Neon Gold Beat Company

STOP THE MOONLIGHT FADING.

2012-01-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

Guillemots' most recent full length, Walk The River, was one of our most cherished releases of 2011, so we're especially wary of just anyone laying their hands on Fyfe Dangerfield's brilliant songwriting and production. But once we heard this deft re-imagining of "I Don't Feel Amazing Now" from UK electronic duo Mooli, our overprotective instincts quickly melted away. It gently unfolds with Fyfe's harmonies drifting in and out like a lazy pendulum - in a carefree Grouplove kind of way - over Mooli's summery bonfire synths and coconut beats. As soon as Fyfe's lovelorn croon enters the ring and the chorus starts to tug at your tender heartstrings, it doesn't take long before you realize that this is exactly the catharsis-spiked cocktail that you needed all along.

MP3: "I Don't Feel Amazing Now" (Mooli Remix) - Guillemots

INTRODUCING: THE INAUGURAL NEON GOLD TOUR.

2012-01-26T12:00:00.004-05:00

At long last, we're thrilled to bring you our very first Neon Gold Tour, a powerhouse mini-tour launching in NYC at Popshop on March 1st and wrapping up at SXSW at the official Neon Gold Records showcase two weeks later. Headlining are our resident partystarters The Knocks, with support from our beloved dreamers Savoir Adore and our very first albums signing (!!!) St. Lucia. That's right, we're very proud to announce the amazing and talented St. Lucia as our first albums signing, but more on that next week.

For now, it's all about gearing up for our biggest live undertaking yet, as we bring together three of our favorite bands in the game and set them loose on the unsuspecting masses of the eastern seaboard. And if we missed your town on this run, worry not, this tour will be the first of many. Tickets for all shows (except Trinity College) are on sale now and can be found at our new Neon Gold ticketing hub HERE. We'll have a few special guests joining the tour in various cities, and if you're in NYC you're going to want to get your tickets NOW because we've got one hell of a special guest headliner lined up for the launch party, and tickets will sell out overnight once the cat's out of the bag. Consider this fair warning. Full dates and audio below:

March 1st -- NYC -- Santos Party House (POPSHOP014)
March 2nd -- Boston -- Middle East Downstairs
March 3rd -- Trinity College -- The Mill
March 6th -- DC -- U Street Music Hall
March 7th -- Philadelphia -- The Blockley
March 8th -- Savannah -- Savannah Stopover
March 11th -- Atlanta -- Masquerade

STREAM: "R.O.Y.L." - The Knocks

DOWNLOAD: "We Got It Wrong" - St. Lucia

DOWNLOAD: "Dreamers" - Savoir Adore

SAVE IT FOR ANOTHER WORLD.

2012-01-25T12:00:00.002-05:00

Our omission of Sweden's Deportees from our Top Singles of 2011 list was a world class oversight, but fortunately for you and me and everyone we know, their seminal masterpiece "A Heart Like Yours In A Time Like This" now gets the shine it deserves with a proper single release in 2012. A pristine slice of emotional, wintry pop, it'll have you blushing through the pallor of your frostbitten complexion in no time. The delicate Explosions In The Sky guitars and heavensent harmonies (seriously guys, those HARMONIES) slowly build with a graceful patience to an epic conclusion, and the result is truly one of the more beautiful songs we've heard in years. Already heroes and album-of-the-year contenders - for last year's Islands & Shores - in their native Sweden, 2012 finds Deportees set to make a significant impact beyond Scandinavian shores (and islands) in the year to come. Expect shock and awe, folks.

MP3: "A Heart Like Yours In A Time Like This" - Deportees [exclusive]

I'LL BE PUTTING DREAMS IN YOUR EYES.

2012-01-25T00:00:00.001-05:00

We knew there was something special about Polarsets when we put out "Morning" back in the halcyon days of August. That now seems like forever ago in the harsh grips of winter, but the Newcastle trio waste no time taking us back to those simpler times here, injecting Mausi's everlasting summer anthem "Sol" with that full-frontal Friendly Fires-in-Ibiza vibe that they pull off so effortlessly. All we wanted was to thaw out a bit and just like that, they answered our prayers with this thorough remedy, a familiar mirage of the tropics underscored by Mausi's sunbeat vocals and Polarsets' trademark man-of-steel drums. It all adds up to the second release from our DC bros' All Things Go on their brand new vinyl imprint ATG Records (a blog starting a record label? unheard of!) and when the results are this good, you better believe this won't be the last time we get our family tree mixed up with theirs.

MP3: "Sol" (Polarsets Remix) - Mausi [exclusive]

HOPE SOON I'LL DREAM WITH YOU.

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Our dude Brad Oberhofer is one of our city's brightest young things and most captivating new talents, so we're throwing this up late in the game just in case you missed its first strike last week. "HEART" marks the first single from his upcoming debut full length, Time Capsules II (top marks on the name sir), and starts off with a classical piano arrangement that rockets into a frantic Alberti bass just as Oberhofer's familiar concave vocals begin to sink into your psyche. As the flickering toy piano plays hooky with the emphatic drums and sweeping string sections, he turns on the dark charm and dreams up an epic lullaby for the unrequited.

Under the production wing of the legendary Steve Lillywhite - a curveball of a producer for this project but one that suddenly makes perfect sense here - "HEART" manages to combine the nail-biting bravado of pre-Glassnote Oberhofer with an incredible orchestral majesty reminiscent of our own ANR's "Blood on Blood". NYC, meet your new favorite son.

MP3: "HEART" - Oberhofer

IF YOU LEAVE ME FOR THE STARS.

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a minute since he first burst onto the scene with mint remixes of Foster The People and The Knocks, but it was only a matter of time before Finnish wunderkind Lenno reclaimed the spotlight. This time, he and fellow countryman Jesse Oliver tackle Miami Horror's instant classic "Holidays" with true finesse, and you better believe we'll have this on full blast as we sail the high seas to Mexico with The Knocks and Weezer this weekend.

MP3: "Holidays" (Lenno + Jesse Oliver Remix) - Miami Horror

INTRODUCING POPSHOP 2.0: CLASSIXX + MORE

2012-01-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

Our first Popshop of the new year will be a change of pace and change of scenery, kickstarting a brand new year of incredible live music with the same contagious pop atmosphere we established in 2011. Getting things started on the first Popshop of 2012 are London's next huge things Morning Parade making their US live debut, before our beloved Popshop alumni French Horn Rebellion take things over in the live headline slot. Then it's time for our main event, as LA's nu disco heroes Classixx take over with a headline DJ set that'll burn the midnight oil and then the entire house down.

Despite what's perhaps our biggest lineup ever, the biggest news of the night has to be our brand new home, as we move Popshop from Tammany Hall to the wide open spaces of Santos Party House. It's a new year and a new look, as we take over the main room of Santos Party House and the city's best sound system to elevate Popshop to new levels of glory. And with our advance ticket price still locked in at $10 (or $15 day of show) and free drink specials in the works, it's just about the cheapest way to live the dream in the whole damn city. It's all going down Thursday, February 2nd at Santos Party House (96 Lafayette Street), with advance tickets available HERE now. Don't miss out friends, we're about to take it to another level.

DOWNLOAD: "I'll Get You" (ft. Jeppe) - Classixx

DOWNLOAD: "Listzomania" (Classixx Remix) - Phoenix

STREAM: "Beaches + Friends" (ft. Database) - French Horn Rebellion

DOWNLOAD: "Up All Night" - French Horn Rebellion

STREAM: "Under The Stars" - Morning Parade

DOWNLOAD: "Us & Ourselves" (St. Lucia Remix) - Morning Parade

SOUNDS LIKE NIAGARA FALLS.

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

Move over Avicii, there's a new Scandinavian house sheriff in town. Meet 15 year old Jakob Liedholm, who's so impossibly young and talented we don't even want to talk about it anymore.

DOWNLOAD: "The Prize" (Jakob Liedholm Remix) - The Knocks

CHANGING ALL THE TIME.

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

We've waxed poetic on our new leading lady, Foxes, so imagine our excitement when Italian remix extraordinaire Monsieur Adi bestowed upon us this Italo-dega Nights of a take on her debut single "Youth". As the twinkling sound of twilight ignites the affair, the deadpan drumline draws out the deception so the mischievously tribal backbone can dip and snap at the most stadium-pleasing moments. As soon as it gains racetrack momentum, Adi's volcanic eruption of garrulous synths rattles the very foundation holding Foxes down like a heavy tail, until all that's left is the ashy rubble of a youth of another life. Who's that with the neon gold medal neatly ribboned around her neck? Why, it's Foxes of course. Her Youth 7" is out this Monday on Neon Gold and available from the Neon Gold Shop now.

MP3: "Youth" (Monsieur Adi Remix) - Foxes

ALL THINGS GOLD 006: THE KNOCKS

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

POPSHOP isn't back in full swing until next month (a thousand pardons), but to satisfy your January fix, our first event of the new year will be another edition of All Things Gold in our nation's capital. It's sure to be another blowout with The Knocks returning to U Street Music Hall to tear the roof off the place once again after selling it out in their first tango with All Things Gold last August. Plus, we've got the triumphant return of local hero Brenton Duvall on the ones and twos, plus Boston bright young things Magic Man opening things up. Not only was The Knocks' last DC show with us one of our biggest events to date with over 500+ tix sold, they'll also be unveiling fresh cuts from their just-released - and frankly brilliant - Magic EP, so this is definitely not to be missed. It's all going down this Thursday with festivities kicking off at 9pm sharp - $10 advance tickets are still available HERE but close to selling out, so move fast before it's too late.

STREAM: "R.O.Y.L." - The Knocks

STREAM: "LIGHTS!" - Brenton Duvall

GOLD030: FOXES

2012-01-05T12:00:00.002-05:00

A new year means an exciting new class of Neon Gold acts to introduce, and we're hitting the ground running with the lovely Foxes, whose AA-side debut single "Youth"/"Home" celebrates our 30th release and stands out as one of our absolute strongest to date. Carrying on the torch for empowered female pop from Neon Gold alums Marina & The Diamonds and Ellie Goulding, Foxes' debut 7" is a supercharged one-two punch with "Youth" leading the way and "Home" driving things home on the flip.

Loui Rose Allen (that's Foxes to you) has the piercing voice of an angel with an arrow lodged in her heart, and the rise and fall of the A-side's dynastic production mirrors our female lead's coming of age perfectly at the rapturous breakdown. On top of that, the ferocious drop results in a lingering afterglow that radiates with the emotional gravitas of a thousand dreams coming true. On the AA-side, "Home" has a certain Chairlift-ed charm about it, opening like an unassuming lullaby that skips the caterpillar stage altogether and goes from zero to butterfly in barely a minute. And it certainly doesn't hurt that the electronic flutters of this natural anthem have the same resonating impact as a lost (and now found) B-side from The Postal Service. Together they're the perfect way to launch the Neon Gold Class of 2012, and you better believe you'll be hearing a lot more out of Foxes' camp in the year to come. The official release date is January 16, but you can get your preorder on now from the Neon Gold Shop. Act now before it's too late, this one is a treasure.

DOWNLOAD: "Youth" - Foxes

STREAM: "Home" - Foxes

INTERNS WANTED: 2012 EDITION.

2012-01-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

New year, new interns. Our first call for interns yielded two of the best dudes the intern game has ever seen, so we won't tinker with the recipe any and will just direct any interested parties to the overview and application below:

Calling all interns. Neon Gold is looking for a few new superstars in the making to come live the dream with us at Neon Gold HQ this spring and summer. As we are a small operation (there's two of us), this will be a very hands-on internship experience both in and out of the office. There will be some boring stuff. But there will also be a lot of awesome stuff, we promise. We are seeking interns for 4-8 week internships, and any interested parties would need to be available to work out of our NYC headquarters near Union Square in downtown Manhattan. Desk space will be provided, though interns will need access to their own laptops for daily use in the office.

Applicants should be responsible, organized, personable and most of all, hungry. You're going to be on the front lines with us fighting the good fight, getting that real life experience you can only learn in the streets. Or something like that.

As an intern your responsibilities will include (but won't be limited to): maintaining and updating social networks, assisting with promotional and marketing materials, coordinating events and assisting with our monthly Popshop club night, helping out on a number of top secret but extremely exciting new ventures we've got in the works, and most importantly, keeping it real.

Still with us? Still interested? We'll be conducting interviews over the next few weeks with those applicants we feel are the most qualified and impressive candidates, so fill out this awesome application below and email it back to us at intern@neongoldrecords.com.

APPLICATION: PDF / DOC

Looking forward to hearing from you.

YOU'RE MY GET UP AND GO.

2012-01-02T12:00:00.005-05:00

This is the new year, and if you don't feel any different, we've got a brand new band to soundtrack your first weekday of 2012. Midi Matilda, a duo from San Francisco, are the party responsible for "Day Dreams", a silver lining pop song that combines the very best parts of Wolf Gang and Foster The People. Without a moment to spare, you're swept away by the colossal piano progression and reverb-blessed vocals, which pave the way for schizophrenic guitars and elegiac oohs to fly on by. As Midi Matilda effortlessly flip the falsetto switch that lights up the chandelier in the sky, it's the golden trumpet refrain that re-awakens latent feelings and allows you to fully escape into that everlasting reverie where your dreams are just that much more tangible.

