POPSHOP RADIO 012

New York, we love you and we're bringing you downtown. This Thursday, we really pulled out all the stops to end the year with a bang, and we'll hope you'll come out and celebrate with us. For proof of the mayhem in the Lower East Side that has become known as Popshop, above is some footage we managed to salvage from the dark depths of last month's summit. You'll notice some toothy grins, familiar faces, and hands in the air. You'll probably also notice the video converting to 3D halfway, courtesy of the visionaries at Jackpot in the West. All set to St. Lucia? The only thing better would be to experience the magic yourself, which you can and should do tomorrow night at Tammany Hall.

We've got another installment of our Popshop Radio series from The Knocks to whet your appetite before tomorrow's festivities and this might just be our best one to date. Keep your ears peeled for our favorite cuts from Ghost Beach, Emil & Friends, and Xylos and two absolutely massive remixes from Teachers and Xaphoon Jones. Closing out the hit parade is Clock Opera's dream-come-true remix of Feist and, last but certainly not least, the latest single from our newest obsession, Charli XCX. Shall we remind you of the hour-long Absolut open bar and FREE entry ticket with an email to RSVP@neongoldrecords.com? We shall.

1. "Monster (Teachers Remix)" - Kanye West

2. "First Time" - Ghost Beach

3. "Dreamers (Xaphoon Jones Remix)" - Savoir Adore

4. "Crystal Ball" - Emil & Friends

5. "Summer Song" - Xylos

6. "How Come You Never Go There (Clock Opera Remix)" - Feist

7. "Nuclear Seasons" - Charli XCX

SHOOT THE LIGHTS OUT.

If you're not familiar with the renaissance man that is Ben Bronfman and his latest project Teachers, consider school officially now in session. We wrote about his gold-plated debut single earlier this year and now here's his tribal backbeat remix of Kanye's "Monster", the original of which he co-produced with Mr. West himself (no big deal). It opens up with Ye's familiar vitriol filtered through a tin can telephone, as itchy guitar riffs scratch you in all the hard to reach places and the lethal Ye-Jay-Nicki trifecta lays down life lessons over adrenaline-pumping drums, like Dead Poets Society with a vendetta. This Thursday at Tammany Hall, Teachers will be in the house like a personal tutor, and you really don't wanna miss it. It's F-R-E-E, by the way, so drop everything and make it happen: RSVP@neongoldrecords.com.

DOWNLOAD: "Monster" (Teachers Remix) - Kanye West

ALL THINGS GOLD 005: MONARCHY + E. VAN CLEEF

DC, don't think we forgot about you. In what has become another monthly family tradition, we're teaming up with our All Things Go bros yet again to bring you our last All Things Gold showcase of 2011. This time, we're back with even more international starpower, featuring a double threat of British club maestros hitting the east coast for the first time ever. Headlining live will be Monarchy, taking the Neon Gold stage for the first time in a moment we feel like we've been waiting for our whole lives. Then headlining the night on the decks will be the hotly anticipated US debut of Edwin van Cleef, storming DC with an arsenal of bangers (see: this, this, and this) so dangerous we're just hoping homeland security even lets him into the country.

Rounding out what just might be our strongest bill yet are Xylos live and Xaphoon Jones on the decks, taking this month's Popshop lineup on the road down to DC for an encore performance at All Things Gold. It's all going down at DC's finest venue, U Street Music Hall, Thursday December 8th at 9pm sharp, with $10 tickets available for purchase HERE. You better believe this will be a special one, so come out and join us for an end of the year celebration not soon to be forgotten.

09:30pm: Xylos // STREAM: "X-Ray"

10:30pm: Monarchy // DOWNLOAD: "Gold In The Eternal Fire"

11:00pm: Edwin Van Cleef // DOWNLOAD: "Listzomania" (ft. Jane Elizabeth Hanley)

12:45am: Xaphoon Jones // DOWNLOAD: "Dreamers" (Xaphoon Jones Remix)


Finally, those of you not in DC next week but still desperate to see Monarchy, fear not. You've got the consolation prize of the century coming when Monarchy make their NYC debut at Highline Ballroom on December 10th, with support from none other than our dearly beloved St. Lucia. Tickets are available HERE but, as expected, they're going fast.

