GUESS WHAT.

We're way busy packing for our first ever Glastonbury, but before we jet off for the weekend we had to hook you up with the amazing new video that's just come through for Marina & The Diamonds' "I Am Not A Robot". Directed by Dazed & Confused founder and famed London photographer Rankin, it's hands down one of the best videos we've seen in ages and one of the more special things we've ever been involved with. We were on set for a portion of the grueling 16 hour shoot (which involved three full body paint jobs) and it was obvious this was going to be pure magic, but the video turned out even more beautifully than we could have ever imagined. Truly a work of art.

Out on Neon Gold this past Monday, "Robot" is the lead single from The Crown Jewels EP, which is still available for purchase from the Neon Gold Shop and Puregroove as well as on iTunes UK. As per usual it comes backed by a delicately assembled remix package, one of the highlights of which is the incredible mix from The Aspirins For My Children. NME's named the remix their #1 Must Hear track in this week's issue and they're pretty much spot on there: this shit has massive trance stabs, high drama strings, actual robots and just about anything else you could possibly ask for. Between this and his immense destruction of "Obsessions", we're starting to feel like a full-fledged Aspirins/Marina EP is something that needs to happen... we're not making any promises though.

MP3: "I Am Not A Robot" (Aspirins For My Children Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds

That's all for now, off to Glastonbury tomorrow. We'll be back in action next week (with a new single announcement, no less) provided we survive the next four days. Holler at us if you're headed down and if you're not be sure to keep it locked on our twitter for drunken updates on how much fucking fun we're having. We'll be spending most of our time kicking it the Chess Club-curated stage at the Departure Lounge, where Neon Gold favorites and Chess Club all-stars Ex-Lovers, Mumford & Sons, Kurran & The Wolfnotes and many more will be awing the masses all weekend. Check out the full line up our Chess Club dudes have put together HERE. Can't wait, y'all.

// Rankin & Chris //

AND LET THE DRUM BEAT DROP.

Brand new Neon Gold release out now, y'all. The Crown Jewels EP drops on 7" and download today from Marina & The Diamonds and we couldn't be happier. We've already waxed poetic on its treasures and offered ace AA-side track "Seventeen" up for download, but we've also commissioned a few top notch remixes this time around as well. Never ones to skimp you on the remix front, we've got some primetime mixes in from French cool kids The Shoes and up and coming London producer The Aspirins For My Children, the latter of whom comes through with another great Marina rework hot on the heels of his incredible take on "Obsessions". Our favorite of the bunch, however, comes courtesy of Starsmith, whose 24 Carat mix shimmers and shines as it slowly builds to an epic, synth-drenched climax. Already beloved around Neon Gold HQ for his amazing work with Ellie Goulding, he's recently turned his sights on remixing, and guess what - he's pretty fucking good at that too. The Crown Jewels is available for purchase in the US from the Neon Gold Shop or in the UK from Puregroove. Make it happen.

MP3: "I Am Not A Robot" (Starsmith's 24 Carat Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds

REASONS NOT TO END IT ALL IN 2009 PT. III

We've been talking up our hot tips for '09 for a minute now, but we decided it was high time we took action and threw together a proper list. Here are some bands you're going to give a fuck about over the next 12 months.

We've said it once, we'll say it again: Clare Maguire will reign supreme in 2009. Anyone uncertain look no further than her Primary 1-produced demo of "Strangest Thing" and hear the voice that will be dropping jaws all year long.

MP3: "Strangest Thing" (Demo) - Clare Maguire

It's hard to know where to begin with Miss Marina Diamond. She's easily the loveliest person we've come across in our music industry travels, not to mention one of the most promising songwriting talents we've ever heard. Marina's beautiful, charismatic and one of the most brilliant performers we've ever had the pleasure of seeing live, and we've genuinely never met someone so driven and determined to succeed - having turned away countless management offers over the last year, she's managing herself and doing everything on her own terms. Earlier this month she dropped by Radio 1 to perform a four song live session for Huw Stephens and then followed it up with a two song solo performance for Dermot O'Leary on Radio 2 a few weeks back, in which she treated listeners to a stripped down version of "Obsessions" and a special cover of Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For". Also be sure to keep an eye out for her in this month's issues of Dazed & Confused and Arena Magazine.

2009's a bit of a crapshoot what with the sheer number of talented girl singers who've secured major label deals in the last six to ten months, but our money's on Marina to rise to the top on the strength of some of the most wonderfully unique pop songs we've ever heard. Sure we're biased, given her debut single "Obsessions" dropped on Neon Gold earlier this month (buy. that. shit.), so we'll just let the songs speak for themselves. To celebrate we're hitting you with a special double drop in the form of the best B-side you'll hear all year (that'd be "Mowgli's Road") and an unreal remix of "Obsessions" courtesy of up-and-coming electro maestro The Aspirins For My Children.

MP3: "Mowgli's Road" - Marina & The Diamonds
MP3: "Obsessions" (The Aspirins For My Children Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds

Your Twenties like the Beatles and care about backing vocals. This is all they choose to make known about themselves on their myspace page, but further digging reveals frontman Gabriel Stebbing's previous endeavors as lead guitarist and backing vocalist in Metronomy. Stebbing has since left Metronomy to focus on Your Twenties full time, and the results have been nothing short of amazing. Debut single "Caught Wheel" dropped last November and wasted no time flying off the shelves, and has just been re-pressed for those who arrived a little too late to the party. "Caught Wheel" comes off as a timeless slice of breezy indie pop fun, recalling The Shins and the Beach Boys in equal parts, and if demos like "Billionaires" and "Gold" on the myspace are any indication, it's only the tip of the iceberg for this bunch. Expect huge things this year.

MP3: "Caught Wheel" - Your Twenties

The cyclical nature of musical styles and trends is no secret in this day and age, and we're pretty sure grunge is just about due to make a comeback. Only time will tell, but Dinosaur Pile Up are doing their best to lead the resurgence, as the demo of "Love Is A Boat And We're Sinking" ably demonstrates. We could be wrong about this whole grunge renaissance, but we stocked up on plaid and stopped bathing weeks ago just in case.

MP3: "Love Is A Boat And We're Sinking" (Demo) - Dinosaur Pile Up

We've been pushing their wares since last autumn, and Little Comets have since wrangled a nice little major label deal for themselves after putting out debut single "One Night In October" with our friends at Lucky Number Music last month. Bursting at the seams with fresh-faced vitality, "October" bounces along on a buoyant rhythm section and clattering percussion, shouty Wombats vocals and sunny guitars converging to make the four-piece out to be something of limey Vampire Weekend. With the lone exception of Pete & The Pirates, UK indie had a bit off an off year in 2008, but with on-the-rise acts like Little Comets and Two Door Cinema Club leading the charge in '09, expect to hear a lot more noise from the long-haired, skinny-jeaned crowd this year.

MP3: "One Night In October" - Little Comets

Previously: Reasons Not To End It All In 2009 Pt. I and Pt. II