First, but certainly not foremost, a glowing recommendation from Мишка favorite Com Truise is a more than acceptable place to begin a musical career. But Jacob 2-2, a Brooklyn based electronic artist who’s received said accolades, is refreshingly humble about it. He just wants you to listen to his work. However coy he’d like to be about his talent, make no mistake: the man has tapped into a secret zone that is at once classically comforting and wonderfully modern.

Before I get too wordy about it, I’d like to stress that, above all else, the work of Jacob 2-2 is a joy to listen to. When I say joy, I don’t mean in a “let’s marvel at his technical proficiency” sort of way (though that proficiency is there, in spades), but a primal, gorgeous enjoyment sense. Less than a minute into “The Dinosaurs Of Cabazon,” the seductive first track off his recent Cabazon EP, an auto-tuned voice lilts out the word “California.” He may be from BK, but his music captures that (as a CA native, unfortunately mostly fictional) sense of an endless summer. A landscape in which warm, lush things simply occur.

Jacob 2-2 clearly knows a lot about music. On tracks like “Brainstorms” you are especially exposed to his knowledge of jazz and interpretive instrumentation, in a way reminiscent of his peer Flying Lotus. But even those moments, while acknowledging the existence of musical experiment, remain in a major key (musically and tonally), lending an air of fun to the record.

I find myself feeling nostalgic when I listen to these songs, even if I’m not exactly sure what I’m feeling nostalgic about. It’s an altogether puzzling effect, mostly because it feels so natural. Whereas many modern electronic artists have accepted the vision of a robotic future, Jacob 2-2 maintain a human touch. He’s making music to be enjoyed by people. He’s got a Soundcloud full of tunes and You can get his first two EP’s for free on Bandcamp. I’d certainly recommend it.

Hamish Duncan, the Australian native behind Housewife, makes all of his superb experimental music in Ableton. If you were to open that Ableton file, the rainbowed cornucopia of samples in the arrangement window would likely be astounding. Even within “Amen,” the first track off of E.P I, a fever pitch is reached within a minute that (in my, admittedly probably imperfect estimation) contains sounds from Flying Lotus, the soundtracks to both the original Prince of Persia and LoZ: Ocarina of Time, and Kenny Rogers.

If the Brainfeeder crew isn’t banging on this guys door then they’re out of their minds. Housewife has an aggressive intensity that I find refreshing. Whereas a lot of recent IDM has flirted more with ambiance (which if great, don’t get me wrong) Housewife makes no bones about letting his songs turn into cacophonous frenzies.

The trick is, even in the jangling noise, there is a skeletal structure of melody. It may not necessarily involve traditional time signatures or progressions, but this is not music that needs to be endured. It’s really quite pretty at times. Tracks like “Big Bang” come from that same misty world as The Knife, while “Glass Eyes” is one of the better distillations of the (and I can’t believe I’m saying this) “classic” witch house sound.

Straight from that he drops into “GEM”, which owes infinitely more to Madlib or J-Dilla than to Richard James. In fact, over the course of the 3 EPs that were all released concurrently on his Bandcamp, Housewife wears many hats. He wears them well. This could potentially come off as gimmicky, or evidence of an artist sans identity. But, like so many little league players, he always makes sure to Sharpie his name on the brim, and it all sounds like Housewife.

<a href=”http://housewife.bandcamp.com/album/e-p-i” _mce_href=”http://housewife.bandcamp.com/album/e-p-i”>E.P I by Housewife</a>

Detroit what? If you want an ode to the earlier days of rock, why not give Conspiracy of Owls a hot listen? These fine gents lay down some of the best psychedelic sounds currently going on the planet… so fine that way back when, even Jack White was counted as one of their members. You know, before that whole White Stripes thing took off for him.

I do hate the whole “they sound like this band and that guy,” but I really can’t help but think of The Byrds, Van Dyke Parks, Todd Rundgren and of course The Beach Boys when breezing through COO’s deliciously catchy brand of baroque pop.

But these guys aren’t merely some 60s revival act. There’s a lot of 90s era dream pop in this, too – almost like a Nuggets collection via Spacemen 3. It’s got a feel-good vibe that screams summer playlist to accompany a joint at the beach. They’re currently signed to Burger Records, which is a fabulous coincidence, because every single one of their tracks are just tasty.

Their self titled debut is out now, and if you’re lucky enough to be down in Austin next week, then you can catch them at SXSW. They’ve got like 5 shows this upcoming week. Sidenote: what if a “conspiracy” was the actual name for a group of owls? You know, like a murder of crows? That would be awesome.

Well this certainly has absolutely nothing to do with The Pixies. Though I do think Frank Black might appreciate the po-faced humor of song titles like “Kelly Kapowski Half Ass Fucked”. He would, however, also appreciate the considerable ability it must take one person to put out the blast of noise on tracks like “Short Hair.” The solo work of Atlanta native Chaz Bell, Hips Like Cinderella is something to behold.