POPSHOP012: XYLOS + XAPHOON JONES

And just like that, our first year of Popshop NYC is coming to a close. While 2012 will see Popshop spreading its wings overseas with regular events in London and Paris, our first love will always be New York. And to say thanks for such an amazing inaugural year, we're doing POPSHOP012 as a FREE ENTRY end-of-the-year blowout, bringing you four amazing live acts and the almighty Xaphoon Jones as the main event on the decks. Headlining live are the brilliant Xylos, fresh off a sold out US tour supporting Trentemoller, with main support coming from our beloved Emil & Friends, whose brand new Lo & Behold LP shines as one of the year's most exciting debuts. Then opening things up we've got Ben Bronfman's massive new project TEACHERS and the international live debut of new Brooklyn pop sensation Ghost Beach. EXCITING TIMES AHOY.

It's all going down Thursday, December 1st at our home away from home Tammany Hall, and as we may or may not have mentioned before, it's 1000% FREE ENTRY, you just need to shoot an RSVP over to RSVP@neongoldrecords.com and you'll be all sorted. And as if that wasn't enough, we've got our usual hour of open bar magic in the mix courtesy of Absolut, so come one, come all, and let's ring out the year in style.

09:00pm: Ghost Beach // STREAM: "Empty Streets"

10:00pm: TEACHERS // DOWNLOAD: "GOLD"

11:00pm: Emil & Friends // STREAM: "Crystal Ball"

12:00am: Xylos // STREAM: "X-Ray"

01:00am: Xaphoon Jones // DOWNLOAD: "Lights" (Xaphoon Jones Remix)


FREE ENTRY WITH RSVP: RSVP@neongoldrecords.com

IT'S ONLY JUST BEGUN.

Word of our latest Neon Golden girl has been spreading like wildfire of late, so it's high time we introduce you to Loui Rose Allen, set to join our family tree with the release of her debut single in the new year. Known as Foxes on the streets, this 22-year old superstar in waiting writes leftfield pop anthems with the kind of infectious ambition that has desk-strapped A&Rs foaming at the checkbook. Nowhere is this more evident than on her uplifting debut single "Youth", an endlessly unique and massively anthemic debut offering that takes us back to the special days of Marina's "Obsessions". Vocally, we might call it a bittersweet fusion of Ellie Goulding and Clare Maguire if we weren't ourselves sick of the never-ending carousel of comparisons that befalls every new female vocalist these days, but the songwriting puts Foxes well and truly in a league of her own here.

Riding high on the wings of some of the most dynamic pop production we've heard in ages, Foxes delivers each verse like a tiny bombshell sliding down to explode silently in your chest and wreak havoc on your heartstrings. Grinding industrial percussion and resplendent synths cross paths before your very eyes, emotion flowing like sonic teardrops and mounting steadily to create a veritable waterfall of unrelenting pop brilliance. Things die down for a spell halfway through, but by the time the floodgates open and those soaring synths take to the skies in the bridge, it's game, set, and match - this round's gone to Foxes.

DOWNLOAD: "Youth" - Foxes [exclusive]

SING IT WITH ME ONE MORE TIME.

In a massively overdue but endlessly glorious meeting of the minds, our favorite pop duos from both sides of the Atlantic have come together on a Neon Gold dream come true of a remix, as The Sound of Arrows help us make it to the brightside and beyond with this exclusive remix of The Knocks debut single proper. Chipping away at the original key line and replacing it with cloud nine synths that whip-pan across the universe and back at the speed of light, the Arrows sound like they were literally born for this, their remix destiny. It's as if the two superhuman duos entered a Power Rangers montage sequence and combined to form some kind of invincible Neon Gold Megazord, like our childhood dreams coming true some 15 years late.