MP3: "Day Dreams" - Midi Matilda

THE SINGLES OF 2011.

2011-12-20T12:00:00.002-05:00

We're knee deep in list season, and with our Sound of 2012 list hitting the streets last week, it's time to take one final look back at 2011 before diving headfirst into the new year. Singles have always been our preferred music format, so as is tradition, we present to you our Top Singles of 2011 list. As per usual, only requirements are that they had to have been released in 2011 (either as a single or on an album) and that they can't have been released through Neon Gold (a heartbreaker given "Manners" and "Dreamers" alone accounted for probably 50% of our iTunes plays this year, but the show must go on). Streams and downloads (where permitted) available via Soundcloud.

I DON'T THINK Y'ALL HEARD ME.

2011-12-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a minute since we put out our first batch of Neon Gold TV videos from Reptar - sorry, we've been busy - but now we've got two more for y'all and some seriously great content lined up for the new year. This time around, ANR are in the hotseat, kindling the fire in our hearts with a live version of their "It's Around You" single we put out in August HERE.

But we've summoned you here today to talk about their stunning rendition of Kelis and Andre 3000's "Millionaire". In what is both a bold undertaking and a true homage, ANR strip down the money suit and put it in a tumble dryer, ruffling up the prim and proper original and giving it some character. As everything comes into focus, the hangover cure of a guitar-laden lead-in fills the room and MJ's reverb-drenched vocals are around you like a warm embrace. They cash in the reality check of a string section just as MJ starts spitting Dre's words of wisdom over Brian's winter-coated harmonies that beckons a voice-stretching, hard-hitting denouement. Catch the NGTV session above, and grab the breathtaking proper studio mp3 exclusively below.

MP3: "Millionaire" - ANR [exclusive]

NEON GOLD PRESENTS: THE SOUND OF 2012

2011-12-13T00:00:00.004-05:00

We've got some issues with the role the BBC's Sound of... lists have come to play in the current music climate, but still we love lists too much to sit idly by and not contribute our own for the year to come. As per usual, we're following the rules and regulations of the BBC's list, but going one step further than years past and excluding our own Neon Gold (or Beyond Gold) acts from inclusion (sorry fam). And so on we go then, 15 reasons not to end it all in 2012.

AZEALIA BANKS // In May 2009 we wrote the following: "New girl on the block Azealia Banks hasn't even finished high school and she's already the hottest new lady MC in the game. With rhymes like a sailor and major league flow, the 17 year old is a hip hop sensation just waiting to happen and it's only a matter of time before major labels are beating down her door, checkbooks in hand. Wake up A&R's, the next big thing is calling." It took a long minute, but 18 months later those last words have never been more true. The first true superstar of 2012 is ready to take the throne.

STREAM: "212" - Azealia Banks

MADEON // A little over a year ago Starsmith hit us up to tell us about an unknown 16 year old French kid who'd sent him tracks for production advice that was incredibly special. And well, he pretty much nailed it. Barely 12 months later, Madeon's being hailed as the future of electronic music and has every major label in the game falling all over themselves to win his hand. His "Pop Culture" live mash up video (and its accompanying 7+ million views) has a lot to do with this, but while it's a genius marketing tool, it's hardly the reason he's the future. He's the future because even at only 17 years old, he's already garnering (justified) comparisons to Daft Punk, and if the tracks we've heard behind closed doors are any indication, it's time to pass the torch.

STREAM: "Shuriken" - Madeon

WALK THE MOON // Most likely to do a Foster in 2012, Walk The Moon are hardly the coolest band in the world, nor do they come from anywhere near that same vaguely hipster place Foster The People did, but at the end of the day, that's not what matters. Massive songs are, and Walk The Moon have those in spades. From their quintessential anthem "Anna Sun" to newer smashes like "Next In Line", the Ohio four-piece have the arena-ready live show to match, are already cultivating a rabid fan base and are going to be omnipresent in 2012, whether you like it or not.

STREAM: "Anna Sun" - Walk The Moon

GOTYE // He survives the Neon Gold clause disqualifying artists we've worked with because a) you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who actually considers Gotye a Neon Gold artist and b) it was on an entirely different album cycle over two years ago that we released his Learnalilgivinanlovin' 7". We could go on with the excuses but frankly, after preaching for five years to anyone who would listen that Gotye was the future of music, we're just thrilled that it's finally happening. Sure, Universal Republic could drop the ball on this (though they've got Communion/Island there to right the ship in the UK), but you needn't look further than his just announced and sold-out-in-seconds NYC/LA dates to see that Gotye's time has finally arrived in this country.

STREAM: "Somebody That I Used To Know" - Gotye

ST. LUCIA // HeavyRoc has done it again. After bringing Alex Winston to the masses last year, The Knocks returned in 2011 to do the same for their latest adopted family member, launching St. Lucia into the stratosphere on the back of untouchable tracks like "All Eyes On You" and "We Got It Wrong". Hailing from Brooklyn by way of Liverpool and South Africa, St. Lucia's global upbringing is reflected in the unique nature of his tropical electronic pop, which sounds as if its simultaneously from nowhere and everywhere at once, futuristic nostalgia pop from another time and place. With an immaculate debut EP lined up for release in early 2012, he's about to be all over your stereo and we look forward to watching him reign supreme in the months to come.

STREAM: "We Got It Wrong" - St. Lucia

ELECTRIC GUEST // Our favorite album of 2011 wasn't in fact released this year, as Electric Guest prepare their incredible debut record for release on Downtown in the first half of 2012. From the same management team that brought you Foster The People, Electric Guest are an LA two-piece fronted by Asa Taccone - younger brother of The Lonely Island and SNL's Jorma Taccone and co-writer of a little Emmy-winning number called "Dick In A Box" - whose tracks soundtracked our summer on repeat before blowing us away at CMJ this October. Taccone, not unlike his brother, is a natural star and born frontman, and with a nigh-on flawless Dangermouse-produced LP featuring surefire smashes like "This Head That I Hold" and "Awake" (sadly recently removed from Soundcloud) waiting in the wings, big things lie ahead for this lot in the year to come.

STREAM: "Troubleman" - Electric Guest

REPTAR // One of the most unique and exciting bands to emerge from the US in years, Reptar had a banner year in 2011 on the strength of their phenomenal debut Oblangle Fizz EP and their insane live show. Frontman Graham Ulicny is one of the best performers we've seen at this level in ages, coming off like like Isaac Brock fronting Passion Pit, an expert in his very own brand of furious pop music. Hallmark anthems "Houseboat Babies" and "Stuck In My Id" were already two of this years biggest indie partystarters, and with a debut album promising more of the same in 2012, you can bet we'll be keeping a close eye on this lot as they ready what is perhaps our most hotly anticipated release of next year.

STREAM: "Houseboat Babies" - Reptar

CHARLI XCX // She's been kicking around for a long minute now, but it seems like 17 year old Charli XCX is finally ready to seize the spotlight. Coming off like the perfect combination of Gwen Stefani and Marina ("Nuclear Seasons" is "Radioactive" could have been if it traded the club for the apocalypse), Charli had a massive 2011 that saw rapturous critical acclaim (even Pitchfork got involved) for her singles "Stay Away" and the AMAZING "Nuclear Seasons, as well as a show-stealing vocal turn on Alex Metric's "End of the World".

STREAM: "Nuclear Seasons" - Charli XCX

NIKI & THE DOVE // From the same team that brought you Icona Pop come their countrymen Niki & The Dove, The Knife to Icona's Robyn in Sweden's 2012 pop landscape. With arresting, otherworldly vocals and a downright hypnotic live show, the mysterious duo trade the club for the forest as they write some of the most compelling pop music around. Big things ahead.

STREAM: "The Drummer" - Niki & The Dove

CLOCK OPERA // Sure, he made our list last year, but with his debut album finally ready for release in early 2012, we'd be remiss not to give him the shine here once again. It may be a long road to the top for these guys (let's call it the Metronomy route), but we've said it once and we'll say it again, this band is going to change people.

STREAM: "Lesson No. 7" - Clock Opera

ARTHUR BEATRICE // Despite not having released a note of music and a penchant for bucking any music industry convention you throw at them, Arthur Beatrice have become perhaps the most sought after unsigned band in the UK. After repeatedly hearing from labels that bands "have to have an online presence" to succeed, they went and set up the genius www.online-presence.info, an online exhibition space for new artists and writers to show their work alongside the band's own material. Then there's their Open Assembly club nights, curated by and featuring the band playing alongside their favorite new artists. It's beautiful to watch a young band actually fostering a scene around themselves, and Arthur Beatrice seem to be doing everything right. Granted, none of that means much of anything if there aren't the songs and live show to match, but rest assured, you won't be disappointed.

FRIENDS // All it took was one listen to Friends' debut single "Friend Crush" for us to track them down by any means possible and get them on our Popshop club night last March, but then they went and blew the doors wide open on follow up single "I'm His Girl", a serious single of the year candidate and one of the most buzzed about tracks of the fall. Still they seem a little too cool for us to be totally comfortable with, but there's no denying the immense promise on display here.

STREAM: "I'm His Girl" - Friends

FOE // We've been singing FOE's praises for a while now, but even we weren't prepared for the dropkick to the jaw that is her debut album Bad Dream Hotline. Massive guitars, genius songwriting and insane production from boyfriend/collaborator Entrepreneurs converge to create an album that stands alone in the music landscape of 2012. It's no-holds-barred rock seen through a demented pop lens, and it's fucking brilliant.

STREAM: "Tyrant Song" - FOE

GROSS MAGIC // Coming out of nowhere with one of the best and most unique tracks of the year on "Sweetest Touch", Gross Magic stands apart from the pack in the race for 2012 supremacy. They've done the right deals in the right places, and with the right luck may well be the act to help carry on the rock revival the UK's been so desperately waiting for.

STREAM: "Sweetest Touch" - Gross Magic

GABRIEL BRUCE // A brooding, original voice in the crowded London singer songwriter scene, Gabriel Bruce is a macabre treasure. Debut single "Sleep Paralysis" is a meditation on the crippling phenomenon of the same name and comes complete with a picture book documenting the condition and the experiences of those affected by it. He's a fascinating talent, and while there's literally no telling where this might go, you better believe we're excited to find out.

STREAM: "Sleep Paralysis" - Gabriel Bruce

HIDING FROM THE RAINFALL.

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

More and more, it seems our main man Clock Opera has been predestined to slay remixes like Hercules on a neverending quest for pristine pop glory. While the Blood Orange original by the legendary Dev Hynes is a lush intimate outpouring of love, Clock Opera ticks all the boxes for a flawless groove, taking the original from 1980 to 2080 in a single stride. On the one hand, drizzling synths fall like diamonds on your dashboard, as windshield wiper drums sweep any and all tension aside. On the second hand, Clock Opera's dazzling arrangements take cover under a self-validating umbrella of backing harmonies in the bridge. It's pretty much everything we've come to adore about his meticulousness handiwork, neatly packaged together in what's just another testament to The Clock's status as one of the few untouchable remixers in the game right now.

MP3: "Champagne Coast" (Clock Opera Remix) - Blood Orange

SLIPPING UNDER COVERS.

2011-12-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

Harriet is the brainchild of Alex Casnoff, the lone wolf who cut his teeth playing in LA's wildly revered PAPA and Dawes, already an impressive pedigree in its own right. Over the relentless locomotive piano of debut single "I Slept With All Your Mothers", Casnoff's howling vocals come bursting from your speakers with the emotional intensity of a man at his breaking point. He breaks it down real slow so his half growl, half croon sweet talks its way into your head like the lovechild of Neutral Milk Hotel and Wilco, delivered twenty years late. All in all, it's a full-bodied elixir for the heartbreak of a crashing American Dream, like a Richard Linklater film in song form that ends on a vindicated Oberhofer-esque final note. Look out for Harriet's debut EP Tell The Right Story on January 31st.

MP3: "I Slept With All Your Mothers" - Harriet

WE'LL BURN THE PICTURES INSTEAD.

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

We posted Edwin van Cleef's AMAZING "Listzomania" cover in our All Things Gold preview last week, but it seriously deserves a bit more shine in its own dedicated post as it really is the one. Transcending the remix category and jumping straight to the upper echelons of our favorite tracks of the year, van Cleef procures a stunning vocal from Australia's Jane Elizabeth Hanley, who shines over the British club maestro's summery synth arrangements. Things slow down in the bridge for a minute, only to come racing back when the track bursts through the other side in a shimmering burst of ebullience, like a sun-drenched Coachella headrush or Passion Pit on their (MDM)A-game. Van Cleef makes his US debut this Thursday at U Street Music Hall as the DJ headliner on our last All Things Gold of the year (along with Xaphoon Jones, Monarchy and Xylos), and this is not one you're gonna want to miss. Get your tickets HERE.

DOWNLOAD: "Listzomania" (ft. Jane Elizabeth Hanley) - Edwin van Cleef

SHINING JUST FOR YOU.

