The New Music

Who: SALEM

What: A trio from Midwestern America (Traverse City, MI, NYC and Chi-town) that make sound collages as seductive as they are uncomfortable and bloodcurdling.

Sounds like: Taking inspiration from the screwed & chopped percussion of crunk, the forceful synths of electro, the detached emotion of shoegaze and the boding evil presence of goth, they’ve invented a sound not unlike juke house that should quickly be patented as their own before everyone steals it from them.

RIYL: The Knife’s Silent Shout, DJ Assault’s “Yo Relatives” at 33rpm, mid-period My Bloody Valentine, the spirit of black metal, OxyContin

Need to know: To date they’ve released a few strictly limited edition EPs: Yes I Smoke Crack (out on Acephale), the Water EP (out on Merok) and a recent 7-inch in Japan (out on Big Love). But just this week they’ve unleashed a brand new two-track single on Audraglint. Their video for “Dirt” is the creepiest thing ever and totally NSFW. And they made Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia” sound like it drowned a very peaceful death on a tribute called “Brustreet.”

Track: Though its name suggests otherwise, ”Frost” is the friendliest thing they’ve released so far, with Heather Marlatt’s otherworldly vocal and the warm synths melting the titular condition while the snares snap their way into a frenzy.

On the flipside, ”Legend” is a complete 180, submerged in a bath of acid as the clapping beat and droned synths pull John Holland’s voice further into an abyss of madness.

Buy: You can pick up the 7-inch here.

- Cam Lindsay