Speaking of dreams come true, we announced our next 12" release with The Sound of Arrows last week, currently available for preorder in the Neon Gold Shop ahead of it's official release December 19th. And for those lucky enough to be in London tomorrow, don't forget to catch them opening up for Niki & The Dove at our FREE Popshop UK launch party at Cargo, which incidentally now also doubles as an unofficial pre-release party. Come on down and let's make it to the brightside together.

MP3: "Brightside" (The Sound of Arrows Remix) - The Knocks [exclusive]

YOU CAME LIKE A HURRICANE.

Niki & The Dove are basically our new favorites. Malin Dahlström has the frostbitten Scandinavian looks to kill with the icy vocal chops of Lykke Li and Alex Winston, while her partner in crime Gustaf Karlöf crafts the kind of electronic opuses you just want to live inside of forever. "The Drummer" is currently on repeat as one of our favorite singles of the year, but supporting it on EP of the same name is stellar past single "Mother Protect", which gets a new lease on life with this oven fresh remix from LA's Goldroom. Fresh off sun-baked remixes for Penguin Prison and Poolside, Goldroom zooms in on the glittering arpeggios of the original and adds an uplifting key progression that takes the original to warmer shores, where its icy disposition melts away under the sunny beats of the beating sun. It all goes double-time in the breakdown as you start to get lost in her atmospheric vocals, until the determined keys return to lead you exactly where you need to go. Consider it the perfect track to whet your appetite before the duo headlines our introductory POPSHOP UK event with The Sound of Arrows this tomorrow at Cargo. Not that we need to remind you, but it's completely FREE ENTRY, so get involved if you're into living the dream without regrets.

DOWNLOAD: "Mother Protect" (Goldroom Remix) - Niki & The Dove

GOLD029: THE SOUND OF ARROWS

Over the years, we've gotten real familiar with Swedish pop heroes The Sound of Arrows. They were the face of our first widescreen 12" release back in 2009, and now two years later they've readied their debut full-length, Voyages, for launch. As true auteurs of the pop music medium, Stefan Storm and Oskar Gullstrand have crafted a flawless aesthetic, from the cinematic grandeur of their music to their visually stunning music videos. The Swedish maestros have their euphoric formula down to a science, and Voyages sits comfortably among our absolute favorite albums of the year. In our opinion The Sound of Arrows are simultaneously the most impressive and exciting thing to happen to pop music in recent memory, so it's with great pleasure that we announce our next release, a special edition AA-side 12" celebrating our two favorite cuts from the album, "Wonders" and Conquest".

All pulsing, skyscraping synths and bittersweet vocals, "Wonders" simmers in a magic cauldron of nostalgia, as Stefan Storm's heart-piercing refrain lights up the mic and stardust showers from the ceiling like confetti. Then it's time for "Conquest" to shine, turning in the performance of a lifetime in the record's best supporting single role. Coming off like Royksopp on a sugar high, "Conquest" churns along as red velvet synths course through your veins and the duo rally around a triumphant chorus for the ages on what might just be our favorite track of theirs yet. Together, they'll make you feel like the last child emperor in the galaxy, like anything is possible, and it's a wonderful sense of omnipotence. The "Wonders" / "Conquest" double A-side will close out our release year on December 19th, but is available for preorder in the Neon Gold Shop now. Own the magic for yourself.

MP3: "Conquest" - The Sound of Arrows

WATCH IT TUMBLE DOWN.

We've been waxing poetic on our undying love for Savoir Adore's "Dreamers" since first announcing it last month, but the B-side - a rightfully ambitious Xaphoon Jones remix - plays in a completely different ballpark, one where there's no such thing as gravity or limits. This re-imagination is "Dreamers" on steroids, starting with the crescendoing whirr of interstellar rocket engines powering up and Paul Hammer's swooning vocals setting the scene for a 2011: A Space Horn Odyssey. Then, just as you're bracing yourself for the laser beam synths of the original to drop in, Xaph drops those motherfucking SPACE HORNS on you and the rest is history. So cop your 7" here, get your download on below and celebrate the "Dreamers" release day in style. It's 11.11.11 y'all, the dream is real.

