by Brien Micelli ’17, contributing writer

Many bands are getting ready for 2014 and, in many cases, are setting themselves up to release debut albums. The alternative electronic genre offers quite a few of the newcomers this Winter.

One such band is The Electric Sons. This band has been making music since 2011, but has yet to release its first album. The band just came out with a new five-song EP entitled Chromaesthesia and promise an official album in the upcoming months.

The Electric Sons is not a stereotypical alternative electronic band. One of the most interesting things about the duo, made up of ex-Archer illustrator Andrew Miller and Savannah School of Arts grad Ben Richards, is that both members are from Atlanta, Ga. Alternative electronic music is not very prominent in the South, and one will rarely find new electronic bands stemming from that area.

Each song on the EP has a very different sound, highlighted by a strong drumbeat, light to heavy synths, and Miller and Richards’s smooth vocals. Their sound can only be described as electric. The most popular track is turning out to be “Breathing Electricity,” which is my personal favorite, as well. The track is very upbeat with a distinct beat and powerful keyboards. It sets itself apart from the rest of the tracks, as the other four songs are a little mellower.

Max Elto is another up-and-comer who has been releasing music for a couple months. The band just came out with its alternative electronic EP entitled Taped Rai. Max Elto has a very minimalist sound. Made up of Swedish duo Tom Liljegren and Alexander Ryberg,

This new four-song EP features the track “Backyard Animals,” the first single released, and “Shadow Of the Sun,” the second and most popular single the duo released previously. Both songs center on the ambient vocals of the duo, meaning that all the background music is very light and simple, featuring only a piano, drum beat, synth, or some light combination of the three. If you enjoy the music of groups like Miike Snow, I would give Max Elto a listen.

Last on the list, Parade of Lights is another band to watch. While it has yet to release an official EP, the band just released its second single called “Golden.” Between “Golden” and the single the band released in early 2013 called “We’re The Kids,” I would say Parade of Lights is a band to pay some close attention to.

Sounding very similar to popular alternative bands such as Smallpools and American Authors, I can see Parade of Lights rising to the likes of its popularity. Parade of Lights has a very strong synth/guitar sound with happy and upbeat lyrics. The music is simply too addicting and stands out amongst the releases of 2014 so far.

First-year Brien Micelli is a contributing writer. His email is bmicelli@fandm.edu.