First Class Crew: 09/13/2007

A Grand Tour of e-music's freshest stars, all on their way to L.A.

By Dennis Romero

Sometimes it's hard to make discoveries, even if that's your job as a music journalist. Of course, not enough of us do our jobs as thoroughly as we'd like, and we too often fall back on what's force-fed us by the industry's increasingly slick public relations machinery.

Fortunately, new media - MySpace, Beatport.com, e-mailed digital promos - make it easier for journos to make up our own minds about who's the shit and who's just crap. The new media blitz certainly has helped yours truly find some amazing talent just in time for their L.A. performances. Call this rundown a Grand Tour of new, electronic-music makes coming to a venue near you:

Simian Mobile Disco. This British duo is part of a wave of e-music artists combining punk-rock irreverence with spaced-out beats. In fact, one half of SMD, James Ford, produced the "nu rave" sound found on the Mercury Prize-winning Myths of the Near Future by the Klaxons. The SMD pair has its own full-length Attack Decay Sustain Release, out this week. Check the single "Hustler," or get down to the Disco on September 22 at the Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park. Info: Attheecho.com.

Sam Sparro. I told you about Sparro in my last Groundswell column, but it's worth a refresher: This 24-year-old fashion victim is a star on the rise. His soul-glow vocals and far-out electronic-funk tracks make for an entirely new, yet totally accessible, sound. His debut EP, "Black & Gold," is only a teaser for a full-length he has in the can for 2008. But you can get some Sparro September 27 at the Echo, 1822 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park. Info: Attheecho.com.

Amanda Blank. She's another veteran of Groundswell, where I've written twice about her group, the cool kids of indie hip-hop, Spank Rock. This dirty-girl rapper has been a standout in the Baltimore-Philadelphia-New York crew, and she's now poised to go solo. (I'm told she's working on an album at this moment.) Her "Magic Man"-sampling single "Get It Now" has the roof on fire - and, trust me, you don't need no water. Check Blank live at the Neighborhood Music Festival, September 29. 3911 S. Figueroa St., Exposition Park. Info: Neighborhoodmusicfest.com.

edIT. The hip-hop train is colliding with the e-music express, and we couldn't be happier. Kanye West is sampling Daft Punk ("Stronger"), techno producer Dabrye made one of the best hip-hop albums last year with Two/Three, and now Los Angeles-based edIT is ready to unleash his sophomore "glitch-hop" album Certified Air Raid Material. The producer, an associate of the Glitch Mob, churns out synth-based tracks that soar so high they would make trance artists blush. While edIT sometimes sounds better in theory than practice, we like where he's going - and that's to Nocturnal 2007 on September 29. 836 Francisco St., downtown L.A. Info: Nocturnalwonderland.com.

Ulrich Schnauss. This British, one-man band has been heralded by the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper as the vanguard of "nu gazer" music. In other words, he's an electronic shoe-gazer. We can't disagree: You easily get lost in his hazy dreamscape of digital sound. Schnauss's music is like ambient on testosterone; it's Eno with muscle. His latest EP, "Quicksand Memory," was released this summer, but you can wait and catch him live, October 5 at the Troubadour, 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Info: Troubadour.com.

Trentemoller. Since he remixed the hell out of Djuma Soundsystem's "Les Djinns" a few years back, this Danish artist has emerged as the leader of a new class of electronic dance music producers, which also includes Booka Shade, M.A.N.D.Y., Claude VonStroke, and Justin Martin. His output is eclectic, ranging from delicate ambience to grating, dirty techno. But his music is always sexy and groovy, as heard on his recent single, "Moan." See him October 6 at Avalon, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood. Info: Avalonhollywood.com.

Claude VonStroke. Along with labelmate Justin Martin, VonStroke has helped the Bay Area's always-strong dance music scene reemerge with a new, "tech-funk" sound. VonStroke's mischievous heart results in undeniably groovy jams, from the break-beat monster "Who's Afraid of Detroit," to the vocal chord cut-up "Deep Throat," both available on his 2006 debut, Beware of the Bird. VonStroke is America's worthy answer to the European wave of producers (Trentemoller, et al.) ruling clubland. He's coming to Avalon November 24. 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood. Info: Avalonhollywood.com.