Add Macha to the growing list of bands, which includes The Rapture, !!! and Tortured Soul, who merge organic dance music with electric guitars, vibes, handclaps and a “Bollywood” violin. Forget Tomorrow (Jetset), Macha’s first new studio album in nearly five years, opens with the propulsive title track which sounds like it could be an out-take from David Bowie’s late 70’s studio work. Rhythmic, with an insistent bass line, “Forget Tomorrow” is hard to forget. With its solid beat and Robert Fripp-like guitar, “Do The Inevitable” sounds as if it is encouragement to do the latest dance craze. “Smash And Grab” smashes the threat of boredom and grabs the listener’s attention, while “From The Merak Lounge” suggests an exotic dub chillout vibe. Hailing from Athens, Ga., a place that has spawned it share of bands with dance reputations, including the B52’s and Pylon, Macha has earned its place among the best that Athens has to offer. Oh, and did I mention that these guys are awfully easy on the eyes, too?

Five years after I was first turned on to the giddy electronic experimentation of German duo Mouse On Mars via their album Niun Niggung, I am bordering on being obsessed with their new album Radical Connector (Thrill Jockey). While Andi Toma and Jan St. Werner of Mouse On Mars never had any issue with generating warmth amidst the wiring, Radical Connector is radical in that the songs have an unmistakably soulful heat. The sexy funk of “Mine Is In Yours” gets the disc’s radical, but accessible connection off to a good start and is followed by the beep-beep skank of “Wipe That Sound” which kicks the listener in the can. “Spaceship” jerks and stutters and sounds like it’s looking to dock with Parliament’s mothership and “Blood Comes” also conjures George Clinton. Mouse goes house with the shiver-inducing “Send Me Shivers,” while the funk goes underground on “The End” and “Detected Beats.”

Sometimes, you just have to wait patiently for someone to come along and re-energize a musical genre that seemed near extinction. Such is the case with drum’n bass and High Society (Breakbeat Science), the new album by High Contrast. The eagerly awaited follow-up to the young Welsh electronic artist (a.k.a Lincoln Barrett) has a healthy helping of soul and R&B vocals that give the fast moving synthetic beats a dose of human warmth. You know that you’re going to get a workout just listening to this stuff, let alone dancing to it. But when you hear the vintage soul wails on “Lovesick,” recalling what sounds like 1969 (or thereabouts), you can’t help but jump to your feet, commencing the roof raising. The “it’s hard sometimes” mantra of “Tutti Frutti” is made easier to take through the swift, upbeat nature of the track. Dynamite MC is something special on the title track, “Racing Green”, which moves at a nice pace and includes a vocal sample that is used to great effect, and Nolay’s rap on “Angels And Fly” takes wing and soars. “Natural High” elevates the whole affair, and when you are asked “Have you heard?”, you can respond in the affirmative. The unnamed bonus track is a full-fledged hollering disco diva number.

When the World Was Our Friend (Kill Rock Stars) is an above-average merger of electroclash and rap by Gold Chains (a.k.a Topher LaFata) and frequent collaborator Sue Cie. Vocals and a classic disco beat in conjunction with the invitation repetition of “Come To Cali” give the song its San Francisco dance degree and get the party started. The wave-riding “High Tide” is a potential dance-floor packer, while the more stripped down “No Tomorrow” takes a different approach altogether. Gold Chains and Sue Cie pay a “house” call on “California Nites” which summons a Cali sensation, no matter your actual geographical location, and will soon have you declaring “California uber alles,” a la Gold Chains via the Dead Kennedys. “Show Us Your Heart” beats like an erratic heart with a bass line pumping like blood through it. “Crowd Control” is an apt name for a song that could easily inspire stampedes to and on the dance floor, while “Stretch” stretches into vintage new wave territory and “Shoot Straight” shows off Gold Chains and Sue Cie’s punk capabilities.