The Zipstream: Ridley's nitrous-balloon electro-pop

Welcome to The Zipstream, a semi-regular column in which The A.V. Club will round up new local albums, mixtapes, and EPs that Madison-connected artists share via such channels as Bandcamp pages and upload sites. Got something you'd like us to consider? Email sgordon@theonion.com.

Ridley, I-VII
Rather than compress itself into a lonesome electronic corner, Madison duo Ridley's 2009 EP I-VII swells up like an unwieldy balloon. Jon Schoepke and Billy Morehouse's synth melodies balance nitrous oxide with a good kind of hot air. Ridley fills some of the extra room with the earthy likes of clean guitar and live drums, tilting the focus back and forth between rock and electro-pop. On these currents, "III" floats from ominous background rumbles to a danceable finish, and "VI" makes a graceful pass at Black Moth Super Rainbow. Sometimes the seven-track flow leads to slightly cheesy places (the verses of "VII"), but mostly it shows off Ridley's ear for variety and space. Ridley plays Thursday at The Frequency. Listen here. (You have to buy the EP to get the actual tracks, but there's a free stream of the whole thing, among other, more recent Ridley music, on the site.)