I have a compartment in my musical mind library for chilled out bedroom quasi-beach informed music and another for high intensity shit-kicking garage rock, and I was pretty certain that never the twain shall meet. But Hips Like Cinderella takes on the two with such aplomb that it seems ludicrous to think they shouldn’t have been canoodling from the start.

I imagine this is the product of working alone. Whereas perhaps some other band members may have pointed out the inherent contradiction in their sound, Bell instead built and built on it, creating an extremely unique debut album in All the Girls I Know All of Them. His slow half-moaned vocals and “ooh oohs” butt right up against furious drumming and the kind of guitar playing you know cut his fingers.

Hell, he even gets so heavy as to flirt with an almost metal stomp at points. It’s intensely listenable music that’s instantly compelling. Standout “Short Hair” hits you like a freight train right off the bat, a sentiment echoes on centerpiece “opiated (tell you bitch to chl)”. It’s an album like this one that reminds you how good it is to hear an artist making their own kind of music. And I’d be hard pressed to find another one-man band that sounds quite like Hips Like Cinderella.

The recent goth resurgence or (if you must) cold wave explosion, is an interesting one. While it is a new musical movement, it’s also entirely based on something that has already happened. So, it has a tendency, more than others, to come off as unfortunately imitative. But John Sharkey III isn’t new to the game. His band Clockcleaner was exploring a fuzzy post-hardcore on the verge of gothic sound long before twitter even existed. So, his new band Puerto Rico Flowers is refreshingly original, practiced, and confident in it’s execution.

Because he’s essentially old hat, he’s more comfortable blazing new trails rather than rehashing old ones. Puerto Rico Flowers owes just as much to Sharkey’s own personal style as it does to any sort of goth blueprint. Full of woozy synths and stomping melody, Puerto Rico Flowers takes an old sound and makes it sound fresh. Avoiding obsessive darkenss, Puerto Rico Flowers has a tried and true pop sensibility that I really enjoy.

Much of this comes from Sharkey’s voice, an instrument that plays as big a part as any. While at first you may be tempted to write it off as a take on the Peter Murphy baritone, it’s actually far more emotive than most cold wave singers could pull off, let alone attempt. One of things that really sets PRF apart is that it forgoes the whole done-to-death, deadpan delivery usually associated with cold wave and minimal synth. Sharkey’s vocals actually verge, and refreshingly so, on 90′s alternative crooning. Think Keith Caputo of Life of Agony or even Layne Staley. Sharkey’s voice is incredibly emotive and by keeping the arrangements relatively spare, the songs simple, the often repeated lyrics are treated to inventive and aurally pleasing twists and turns that feel more like a chant than a dirge.

Their first single off upcoming record 7 is called “3 Sisters”, and it’s quite the pop epic. Sharkey’s croons are buoyed up and up by aching synths and a propulsive bass line. More than anything, it sounds like a veteran showing the kids how it’s done. Their debut album will be out on Fan Death Records within the next few months.

If you type “Elite Gymnastics” into google, you’ll have to sort through a bevy of links regarding the actual sport before finding yourself anywhere related to the band. Much like their web presence, Elite Gymnastics musical identity is slightly hidden: masked by various preconceptions and buzzes, but ultimately very unique and very rewarding. Confronted by their aesthetic, all surfboards and summers, you’d be very tempted to think they were a chillwave band. I know I was. They are not a chilwave band.

Seconds into their new EP Neu! ’92, this becomes very obvious. Like a surprisingly large amount of white dude pop bands of late, Elite Gymnastics owes just as much (if not more) to hip-hop and dance music as they do to surf rock cassettes and sunbleached nostalgia. The band, made up of Minneapolis natives Josh Clancy and James Brooks, do not confront making music with any sort of slapdash youthful exuberance. Not to say that they can’t be fun, but each of their songs is a precisely honed and extremely tight piece of music.

“Slime Crown”, their cavernous ode to obsessive love, grows more menacing both lyrically and musically as it builds steady tension over a four and a half minute runtime. As the layers and layers combine (but never muddle) an initially simple song morphs into a powerful opening salvo. The songs rarely feature a verse-chorus-verse structure, or at least one that isn’t drastically evolving over the course of each song.

It’s the type of music that deserves a close listen, whether it be to fully appreciate the deftly hidden guitar solo in “Montana”, or to pick out each swelling synth burst and breakbeat in “(I Always Cry At) Regenerations”. The band doesn’t tour, as they prefer to stay inside, working on their music. But you can get all 3 of their stellar EP’s  for free on their MySpace.

