today brings news of the new split 7″ from portland electropop favorites starfucker and their seattle-based 2011 tour mates, the hip-hop trio champagne champagne. the long-awaited split is available now for preorder on polyvinyl’s site, and features two new jams: a starfucker joint called “dragon queens (skeletron mix)” and a champagne champagne jam “i fell through.” “dragon queens” is the instrumental behind the already-heard (and -loved) mixtape track “dragon monkey,” which was paired with gucci mane’s “running back.” the rework drops the rap but keeps the two-steppin’ beat and filthy, squelching synths, effectively keeping the dancefloor hopping without an mc. champagne champagne utilizes a guttural vocal sample and solemn organs to fill the melody for their beats, granting their head-bobbing raps an almost pastoral quality, until an analog synth riffs like an angel. together, the songs mesh with an unrelenting, wizened enthusiasm that reeks of nostalgia and sentimentality. it’s the perfect, if unlikely pairing. peep both tracks below.

starfucker – “dragon queens (skeletron mix)

champagne champagne – “i fell through”

pre-order the 7″ on clear green vinyl or digital download over at polyvinyl.

if matt & kim weren’t enough of a feel-good summer party band, blog favorite teen daze has reworked their latest single “block after block” (from 2010′s sidewalks) into a glittering synth pop jam that yet again proves that vancouver’s jamison is the best chillwaver around. lap-pop doesn’t get any better than this, and there’s no way this track – among others – shouldn’t work their way onto your grilling-burgers-on-the-roof-at-sunset mix. peek a listen and a download after the jump (via CoS).

matt & kim – “block after block (teen daze 80′s teen gang movie remix)” (MP3)

enigmatic swedish collective iamamiwhoami makes a long-triumphant return with the gorgeous “; john,” a dance-pop masterpiece that may just be their best work yet. does this mean the group will finally release a long-awaited album? the track is certainly less experimental and more accessible than any of their previous output, while still retaining their distinctly knife-esque creepy charm. more updates as they come, in the meantime i’ve got this on repeat, forever. shot into the night on the wings of one of the best tracks of 2011.

(also: holy shit, a post? i know, right?)

we’ve made our fandom for the la electropop trio faded paper figures abundantly clear, so when new, unreleased track “avida dollars” dropped with little-to-no-press, you can imagine there was more than a little squealing when we finally found out. “dollars” amps up the already danceable tendencies of their sophomore effort new medium into an almost french electro-style jam that’s nonetheless punctuated by fpf’s trademark hyper-literacy. additionally, the figures’ knack for crafting shout-along choruses is becoming more and more stark. if their whole third album is as good as this four-minute snippet, the wait is going to be long and arduous indeed. listen after the jump.

video link updated by request of the band!

dynamo and new medium are out now via.

try as we might, sometimes great music slips past us. such is the case with evenings, real name nathan broaddus, a virginia resident whose 2010 self-released ep north dorm escaped our attention until now. perhaps it’s because the idea of instrumental chillwave beyond teen daze seems like a waste of time. thankfully, with evenings, this is far from the case. “friend [lover]” is a relaxed, downtempo groover that frolics between distant, lustful memories and quiet, mournful introspection. it’s as much a self-examination as it is a slowdance masterpiece, and its lush synths and vocal samples form a sonic palette that’s as rich and textured as a midsummer night. after the jump, stream the ep, watch the video, and enjoy a free download of “friend [lover].”

evenings – “friend [lover]” (mp3)

north dorm is out now on bandcamp.

luxembourg-based victor ferreira works under the moniker sun glitters, and his tunes shimmer and sway almost as much as his pseudonym. one of his recent releases has been the everything could be fine 8-track mini-album, and as standout track “too much to lose” showcases, ferreira’s strengths are downtempo beats and pulsing synths with a layer of washed out vocals. on paper, that might not sound very original or creative, but sun glitters has what a lot of his fellow chillwavers lack, and that’s spirit. each song crafts a perfectly formed soundscape that enraptures all the senses, transporting the listener to a world where polaroid-nostalgia, nighttime bonfires, and sunlit beachgazing are commonplace.

everything could be fine is out now on bandcamp.

purity ring is the new project from corin roddick of glitch-crazed pop outfit gobble gobble, but any notion that this is a side event should be dismissed immediately. first single “ungirthed” is a tour de force of synth stabs, bass wurbles, and sensational vocals. it’s frenetic and danceable without being distracting, a perfect blend of the seemingly built-in ADHD of today’s youth and classic pop / r&b sensibility. the closest relative may be the short-lived but much-beloved vampire weekend/ra ra riot experiment discovery. after the jump, watch the hypnotic video and download the single, free.

purity ring – “ungirthed” (mp3)

revery is out now on bandcamp.

toronto threesome austra specializes in a very danceable form of gothy disco-pop, helmed by the operatic voice of frontwoman katie stelmanis. the band’s past is typically vague, but in this case the music can speak for itself. haunting, beautiful, and above all, catchy, the band’s lead single “lose it” is a swirling blend of everything you could ever want from electropop: thudding beats, floating synths, and vocals to die for. seriously. this girl has some friggin’ pipes. listen and download below.

feel it break is out may 17 on domino.

it’s taken me a while, but by the time psych-folkers akron/family rolled around their fifth album, i had to pay attention. i’m glad i did. akron/family II: the cosmic birth and journey of shinju TNT is an honest-to-god masterpiece that hits hard in all the right places. while the guys are still best at anthemic experimental rock jams, the album’s got no shortage of quieter moments too, and it’s these that add the final missing element to akron/family’s addicting grooves. album opener “silly bears” has a video below, and it’s a freak-folk stomper that makes you want to roll E, smoke W, or whatever else you do to have fun. drugged-up but not creeped-out, fun-loving but not forceful, “silly bears” is, well, silly – but extremely well-crafted, the harbinger of an album that’s neck-and-neck with starfucker‘s reptilians with best of 2011: so far.

akron/family II: the cosmic birth and journey of shinju TNT is out now on dead oceans.