[tonight in cambridge] Stepdad's synthpop dance party @ the Middle East

From the bi-weekly State of the Union updates to Boston Accents playlists to random-ass On The Download posts, we've been getting a lot of mileage out of this past summer's 50 Bands 50 States feature here on the ol' music blog. But today we're gonna throw it back even further to last year's edition, when STEPDAD were our 2011 Michigan selection, because the catchy-as-fuck electro-pop comet of a band is at the Middle East in Cambridge tonight with Rich Aucoin and Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt. We fell in love with Stepdad based on kaleidoscopic early single "My Leather My Fur My Nails," and since that initial crush they dropped the pretty great Wildlife Pop album, which includes one of the best tracks of the year in glossy synthpop romper "Pick And Choose." People should be getting married to this song.

In case you missed our breakdown last year, here's a refresher after the video jump.

BAND: Stepdad
CITY: Grand Rapids
SONG TO DOWNLOAD: "My Leather, My Fur, My Nails"
WEBSITE: stepdad.bandcamp.com

WHY THEM: After building a solid rep for his New York–based boutique label with releases by DOM, Joy Formidable, and Secret Music (ex–Yes Giantess), Ayad Al-Adhamy has his ear pressed firmly on the buzz meter, particularly when it comes to bands influenced by Passion Pit. So when he started raving online a few weeks back over Stepdad's "My Leather, My Fur, My Nails," people took notice — and for good reason. After relocating from Chicago to Grand Rapids in 2009, Stepdad's ultra-infectious arcade-pop is ready to follow the likes of the Naked and Famous in coloring electronic music in neon. "My Leather" is a kaleidoscopic acid-pop jam built for July playlists, and Stepdad are following up last year's Ordinance EP — an eight-track blizzard of blips — by hitting a New York studio with producer Chris Zane (of Passion Pit's Manners). Debut full-length Wildlife Pop is expected to drop later this year, but in the meantime stuff a few quarters into the dance machine and let Stepdad's aural synthpop spin around you.