2011-12-06T12:00:00.001-05:00

As the year comes to a close we turn an eye towards our most anticipated releases of 2012, and shining at the top of our list is of course none other than our beloved Alex Winston. Out February 28th, it's called King Con (perfect) and it's completely brilliant, at once precious and brazen, darling and devilish. To celebrate, Alex brings us an exclusive premier today in the form of her take on The Black Keys' "Everlasting Love", produced by the one and only Charlie Hugall, with whom she's recorded the lion's share of King Con, alongside collaborations with Bjorn Yttling and The Knocks. Exclusive mp3 below, let it be your everlasting light.

MP3: "Everlasting Light" - Alex Winston [exclusive]

YOU LOOK JUST LIKE YR MOTHER SAID YOU WOULD.

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

New kids on the block Swiss Lips hail from Manchester and come off like the perfect midpoint between Polarsets and The Naked & Famous, young'uns with meticulously textured harmonies that immediately seize you by the ear with their striking immediacy and vitality. Lead single "U Got The Power" has been turning heads for a minute now (we hear Lily Allen is a fan), but it's the arguably even stronger "Grow" that's won us over, and we've got the exclusive mp3 premier here for you today.

Diving into the track headfirst, the urgent, hurried vocals of the verse serve to catalyze the sky-scraping chorus, a perfectly formed starburst of ebullience replete with exultant piano chords and snarling guitar licks that grind their teeth in anxious longing. The unfettered oohs are just as powerful as any whistle hook, the perfect soundtrack to crimes of passion and the headless recklessness of youth. And as the synth sirens go off in your head, the driving, lawless bassline picks you up, without hesitation, and lifts you to higher ground. This shit gives you wings.

MP3: "Grow" - Swiss Lips [exclusive]

PERFECT GIFT FROM ME TO YOU.

2011-12-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

Baby Monster are just as insatiable as we are. We premiered their séance of a Wolf Gang remix in early summer, and now they've lent their magic touch to Foster The People on this official remix of "Houdini". With a churning synth line that picks up where the late great LCD Soundsystem left off, the LA duo have really honed their craft to produce an interstellar clap-laden romp that you can see and hear from space, like playing pinball with the planets. The RAC treatment was here to get us through the warmer climes, and now Baby Monster arrive to keep our cockles warm in the winter months with this stellar, stargazing effort. Baby Monster The People, y'all.

MP3: "Houdini" (Baby Monster Remix) - Foster The People [exclusive]

SO TAKE ME TONIGHT.

2011-12-01T12:00:00.001-05:00

Ghost Beach are about to rock you like a natural disaster. Their debut single "Empty Streets" was a comforting sound that kindled something familiar and visceral in our hearts, and although their newest cut "First Time" follows a much different formula, it still has a certain sonic resonance that builds a Portishead-shaped home in your head with reckless precision. Josh Ocean's disaffected vocals lead a supercharged army of swashbuckling synths towards an absolute whirlpool of a breakdown, filled to the brim with a Marty McFly-level solo shred. We have only the highest expectations for Ghost Beach's live debut tonight as they take us tonight for the first time at Popshop. It's all going down at Tammany Hall with an open bar from 8pm-9pm. To gain access to FREE drinks and FREE vibes all night, you know what to do: RSVP@neongoldrecords.com.

MP3: "First Time" - Ghost Beach [exclusive]

POPSHOP RADIO 012

2011-11-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

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.

2011-11-29T12:00:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-28T12:00:00.003-05:00

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

2011-11-23T12:00:00.005-05:00

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.

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-05:00

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.

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

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.

2011-11-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-11T12:00:00.008-05:00

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.

2011-11-11T00:00:00.002-05:00

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.

2011-11-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

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.

2011-11-09T16:06:00.006-05:00

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.

2011-11-07T14:05:00.005-05:00

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.

2011-11-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

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

2011-11-02T12:00:00.004-04:00

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

2011-11-02T00:00:00.002-04:00

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.

2011-11-01T00:00:00.002-04:00

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]

GOLD RUNNING BRIGHT.

2011-10-31T00:00:00.001-04:00

The mystery dudes in NYC/Boston collective Black Light Dinner Party already impressed us earlier this year with their debut offering "Older Together", and now they're back with yet another eskimo-kissed tune for the coming winter (cue Game of Thrones theme). Their newest single "Gold Chain" sojourns into the white wilderness with a flurry of uplifting synth progressions and well-enunciated guitars that join forces in an all-out Avengers joint effort. Rounding out the mix are hopelessly romantic lyrics that would seem otherwise saccharine if not for the remarkably hooky melodies that carry them and the song to another level entirely. Black Light Dinner Party drape a neon gold necklace over you that grows brighter as each verse piles on glowing sentiment upon sentiment, and if grown-up playground love could be encapsulated in four minutes of pop nirvana, this would be the soundtrack.

MP3: "Gold Chain" - Black Light Dinner Party [exclusive]

ALL THINGS GOLD 004: THE HOOD INTERNET

2011-10-28T00:00:00.001-04:00

So after taking October off to focus on all things CMJ, we're back in the game with All Things Go to bring another massive ALL THINGS GOLD blowout to DC next month. U Street Music Hall is still picking up the pieces from September's installment when Russ Chimes and Starsmith reduced it to smoldering ash with two of the biggest sets we've ever witnessed, and this time we're back with another massive headlining DJ set from the world wide web's finest, The Hood Internet. Then supporting live we've got our favorite Brooklyn partystarters Body Language - who absolutely killed it at Popshop 006 last June - and the much anticipated US debut (!!!) of our latest international additions to the Neon Gold family, Polarsets.

Having witnessed blindingly brilliant shows from both bands in the last six months we can assure you this won't be one to miss, and with The Hood Internet in the mix too - not to mention our resident decks master Lightwaves opening things up - this could well be the biggest one yet. As per usual, advance tickets are available HERE for $10 or $13 day of show. Do the right thing.

09:45pm: Polarsets // STREAM: "Leave Argentina"

10:45pm: Body Language // DOWNLOAD: "Falling Out"

11:30pm: Hood Internet // DOWNLOAD: "Pumped Up Kicks (Hood Internet Remix)

1:00am: Lightwaves // DOWNLOAD: "Eskimo Boy" (Lightwaves Remix)

WORDS SAID IN THE NIGHT.

2011-10-27T12:00:00.000-04:00

Halloween's swiftly approaching and with impeccable timing, Chrome Canyon (who first enchanted us with his Kate Bush rework earlier this year) returns to transform St. Lucia's massive single, "All Eyes On You", into a 21st century "Thriller", dancing zombie parts and all. Dressing them up in an '80s frightside costume, the Apes & Androids alumnus gives St. Lucia the ol' 1-2 bite, injecting some Daft Punk funk into their varicose veins with all the aggressive bombast of those early Justice records. It's a spectacularly dark remix under Chrome Canyon's watchful gaze, who like an omnivident Sauron eye, always knows how to pick up the suspense right when the end is in sight. It's a wicked reinterpretation of one of our absolute favorite songs of the year, and we've left it out on our doorstep below for y'all to sink your teeth into for free. Not a trick, just a treat.

MP3: "All Eyes On You" (Chrome Canyon Remix) - St. Lucia

WILL WE EVER KNOW OURSELVES.

2011-10-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

Citizens are a fresh new four-piece hailing from stormy London who seem to have it all figured out already. Let's just say their masterful debut single, "True Romance", is a breath of sunshine-spiked air in an otherwise overcrowded pop landscape. With a simple backbone of a drum beat and peppy piano chords, the instrumental bounces along with a childlike naivete that sounds like All Time Quarterback growing up before your very eyes. It all seems innocent enough until frontman, Matt West's Hot Chip-y vocals sweep you off your feet and steal you away from the droll life you once had, in the best runaway imaginable. Things get real at the chorus, as that persistent "true romance" refrain serves to underscore the tragic darkness that lies beneath the whimsical xylophones, refocusing everything on the ambivalent ultimatum of West's dissonant singing. Citizens then manage to harness the raw, unbridled energy of other young prodigies like Reptar and Is Tropical, to magically conjure up a happy ending when it seems like all hope is lost. This is one incredibly infectious tune, full stop.

MP3: "True Romance" - CITIZENS!

PRETTY GIRLS BORN IN THE NINETIES.

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

As residents of the rage haven that is New York City, we've had our fair share of gripes about the concrete jungle and its dehumanizing tendencies, but we've also found the silver lining in the form of honest, homegrown pop duos like Ghost Beach. While their debut single "Empty Streets" isn't the most lyrically optimistic, there's a certain magnetism that appeals to our soft inner core that ultimately manifests itself in an overwhelming pop radiance. It's more cathartic than depressing, maybe because it sounds like a post-punk Passion Pit, all skyscraping synth lines with the jilted lover's vocals expertly oscillating between solid ground and high-flying falsetto breaks with athletic ease. It's the kind of thing that leaves you feeling like a modern Peter Pan, with both your shadow and your youth intact.

We're also fans of their very Instagram-ready video (above) that lets you keep your head in the clouds and daydream away. The pacing is brilliant, with the treading shiny shoes and the gradual reveal of the female anti-hero delving into the wild, for some quality alone time. It's like post-breakup, when the pros eventually outweigh the cons - even if it's just in your head - and the self-deprecation turns into a mature, blissed-out feeling of independence. We have to admit, dancing on your own with a glass of wine, sparklers, confetti, and balloons usually does do the trick for temporary healing. Let "Empty Streets" take you over, then mark your calendars for December 1st when Ghost Beach will make their live debut on the Popshop stage, kicking off a celebration for the ages as the first year of Popshop NYC comes to a close in style.

MP3: "Empty Streets" - Ghost Beach

POPSHOP011: CLASS ACTRESS + ST. LUCIA

2011-10-25T12:00:00.002-04:00

We know we're all still in serious recovery mode from CMJ, but it's time to break out those raging shoes once again, because POPSHOP011 is coming in hot next week with another big lineup for y'all. Hot on the heels of the release of their critically acclaimed debut album and a sold out tour supporting Metronomy, Class Actress are our flourishing headliners this month, with Wild West up and comers The Chain Gang of 1974 - fresh off a string of dates supporting our Neon Gold fam The Naked & Famous - keeping things real in the direct support slot. Then we've got our beloved St. Lucia, coming in STRONG after establishing themselves as one of the most buzzed about bands at CMJ last week, and Philadelphia's finest CSLSX getting things started early. SERIOUSLY excited about this lineup.

As usual, to tend to all your raging needs we've got an Absolut Vodka open bar getting things started from 8pm-9pm, and you can cop your advance tickets HERE. We've got an extremely limited number of early bird tickets available for $10, before the price jumps to $13 in advance and $15 day of show, so act fast. This is going to be a GREAT one.

09:00pm: CSLSX // DOWNLOAD: "Keep On Shining"

10:00pm: St. Lucia // DOWNLOAD: "We Got It Wrong"

11:00pm: The Chain Gang of 1974 // STREAM: "Hold On"

12:00am: Class Actress // DOWNLOAD: "Keep You"

THE ILLUSION OF TRUST.

2011-10-25T00:00:00.001-04:00

We've been telling y'all St. Lucia was the one to watch since forever ago, but last week the rest of the world caught up as the band played their debut NYC shows at CMJ, culminating in a powerhouse set at our New Shapes party on Friday. It was also the masses' first chance to experience some of the as-yet-unreleased highlights from the band's immaculate forthcoming debut EP. Lead track "We Got It Wrong" has been racking up a dangerous playcount as one of our favorite tracks of the year, and though we gave you a little taste with a streaming premier on Lenno's CMJ megamix before CMJ, we're here with the real deal mp3 for you now.

Hit play and within seconds, the world starts to swirl around you, your senses begin to blur and you find yourself in another space and time completely. More awestruck than disoriented, you're off on what feels like a runaway train, galloping along at dangerous speeds on the wings of euphoric synths and shouty group vocals. There's a surprise around every turn (that synth breakdown in the middle? AMAZING.) and before you know it the ride is over, as "We Got It Wrong" switches gears entirely and fades back into the mists of pop from whence it came with a wistful brass arrangement. It's completely and utterly brilliant and our favorite track from the St. Lucia camp yet. If this is what it sounds like when they get it wrong, then god dammit, WE DON'T WANT TO BE RIGHT.

MP3: "We Got It Wrong" - St. Lucia

NEON GOLD PRESENTS: OCCUPY CMJ

2011-10-17T00:00:00.000-04:00

We know we don't have to tell y'all twice, but CMJ week is officially upon us and it's going to be LARGE. We've announced our two showcases for those lucky enough to be in the greater New York area this week, but now we've got some major updates for you before things kick into full swing. In addition to the formidable performers already on the bill (above), we're thrilled to announce Little Boots as the special guest headline DJ on our double-decker New Shapes CMJ blowout. Also joining the lineup will be our new favorite synth-pop outfit Brite Futures, getting things started downstairs at 6:30pm just as the open bar from Bulldog Gin is kicking into high gear.

The news doesn't stop there though. We've know we've set a precedent with The Knocks' Popshop Radio minimixes, but now Lenno's gone and raised the bar with an exclusive megamix featuring the stars of this year's New Shapes bill, complete with a flurry of oven fresh exclusives. The mix features some of this year's greatest tunes, like our latest release from Savoir Adore and a double dose of Is Tropical, as well as some fiery exclusives from St. Lucia and The Knocks. Rounding out the stack is the world premier of Xaphoon Jones' deep space nine edit of "Dreamers", which - let's be real - is headline news in and of itself.

