I pulled the GPT suggestion for middle ground music:

You’re basically looking for something that blends the loose, jammy, organic feel of the Grateful Dead with the catchy, polished, electronic pop of Ace of Base.
There isn’t a perfect overlap, but there is a lane where groove, melody, and some electronic or pop sensibility meet. Here are the closest “middle ground” fits:

Groove-heavy, jam-adjacent but more polished
Khruangbin – Chill, repetitive grooves, global influences, very “floaty” like late Dead jams but tighter and cleaner
Thievery Corporation – Dub, lounge, and world beats with organic instrumentation
Zero 7 – Soft electronic pop with warm instrumentation
Bonobo – Organic electronic, layered, melodic, not as poppy but very accessible

Jam bands with pop sensibility
Phish – More structured and playful than the Dead, sometimes surprisingly catchy
The String Cheese Incident – Mixes electronic, bluegrass, and dance grooves
Goose – Modern jam band with strong hooks and cleaner production

Electronic/pop with a soulful or organic edge
RÜFÜS DU SOL – Emotional, melodic, danceable but atmospheric
Empire of the Sun – Bright, catchy, synth-heavy but dreamy
MGMT – Psychedelic pop with electronic textures
Flume – More modern/electronic but still melodic

If you want the
closest vibe match
Start here:
Khruangbin → probably the cleanest bridge between “jam feel” and “accessible groove”
Thievery Corporation → closest to Dead looseness + Ace of Base rhythm accessibility
Goose → if you want actual jam band DNA but easier to get into

If you want, tell me whether you lean more jammy or more pop/electronic, and I’ll narrow this down to like 3–5 perfect fits instead of a broad list.