With robot imagery, old video game sounds, and plenty of synthesizers, Built By Snow conjure up a period in the 1980s when the future really was now. For instance, the keyboard opening of “Invaders” is pure space travel soundtrack. Blogger NobodySeemsToBeAShip decided to mash the song with Patrick Jean’s award winning short film Pixels and, as you can see, the lyrics eerily fit the images almost perfectly.

               Patrick Jean website

The band self-released just one EP and one album before disbanding. The 2007 EP Noise had a punky vibe but the full-length album MEGA in 2008 delivered a more polished pop rock sound for about the half the record, with the rest branching off into more experimental themes. “All the Weird Kids Know” channels early period Cars as if the band had gone 1980s alternative instead of FM commercial while “Something in 3D,” with its whoo hoo’s and staccato drums, would not sound out of place on any playlist today.  While they have reunited for the occasional live show (most recently earlier this year) there does not appear to be any new material forthcoming, though their lead singer has released two albums as Oh Look Out.

Built By Snow webpage, bandcamp and YouTube page.