Before you check out the full tracklist below, keep in mind that we've got a two hour OPEN BAR of Bulldog Gin and sixteen of the best and brightest the world has to offer for only $5 a pop (or $10 on the door), so if you haven't already, make sure to cop your tickets HERE before it's too late. Friendly faces? Check. Friendly prices? Check. Consider this a friendly warning.

1. "Somebody That I Used To Know (ft. Kimbra)" - Gotye
2. "Berlin" - Is Tropical
3. "Beaches & Friends" - French Horn Rebellion
4. "Firework" (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix) - Katy Perry
5. "The Greeks" (Tagteam Terror Remix) - Is Tropical
6. "We Got It Wrong" - St. Lucia [exclusive]
7. "Dreamers" - Savoir Adore
8. "All Eyes On You" (Chrome Canyon Remix) - St. Lucia [exclusive]
9. "Stay Kids" (John Hancock Mix) - ANR
10. "High Society" (Gordon Voidwell Remix) - Bear Hands
11. "Remedy" (Buffetlibre vs Sidechains Remix) - Little Boots
12. "Brightside" (Lenno Remix) - The Knocks [exclusive]
13. "Anna Sun" - Walk The Moon
14. "Dreamers" (Xaphoon Jones Remix) - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

GOLD028: SAVOIR ADORE

2011-10-14T00:00:00.003-04:00

We've been on about Savoir Adore for quite a while now, who in the past twelve months have gone from one of our favorite new bands in Brooklyn to our absolute favorite boy-girl duo in the game, swiftly overshadowing your Mates of States and even your Matt + Kims of the world. And that was even before they unleashed "Dreamers", their masterstroke of a new single and arguably the best song we've heard all year. It's a SPECIAL track, so it's with great pleasure that we bring it into the world next month on Neon Gold, just in time for it to become your most essential track of autumn 2011.

It opens innocuously enough, as the crescendo emerges gradually from the ominous mists of the intro, before the synths drop with the full centripetal force of a rollercoaster, swooping in and around staccato guitar picks and frontman Paul Hammer's ethereal vocals. Then at the chorus, it's lady vocalist Deidre Muro's turn, as the synths let up and give her center stage before returning with all the emotional gravity of a thousand heartbreaks in the second verse. It all reaches a fever pitch in the middle eight, as this palpable combination of dreamweaving harmonies, self-assured handclaps, and textured synths come together to play out like a slow-burning cinematic threesome. From there, "Dreamers" builds and builds like a stairway to synth heaven and once you've reached the top, there's just no turning back.

It's a timeless slice of ethereal pop brilliance and one of our absolute favorite tracks of the year, and we hope it'll be yours too. Limited to 300 copies worldwide, "Dreamers" comes true 11.11.11, complete with an empire-toppling space horn remix from Xaphoon Jones on the B-side. Preorder is available from the Neon Gold Shop now, but as were strong believers in instant gratification, you can find a free download of the mp3 right here, no waiting required. Go ahead, live the dream.

MP3: "Dreamers" - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

A MILLION MILES FROM YOUR DESPERATE DAYS.

2011-10-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

Here at Neon Gold, we're no stranger to Kyla La Grange's feminine wiles. Her latest single "Heavy Stone" picks up where the endless promise of early singles "Walk Through Walls" and "Been Better" left off, but it's the sterling AA-side "Lambs" we're here to talk about today. The perfect example of Kyla's illustrious brand of orchestral pop, "Lambs" comes complete with the production luster of a chart hit coupled with the blistering emotion of a love letter, all haunted atmospherics bundled in a tightly knit blanket of uplifting keys and drums. Consider this yet another checkmate for our UK brethren Chess Club Records, with whom La Grange will be putting out "Heavy Stone"/"Lamb" on October 17th.

MP3: "Lambs" - Kyla La Grange [exclusive]

NEON GOLD PRESENTS: NEW SHAPES // CMJ 2011

2011-10-11T12:00:00.001-04:00

For the uninitiated, New Shapes is a little thing we do with some of our promoter friends every CMJ and SXSW, and it only seems to get bigger with each passing year. Bands who have graced the New Shapes stage in the past include Mystery Jets, The Naked & Famous, Theophilus London, Local Natives, Grouplove and many more, and things are only going to get bigger this year as we team up with Duracell and take things back to where it all began in 2009 at Santos Party House in Lower Manhattan. Taking over both stages of Santos from 6pm to 4am, we've got some of the best new acts the world has to offer and cordially invite you to join us for what we aspire to make the premier live event of CMJ 2011.

After more than five long years of keeping us waiting, Gotye finally makes his US debut at CMJ this year, storming our shores as one of the most talked about bands at CMJ 2011. He'll be headlining our show in the 12am slot on the main stage before the late night acts takes over, as The Knocks keep things moving into the early hours in the 1am live slot, before a very special headline DJ set from our secret special guest and a late night power set from Lenno closing things out at 3am. Rounding out the main stage lineup are next huge things Walk The Moon and St. Lucia, two of NYC's finest in Gordon Voidwell and Fort Lean, and Vancouver synth sensations Data Romance.

But wait, there's more. Headlining the downstairs stage we've got the debut US shows from UK electro types Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs and Is Tropical, plus Neon Gold family favorites ANR and Savoir Adore, and Brooklyn's finest in French Horn Rebellion and Slowdance. Not to mention a downstairs open bar from 6pm-8pm courtesy of Bulldog Gin making sure you get your night started off right. Furthermore, we've got Duracell in the house providing charging stations on both floors, powering your night from start to finish. And the best part? Advance tickets are available HERE for the low low price of $5 (increasing to $10 on the door day of show), but act fast, as this will sell out. Full lineup and set times available below, and be sure to check out Duracell's Facebook page here for the unveiling of the special guest headline DJ on Friday.

UPSTAIRS
07:00pm: Fort Lean // DOWNLOAD: "Beach Holiday"

08:00pm: St. Lucia // DOWNLOAD: "All Eyes On You"

09:00pm: Data Romance // DOWNLOAD: "The Deep"

10:00pm: Gordon Voidwell // STREAM: "Ivy League Circus"

11:00pm: Walk The Moon // DOWNLOAD: "Anna Sun"

12:00am: Gotye // STREAM: "Somebody That I Used To Know"

01:00am: The Knocks // STREAM: "The Brightside"

01:30am: SPECIAL GUEST (DJ)

03:00am: Lenno (DJ) // DOWNLOAD: "Helena Beat" (Lenno Remix)

DOWNSTAIRS
07:30pm: Slowdance // STREAM: "Sweetness"

08:30pm: Is Tropical // DOWNLOAD: "The Greeks"

09:30pm: ANR // STREAM: "Stay Kids"

10:30pm: Savoir Adore // DOWNLOAD: "Loveliest Creature"

11:30pm: French Horn Rebellion // STREAM: "Beaches & Friends" (The Twelves Edit)

12:30am: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs // STREAM: "Household Goods"

POPSHOP010: CMJ EDITION

2011-10-10T12:00:00.002-04:00

To those of you left cold and alone, longing for the glory of Popshop last Thursday, we must apologize. But dry your eyes friends, because the wait will be worth it, as CMJ is right around the corner and with it comes the biggest Popshop yet. That's right, for the very special CMJ edition of our beloved club night, we're bringing you an expanded MEGA edition of Popshop featuring some of our favorite new acts of 2011.

Headlining we've got Brite Futures live and Xaphoon Jones on the decks, two acts basically born for the Popshop stage as two of the best partystarting names in the game. Then as main support we've got Electric Guest, LA's best new band and our biggest tip for mega stardom in 2012. We've been asked to keep them under wraps to this point, but it's time to let the cat out of the bag and CMJ is going to be a coming out party for the ages - say hello to your favorite new band. Getting things started in the early slots we've got a triple threat of openers, from the anthemic ensemble indie of Louisiana's Royal Teeth, to the dark, Kate Bush-esque pop of Denmark's Fallulah and the ice cold synths of Los Angeles' DWNTWN. Finally, we'll have DC's finest Brenton Duvall, making his Popshop debut at long last and keeping things moving on the decks all night until Xaph takes over in the early hours.

As usual we'll be getting your night started right with an hour of open bar vodka, but we'll be kicking things off an hour earlier this month at 7pm, with the complimentary Absolut flowing freely from 7-8. Also different this month will be the price tag... because there isn't one. That's right, this month's Popshop will be FREE ENTRY with RSVP to RSVP@neongoldrecords.com. Entry will be first come first serve and this will reach capacity (some of you may recall the 1,000+ RSVPs we had for our launch party back in January and the ensuing line around the block), so come early to avoid disappointment. See you soon New York, let's go bigger than ever this month.

08:00pm: Royal Teeth // STREAM: "Wild"

09:00pm: Fallulah // STREAM: "Bridges"

10:00pm: DWNTWN // DOWNLOAD: "Transition" (Dillon Francis Remix)

11:00pm: Electric Guest // STREAM: "Awake"

12:00am: Brite Futures // DOWNLOAD: "Baby Rain"

01:00am: Xaphoon Jones // STREAM: "Colours" (Xaphoon Jones MEGA Edit)

FREE ENTRY WITH RSVP: RSVP@neongoldrecords.com

IT IS BUT A DREAM.

2011-10-10T00:00:00.004-04:00

SAVOIR ADORE. DREAMERS. COMING TRUE 11.11.11.

DREAM OF LOVERS ON THE OPEN ROAD.

2011-10-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

Emerging from the mists of pop like an old friend, Sons & Lovers arrive unannounced as a fully realized force to be reckoned with on the UK music landscape. Their triumphant debut single "Set My Heart On Fire" immediately captures your attention by weaving together an impeccable vocal melody with beautifully textured guitars, a sound at once comfortingly familiar and refreshing. Coming correct with the kind of effortlessly anthemic songwriting most bands would kill for, the two piece start things off slow, before softly escalating synths and cymbal crashes give way to mountains of drums and epic group vocals that carry the song to its conclusion with an oceansized sense of purpose and emotional gravity. Even in demo form this is sync gold, the kind of song Radio 1 dreams are made of. So what are you waiting for? Sons & Lovers have already arrived.

MP3: "Set My Heart On Fire" - Sons & Lovers [exclusive]

TONIGHT I FEEL LIKE NEON GOLD.

2011-10-03T12:00:00.002-04:00

Marina Diamandis - or Marina & The Diamonds as she's known on the streets - has always held a special place in our hearts as the original matriarch of the Neon Gold (nuclear) family, and we couldn't be more excited to watch her take things to an insane new level on her forthcoming second album. But first today sees the long-awaited release of on one-off single "Radioactive" (on UK iTunes now), lighting up the night sky with the type of sound Top 40 dreams are made of, all the while remaining a quintessential Marina song at it's core.

Nowhere is this more evident than on the emotive acoustic version, as the superclub production (massive electro beats, heavy drops, etc) is stripped away and the raw emotion of Marina's songwriting is laid bare in the spotlight. Wearing her heart on her flowing sleeves and attacking your heartstrings with strong piano jabs and vocal uppercuts a la "Obsessions", the acoustic version teases you along, holding your hand as it leads you into that shadowy suburban cul de sac of a chorus. We'd be remiss not to highlight and embrace the epic Neon Gold shoutout that wakes up the breakdown in the middle eight, but even without that this is an absolute knockout.

MP3: "Radioactive" (Acoustic Version) - Marina & The Diamonds

WHISPER YOUR NAME.

2011-09-29T12:00:00.003-04:00

Hot on the heels of a brilliant rework for The Good Natured, it looks like Crystal Fighters have picked up the phone and found their calling as remix connoisseurs. Their latest is a tribal balearic rework of Alex Winston's "Velvet Elvis", previously remixed to bits by RAC in another seriously winning effort. The jubilant London five piece uproot the rustic leftfield pop of the original and ship it off to some faraway tropics to get some color, blowing over the vocals with just the right amount of dicey echoes and hums while going hammer on the wind chimes and shakers throughout. And by the time the synths wash over the chorus and fall back into the rhythm of the second verse, you half expect to taste that salty seaside air and feel the sand between your toes. Good stuff, this.

MP3: "Velvet Elvis" (Crystal Fighters Remix) - Alex Winston

LET THE LIGHTS RISE UP.

2011-09-26T12:00:00.001-04:00

When you think of sprightly indie pop gems, Brussels usually doesn't rush to mind as an A&R goldmine. But all that's in the past. After close to two years of recording and mastering, Great Mountain Fire have dropped their debut album and with it, the shiniest debut single we've heard in a minute in "Late Lights". Like a plot device, the unassuming whistle flutters innocently about, distracting you from an epic bassline that you're about to get real familiar with over the next three minutes. Without hesitation, Great Mountain Fire let loose with a vocal attack from frontman Thomas de Hemptinne that quickly brings to mind that of another Thomas of the same native tongue. His delivery accents the track with an ethereal serenade that often breaks character to go falsetto over masterful instrumentation that, with each listen, only further reminds us of It's Never Been Like That-era Phoenix.

