On Air Next: New tunes from Toro Y Moi, The Lindas, Elephant Gym, John Barera & Will Martin

Last week, Toro Y Moi released the album “Outer Peace.” Chaz Bundick, the man behind Toro Y Moi, has a special ability of being able to tackle nearly any genre, in the past including indie rock, R&B, chillwave and more, and he always seems to do it well. On “Outer Peace,” Bundick clearly is influenced by house and dance music, but he adds a specific element to R&B that ties everything together in a unique way. My favorite tracks off the album are “Who I Am” and “Freelance,” both irresistibly dancey songs. The songs ebb and flow in pace and style, and they all sum up to create a truly holistic record. I wrote about looking forward to this album at the beginning of the semester, and I wasn’t disappointed. If you haven’t checked this one out already, you definitely need to give it a listen.

I just found about the band The Lindas this week, and I am stoked. We have their record “8×9” in heavy rotation right now, and it’s a great boost of energy to add to the station. The album consists of nine tracks that are all only about a minute in length and are perfectly executed, straightforward punk. The songs are quirky, catchy, short and fast paced, and each one packs a punch. The Lindas released their debut record on Burger Records, LA’s legendary punk label. This female-fronted punk band has definitely caught my attention with this record, and I’m excited to see where they go from here.

The Taiwanese math rock band Elephant Gym recently released their album “Underwater.” Whether or not you’re into math rock, this album deserves a listen. Elephant Gym plays erratic guitar riffs in a million different time signatures but manages to maintain a cohesive sound throughout each song. There are ambient and digital synths peppered in and out between the leading guitar riffs, which add more depth and texture than you’re used to hearing in a lot of math rock. A few of the songs feature various Taiwanese rappers, which separates them from most music of the genre. “Underwater” is fresh and interesting, and you’ll be hearing a lot of it on Radio 1190.

John Barera & Will Martin just released the electronic album “Life, The Heavens and Earth.” This record honestly has what I would consider the perfect combination of experimental and expected. To me, it’s is reminiscent of Aphex Twin’s early work. Driving, glitchy drums serve as the backbone to each of the tracks, which are then layered with everything from melodic arpeggios to harsh noise breakdowns. The record consistently delivers clever melodies, unique instruments and bouncy bass lines. Only four tracks long, it’s short, sweet and memorable.