Chain Gang of 1974- Wayward Fire

Wayward Fire is the work of Kamtin Mohager, a San Jose, CA native who bounced around from Hawaii to Denver, and now resides in Los Angeles. His songs are evocative of 80's synth dance music, but also bear signs of more forceful electronic dance tunes. It's not understated in any way, even the ballad "Teenagers" has rousing keyboard flourishes and anthemic drums. Mohager's singing reminds me a little of Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails, without the overt aggressiveness of Reznor's vocals. Extra props for the Fleetwood Mac sample on the album opener "Stop", a song about cultural vices with a Beck guitar line that doesn't particularly gel with the rest of the record's vibe. The record's centerpiece, the 8 minute "Hold On", wouldn't seem out of place on a Cut Copy record. Lots of over the top hand clapping drum tracks and arena-style melodies prove that subtlety is not his strong suit, but he may get you to shake your ass a little.

Buy this record if your car's stuck in a snowdrift and you have to ration the M&Ms.

www.thechaingangof1974.com

Washed Out- Within And Without

All the indie girls are fluffing their pillows, preening for a transformative night with the Georgian boy called Washed Out. He plays infinitely danceable, dreamy snyth music with an 80's nostalgia appeal, similar to Cut Copy, and he's good-looking. It's not just the girls, he's also a PR firm's wet dream. I'll leave it to the blogosphere to pontificate.

Buy this record so you know where to look for a date when Washed Out comes to your town.

www.subpop.com/artists/washed_out

Gildas Kitsune Club Night Mix

Kitsune is a French fashion/electronic music label that is heavy on the music and light on the fashion. Regardless, fashion and music are a natural fit for each other, the names David Bowie, Grace Jones, Lady Gaga, and Tiffany come to mind (this is the multiple choice "which one doesn't fit" part of the review) and Vice Records is the only other label I can think of with this business combination, having just started a fashion line with the leverage gained from their magazine. Kitsune's music label has had several notable artists on their roster: Bloc Party, Fischerspooner, Hot Chip, Klaxons, and Wolfmother. On Kitsune founder Gildas Loaec's Club Night Mix you'll get pretty standard coke-in-the-stalls with a champagne fountain brand of European dance music. It's perfect for exercising your limbs, definitely not your mind.

Buy this record for that stock trader's Memorial Day party at the beach house in Amagansett.

www.kitsune.fr