As soon as the second verse and pre-chorus wraps and warms you up, respectively, the chorus unfurls its magnificent wings and takes off, armed to the teeth with a choppy guitar riff and a conniving, unrelenting bassline. Then it's that charming flute whistle that returns to the scene like a welcome pick-me-up and you're airborne, with each passing line delivered like a match striking over and over until, at last, it catches on and the band lives up to their name. Great Mountain FUEGO.

MP3: "Late Lights" - Great Mountain Fire [exclusive]

INTRODUCING: NEON GOLD TV

2011-09-22T12:00:00.005-04:00

So there's a new thing. It's called Neon Gold TV, and it'll be coming your way next month as the latest expansion of our lil' empire with a launch party popping off September 28th at Tammany Hall, because the only thing we love more than new ventures is the launch parties that accompany them. Plus, with next month's Popshop not arriving until CMJ week in mid-October (well worth the wait though, TRUST), throwing you another amazing show to tide you over in the meantime was the least we could do.

We love music videos more than life itself, so we've started to commission a few of our own as part of a new series of Neon Gold TV sessions that we've been working on over the past few months. And what better way to celebrate than with a launch party starring Reptar, the subjects of our first ever NGTV session in their first ever NYC headline play. They'll be coming straight over from Terminal 5 after their early set opening for Foster The People to do it even bigger in the headline slot at Tammany, with support coming from our beloved Savoir Adore and DJ B-Roc of The Knocks on the ones and twos all night long. And of course it wouldn't be a Neon Gold party without an open bar deal, so get down early to take advantage of complimentary vodka from 9pm-10pm.

It's all going down Wednesday, September 28th at Tammany Hall, with $5 advance tickets now on sale HERE. Or you could hold out for $10 tickets on the door, but with a bill like this and an advance sale price like that tickets are bound to go fast. Our last launch party with Grouplove in June was a sell out and one of the most special shows we've ever put on, and this one has all the makings of another epic so run, don't walk, over to NeonGold.tv and cop your tickets before they're all gone.

10:00pm: Savoir Adore // DOWNLOAD: "Bodies"

11:00pm: Reptar // DOWNLOAD: "Stuck In My Id"

SHADOWS BLEED.

2011-09-22T00:00:00.004-04:00

We still don't know who or what they are exactly, but with each passing day we find ourselves falling more and more head over heels for Ms Mr's mysterious pop charms. Pardon our French, but there's a certain je ne sais quois about their wholeheartedly nostalgic pop-noir that's just fucking incredible. Take this new video for "Ash Tree Lane", edited by the visually gifted David Dean Burkhart, for example. With a brilliant cinematic intro, it soon plunges headfirst into an Alice In Wonderland rabbit hole before taking off on a journey into the heart of the American dream. Again, it's the mystery girl's vocals that effortlessly tug at your heartstrings, while taking you by the hand and guiding you through a slideshow of familiar images of American life, so nostalgic they feel like a far-off fairytale.

The constantly moving visuals are perfectly suited for the high-hat heavy beat and ominous, weighted keys that howl beneath the song's surface and steadily build up like Jenga bricks before coming crashing down in the chorus like a synthwave attack. It's a massive drop for a massive tune, and we're more than excited to share the mp3 with you below, along with the exclusive premier of the video above. Have at it.

MP3: "Ash Tree Lane" - Ms Mr

TOOK A SIP OF SOMETHING POISON.

2011-09-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

It's been amazing how quickly Foster The People have gone from next big thing to biggest new band in the world, and equally amazing how many remixes they've picked up along the way. We've heard and acknowledged the universal collective groan whenever a new "Pumped Up Kicks" mix is pumped and dumped - mainly because the Captain Cuts effort is impossible to top right? - so to avoid any more "Pumped Up" remix fatigue, we've got something completely different for y'all.

Enter Lenno, the 16-year old envoy for Finland's underexposed club scene. From start to finnish, Lenno blows the lid off "Helena Beat" with an entourage of lush key arrangements, nu-disco beats, and ziplining electronic flourishes. The chorus is still intact alright, with a growing synth growl that ultimately leads to a drop that literally lasts for two minutes of bliss. Whoever decided to include Lenno in the official Foster remix bundle on Spotify clearly made a great Neon Gold-approved life choice. The stream's been circulating the blogs for a minute now, but the powers that be have given us the go ahead to share the HQ mp3 as an exclusive download below. Move over Madeon, Lenno is the new kid on the blog.

MP3: "Helena Beat" (Lenno Remix) - Foster The People [exclusive]

LET YOUR VOICES SING IT LOUD.

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000-04:00

As a band from the heart of hurricane-prone south Florida, ANR have put their homegrown survival instinct to use in the force majeure video for our latest release, "It's Around You", which was fittingly conceptualized during Hurricane Irene. This cinematic work of art from the brilliant minds of Jillian Meyer and Lucas Leyva contextualizes the various layers of the track by juxtaposing piercing images of frantic swimmers with human cyclones and interpretative dancers. The visual accompaniment successfully makes natural disasters seem more human and bodily movements more fluid in the interlocking ebb and flow of life.

Meyer and Leyva (of Miami's prolific Borscht collective) are also responsible for the hauntingly spot-on music video for ANR's "Big Problem", which launched ANR into the national consciousness earlier this year. While the original song was already an apocalyptic pop gem in its own right, the acoustic version - an extra from the deluxe edition of ANR's masterful Stay Kids LP - is a lush orchestral masterstroke, complete with an elegiac string section that softly hums over the unthreatening strums-and-drums combo. It's an incredible change of pace that's perfect for all those lazy mornings following long nights, and we've got an exclusive premiere of this beautifully raw reimagining for your listening pleasure below.

MP3: "Big Problem" (Acoustic) - ANR [exclusive]

LIGHTS UP THE SEA.

2011-09-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

We've talked up St. Lucia quite a bit ever since we first laid ears on "The Old House Is Gone" at the onset of the summer sun, and now their impeccable debut EP looks set to keep the fire burning well into autumn. Now that summer's unwittingly winding down, HeavyRoc's resident partystarters The Knocks have gone and remixed "Old House" into a segue banger that immediately transports you back to the endless summers of young love and all night beach parties for those not quite ready to let go just yet.

On what's possibly their finest remix to date, B-Roc and JPatt have painted a pretty trippy picture of Ibiza on Saturn, where everyday you party like you're ringing in a new year. They beef up the original arpeggio with some meaty bass and stacks on stacks of balearic synths, transforming St. Lucia's single version from blissed-out summer staple to club-ready floorfiller. St. Lucia may have laid down the architectural foundation, but The Knocks are the swagged out interior designers that arrive on the scene to upgrade this old house to full on crib status.

MP3: "The Old House Is Gone" (The Knocks Remix) - St. Lucia [exclusive]

GROUPLOVE. OFFICIAL ALBUM RELEASE PARTY.

2011-09-13T00:00:00.001-04:00

Our love for Grouplove truly knows no bounds, and we've had their debut full length Never Trust A Happy Song (released TODAY) stuck on repeat on the office stereo since they sent it through earlier this summer. Now, as a proper salute to the finest group of musicians on the left coast, we're throwing their official album release party Wednesday night after the band headline their biggest NYC play to date at Bowery Ballroom. Immediately after the show's conclusion, we'll be taking things back to our second home at Tammany Hall around the corner to indulge in a well-deserved celebration for the ages, complete with DJ sets from Xaphoon Jones, Captain Cuts and Grouplove themselves.

Furthermore, we'll also have the live debut of a brand new band by the name of Stay Gold, an oven fresh project from Kris Menace and Max Cooke, former mastermind behind the UK's late great GoodBooks and essential fixture in Ellie Goulding's touring band. Joining him on live drums will be everyone's favorite beatsmith, Xaphoon "You Crazy" Jones, before he swaps the sticks for the decks to close out the night on the ones and twos. And to top it all off, it's completely FREE. All you have to do is show up with your rageface on and a government issued ID saying you're 21+.

And in case all that wasn't exciting enough, to ring in the occasion we've got another very special exclusive from Xaphoon for you. Many of you may remember the "Colours" remix of Grouplove we premiered in June, but in an effort to come up with "something to scare people at festivals with", he went back into the lab and created a whole new beast of a bootleg edit "scrounged from the chasm-like depths of [his] hard drives". The result is the brand new MEGA EDIT of the mix that he's been tearing crowds in half with all summer long, complete with earth-shattering new bass surges in the chorus, dancehall snares and new vocal effects. Harder. Better. Monster. Stronger.

MP3: "Colours" (Xaphoon Jones' MEGA EDIT) - Grouplove [exclusive]

THIS COLD INSIDE ME.

2011-09-08T12:00:00.001-04:00

In case you didn't already know, in the United States of Neon Gold Captain Cuts are pretty much a household name and house party staple. Their newest offering is a daring remix of Young The Giant's "Apartment", which serves as yet another prime example of their production brilliance. Forget what you heard, because what was once a headstrong indie rock anthem is given a space age facelift and it's a ravishing new look for the California rock outfit.

As synth ships set sail across an ocean of noise, Sameer Gadhia's impassioned vocals cut in and leave a trail of emotion in their wake as the beat gradually starts to pick up steam. The verses are relatively straightforward at first, before it all gets sucked into Captain Cuts' electronic whirlpool on the chorus and the song comes to life. But it's merely a hint at what's to drop, as the last minute of looped vocals and self-affirming chord progressions make it feel like you're truly on the ride of your life. You can cop an exclusive download of the remix below, and keep an eye out for a full remix EP from Young The Giant - featuring the likes of Two Door, Tokyo Police Club and more - dropping on their Facebook page next week.

MP3: "Apartment" (Captain Cuts Remix) - Young The Giant [exclusive]

LIGHTS + MUSIC 003: RUSS CHIMES + STARSMITH

2011-09-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

Sure, Popshop may be tonight and all but let's face it, we're an insatiable bunch. So without further do, we present the third installment of our new Lights + Music rave. The third time's the charm and you'd be sorely mistaken if you think we're gonna drop the ball on this one, as we're coming correct with a hail mary of a lineup for a very special Friday Night Lights + Music this time around. Getting things started on the ground will be our very own Smash and Riggins in J-Patt and B-Roc of The Knocks on the decks early, before London's finest Starsmith and Russ Chimes take things into overtime as the double threat main event.

As per usual, we're posted up at Tammany Hall, consistently giving your night and early morning a welcome shock to the system. And as Lights + Music has become synonymous with free drinks and great life choices, this time around we're partnering up with Stoli Vodka to introduce you to their latest flavor, Chocolat Razberi, which we'll be mainlining into your bloodstream with a free-for-all OPEN BAR from from 10pm-11pm. Perhaps the best news of all for those of you chained to the 9-to-5 is that this one's going down as a rare Friday night Neon Gold show, so there's absolutely no reason to miss out on this one. Glowsticks? Check. Killer bill? Check. Free booze? Check. As is the new standard, we'll have an extremely limited number of $10 early bird tickets for sale before the price goes up to $13 in advance and then $15 day of show. Don't miss out on another epic night to remember, cop your tickets HERE before it's too late.

The Knocks // DOWNLOAD: "Sunshine"

Starsmith // DOWNLOAD: "Hang With Me" (Starsmith Remix)

Russ Chimes // STREAM: "Starry Eyed" (Russ Chimes Remix)

POPSHOP RADIO 009

2011-09-07T00:00:00.003-04:00

With great pop power comes great responsibility, and as your friendly neighborhood party people, we promise an amazing September night for y'all tonight. We've also got a last minute line up change for you, as Tiger Love have unfortunately had to cancel their performance at this month's show due to eleventh hour visa issues, but do trust that they will be back, bigger and better, to blow up a future Popshop this fall. Amply filling their shoes though will be our beloved Captain Cuts, who's got an arsenal of new bangers 'n mashes up his sleeve that we can't wait for y'all to salivate over. Oh and worry not, the rest of the allstar lineup remains fully intact and as glorious as ever.

Right on time, we've got another Popshop Radio mix from The Knocks to help you get your game face on before this Thursday. In addition to mainstays from Wynter Gordon, Samuel, and Gold smith, there's also a whole slew of unreleased exclusives courtesy of The Knocks and Captain Cuts, with a special spotlight on the Captain's Foster The People and Dizzee Rascal mix which is just about the most amazing thing we've heard in ages. Also featured are some very familiar faces like the legendary Fatboy Slim and brand new Neon Gold fam ANR with "It's Around You". As rhetorical as it sounds, this is easily our best edition of the Radio yet, so get involved and reap its rewards. All advance tickets for tonight are sold out, but there will be an extremely limited amount of $15 tickets (keyword: EXTREMELY) available on the door tonight, so get down early if you want to be a part of what's shaping up to be our biggest Popshop ever.

1. "Champagne Kisses Could Work With Everything" - Samuel + Two Door Cinema Club
2. "Seeing is Believing" - The Knocks
3. "Dirty Talk" (Laidback Luke Remix) - Wynter Gordon
4. "Right Here Right Now" - Fatboy Slim
5. "Black + Gold" - Goldsmith
6. "Can't Stand Still" (The Knocks Remix) - The Postelles
7. "Houdini Look Sharp" - Captain Cuts
8. "Scenic World" (Pocketknife's Breathtaken Remix) - Beirut
9. "It's Around You" - ANR

GROUPLOVE. DC. AFTERPARTY.

