ALL THINGS GOLD 005: MONARCHY + E. VAN CLEEF

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

CLINGING TO YOUR FEVER.

There's not much to say about the Holy Ghost! remix of former Neon Gold all-stars Monarchy that isn't immediately apparent once the beat drops and that unreal vocal from soul legend Karl Dixon transforms the original into a swirling and shimmering cosmic disco beast: This shit is HUGE. We've loved Holy Ghost! since their debut single "Hold On" first graced our ears - and the fact that they're frequent collaborators with our dude Penguin Prison certainly doesn't hurt their standing in our books - but this is easily the most impressive thing we're yet to hear from the DFA collective. Like no other remix this year, it transports the original to a whole new place, stepping out into brave new territory the original could only conceive of in its wildest dreams. Well played, Holy Ghost, well played.

MP3: "Love Get Out of My Way" (Holy Ghost! Remix ft. Dixon) - Monarchy

GOLD 013: MONARCHY

Monarchy have been generating some serious buzz over the past few months, debuting a flurry of amazing tracks around the blogs and causing rampant speculation as to their true identities. Rumoured to be the same pop masterminds behind Milke and amazing tracks like "Love Get Out of My Way", they're finally ready to unleash their much-hyped debut single "Gold In The Fire" on limited edition 7" vinyl with us early next month. Coming off like the halfway point between the cosmic soul of Magistrates (R.I.P.) and an even more disco-centric Friendly Fires, "Gold In The Fire" slays on the A-side while "Black The Colour of My Heart" shines on the flipside with Timbaland-esque drum loops and the dramatic synth washes of Royksopp. Both "Gold" and "Black" have been kicking about for a minute now, but we've got them available below as a special Monarchy double drop to remind you what you may or may not have been missing out on.

MP3: "Gold In The Fire" - Monarchy
MP3: "Black The Colour of My Heart" - Monarchy

The single's out February 1st and comes sporting the bands signature cover artwork, and will be available as usual from the Neon Gold Shop in the US and at Puregroove for our international customers. Given the hype this lot have generated so far, we don't expect this one to stay on shelves long, so get a-steppin' friends.

GAZE AT THE SPLENDOUR.

Good news for people who love great news, Christmas has come early in the form of another brand new track from everyone's favorite pop mystery, Monarchy. Saving the earth from bland pop music one hot jam at a time, the fly-by-night London duo are back with one of their best tracks yet in "The Phoenix Alive". It sounds kind of exactly like "Here Comes The Rain Again" without actually sounding like it at all, and we're pretty into that.

MP3: "The Phoenix Alive" (Demo) - Monarchy [expired]

CONFUSION ALL AROUND.

Today is a day of giving thanks, and here at Neon Gold we've certainly had a lot to be thankful for over the past year. Most recently though it's been Monarchy, whose debut single we'll have the honor of releasing on Neon Gold next February. We've already blogged the brilliant A-side "Gold In The Fire", but in the spirit of Thanksgiving we've got the B-side to share with you as well. "Black The Colour of My Heart" is all dramatic Royksopp-esque synth washes and Timbaland-style drum loops that draw you in before exploding into one of the biggest pop choruses of the year. It's only the second offering we've heard out of the Monarchy camp, but it's yet another reason they're being tipped left and right for massive things in the year to come. And no, we still don't know who they are either.

MP3: "Black The Colour of My Heart" - Monarchy

GOLD 011: PENGUIN PRISON

We've shown our main man Penguin Prison no shortage of love in these pages over the past few months, and now it's time to bring his masterful debut single into the world on Neon Gold. Another stellar double A-side release, we already unveiled the sterling lead track "Animal Animal" in September, and now we've got the equally brilliant AA-side "A Funny Thing" for your downloading pleasure. "Animal Animal" shined in the late summer sun as a bubbly cut of carefree pop effervescence, but "Funny Thing" doesn't waste any time giving you the business, all driving, churning synths and a huge chorus that stands out as his finest pop moment yet. Big stuff, people.

MP3: "A Funny Thing" - Penguin Prison [expired]

It's been amazing to see the reception Penguin's already gotten on UK radio, with fervent support coming from Radio 1, XFM and NME Radio for both tracks. The single's out November 23rd and comes sporting another beautiful round of cover artwork from the lovely and amazing FRAU GRAU, and will be available as usual from the Neon Gold Shop in the US and at Puregroove for our international customers. With remixes for both tracks coming in from The Sound of Arrows, Monarchy, Jakwob and more, this is sure to be an immensely popular release, so drop down and get your order on before it's too late.

LET'S MAKE YOU PICTURE PERFECT.

Little is known about Monarchy, but they emerge onto the scene with an absolute killer debut track, masterful art direction and an air of mystery about them that's quickly making them the talk of the town. There's been rampant speculation as to the identity of the musicians involved, but the only rumor I can confirm or deny with any certainty is that sadly it's not Starsmith and I at the helm of this disco starship.

Their debut offering "Gold In The Fire" comes off like the halfway point between the cosmic soul of Magistrates and an even more disco-centric Friendly Fires, a beautifully-crafted slice of polished dance pop that's already causing quite a stir on the blogs. Keep an eye on this space for more info as it breaks, but for now get your download on below and lose yourself in the mysterious pop brilliance of this exciting new London outfit.

MP3: "Gold In The Fire" (Demo) - Monarchy