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Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, drummer Charly Alberti helped Soda Stereo become one of the most explosive Argentine bands ever. Ten years after the dissolution of Soda Stereo and Charly has returned (alongside his brother Andres and bassist Ezequiel Dasso) to form a new power trio, Mole. “Aqua Castradora” is a grinding bit of riff-rock that doesn’t let up during its raging three minutes.

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On “Buildings — Mountains”, the first track from the album Keep Color, this Kansas City group create a new kind of ornate pop that dazzles with electronic touches and emotional pull. The group make for a dreamy listen with a sound that has a mysterious coastal feel (despite their landlocked roots). The perfect soundtrack to setting sail into unknown territories.

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The three Dominican Americans who make up Unique grew up on a mixture of bachata, salsa and hip-hop. Bachata’s influence is heard in those requinto guitars which are pitched a bit higher than your traditional guitars. The trio’s back-and-forth melodies are straight-up R&B, while the entire track is a light, percussive groove. If you like this song, check out the the full-length album.

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This is one of our favorite tracks from the Black Kids’ debut, Partie Traumatic, an album overflowing with highly danceable neo-wave pop. “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You” is an infectious, synth-covered mix of joyous indie-pop with bubbly melodies and Go! Team-inspired cheers.

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Too bad that the Lost Trailers’ “Holler Back” wasn’t released a few months earlier. Otherwise, it very well could have been a strong dark horse for single of the summer. Opening with sassy fiddle and a humorous spoken word verse, this modern country gem builds up to a chorus featuring not only a tight backing vocalist but call and response shouts. So give “Holler Back” a listen and extend your summer — at least in spirit!

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Chilean teen pop sensation Kudai set its sights on the U.S. with the band’s third studio album Nadha, the first to be released here in the States. The song “Lejos de Aquí” is an electro-tinged pop track with airy vocals and lyrics focused on global warming, reminding us that we all have to take responsibility for our actions that impact future generations.

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Though they’re from the West Coast, Gran Ronde sounds as if they’d fit right in playing alongside Bloc Party or Interpol. The band’s debut album, Secret Rooms, shows off a melodic, post-punk sound with 11 tightly produced songs (including bonus track “Control”). “Wisdom” is one of the more upbeat singles, with its jangly guitars, catchy hooks, and sentimental lyrics about love lost.

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Austin-based Latin-funk orchestra Grupo Fantasma is one of the hardest working and most exciting bands around right now. Produced by co-founder and guitarist Adrian Quesada, the band delivers a modern twist on cumbia with the track “El Sabio Soy Yo,” laced with slick horns, driving percussion and blazing guitar riffs.

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A star of screens both small and large, Ximena Sariñana has also flirted with music throughout various periods in her young career. But the music contained on her official full-length debut, Mediocre is her most complete statement yet. Her individual songwriting style has a wounded jazzy style that is somewhere between Norah Jones and Fiona Apple, but she has a more evocative way of enunciating - and the instrumentation has a luscious, rock-edged feel.

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Hercules and Love Affair is basically one Andy Butler, who has invited a variety of people aboard to vocalize his electro-pop experiments. “Blind” is an extraordinary record thanks to the inclusion of Antony (he of the Johnsons), who plays the role of melancholy, amazingly-voiced, electro ingenue like Jimmy Somerville and Alison Moyet before him. The group is signed to James Murphy’s DFA imprint, so you shouldn’t be too surprised when Hercules and Love Affair go global sometime this year.

Click here to visit Antony’s myspace page.