Midnight Juggernauts
If there was ever an appropriate band to do a keyboard air guitar to, this would be them. The quirky vocal delivery of this group’s Talking Heads / Bee Gees hybrid is paired with simple synthesizers and a driving, dancey beat that will turn some heels over heads. Although elegantly done, this album’s music presents a solid landscape of sound, with little fragility to its structure or delivery. Very good. Danceable. Approved. Vunderbarr.

Chemical Brothers
Have you ever heard of this duo? They are neither new to me or to you, but their B-sides album is one that slipped between the cracks in late 2007, and much to my great happiness, overshadows their recent release, We Are the Night, in rainbow shades of glory. Punchy, precise, prudent, practical, and pleasant.

Shine
Tapping into the same soulful, live band sound with an easy electronic groove that has placed Zero 7 in a class of its own, Shine’s freshman album does well to please the gentle listener. With the long-awaited release of The Common Station, a few unmistakeable gems emerge (tracks Ashbury and Hawaii) with an album filled out with songs worthy of a dimly lit background and plush, bloated-looking furniture. By the end of the album, you’ll probably find yourself stretching your feet out for a nice relaxation moment.