2011-09-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

Grouplove are pretty much our favorite band in the game right now so we're gonna spend the next couple days following them around throwing afterparties for them just because. First up is DC (with NYC coming next week), and as soon as we shake off our Popshop hangovers Friday morning we're hopping in the whip and cruising down to our second home to catch Grouplove demolishing The Black Cat before doing it up big with All Things Go for a FREE All Things Gold afterparty at Napoleon. We'll have Grouplove and Captain Cuts on the decks all night, as well as our dude Lightwaves, and it will rule. Trust.

DARK TWISTED FANTASY.

2011-09-06T12:00:00.002-04:00

Word on the street has it that there's a new mysterious pop duo in town by the name of Ms Mr, whose phenomenal Ghost City USA EP (get it for free at their Bandcamp here) has been causing stirrings amongst those in the know since they self-released it earlier this summer. On lead track "Bones", ominous piano chords storm in with a light upper register that suggests the tiniest glimmer of hope in an imminent descent into darkness. You fall for Miss Mystery's voice, with its strawberry blonde traces of Florence Welch and Kyla La Grange, and it teases you along, consciously leading you out of your comfort zone. The chorus wields big rolling drums and haunting echoes of the past, drifting through you until you burst through closed doors into an intimate middle eight that acts as the calm before the verse storms back and carries the song to its epic denouement. The tone sets a dangerously vivid backdrop for a Kubrickian thriller and even the production feels oddly cinematic. Yep, whoever this Brooklyn boy-girl duo are, they're clearly a force of nature to be reckoned with. Consider this the Irene we've all been waiting for.

MP3: "Bones" - Ms Mr

ALL THINGS GOLD 003: RUSS CHIMES + MNDR

2011-09-06T00:00:00.001-04:00

DC, we love you. It's been incredible the love you've shown our new All Things Gold concert series - both of our first two shows sold out with over 500 tickets sold - and we're all set to keep the streak alive with one of our biggest shows yet next week as we import another huge lineup to the nation's capital. On the DJ side of things, we've got Russ Chimes headlining as he makes his triumphant return to the America for his first US dates since late 2009, with support coming from our main man Starsmith as he makes his long awaited stateside debut alongside his good friend and sometime collaborator Mr. Chimes. Then headlining the live stage we've got superstar-on-the-rise MNDR returning to the DC live circuit after opening for Chromeo at 9:30 Club earlier this year, plus support from Miami newcomer Nicky Blitz getting things started early.

It all kicks off with doors at 9pm and Heineken drink specials galore, and for the low low price of $10 advance tickets (or $13 on the door), it's not really the kind of thing you can say no to. Advance tickets available are HERE, but move fast as this isn't a show you want to miss. Set times and streaming mp3s below, you know what to do.

09:30pm: Nicky Blitz // DOWNLOAD: "Summer Sinner"

10:30pm: MNDR // DOWNLOAD: "Cut Me Out"

11:15pm: Russ Chimes // DOWNLOAD: "Mowgli's Road" (Russ Chimes Remix)

12:45am: Starsmith // STREAM: "Radioactive" (Starsmith Rework)

UP DOWN ALL AROUND.

2011-09-01T12:00:00.000-04:00

Let's be real, summer isn't over yet and we can't keep all these perfect tracks to ourselves, it would just be rude. Your new late summer anthem is a slow burning remix by Brighton up-and-comers Kinema, taking on My Tiger My Timing's seasonally appropriate "Endless Summer". While the original already stands alone as a groovy bass-driven romp, Kinema cranks the thermostat way up and projects a positive mirage of a permanent vacation and you just can't help but bask in it.

MP3: "Endless Summer" (Kinema Remix) - My Tiger My Timing

HARD TO IMAGINE.

2011-08-31T12:00:00.003-04:00

There's something about Sweden's Little Majorette that's deceptively brilliant. Frontwoman Zoe Durrant's voice is unthreateningly whisper-soft, sometimes infantilized even, bringing to mind fellow Scandinavian heartbreakers, Flunk. We first fell for Durrant in her previous project Havana Guns - whose debut single "She Always Goes Down" briefly won over our hearts and minds before their breakup back in 2006 - but with Little Majorette she's back and better than ever, joined by musicians Petter Winnberg and Nils Tornqvist, who also moonlight as musicians in Miike Snow's touring band.

In "Never Be The Same", Durrant's vocals provide the perfect distraction from the suspicious piano chords ominously crescendoing under the dark electronic shadow of the song's intro, anxiety building as the synths crawl closer and you brace yourself for the jump scare around the corner that never comes. That is, until the massive gang vocal chorus drops and an avalanche of Miike Snow-sized synths from the coldest Arctic winter fall from the sky above. Then just as you think the coast is clear, they unleash one of the most chillingly amazing keys riffs we've ever heard, almost classical in its design as it spirals up, up and away into the cold night air as the song reaches its twilight. And just like that, Little Majorette burst onto the scene out of nowhere with one of our favorite singles of the year. Shock and awe.

MP3: "Never Be The Same" - Little Majorette

POPSHOP009: THE KNOCKS + WYNTER GORDON.

2011-08-30T00:00:00.003-04:00

Worried your Labor Day weekend plans will get in the way of Popshop this week? Well worry no more, as we're pushing things back a week to September 8th so as to maximize rage potential and make sure no one misses out. Trust us though, the wait is more than worth it, as this one may well be our biggest lineup ever.

Fresh off a party rocking set at All Things Gold 002 last week in DC are our partners in crime The Knocks returning as headliners, and those who attended their first headline show at Popshop 002 last February will remember it as one of the craziest nights we've ever put on. Then bringing the heat in the main support slot is superpop vixen Wynter Gordon, whose omnipresent smash single "Dirty Talk" has had her living at the top of the charts so long she should be paying rent. Rounding out the lineup is NYC's own hometown hero and firstborn son of the HeavyRoc family Samuel, as well as London via Tel-Aviv electro types Tiger Love, hot on the heels of international dates supporting Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. And as if that live lineup wasn't massive enough, we've got a once-in-a-lifetime, I-was-there-when Goldsmith reunion on the decks, as our superstar alumni Ellie Goulding and Starsmith get together on the ones and twos in the headline DJ slot.

As is Popshop family tradition, we'll be providing an Absolut Vodka OPEN BAR from 8pm- 9pm and a FREE KEG of Heineken at 2am for our nearest and dearest who decide to rage with us well into the early morning. Changing up our ticket approach this time, the first 50 people to order online can cop $10 early bird tickets, after which all remaining tickets will be $13 in advance and $15 on the door. Tickets are available online from the Popshop site HERE, so move fast to cop that price break and don't sleep on this one, this will be another sell out.

09:00pm: Samuel // DOWNLOAD: "Champagne Kisses"

10:00pm: Tiger Love // DOWNLOAD: "Under Control"

11:00pm: Wynter Gordon // STREAM: "Dirty Talk" (Laidback Luke Remix)

12:00am: The Knocks // DOWNLOAD: "Sunshine"

01:00am: Goldsmith // DOWNLOAD: "Black & Gold"

SLICE OFF THE HATERS.

2011-08-24T12:00:00.001-04:00

Brite Futures, the artists formerly known as Natalie Portman's Shaved Head, explode back onto the scene with a V For Vendetta against your average everyday pop hit as they prepare for the release of their forthcoming second album. Seconds into "Baby Rain", there's a double thunderclap and in comes a synchronized synth and bass riff reminiscent of The Virgins or Starfucker as the song goes from 0 to 60 in five seconds flat. It doesn't stop there, as the vocals swoop in on harmonized falsetto jetpacks and the track takes flight on a collision course with the stars. Shortly thereafter the chorus drowns you in liquid sugar, the breakdown soaks it all up, and the track fully blossoms into something that will stay implanted in your head for weeks to come. Don't say we didn't warn you.

MP3: "Baby Rain" - Brite Futures

MIRROR ON THE SHELF.

2011-08-23T00:00:00.003-04:00

St. Lucia's phenomenal debut EP has been on repeat here at Neon Gold HQ since it flew domestically across the interwebs and into our inbox last week, with current single "All Eyes On You" still going very strong on our songs of the summer playlist as we bring you the exclusive premier of its music video above. So you can only imagine our excitement when a remix from the as-of-late untouchable '96 Bulls of that very track sidled up alongside said EP in our inbox.

Fortunately, Australia's own Jordan and Pippen don't disappoint, holding court by doing the source material the utmost justice in a glass-shattering alley oop of a remix that goes harder in the paint than Dennis Rodman on steroids. Furthermore, it's the perfect track to whet your appetite for St. Lucia's international live debut this Thursday in DC alongside The Knocks and ANR at All Things Gold 002 (for which tickets still flowing here), of which me may or may not have caught a very secret - and very awesome - sneak preview of last week. Get excited.

MP3: "All Eyes On You" ('96 Bulls Remix) - St. Lucia [exclusive]

GOLD027: ANR

2011-08-16T12:00:00.002-04:00

ANR is truly Miami's finest. They're like a buddy cop duo whose lethal weapon is their interminable arsenal of experimental pop hooks, and we're honored to welcome them to the force on their next single out later this month. Take Exhibit A-side: "It's Around You". The radio filter intro foreshadows the immortal feeling you get when the synths surges drop nearly a minute in and the track engulfs you in a shimmering galaxy of anthemic choral shouts and pop majesty. Each humming pulse is like lightning in a bottle until drum layers and vocal layers are added and the chorus ultimately crashes into beautiful oblivion. It's strangely uplifting despite the minor chords and elegiac harmonies, perhaps thanks to the soft xylophone drops and a masterfully orchestrated brass section. As the moody trombones are counterbalanced by the kind of adulatory trumpets Mark Ronson would be proud of, ANR are guilty of squashing your conscience and unleashing your id.

And if that wasn't enough, we give you the Exhibit AA-side on the flip: "Blood on Blood", mixed by none other than the inimitable Ben Allen, fresh out of the studio with Reptar and Walk The Moon. A seemingly harmless piano progression lulls you into a false sense of security and maintains its composure until the chorus just loses it altogether with groaning electronic switches and a massive vocal melody, a manic force to be reckoned with. Then there's that classical piano break in the bridge that takes you completely by surprise, but it serves as a meticulously planned stopgap that even bloodhounds couldn't sniff out. As soon as it picks up where it left off, the beat is back with an eye-for-an-eye vengeance. It's all very cinematic and would make for an incredible epilogue to their brilliant "Big Problem" video (easily one of the year's best). ANR have absolutely killed it on our next release and if that makes us accomplices, then so be it. We're not ones to talk a big game (note: we are), but if you let it into your heart we promise this will be one of your favorite singles of 2011. Preorder is available now from the Neon Gold Shop, and you'll be able to experience in all its glory for yourself when it drops August 29th.

MP3: "It's Around You" - ANR

LIVING BY THE MINUTE.

2011-08-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

Swedish prodigy Tove Styrke was already going to be your new crush, but now with an extreme makeover from fellow countrymen Familjen, she's even more irresistible. The Familjen revision starts simply enough with an infectious piano progression padded by anxious handclaps that quickly time-warps into an alternate dimension. Like a pixie Robyn, Styrke's voice flo-oh-oats by on the wings of Familjen's buoyant, fairytale instrumental as dragons circle high above breathing heavy synth plumes. But like Calvin Harris's "Feel So Close" rolling face on uncut ecstasy, Familjen's mix scales great heights in a single bound, the beat acting as a safety net for the vocals to fall back on before everything goes trampoline for the chorus and the post-chorus. Sure, this track may have quietly come out in late 2010, but you better believe it still sounds every bit as glorious in the carefree summer of 2011.

MP3: "Million Pieces" (Familjen Remix) - Tove Styrke

ALL THINGS GOLD 002: THE KNOCKS + ANR

2011-08-15T12:00:00.003-04:00

With the launch of All Things Gold a raging success last month (500+ tix sold, whoa) as Penguin Prison, RAC and Reptar tore the roof off a sold out (and then some) U Street Music Hall, we're back with yet another stacked lineup to shake DC to its very core. For starters, we've got our resident partystarters The Knocks headlining what will be their first US gig in a minute with a revamped live show and some brand new hits for your ears. Then we've got stellar support from Miami's finest (and the latest addition to the Neon Gold family) ANR and the magnificent St. Lucia making his highly anticipated live debut. And as if that wasn't enough, Lightwaves and Captain Cuts will be watching the throne in between sets, presiding over the dancefloor on the ones and twos all night long. Doors are at 9pm and Heineken drink specials will be popping off left and right, and for the low low price of $10 advance tickets (or $13 on the door), don't just make plans to make plans - make plans, make moves and make memories. Advance tickets available HERE, last time sold out in advance (and sold out hard) so don't get shut out in the sweltering DC heat two months in a row. Set times and streaming mp3s below, you know the drill.

