| GROUP | GENRE | DATES | COUNTRY | DESCRIPTION | BEST RELEASE |
| #Poundsign# | Synth | USA | San Francisco band led by Alicia van den Heuvel (also the bassist in Aislers Set) and Stephen Visecky (though SV has just moved to New York). New Order influenced indie-pop sound. | Wavelength | |
| 800 Cherries | Synth | 1998- | Japan | Super fine fuzzy keyboards and Japanese girl vocals. Dan loves. | Romantico |
| Aerialist | Synth | 1997- | USA | Stereolabish organ drones. | Secret Stash. |
| American Analog Set | Synth | 1994- | USA | Slow, dreamy synthpop with occasional guitar jangle and tambourine. Takes the Velvets and 'Lab and floats off into space. Very cool. | From Our Living Room to Yours. |
| Aquadays | Synth | 1993- | Sweden | Female fronted new wave/80's pop. | Electric Songs. |
| Barcelona | Synth | 1998- | USA | Nerdy Synth fun. From Washington DC | Zero One Infinity. |
| Baxendale | Synth | 1997- | England | Very cheesy 80's synth-pop in a Pet Shop Boys vein. Great snotty lyrics; big fun. | You Will Have Your Revenge. |
| Beautiful Skin | Synth | 1998- | USA | Very 80s duo from New York. Dark synth and slashing guitars like Joy Division and their ilk. | Revolve. |
| Broadcast | Synth | 1995- | England | Hints of Stereolab and Pram but uniquely sntky/spacey organ stuff. | Work and Non-work or Extended Play 2. |
| Buddah on the Moon | Synth | USA | Spacey. From Houston. | ||
| Casiotone for the Painfully Alone | Synth | 1998- | USA | Owen Ashworth's one-man lo-fi casio project. Cute, sad, funny lyrics and rough beats. Great. | Answering Machine Music. |
| Chapter 13 | Synth | 1999- | USA | New Order! Pet Shop Boys! Magnetic Fields! Nothing new! | The World From Heaven. |
| Chocolate Barry | Synth | Sweden | Sntky loungey goodness. | Cucumber Trees and Ice Cold Lemonade. | |
| Class | Synth | 1997- | USA | Electro/wispy with girl vox. From NY. | First Class. |
| Crooner | Synth | 1997- | Greece | Gauzy bossa nova-inspired synth songs. | |
| Doktor Kosmos | Synth | 1996- | Sweden | Komeda keyboardist makes silly casio ditties. | Cocktail. |
| East River Pipe | Synth | 1990- | USA | Super melancholy one-man synth band from Queens. Some really great moping and self-hatred. | Poor Fricky. |
| Fint Tilsammens | Synth | Sweden | Inst LP is exp noise/acoustic. CD is synth fun. | ||
| Flowchart | Synth | 1995- | USA | Low rent Stereolab electro-lounge with abstract nature. From New Jersey . | Multi-Personality Table Top Vacation. |
| Frenesi | Synth | Japan | Bossa nova-inspired synth sounds. | ||
| Girlfrendo>>Cat Skills | Synth | 1997- | Sweden | Excellent synthy stuff in a El vein. | Surprise Surprise It's Girlfrendo. |
| Godzuki | Synth | 1995- | USA | Detroit synth-experimentalists on March. | Trail of the Lonesome Pine. |
| Holden | Synth | France | Synthy/Talking Heads with female vocals at times. | L'Arriere-Monde. | |
| Hydroplane | Synth | 1996- | Australia | Cat's Miaow folks get ambient. | Hope Against Hope. |
| Kitty Vermont | Synth | 1999- | USA | Lo-fi synth and drum machine concoctions. Very 80s, very Mag Fields - right down to dueling m/f vocals. | Wonderful You. |
| Ladytron | Synth | 1998- | England | Wonderful new wavey/electropop with robotic female vocals. | 604 |
| Laika | Synth | 1993- | England | Ex-Moonshake. Disturbing synth tales and female vox. | Silver Apples of the Moon |
| L'Augmentation | Synth | England | Circusy space-synth similar to Pram and Broadcast. Swoon worthy. From Birmingham. | ||