When was the last time a band made you go holy fucking shit? Well, for me it was the first time I listened to All Pigs Must Die a short while ago. Goddamn. Listening to this band is like taking a sledgehammer to the face. And I mean that in the best way possible.

Seriously, just take a look at that video. I don’t think I could physically even pull that shit off. I’m always impressed by the amount of energy some people are able to expend on stage. These aren’t just some upstart kids thought. All Pigs Must Die are seasoned veterans of busting skulls.

I didn’t know it at the time I heard them, but this band is comprised of Ben Koeller (of Converge fame) and Kevin Baker (Hope Conspiracy), plus two dudes from Blood Horse. Now I know you’re probably thinking this super band shit is gonna suck, but not this one.

These guys channel all their strengths and dig deep to create a grinding, unrelenting, assault that is so densely produced it feels almost oppressive. Their EP on Shirts and Destroy’s label NONbeliever is a killer first offering from these guys that will knock you on your ass. Check out the jams.

Drama. Gravitas. One. Word. Sentences. The difficult to qualify attribute of epic-ness is something that is often left out of the discussion of music. Not to say that every band needs it, but no one would deny that part of the appeal of a band like, say, M83, Zola Jesus or The Knife is that standing on the cliff’s edge “fuck yeah” feeling that comes along with it.

Esben & The Witch, UK rockers with serious presence, have made sure to leave no doubts about their grandeur. Even their name, which Wikipedia has kindly informed me is taken from a centuries old Danish fairytale, carries steely eyed weight.

Check out the video for their first  single “Marching Song.” That’s a badass video. Simple, certainly, but undeniably effective. The lead singer goes from immaculate cutie to full on Brando cheeks all in 4 minutes.

It really fits their music, which to me conveys the feeling of broadswords in battle, and shimmering forest-deities making blood pacts with bedraggled journeymen. Or whatever.

And just this week the group debuted the video for their most recent single “Warpath.” It’s an equally  impressive and haunting piece that’s a very cinematic compliment to the songs.

For three people, Esben & The Witch sure make a lot of big noise. The band signed to Matador late last year, and their debut LP Violet Cries comes out on January 31st. I’m looking forward to it and it’ll definitely be my go to album if I ever have to get psyched up to go slay a dragon.

A big pillar of my music review tactics repertoire is making extended, barely cogent, Pitchfork like reference chains that aren’t nearly as erudite as theirs because I don’t read enough McSweeney’s or eat farm-to-table or whatever. Nonetheless, I’m still gonna take a shot at one for Kansas City cvltist Umberto.

This music sounds like if some intrepid explorer actually travelled down Loggins’ interstellar “Highway To The Danger Zone” but then discovered it was actually a portal into a evil universe full of many tentacled skulls and gaseous manifestations of their darkest nightmares. And disco balls.

Tones, man. Gotta love them tones. Y’ever see that John Carpenter movie Prince of Darkness where like 75% of the dialogue is obscured by just the constant tones? Epic. This dude has definitely spent some time with Carpenter’s indelible scores, slathering a sumptuous layer of black glassiness over minimal arrangements. His new LP Prophecy of the Black Widow could definitely slide right into the canon of Giallo film soundtracks.

Hell, the cover’s even got that wavery Suspiria font going on. But he also knows how to get it goin’ on the dance floor, even if said dance floor may or may not be emblazoned with blood pentagrams.  I’m really loving how much recent music has been influenced by horror, and Umberto is right in there with another unique spin on the genre. Plus, how can you not love an album with a song titled “Someone Chasing Someone Through a House?”

You know how they say that if you stare into the abyss the abyss stares back? Well what if it played music back instead? Might sound a little bit like Wild Eyes. With one 3 track single out on AMdiscs (which we’ve written about a couple times), and a few other loose track floating around the web, Wild Eyes is certainly a band fresh off of it’s inception.

But Ben Chisholm (White Horse) and Chelsea Wolfe seem to have already found a more accomplished and well rounded sound than either of their solo works. They’re described as Doom-Pop and I would have to agree with that designation. Wolfe’s voice has the body of Victoria Legrand’s, and it’s sound anchors the band’s.

Chisholm uses Wolfe’s short vocal lines and twists them all over skittering black soundscapes. Their first single, Damir Doma, owes it’s name to the German fashion designer. The only reason I can imagine why is that Doma is famous for using almost exclusively black in his clothing, a quality which extends to Wild Eyes.

With paranoid lyrics and song titles like “Off To The Witch,” ain’t nobody mistaking Wild Eyes for bubble-gum pop. But hey, that’s how we likes it ’round these parts. As Kanye so eloquently put it, “black is the new black.” But Wild Eyes also has an unmistakable air of beauty to it as well, and can be almost hypnotic at times. Sorta reminds me of Grouper.  Supposedly, and hopefully, they’re working on their debut EP titled Traditional Doom. Look out for it.