MP3: "Dreamers" (Xaphoon Jones Space Horn Remix) - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

SUCH A COLD WAY TO PART.

Some 18 months ago, we wrote about an explosive new talent by the name of Yadi and her unspeakably massive debut offering, "Guillotine", a track already approaching the heights of La Roux and Marina even in demo form. A long winter and cruel summer of silence out of the Yadi camp has passed in the time since, but at long last she's back with her debut single proper, plunging into the desert cold with "Sahara Heart". Picking up where the epic choruses and primal beats of "Guillotine" left off, it's an immense comeback single that snarls with a visceral shock-and-awe ferocity to be reckoned with, firmly establishing her as the next great hope for empowered female pop in the UK. The Yadi ship is about to set sail in a big way, and you can consider us fully on board. Next stop: the stars.

MP3: "Sahara Heart" - Yadi

TOO MUCH TIME TO THINK.

If you haven't heard, Coastal Cities are the UK's next bright young things, still in high school (or "college" for our transatlantic readers) and already causing a stir with debut single "Think Tank". Following in the footsteps of their underage predecessors Egyptian Hip Hop, these five 17-year olds are part of that new wave of '80s revival outfits bringing danceable shoegaze back to life in a whole new way. As unabashed loyalists of Joy Division and The Smiths, we were starting to get pretty fed up with the interminable number of generic "Curtises" and "Morrisseys" being shoved in our faces, but Coastal Cities shed all that hairy pretension and just riff the fuck out. "Think Tank" successfully bridges together the sunny disposition of The Drums (who are unsurprisingly big fans of Coastal Cities already) with the neurotic hooks of Foals and the serrated, driving guitars of The Maccabees. As the emotion sinks in deeper with each line's rehearsal and repetition, it all culminates in a very Two Door Cinema Club-esque breakdown that wills you out of your sneakers and boots and right into your dancing shoes.

MP3: "Think Tank" - Coastal Cities [exclusive]

SHOW ME WHAT YOU DESIRE.

Strange Talk are one of those bands who've literally been swimming in potential (and thus, hype) from their inception. Their sound and aesthetic were already incredibly polished on their debut Strange Talk EP we put out earlier this year and now comes "Sexual Lifestyle", a standalone one-off track to keep the masses at bay as they put the finishing touches on their forthcoming debut album. On the surface, it's like "Skeleton Boy" with a bit more flesh, a meatier bass line, and vocal chops that set hearts on fire like Friendly Fires daytripping down Electric Avenue. The chorus is when everything crashes - the tidal waves of swelling synths, the protagonist's bottled up frustration - and fully engulfs your senses. This unwavering refusal to settle for mediocrity is everything we've come to love about the Australian pop scene, and Strange Talk keep that tradition firmly intact here. Keep killing it, y'allstralia.

MP3: "Sexual Lifestyle" - Strange Talk

STAY ALL NIGHT.

First there was Ms Mr, now there's One Room. Call it an NYC mystery band renaissance, and one that we can get super down with. All emphatic piano stabs, plush harmonies and forgotten samples, debut single "I Want You" flows along steady and assured on One Room's oilspill-slick delivery, before going doubletime on the spitfire prechorus. If Star Slinger remixed The Weekend, the winsome lovechild would look something like One Room. Fuck a mystery, this is just great music.

MP3: "I Want You" - One Room

INTRODUCING POPSHOP UK: NIKI & THE DOVE

Two years ago we put on the first ever London headline show of an up-and-coming young lady by the name of Ellie Goulding at Cargo in Shoreditch. The rest, as they say, is history. Now we're back again, this time with an equally promising pop siren by the name of Niki & The Dove, who's quickly becoming one of the most hotly tipped new acts in Europe. The occasion will also mark the first ever Popshop UK show, as we bring you a Popshop Preview of sorts before we launch the London edition of our monthly club night full time in 2012. Going international y'allll.

