Vega

One of the many current monikers of former Ghosthustler guru Alan Palomo—who pulls double-duty on this stage as Neon Indian—Vega is his most unabashedly retro alias, hewing to a blend of Giorgio Moroder, Italo-disco, European house, and ’80s synth-funk that’s not any less effective for how familiar it is. As with his myriad other projects, it’s Palomo’s pop sensibility (not to mention his smooth, boyish croon) that keeps it from being merely an exercise in pushing presets, as Palomo has a way with dreamy hooks that’s severely lacking among so many of his fellow button-mashers.

Updated 11/03/2009