| Magnetic Fields >> Gothic Archies, The Sixths, Future Bible Heroes, The Three Terrors | Synth | 1991- | USA | Everyone knows Stephen Merritt's 1999 release "69 Love Songs" but don't forget their first album with singer Susan Anway, it's a classic! | 69 Love Songs. |
| Micromars | Synth | 1999- | Norway | One man synth/electropop band. Metro is the best 'Lab album in ages. | Metro. |
| Momus >> Happy Family, Poison Boyfriend | Synth | 1985- | Scotland | Momus, the wacky poet. Not everyone's cup, but those who love him, REALLY love him! Pretty smutty. | Little Red Songbook or Tender Pervert. |
| Moose | Synth | 1990- | England | Started as shoegazer but got gauzier and synthier. Latest sounds very 80s pop. | Honey Bee |
| Mr. Wright | Synth | 1997- | England | Very mellow synthmeister who's been around since El days. | Star Time. |
| My Favorite | Synth | 1992- | USA | Retro synth 80's new wave/goth appeal. | Love at Absolute Zero. |
| Pastel Collision >> Kaleida | Synth | 1994-96 | England | New wavey synth with girlie vox. | Knowing Who Your Friends Are… |
| Piano Magic | Synth | 1996- | England | Their 1999 LP is a fave of Dan's--weird synth-space experiments with female/male spoken vox. Don't sound like anyone! | Low Birth Weight. |
| Pram | Synth | 1992- | England | Birmingham group makes amazing soundtracky psychedelic popness with homemade instruments and synths. On Too Pure. | The Stars Are So Big… |
| Rocketship | Synth | 1993- | USA | Originally from Sacramento, Dustin Reske's pop genius first album on Slumberland is an American indiepop masterpiece. Lush organ, guitar and melody. | A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness. |
| Shoestrings | Synth | 1997- | USA | Wispy boy/girl synthpop from Michigan. On Grand Majestery. | Wishing on Planes. |
| Stars | Synth | 2000- | USA | Two huge Smiths fans get a sampler, some girls to sing and play keybs, and a lot of snotty attitude. Still, some lovingly mopey tunes. On Le Grand Magistery. | Nightsongs. |
| Stereolab | Synth | 1990- | England | Early stuff is more straightforward kraut-rock and heavenly drone; later songs use samples and synths to explore space-rock, lounge, and jazz. Led by French singer Laeticia Sadier and British guitarist Tim Gane (ex-McCarthy). | Refried Ectoplasm (early 7"s) or Emperor Tomato Ketchup. |
| Sweet William | Synth | Australia | Adorable jangle/keyboard. Some girl vox. Great songs. | ||
| Toog/Panda 43 | Synth | 1997- | France | Momus' buddy Gilles does synth oddness. Lyrics in French but are hilarious when translated. Panda43 is new wave with his girlfriend. | 6633 |
| Tuesday Weld | Synth | 2000- | USA | Clever beats, samples and synths, plus vocals that sound like a 40s crooner. Catchy as hell. On Kindercore. | L'Amour et la Morte |
| Veronica Lake | Synth | USA | Chip and Tim with Pam Berry (Black Tambourine) from Michigan. | ||
| Vitesse | Synth | 1998- | USA | Very 80s-sounding synthpop from ex-Aden member. Deadpan vocals in a Magnetic Fields vein. | Chelsea. |
| Wake | Synth | 1981-95 | England | Wimpy Sarah pop with boy/girl vocals. Don't confuse with US band. | Here Comes Everybody. |
| White Town | Synth | 1994- | England | Jyoti Mishra is an Anglo-Indian from Bradford in the north of England. He is master of sad pop songs of love lost, and he had a one-off hit with "Your Woman." | Women in Technology. |
| Minekawa, Takako | Electro | 1994- | Japan | Cornelius meets Kraftwerk for girl electro experiments. | Roomic Cube. |
| One Star | Electro | 1999- | Japan | Minimalist electro girlie stuff. | Triangulum. |
| Yoshié | Electro | Japan | Zany Brazilian/electro mix. | De Novo. |