It's a new week and I'm heading to the Bluebird Theater to check out some of the biggest names in a new category of electronic music. The three acts playing at the Bluebird Theater tonight are on the forefront of a movement in music that is still taking shape, and to me, they don't wholly fit into any existing category. The different artists all draw from a number of different influences and use synthesized sounds that seem to come from an '80s vision of the future, complete with glitchy pops, buzzes and other 8-bit computer-like sounds. Whether you call it future pop, synth-wave, noise-pop, or chillwave, this music certainly does sound like it is retro music from the future.



Denton, TX based Neon Indian is headlining the show. Neon Indian, created by frontman Alan Palomo, uses a wide range of influences to produce a futuristic synth-pop sound. The vocals and rhythms used in Neon Indian's music seem to draw heavily from chillwave - heavily reverberated melodic vocals and retro styled '80s new wave rhythms. Those prevalent qualities have caused many to label Neon Indian as strictly a chillwave group, but to me, there is a lot of noise-pop in this band's sound that isn't found in chillwave, and the vocals aren't as dreamy, airy or ethereal either. Whatever you want to call it, Neon Indian's music is very different, refreshing and exciting. Check out "Polish Girl".
Polish Girl by MGMTNeonIndian


Com Truise is the product of Princeton, NJ producer and designer Seth Haley. His synth based experimental electronic music style is like a slow motion version of new wave blended with future funk. His music is driven by pumping, glitchy, mechanical beats and '80s video game-like synth melodies that makes for music that sounds like it comes straight out of an android strip club. Check out "Brokendate".
Comtruise "Brokendate" MP3 by The FADER


Purity ring is the self-proclaimed future pop duo of Megan James and Corin Roddick who hail from Edmonton, Canada. This duo has an incredibly exciting form of electronic music that has seems to have a mind-boggling set of influences. The base of their music is electro-pop, but on top of that are layers of glitch, noise pop, new wave, Southern hip-hop (think heavy snares, chopped and screwed vocal samples), 8-bit, and modern pop/R&B. Purity Ring's sound is a collage of influences used to create something completely new, and Megan James' vocals are the perfect splash of color to Corin Roddick's musical canvas. Check out "Ungirthed".
Ungirthed by PURITY RING

The doors open at the Bluebird Theater at 7:00PM and music starts at about 8:00PM. The show is all ages and tickets are $17.

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