Download This: Ms. John Soda

Imagine the assembly line for those adorable Blythe dolls, with levers moving in unison and workers slowly gesticulating to the machine’s rhythm, got it? Ok great, now, put the most lush of vocals and electro-lite synths (like a chilled-out Stereolab), and there you have Ms. John Soda. The original project of Stefanie Böhm and Micha Acher (from The Notwist), their second full-length Notes and the Like, is a shimmering ball of hope. No, really, it is. You’ll probably go on a cute-animal rescue mission after listening to “Outlined View.” No mere Oscar win will make stuffed penguins (as seen in their Flash video for “Go Check”) any less adorable.