This San Francisco five piece is heavily influenced by the 'Shoegaze' sound of Slowdive and Asobi Seksu as well as Luna and Mogwai. Their debut EP, Fathom features Seiken Nakama's 'Wall of Sound guitars' and the lush vocals of Cat Howland. James Spadaro on guitars, Brian Anderson on bass and Mark Dungey on drums round out the band. Tracks like Motionland and Divingboard are dreamy, atmospheric and instantly catchy.

Sample Tracks

• Motionland
• Divingboard
• Call and Respond

Home Video

This Brooklyn-by way of New Orleans duo features a dichotomy of influences. Collin Ruffino was into bands like Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails and Smashing Pumpkins while David Gross was a classically trained pianist who had no knowledge of 20th century Pop music. The full-length debut album, No Certain Night or Morning melds those influences into an aurally-pleasing Electropop sensation. Gas Tank and Sleep Sweet are standout tracks.

Sample Tracks

• Gas Tank
• Sleep Sweet
• We

Harland

The angelic vocals of Shelley Harland have been heard fronting Electronic acts like Delerium, Junkie XL, Human II Human and Sleepthief as well as in collaborations with Guru and John Cale. Her big break came when she fronted Delerium on tour. Her newest CD, Red Leaf is a slight departure from her usual work and features a gorgeous, stripped-down version of her earlier track, In The Dark.

Sample Tracks

• In The Dark
• Wonder

Tearwave

This Buffalo-based outfit is one of the bright stars on the 'Nu-gaze' scene. The band recently signed to the wel-known Darkwave label Projekt for their self-titled debut release. Myspace, message boards, and blogs have been abuzz about the band for months now, and the album has finally arrived. Mixed by The Daysleepers' Jeff Kandefer, the vocals of Jenn Manganiello swoon through Doug White’s layered guitars and keyboard, John Stepanski's pulsing drums and Joe Villella's dark, moody bass.

Sample Tracks

• Nightingale
• Dream Bliss