Anonymous Fan of an Anonymous Band

I've been a huge fan of the anonymous multimedia art collective/rock band Lansing-Dreiden for quite a while now, and have spent a little bit of time in my life wondering why so many people (including Pitchfork until this week) think they suck. I'm hoping that the positive Pitchfork review finally makes it o.k. for some people to give this band a listen. To me, they've created a perfectly dreamy haze that combines the best elements of 60's psychedelic pop, 80's synth pop and streamlined Silver Apples meets Kraftwerk electro to produce a sound that is certainly derivative but wholly original at the same time. Their new album The Dividing Island is fantastic, and although I don't think any of it quite reaches the level of their previous EP A Sectioned Beam, it is probably the most compelling synth stuff you'll hear this year. I've posted one track from the new album, along with my personal favorite from the aforementioned EP. You should listen to both to get a good feel for the band, because the two tracks sound fairly different. Check out their website too to see some of the visual art that the band produces collectively.

"Our Next Breath" (from the new album) MP3

"Locks in Shadows" (from A Sectioned Beam) MP3