Electro-popping and breakfast muffins - New and newer releases from Bearstonaut and Stereo Telescope

Bearstronaut, who will release a new single "A Better Hand" this coming Friday at Great Scott (March 8), mix up 5 solid tracks on Paradice, a few of which could be easily pegged for a single. "Birds of Prey" establishes their fun, disco sensibilities both with its working-it drums (see also '80s esque roto-fills) and its Donna Summers-esque reasoning to "let me be what you need." It's extra light on the funk guitar, as sequenced synth-patterns come to the forefront as the primary focus of the track. "Passenger Side" drops in a slap-bass and a cool falsetto on a reverberating chime motif that gives the song a somewhat exotic feel . It almost makes you feel like you're on vacation (Singapore?) and it's ok to let your guard down a bit. My favorite here though is "Painted in the Dark;" the sensitive song of the bunch. With Bearstronaut's best chorus, "Painted" drops the disco-dressing of the EPs opening tracks to give way to just the splended sequencers laid bare against heavenly lean and spongy New Order-eque guitar tones.

Stereo Telescope, who host their tour kick off at Great Scott on March 5, make a very strong case for themselves with On and Running. The Telescopes play their 'duo' status into a strength by keeping their music focused on simple boy/girl vocal interplay, quirky beat tracks and almost overly rainbow-tastic synth layers. Their low bit-rate sound-aesthetic embodies the same kind of wide-eyed bedroom expressionism of a band like the High Places, and comes across here as pleasantly warm and not harsh or brittle (like more conventional chiptune productions). For Stereo Telescope, it is not so much the limited tools that they choose on standout tracks like "Fires," the tension/release-filled "Lighthouse" and their gentle anthem "Geography" but the manner by which they choose not do too much with those tools. The most soothing tracks are the perfect playground for the sincerest vocals, such as on "Draw me a Sky," which is sung with the sort of subtle rock conviction that makes you *feel* rocked while actually being maybe barely buzzed at most. On and Running's compositional complexion flows like a mix tape as it coos from one sunny major-sounding patch of mellow-deez to the next. It all packs up into one awfully cozy popsicle igloo that erects itself over you in multi-colors while you zone out in headphones land. Stay cozy.
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