters of mediocrity.

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