Akai - Not In My Mind
Akai - An End Deserving
Akai - When The Sun Goes Down
The best ever accordion-fronted, party-starting indiepop band from St Paul, Minnesota, Akai are pretty unique for an American band. I was actually somewhat shocked that they WERE American because they sound a bit like one of my favorite London bands, Rik Flynn’s tragically short-lived Captain. I’m sold.
Henrik José - Magnet In My Mouth
Henrik José - Pinpointing The Problem
Henrik José is a demoscene alumni who’s released, as Bliss, a whole mess of music on netlabels like Monotonik, Kahvi Collective, and Fairlight Music. Changing his name hasn’t changed his music: fey, wispy electronic music with a pop core. The addition of vocals and some tighter editing have elevated him beyond his peers, however, and his latest EP, The Little Things, is a little gem of the free music set that’s worth listening to. You can score the entire release, entirely free, here.
Lars & The Hands Of Light - Keep My Feet Tagging Along
Lars & The Hands Of Light - Me Me Me
Lars & The Hands Of Light are a fairly earnest set of Danish kids doing 60s pop with a touch of indie for those of us a bit young to be getting mail from the AARP. They’re signed to Crunchy Frog, home to other like-minded folks like Junior Senior, Beta Satan, and Wolfkin. I think I might be sick of this 60s retro stuff come March, but for now its a refreshing change from the post-modern listlessness of the chillwave set.