| The Band: Celeste The Buzz: Grim, grinding French metal band releases latest album for free, giving unlimited darkness and doom to all. Listen If: You consider Dillinger Escape Plan “soft rock.” Key Track: “Que Des Yeux Vides et Seches,” a knot of razor-wire guitars and seared-larynx vocals, the sound of an elevator ride to the underworld. The Band: Jean on Jean The Buzz: The inverse of Celeste: sweet, soft, female-fronted pop that blend shoegaze vocals with starry-eyed strumming. Listen If: You’re excited about the return of lo-fi, but wish some of the melodies were a bit stronger and a lot warmer. Key Track: “Cold Horse,” which sounds like it was rescued from the dusty archives of forgotten dreampoppers Lush. The Band: La Roux The Buzz: Dance dance revolution! Big beats and bright synths make for perky, catchy electropop. Listen If: You’re DJing a dance night in Berlin and you’ve run out of MGMT remixes Key Track: “In for the Kill,” where breathy female vocals float over morse code synths like cotton balls over a bed of nails. |