GOLD FIELDS, RUSH MIDNIGHT, MACKINTOSH BRAUN
One thing Rush Midnight and Gold Fields have in common is a knack for a smooth, synthy, pop sound that will make your Lee dungarees wiggle and bounce. Though Gold Fields only recently put out their debut album, this Australian quintet sounds like they've been the soundtrack to more than a few indie movie montage scenes. Bringing the dancey kick of Daft Punk to sensual chord progressions, Gold Fields overlays strings and haunting melodies onto straightforward pop roots. Gold Fields pairs well with Rush Midnight, an ambient, electronically based artist from Brooklyn. One could argue Russ Manning got his stage name after his friends said his name five times fast, but his music demonstrates real creativity. Rush Midnight inventively combines his vocals with such a full-bodied sound that the absence of a band goes without notice.