Who | SALES

When | Monday, October 5

Where | Monarch, Berlin

Hailing from my hometown of Orlando, Florida, SALES are nowhere near as cloying as you might expect a band coming from the land of Backstreet Boys and Mickey Mouse to be. With an incredibly simple guitar/vocals/drums setup, the duo makes music that’s a sparse yet highly satisfying blend of lo-fi minimal pop. The production is unobtrusive and clean, incorporating small touches of electronic elements here and there. Singer Lauren Morgan’s timbre possesses a fragility that definitely elicits comparisons to both Olivia Merilahti from French/Finnish band The Dø and SOAK’s Bridie Monds-Watson. All in all, SALES will be a perfect fit for the intimate setting at Monarch.

For fans of: The xx, SOAK, The Dø, Daughter

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Who | Reptile Youth

When | Thursday, October 8

Where | Berghain Kantine, Berlin

According to their website—while they were at one point in time a duo— Copenhagen-based band Reptile Youth is now an ever-evolving collective, with main man Mads Damsgaard Kristiansen serving as a constant at the forefront. This multitude of new influences is clearly reflected in the more experimental, somewhat trippy sound of their most recent release, Away. The album is packed to the brim with everything from larger-than-life synthscapes, grooving bass lines, and Daft Punk-esque vocal manipulations to catchy Top 40 hooks and even lulling instrumental piano passages that uncannily resemble the music of Philip Glass. One can’t be sure: are they electro-rock? Post-pop? Whatever you want to call them, it’s evident that these Danish musicians aren’t in the business of pandering to anyone or anything, but rather devoutly following their creative whimsies wherever they may lead.

For fans of: new Telekinesis, MGMT