9:30pm: St. Lucia // DOWNLOAD: "All Eyes On You"
10:30pm: ANR // DOWNLOAD: "Big Problem"
11:30pm: The Knocks // DOWNLOAD: "Dancing With The DJ"

12:30am: Captain Cuts // DOWNLOAD: "Girls On Girls" (Captain Cuts Remix)

CROSSED THE LINE AT NIGHT.

2011-08-13T12:00:00.007-04:00

Finding their niche somewhere between the star-crossed dual vocals of Stars and the massive hooks and pop production of Sky Ferreira, DWNTWN's debut single "Transition" comes off like a radio-friendly pop smash masquerading as an accessible indie floor-filler. Beginning innocently enough, eerie droplets fall from the upper octave onto the dashboard as the female vocal shifts gears, adds a male passenger and goes from 0-100 in 8 seconds flat. Shining a light on that tragic post-relationship grey area, the single debunks all conventions of what is and isn't chart-worthy and vies for the stars and nothing less.

The blunt jungle beats and cross-hatching sonic flourishes absorb the brunt of the heartbreak lodged deep in the verses. While DWNTWN lacks vowels, the track achieves supersonic consonance, marrying a Top 40 prechorus reminiscent of Sky's "ONE" with an ethereal chorus flaunting ice cold synths that sound as if they crash landed from the uncharted planet of M83. It's a big track, and with the incomparable DJ Skeet Skeet (y'all heard his new Foster The People remix? FUEGO.) helming the ship on the management side of things, you can expect to hear a lot more out of these two in the months to come. Get familiar.

MP3: "Transition" - DWNTWN [exclusive]

MAYBE WE SHOULD MAKE THE TIME.

2011-08-10T12:00:00.002-04:00

UPDATE: Magistrates were one of the first bands we ever wrote about back in September 2008, and we were gutted to hear of their breakup a year later in 2009. Now it sounds like they've returned, playing their first shows in nearly two years, starting with their triumphant re-entry into society August 25th at London's The Queen of Hoxton. Three years on their original demos sound every bit as vital and refreshing as they did in 2008, especially their first (and only) single "Make This Work". Not bad for a bedroom demo. Enjoy the track and our original post on the band below.

Our love for Magistrates runs way deep, and it's been that way ever since their completely untouchable three-track demo found it's way into these hands last January. Six months have come and gone since then, and Magistrates have still got stars in our eyes and a fire burning betwixt our loins, even moreso since their debut single "Make This Work" started tearing up Radio 1 this summer. Presented untouched and unchanged from it's original bedroom-recorded demo form, it's a sexy falsetto-heavy pop jam that makes you wish Prince fronted Klaxons more often. Thanks once again to Abeano and XL for the hook up, how we love them so.

MP3: "Make This Work" - Magistrates

WHEN I FEEL YOUR VELVET.

2011-08-10T12:00:00.001-04:00

You probably already know this, but Alex Winston is one in a million. Part chanteuse, part dreamboat, Winnie is a full-bodied glass of water with a soprano that washes over you with effortless resolve. Enter Andre Anjos of RAC, who takes her new single "Velvet Elvis" to town, buys it a new dress, and turns it into (sister) wife material. With a flick of his magic wand and a soft trumpet proclamation, RAC lights the track up with spritely string plucks and a wistful keys progression that sounds like the precocious younger cousin of Avicii's "Penguin". The chugging locomotive drumline of the original is replaced by rollicking top-of-the-morning percussion that gains energy and momentum with each passing refrain. Perhaps the best Winston remix yet, consider this another trophy on the shelf for Anjos and the RAC crew. Grab the remix below and check her video over on Beyond Gold now, it's a keeper.

MP3: "Velvet Elvis" (RAC Remix) - Alex Winston

BACK TO BUSINESS.

2011-08-09T00:00:00.005-04:00

And so the Year of the Captain continues. What began as an official remix for Beyonce's ladies night anthem "Girls" quickly turned into a whole new beast once Captain Cuts introduced it to the Beastie Boys' classic of the same name, and my how these "Girls" play nicely together.

Leaving the traditional major label remix approach in the rearview, the Captains take a detour and go the mash up route, replaying the Beasties' parts themselves to fit Beyonce's vocal as if they were expert tailors of the dancefloor, working around the clock in the name of the beat. The end result is a work of staggering remix genius, as the Captains prove once again that they're operating on a whole different level from just about everyone else in the remix game. "Girls On Girls" - as it's called - is the first taste of many amazing things to come on Captain Cuts' debut mixtape, titled This Is Your Captain Speaking and coming at you later this month. Watch this space, you won't want to miss this.

MP3: "Girls On Girls" (Captain Cuts Remix) - Beyonce + Beastie Boys [exclusive]

BURNED BY THE SUNRISE.

2011-08-08T00:00:00.004-04:00

Today marks the release date of our brand new single with Newcastle's Polarsets (available for purchase from the Neon Gold Shop HERE), and to celebrate we've got a special remix exclusive in the first ever rework from massively hyped Scotland pop hopefuls Midnight Lion. Hard at work on a tropical island not far from where Polarsets' original “Morning” was born, the Glaswegian natives were busy cooking up this remix over their bonfire, Lord of the Flies-style.

The beginning feels like the moments immediately preceding a force majeure rainstorm, as the fog settles and you struggle to make out familiar shapes on the horizon. You hear Rob Howe’s voice dragged through the sand with loops and layers, as Midnight Lion trade cowbells for handclaps and more tribal beats. The final minute and a half evolves into an uplifting triumph of epic hero montage music - the kind of stuff Michael Bay trailer dreams are made of, only with loads more substance. This year's already seen no shortage of lessons in the art of the life affirming remix from our partners-in-crime Captain Cuts and Xaphoon Jones, and if this is anything to go by, Midnight Lion have been taking note. Consider this the next chapter then.

MP3: "Morning" (Midnight Lion Remix) - Polarsets [exclusive]

WE GROW APART.

2011-08-04T12:00:00.001-04:00

This Club, a four piece out of Dublin, arrive on the scene like the Robin to Delphic's Batman, but raised on a healthy diet of vocal acrobatics and mental gymnastics. The intro to "I Won't Worry" cuts in like the counterpoint to "Doubt", leading to cries of palpable emotion with optimistic (almost idealistic) synth throws and mega guitar riffs, elements kindly borrowed from the Two Door Cinema Club school of pop. But there's also a heavy tropical influence somewhere between Fela Kuti and The Holidays that allows This Club to add up to far more than just the sum of its parts. Basically it's another summer staple for your headphones, complete with an epic breakdown that begins as a handclap-laden hook before being completed by a twisting bassline and shouting harmonies. This won't bring the people to the party, this will bring the party to the people.

MP3: "I Won't Worry" - This Club

WOKEN FROM A DREAM.

2011-08-03T12:00:00.003-04:00

Without so much as a warning, Undercolours explode onto the scene as Australia's next great hope for global pop supremacy. Like fellow countrymen Gypsy & The Cat channeling the stadium-sized hooks and effortlessly anthemic songwriting of The Temper Trap, Undercolours sound like an overnight success story just waiting to happen. Debut single "Spirit The Ghost" awakens with soft passive aggressive guitars and a reconciliatory bass line before emotive piano chords unleash a nascent hint of optimism as tension builds in the prechorus. By the time Undercolours break through it all and lunge headfirst into a chorus filled to the brim with soaring harmonies and echo-oh-oh-ohs, they've already established themselves as the kind of act ready to turn heads at breakneck speed in A&R meetings the world over. Australia, you've gone and done it again.

MP3: "Spirit The Ghost" - Undercolours [exclusive]

POPSHOP RADIO 008

2011-08-03T00:00:00.001-04:00

It's not like we need to tell you twice at this point - though we always do - but tomorrow's Popshop is gonna be one for the record books y'all. Not only do we have a sprawling four band live bill for you in French Horn Rebellion, AVAN LAVA, Slowdance and PLAINS but we're also working with two of the city's best new DJ acts in PUNCHES and The Jane Doze and Australia's hot-like-fire remix savant G.L.O.V.E.S. Different vibes on different floors, we've got you covered.

As per usual, we now give you the newest edition of The Knocks' Popshop Radio minimix, which will intro you to everyone playing tomorrow, in addition to some other jams so fresh it would be a crime not to share. You'll find the full tracklist and a stream/download player below. Remember, there's an OPEN BAR on Absolut from 8-9pm and a FREE KEG of Heineken from 2-3am so be sure to get your advance tickets HERE for only $10. We're breaking down rage barriers left, right, and center and all we ask is that you come out and join us, so do us a solid and get involved.

1. "Only You Can Make You Happy" (Punches Remix) - Au Revoir Simone
2. "Judy" - PLAINS
3. "Baby" (Breakbot Remix) - PNAU
4. "The Easy Way" - AVAN LAVA
5. "All Eyes On You" - St. Lucia
6. "Burial" (DJ Mehdi Remix) - Miike Snow
7. "Spell" - Slowdance
8. "When I'm Under The Sheets" - The Jane Doze

LIGHTS + MUSIC 002: TREASURE FINGERS

2011-08-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

Lights + Music launched last week to rave reviews as Bag Raiders dropped one of the fiercest sets Tammany Hall has ever seen amidst a sweaty sea of glowsticks, lasers and strobes and a sold out crowd discovered firsthand why Lights + Music is the best new rave Manhattan has to offer. Never ones to rest on our laurels, we're back with a vengeance next week as Lights + Music returns for its second installment with the incomparable Treasure Fingers headlining and support on the decks from The Knocks and DJ Price.

In the mix again are Corona and 900 Degrees providing free beer and pizza for the show's first hour from 10pm to 11pm, before Treasure Fingers take the decks around midnight. Bookending his set will be DJ Price opening things up from 10pm-12am and The Knocks closing things out late night. Plus, we'll have even more glowsticks and lasers in the mix this time around, and with all that amazing music and free alcohol this is a steal at $10 advance tickets and $13 on the door. The launch party sold out in advance and this one's bound to be every bit as crazy, so don't sleep and get your tickets HERE now.

Treasure Fingers // STREAM: "Walking On A Dream" (Treasure Fingers Remix)

Treasure Fingers // STREAM: "Cross The Dancefloor"

GOLD026: POLARSETS

2011-08-02T00:00:00.002-04:00

We are pleased to announce our next release, featuring the Newcastle dance-pop trio, Polarsets. We've been holding off on a full-course Polarsets education until now, but rest assured, class is now in session. Already veterans of the Neon Gold stage after supporting Walk The Moon at our last London showcase earlier this year and each of their infectious Ibiza-channeling singles are further proof that they are masters of crafting hip-popping island vibes. The A-side, "Morning", serves as a wake-up call to all the conservative indie pop bands out there - from the first cowbell strike, the single moves like a flashdance assembly line that picks up tropical steam with each added high hat and steel drum. It's an idiosyncratic mix of Delorean and Two Door Cinema Club that pops you in the jaw with grand aplomb. Once it jumps back into the middle eighth and snaps back to reality, it's all about the bass drum thumps and massive vocal hooks because Polarsets are now officially the big fish in a small pond.

The flipside, "Sunset", plays like a musical anagram of "Morning". The trademark cowbells emerge unscathed and still intact even after Polarsets laid siege to the A-side. The intro to this redux is a welcome respite from their full-frontal onslaught of frantic drum kicks and serves as a seamless segue into a bouncy castle chord progression that gets along so well with Rob Howe's angelic pipes. The tension builds with multiple drums feeding off each other, working in conjunction towards achieving the final dream. The release feels like a full day spent watching stars burning out and being born anew, all the while sitting on top of the world adjacent to the one who matters most. It just feels right. Out August 8th and available now for preorder from the Neon Gold Shop and flaunting heart-stopping art direction from the never not brilliant FRAU GRAU, this is one "Morning" you won't want to sleep through.

POPSHOP008: FRENCH HORN + AVAN LAVA + MORE

2011-08-01T12:00:00.003-04:00

So last week we gave you a taste of this Thursday's Popshop with the announcement of French Horn Rebellion, AVAN LAVA, The Jane Doze, PUNCHES and G.L.O.V.E.S., and as if that wasn't enough, today we add two more brilliant live acts to the bill: Miami's PLAINS and Brooklyn's Slowdance. This brings the final lineup to a magnificent four live bands and three DJ acts spread across two floors of all-out Popshop mayhem. And all for the low low price of $10 in advance and $13 on the door, including two hours of open bars courtesy of Absolut (from 8pm-9pm) and Heineken (from 2am-3am), it's pretty much the bargain of the century. So don't delay, cop your tickets HERE and get involved, it's gonna be another glorious night at Tammany Hall.

UPSTAIRS
09:00pm: Slowdance // STREAM: "Sweetness"

10:00pm: PLAINS // STREAM: "Judy"

11:00pm: AVAN LAVA // STREAM: "Lemons"
12:00am: French Horn Rebellion // STREAM: "Up All Night"

01:00am: The Jane Doze //STREAM: "Ain't No Drugs High Enough"

DOWNSTAIRS
G.L.O.V.E.S. // STREAM: "Sometimes" (G.L.O.V.E.S. Remix)

PUNCHES // DOWNLOAD: "LightHouse" (PUNCHES Remix)

FASTER THAN MY BULLET.

