The New Monarchs

Minnesota electro duo The New Monarchs formed in 2005, but didn’t arrive on most radars until their 2008 debut LP, Blueprints. At its best, that record combined the harsh sterility of Nine Inch Nails with the pop affability of The Postal Service. Too often, though, the vocal peaks conjured a less savory contemporary: Owatonna-based cornball/hit-maker Owl City. The digital skillfulness is there, it’s just a matter of which direction The New Monarchs choose to take it. Band members Sean Hogan and Taylor Nelson issued the five-song Electrocaching EP in 2010, and are prepping a sophomore full-length.

Updated 03/15/2012