It's a serious honor to be putting on Niki & The Dove's first London headline show, as the Swedish duo have quickly established themselves as one of our favorite new acts of the year, with new single "The Drummer" shining as one of the best singles we've heard this side of 2010. And with the duo expanding their live show to an eight-piece band and developing a custom light show for the night, you better believe this is going to be completely amazing. Furthermore, we'll have live support from our beloved Sound of Arrows and at least one other special live guest (shhhh... it's a secret), plus DJ sets from everyone's favorite queens of the night, Icona Pop and Kitty Radio House Mafia. And just who are Kitty Radio House Mafia, you ask? You'll just have to come out and find out for yourself now won't you.

This Scandinavian takeover is all going down Wednesday 16th November at Cargo, and the best part? We're bringing all this to you free of charge. That's right, FREE ENTRY. We know it's crazy, but we just love y'all that much and want to make the dawn of the Popshop era in the UK one for the ages. The show will be first come, first serve, and you better believe this is going to be a packed house so come early if you want to be a part of the magic. Don't say we didn't warn you.

08:15pm: The Sound of Arrows // STREAM: "Wonders"

09:15pm: Niki & The Dove // STREAM: "The Drummer"

POPSHOP RADIO 011

We may not have had a Popshop Radio for last month's special CMJ edition of Popshop (or what feels like last week), but get ready to flip that frown upside down. Lest we remind you, we've got Brooklyn's own Class Actress holding down the main headline slot this month, with a live support trifecta from The Chain Gang of 1974, Neon Gold darlings St. Lucia and CSLSX, all of whom should (and could) be headlining venues in their own right. It's all going down this Thursday at Tammany Hall, and as this is our penultimate Popshop of 2011, you better believe we're going out with class.

To help get you back into fighting shape with their ritual Popshop Radio minimix, here's a preview of our lineup mixed in with all the latest tracks you simply need to hear straight from The Knocks' LES studios. Starting things off with Chrome Canyon's frightside remix of St. Lucia, it segues straight into the blissful abyss that is The Sound of Arrows' oven fresh remix of "Brightside", revealed for the very first time below. After getting real familiar with the rest of our performers, Niki & The Dove drums up anticipation and One Room just wants you to be there. Advance $13 tickets are still available, but there will be a very limited number of $15 tickets available at the door, so definitely cop yours before they sell out. See you soon, friends.

1. "All Eyes On You (Chrome Canyon Remix)" - St. Lucia

2. "Brightside (Sound of Arrows Remix)" - The Knocks

3. "Hold On" - The Chain Gang of 1974

4. "Journal of Ardency" - Class Actress

5. "Keep On Shining" - CSLSX

6. "The Drummer" - Niki & The Dove

7. "I Want You" - One Room

TIME ON MY SHOULDERS.

Another day, and yet another reason to salute St. Lucia as New York's new pop savior. With an outpouring of original material that's been nigh-on flawless to this point, it was only a matter of time before he took his talents to the remix trade, and in a turn of events that should come as a surprise to precisely no one, the result is exquisite. It's London's next huge things Morning Parade who are wise enough to join St. Lucia on his maiden voyage to the remix promiseland, and the NYC pop maestro doesn't disappoint here, taking the Parade's already epic stadium anthem of a new single and elevating it to even greater heights.

The original is a force to reckon with in its own right, and the remix steamrolls along like a younger, rougher-around-the-edges Thom Yorke, as St. Lucia effortlessly swaps the original's superpowered guitars for groaning synths and heartwrenching strings. You'd be forgiven for assuming the song's climax arrives with those uproariously massive choruses, but just wait for the breakdown. After a brief sonic respite, the electronics kick into high gear and escalate until they culminate in a legendary arpeggio that sounds like the product of Yes Giantess tripping spaceballs and George Lucas drinking from the fountain of youth. It's a special one, sounding at once vulnerable and simultaneously too big to fail, and we're proud to bring you the exclusive download ahead of The Saint's performance at Popshop Thursday night. Expect sonic miracles, and don't miss out on the last few $10 early bird tickets (less than ten remaining!) HERE.

MP3: "Us & Ourselves" (St. Lucia Remix) - Morning Parade [exclusive]