The Whip: Manchester, England's Heirs to Space-Age Electro

Random excellent band of the day: The Whip, who hails from Manchester, England.

As expected, the co-ed band takes cues from New Order on the upcoming full-length, X Marks Destination -- especially in its turquoise-hued keyboard/throbbing bass interplay. But its songs contain more than a little hint of the Faint's squelchy goth-disco, Simian Mobile Disco's bubbly techno and tons of Gary Numan-style lost-in-space analog synths, while the vocals often resemble Spoon's Britt Daniel, especially on single "Sister Siam." Most important, the band makes sure to focus on songwriting on Destination, meaning that the Nintendo-electro and retro nods aren't kitschy, but complementary to solid pop hooks.

The video for this song is retro-fabulous, spoofing on Star Trek and cheesy '80s sci-fi special effects. It's also irresistible watching the band jam out to its own song.

The Whip, "Sister Siam":

File under: Danceable electro-pop beamed in from another planet, glowsticks in hand and ready to rave. The Whip is playing at SXSW, which should be good times all around.

MP3: The Whip, "Sirens"

MP3: The Whip, "Dubsex"

-- Annie Zaleski