2011-08-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

Our polygamous love affair with Grouplove and Foster the People is one of the worst kept secrets in music, so when the two LA heavyweights went head-to-head in the remix ring with each others' signature songs in tow, we had to step in and hold up the arms of both contenders because it's a win-win for the ages. Double winning.

First up is Grouplove and Captain Cuts, who kicked of 2011 with one of the greatest life-affirming standalone remixes known to man and come damn close to outdoing themselves for once and for all here, as they tag-team "Pumped Up Kicks" and whip the undisputed anthem of the summer into a monstrous club beast. What starts off as an innocuous uptempo pleasure cruise for Foster and co. turns deadly when the Captains unleash the perfect storm of seismic synths and dramatic piano stabs in the bridge, before blue skies and the summer's biggest singalong chorus returns to right the ship in the song's final minute. We honestly don't know how Captain Cuts do it, this right here is remix ART y'all.

Foster The People scratch Grouplove's back in return by redressing "Colours" in a slick waterproof number, as Christian Zucchoni's loopy vocals become brilliantly impervious to the dripping synth washes and full-moon transformation brought into play by Foster. This lofty reimagining swells with pride and bursts at the seams with icy confetti, ultimately leaving a permanent layer of stardust in its wake. These companion remixes are dark magic of the highest order, a two headed hydra of remix perfection coming together to give you the perfect remix double drop to kick your week off right.

MP3: "Pumped Up Kicks" (Captain Cuts + Grouplove Remix) - Foster The People
MP3: "Colours" (Foster The People Remix) - Grouplove

THE WAR IS ALREADY WON.

2011-07-27T00:00:00.001-04:00

We can thank PLAINS, aka Michael McGinnis, for the stroke of scuzzy genius that is "Innovator". It comes fully stocked with joyriding guitars and angst-ridden synths, egged on by spaced out vocals that curiously swoop in and out of sight like a 21st century UFO. Once it crosses the great sonic expanse and reaches the eureka moment of pensive drum traps and whizzing solos, he's achieved the perfect middle ground between The Pixies and Miami brethren/labelmates (and Neon Gold darlings) ANR. It sounds progressively mischievous and deeply full of ulterior motives, and that's exactly why we love it so, plains and simples. So really we had no choice but to include PLAINS on next week's Popshop bill as one of two surprise live guests. Surprise.

MP3: "Innovator" - PLAINS

POPSHOP008: FRENCH HORN + AVAN LAVA

2011-07-26T12:00:00.008-04:00

It's hot outside, we know, but you'll have to forgive us for turning up the heat yet again with another smoldering Popshop lineup. This month we welcome back POPSHOP001 alums French Horn Rebellion, who tore the fucking roof off of the launch party back in January and stole the show in the main support slot. They've been killing it ever since, supporting Yelle's sold out US tour and releasing their acclaimed debut album in the meantime, so now we've got them back in the mix to crush it even harder in the headline slot. Support comes from ex-Fischerspooner electro types AVAN LAVA and the hottest new DJ duo in town on the decks, The Jane Doze, plus special live guests to be announced next week.

And since taking it to another level is all we do here, we're expanding the action to both floors at Tammany Hall with our friends at Finger On The Pulse taking over the downstairs and lighting it up with DJ sets from PUNCHES and Australia's finest, G.L.O.V.E.S. As per usual, we've got the standard open bar of Absolut from 8pm-9pm, with a free keg of Heineken in the mix late night from 2am-3am. Tickets are $10 in advance and $13 on the door and available from the Popshop site HERE.

UPSTAIRS
11:00pm: AVAN LAVA // STREAM: "Lemons"
12:00am: French Horn Rebellion // STREAM: "Up All Night"

01:00am: The Jane Doze //STREAM: "Ain't No Drugs High Enough"

DOWNSTAIRS
G.L.O.V.E.S. // STREAM: "Sometimes" (G.L.O.V.E.S. Remix)

PUNCHES // DOWNLOAD: "LightHouse" (PUNCHES Remix)

SWEATING ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.

2011-07-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

PAPA is the brainchild of the Girls' drummer Darren Weiss, who swaps his garage rock day job for more indie rock pastures, and his new outfit is a great look for him. Debut single "Halloween To Me" sets out with a steadfast bassline that only bothers to take a breather when stripping down the middle eight to its skivvies, while the melody shoots and scores with a powerfully raw nod to Muse's "Starlight". It's almost as if Wolf Parade and The Strokes fathered an artistic savant, who learned to get his feet wet in the golden vibes by surfing giant hooks and raindancing on ivory keys.

MP3: "Halloween To Me" - PAPA

CALL YOU IN THE NIGHT TIME.

2011-07-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Under the watchful eyes of our friends at HeavyRoc Music, the well traveled mysterioso St. Lucia is shaping up to be one of those types physically incapable of producing anything less than extraordinary. We already waxed poetic on his brilliant debut single "This Old House Is Gone" when we premiered it last spring, but his latest offering, "All Eyes On You", establishes St. Lucia as a talent of a different class. The way he breathily spaces out his verses atop currents of resplendent synths is that of a pitch perfect poet and the enjambment of his free-flowing lyrics moves the track along like a slow burning fuse, gradually introducing a call-and-response bass groove, cascading keys, and a bare-chested sax solo (of course) that sounds like Dan Bejar getting weird in the studio with Washed Out. All done with the confidence of a debonair jetsetter, racking up frequent flyer miles left and right as he traverses countless genre boundaries in a little under five minutes.

MP3: "All Eyes On You" - St. Lucia

WAITING FOR A RIDE IN THE DARK.

2011-07-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

“Midnight City” starts with an air raid and ends with an all-out deep space assault - what initially sounds like an intergalactic SOS is just the primer for an epic sendoff by the song's conclusion. Cue drum hits straight out of Phil Collin’s playbook and synth surges ripped from the clutches of our very own Neon Gold dreamcatcher, the kind of brilliant sonic flourishes that would make Mille or Sound of Arrows green with envy. Missing in action for a solid three years, M83 prove they weren't dead, just gearing up to bring the sexy back in a big way, as their signature ethereal vocal harmonies bring chills to the spine and play nice with that brazen sax sound that seems to have become the de rigeur in Big Pop Music in summer 2011. It’s a true return to form for the French stargazers, as we giddily await the October 18th release of their forthcoming fifth album, titled Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, which conveniently enough sums up our feelings exactly as we lose ourselves in the ether of "Midnight City".

MP3: "Midnight City" - M83

LIGHTS + MUSIC 001: BAG RAIDERS

2011-07-18T12:00:00.002-04:00

Uh oh y'all, there's a new club night in town. Introducing: Lights + Music, a new monthly rave brought to you by Popshop, The Knocks and The Wilkes Agency, coming at you live and in color every month from Tammany Hall. Popshop's been killing it this year, so we figured it was as good a time as any to launch a spinoff, so here's Lights + Music - your monthly destination for the biggest DJs and electronic acts the world has to offer. And who's up first? Motherfucking Bag Raiders, that's who. With their only NYC headline play of the summer (and support from DJ Equal and Luka Son of Wolf), they'll be headlining our Lights + Music launch party Thursday, July 28th before opening up for our homegirl Ellie Goulding the next night at Terminal 5.

What's Lights + Music all about, you ask? Late nights, loud music and bright lights. And pizza. That's right, we've got a pizza sponsor on board for this, with world champion pizzamakers 900 Degrees serving up free pizza from 11pm-12am or until supplies run out. So bring your dancing shoes and a healthy appetite, because this is gonna be one for the ages. It all kicks off Thursday, July 28th at 11pm, $14 advance tickets are now on sale HERE - with $16 tix at the door day of show - and if we were you we'd lock them down early as these will go fasssst. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Bag Raiders // STREAM: "Shooting Stars"

Bag Raiders // STREAM: "Way Back Home"

Bag Raiders // STREAM: "Sunlight" (ft. Dan Black)

THICK AS THIEVES.

2011-07-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Attention industry heads: there's a new next big thing in town. Ambassadors rolled quietly onto the scene earlier this year and wasted no time shaking Brooklyn's sleepy indie rock scene up with their visceral soul-powered vocals, primal percussive beats and arena-sized live show, quickly establishing themselves as the kind of immense hybrid of Kings of Leon and Local Natives that could take mainstream rock radio in the US (and the UK for that matter) by storm. With one of the bigger live shows we've seen from a new band this year and their debut album Litost already in hand, Ambassadors strike us as the kind of thing major label bidding wars are made of, as the four piece look to establish themselves as a formidable presence in the rock landscape of 2011.

For proof, look no further than triumphant lead single and live highlight "Unconsolable", all militaristic drums and ominous brass surges, as glass-half-empty lyrics are consoled by a blanket of industrial guitar swipes and brooding synth-noir washes. Coming on strong as Ambassadors' unflinching statement of intent, it's an ambitiously well-layered song with a stomping Dodos-esque percussive heartbeat that picks up immediately where your last heartbreak left off.

MP3: "Unconsolable" - Ambassadors [exclusive]

PANIC ATTACK.

2011-07-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

Shrouded under a passive aggressive electronic veil, Talking Pictures manage to maintain a sharp semblance of too-cruel-for-school. "Mirrors", their debut offering, is a song that reflects on itself with dirty electronic pulses atop moody dark impulses, while reverb-heavy guitars toss and turn like a restless beast. While they may not be the first to rhyme "night" and "light", it's the inspired internal conflict and resolution that takes centerstage and steals the show. And it certainly doesn't hurt that they sound so akin to such formidable pop outfits as Jump Jump Dance Dance and Is Tropical and happen to boast a pretty memorable talking picture of their own in the music video for "Mirrors", above.

MP3: "Mirrors" - Talking Pictures

XAPHOON JONES + BRENTON DUVALL AT BK BOWL.

2011-07-13T12:00:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week we were all, "What's going on this weekend?" and realized we had no plans for Friday night, so we decided to throw a party at Brooklyn Bowl with two of our favorite DJs in the world, Xaphoon Jones and Brenton Duvall. Why? Because it's going to be amazing. And because we can. Tickets are $7 on the door or $5 in advance here. Get involved NYC, your Friday night just got awesome.

AND THE ECSTASY IS KICKING IN.

2011-07-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

This resurrection of "Jesus" is truly something to behold. While "Living In America" grabbed all the headlines when we released it as Dom's debut single last summer, "Jesus" shined on the AA-side as its earnest but oh so endearing younger cousin, so we're glad it finally gets its moment in the sun on this tropical remix from Philadelphia newcomers Vacationer. The aptly-titled Vacationer - whose debut single "Trip" we've had on lock on the NGHQ summer stereo this year - sacrifice the sinfully rad guitar riff of the original for a rework that unravels like a blissful cocoon into an all-out chillrave flight of fancy. It's rare for a song (let alone a remix) to induce such a glorious euphoric afterglow, but Dom's laced-out childlike whimsy plays with a wonderful innocence on Vacationer's tropical jungle gym of swinging samples, plucks-and-keys, and steel drums, delightfully toeing the line between alternate realities and found footing. Your vacation has arrived.

MP3: "Jesus" (Vacationer Remix) - Dom

THERE IS NO ONE LIKE ME.

2011-07-13T00:00:00.002-04:00

We just can’t hide our unabashed and undying love for the regal pop bliss of Icona Pop. We’ve been peddling their debut offering “Manners” - a single so perfect it's already inspired a bounty of incredible remixes and scored the starring role in the new Chiddy Bang single "Mind Your Manners" - since we released it last March, so when the duo finally sent through the neon daydream of a music video they’ve put together for the track, we were drooling out of dropped jaws. Cue quick cuts, kaleidoscopic acid trips, and mouths overglowing with emotion. We were already truly, madly, deeply in love with everything about the Icona girls and their creative output, but now they’ve gone and taken everything to another level with the kind of video Neon Gold dreams are made of.

Cue then, Step Brother (a production team so mysterious they lack so much as a URL to attach to their name), who hit the scene with impeccable timing on this new gloriously lush new remix of the track. Keeping it in the Neon Gold family, Step Brother use “Manners” as the perfect synth-fueled vehicle to lure you in like quicksand, when time is visibly relevant, and captures the precise moment when icy stares melt away in the heat of the night. We didn’t think it was possible, but this re-imagining in itself is even more a siren song likely to make men weak at the knees, so honestly don’t feel bad when you’re won over within seconds.

MP3: "Manners" (Step Brother Remix) - Icona Pop [exclusive]

LOST ON YOU TONIGHT.

2011-07-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

Model Worker are a fourtet from Chicago whipping up fresh symphonies that straddle several decades of glam-pop mastery. “Automatic Love” immediately has a familiar tint to it, kind of like a sober Julian Casablancas fronting Polarsets while rocking shades of early Depeche Mode. Listening to "Automatic Love,", you’ll know exactly how the crowd felt when Marty McFly killed it on stage with that sound that was a throwback to him but new wave to the blissfully unaware in attendance. Besides, we're the last ones to complain about a grinding synth line that just won't let up cause it so badly just wants to get down. Boys and girls, the time has finally come to pop the top of the Delorean and crash back into the ‘80s. Ride on? Right on.

MP3: "Automatic Love" - Model Worker