If you were genetically engineering a perfect strain of bloggable music, you could do worse than choosing Air and Beach House as your initial DNA. Though Air hasn't been as recently prominent as they were in the early years of the millennium, their precise, understated electronic music still rings true. Meanwhile, Beach House is your local barista's favorite band. Put together, they make exquisite sense.

Islands, Vapours (Anti-) - Once a schizophrenic, overstuffed Montreal outfit full of potential, Islands have finally learned to edit. The result: an infectious and weird third album that was worth the wait. Lead singer Nick Thorburn, more commonly known by his stage name Nick Diamonds, and his crew have stripped away the orchestral layers and theatrical pomp that turned the band’s sophomore album, Arm’s Way, into a bloated, highfalutin’ rock opera. What’s left is masterful, refreshing synth-pop, served up pure and simple. Snappy drums drive the album’s first single “No You Don’t,” while Thorburn’s charming, spot on lyrics come through loud and clear -- “Don’t buy dope from the man you don’t know.” What he said. --Alexandra Vickers

The title of stylish Parisian duo Air’s sixth album proves typically inscrutable: while there is no “Love 1,” the Goth prog recorded here does sound like a sequel to their 2000 soundtrack for The Virgin Suicides.