CUT FOR IT.

As the release of our next single for Marina & The Diamonds' "Obsessions" creeps ever closer, the first few remixes have begun trickling in and we'll be bringing them to you as they drop. First up is a slow-burning Italo-disco take from New Jersey's finest Pink Stallone, described by the guys themselves as some "empty street Sally Shapiro lonely disco shit". Cutting out the verses and stretching it out to seven-plus minutes, the duo transpose the track onto a churning bassline that takes the original into darker territory as air raid synths cascade back and forth across the mix and Marina's vocals ebb and flow ominously throughout. "Obsessions" is released worldwide this Valentine's Day and is available for preorder now from the Neon Gold Shop in the US and Puregroove in the UK.

MP3: "Obsessions" (Pink Stallone Crush) - Marina & The Diamonds

THE NEW KING OF POP.

Theophilus London is quite possibly our biggest tip for 2009. Even sure things like Passion Pit and Clare Maguire don't have the potential Theo has to really turn the music industry on its ear in '09. We used to hail him as the future as hip-hop, but even a lofty title like that might not be doing him justice. Hype much? Yeah, but if Theo's not the hottest new artist in the game by 2010 we'll close up shop and start going to Dave Matthews Band shows.

Theo's brand new mixtape dropped yesterday and it's pretty much fire. Beyond the Smiths-referencing title and brilliant Elvis Costello-referencing cover (above left), This Charming Mixtape compiles some of London's best work to date, including his amazing remix of Amadou & Mariam's "Sabali" which kicks things off as the intro track. Try it out for yourself below. Uh-oh, uh-oh.

MP3: "Sabali" (Theophilus London Remix) - Amadou & Mariam

TONIGHT JUST BECAME THIS MORNING.

I was never overly fond of Jack Penate's fresh-faced guitar sounds, but after initially hailing him as their new wonder boy, the alarming swiftness with which the UK music industry and press seemed to turn their collective back on the young troubadour was staggering to say the least. Penate could have easily put his tail between his legs and wandered off into obscurity in the aftermath, but instead he's resurfaced with one of the most impressive comeback singles we've heard in ages. Teaming up with the one and only Paul Epworth is one way to get your name back in the headlines, but it doesn't mean shit if you haven't got the goods to back it up. On "Tonight's Today" Penate's penned a classic pop song set to the dreamy backdrop of Epworth's nigh-on balearic production, the result an ethereal that takes us far away from the dreamy context of the present as our thoughts drift towards greener pastures and carefree pursuits. Perfect for watching the world wake up around you as you waltz home in the predawn twilight.

MP3: "Tonight's Today" (Extended Version) - Jack Penate

// Nacho Alegre //

ONLY YOU CAN KNOW THE WAY I'M FEELING.

Back from London and back in the swing of things. Giantess are obviously one of our biggest tips for 2009, what with the fact that everything they've touched so far has turned to gold and whatnot. A big reason for this is the sexy studio touch of Ayad Al-Adhamy, who apart from holding down the synths and samples in Passion Pit moonlights as Giantess' producer at his Bo Flex Music studio in Boston. Ayad's taken to remixes these days, sometimes teaming up with the Giantess bros (as was the case on their phenomenal "Sleepyhead" mix) or going it alone as he's done on his latest rework, this one for DC indie types US Royalty. The original's a fairly unremarkable, standard-rock affair that's not much to write home about, but the Bo Flex treatment drapes it in layers of icy synths that perfectly complement the admittedly phenomenal vocal of the original. Pure studio magic, Bo Flex's take on "Keep It Cool" is just one of the many reasons to keep an eye on Boston's rapidly up and coming pop scene in '09.

MP3: "Keep It Cool" (Bo Flex Remix) - US Royalty

// Monotonia //

HERE COMES WHAT YOU NEVER REMEMBER.

Holiday hiatus over. 2008 was a good year for us. We got up our grassroots operation up and running, put out one of the best bands we've ever heard and laid the foundation for a big year in 2009. The first half of '09 will see us releasing records from Marina & The Diamonds, Gotye and Theophilus London, and we'll continue to work with Giantess in a managerial capacity until they've signed a billion dollar record deal and we all become rich and famous. Enough about us though, other people are going to be fucking some serious shit up in 2009 as well. Our next few features will be highlighting some of the fresh new talent that'll be coming up through the ranks next year to make some serious noise on the charts.

While Passion Pit and Marina are pretty much no brainers for big league triumphs next year, there's no safer bet for supernova success than Clare Maguire. Recent years have seen like-minded, big-voiced starlets like Winehouse, Adele, Duffy et. al ascending the charts with fluid ease, establishing their kind as the prototype for guaranteed chart success. Thus, Maguire, who's bros with Marina Diamond and produced by Primary 1, seems like the safest bet for surefire mainstream dominance in '09. A lengthy A&R struggle saw Maguire on the receiving end of one of the biggest deals we've heard about in an age, and "Strangest Thing", her brilliant white label debut, is already getting play on Radio 1 and has the future looking blindingly bright for this one.

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

And since you were wondering, below are our favorite songs of '08.

1. "Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit
There's been no shortage of praise thrown at our debut release and we don't think it's a dick move giving the top two slots of this list to Neon Gold artists, rather it just shows how blessed we feel we are to be working with such incredible talents. "Sleepyhead" sounds like nothing else before it, a completely original musical thought that's straight up one of the best songs we've ever heard. Hands down our song of the year and we hope it's yours too.

2. "Obsessions" - Marina & The Diamonds
The demo of this was our most listened to song of the year until Passion Pit strolled onto our radar, and Liam Howe's production on the recently unveiled single version just makes it even more special. Available worldwide on Valentine's Day '09, this was one of the defining tracks of the year for us and we're honored to be able to release it to the masses in February.

3. "Daylight" - Matt & Kim
Matt & Kim followed up their impressive '07 debut with two shit-hot singles in 2008. The more recent of the two, "Daylight", goes down as one of the year's most infectious tracks and hints at huge things to come on the duo's upcoming sophomore album. Twinkling keys hook you from the start, before a monumental drumbeat drops in and the song takes flight on a catchy-as-fuck vocal structure and oscillating synths. Special.

4. "Hearts A Mess" - Gotye
One of our favorite records of all time since it's initial release in 2006, Gotye's cinematic masterwork finally saw release beyond Australian borders courtesy of Lucky Number Music last spring. We're thrilled to announce our upcoming collaboration with the Australian maestro, which will come to fruition when we issue Gotye's first-ever US release this spring. Yeah, we're pretty excited.

5. "Get Over It" - Guillemots
Guillemots' "Trains To Brazil" was the best thing to happen to music in 2006 and they came damn close to topping it with "Get Over It". In the weeks leading up to its unveiling buzz around the industry was that Guillemots' had written the perfect pop song, and fuck if this isn't one of the most inspiring, euphoric tracks we've ever had the pleasure of listening to.

Concise, yet effective - these were the songs that really mattered in 2008. Let's see if '09 can do any better, shall we?

// I Need Chemical //

TUCKED IN MY SWEATER NOW.

It's hard for me to endorse such a blatant appeal for credibility by a major corporation as Green Label Sound, in which Mountain Dew commissions artists to provide them with exclusive mp3s for distribution through their website, but I must say they've got some fucking great ears behind this thing. Earlier this year they brought us the amazing "Daylight" by Matt & Kim, and now they're back with another hit, this time courtesy of Flosstradamus and Chairlift's Caroline Polachek. "Big Bills" is Flosstradamus' first original production, and while Polachek's vocals seem like a curious fit at first, the incredible chorus goes down as one of the best and most infectious of the year. Follow the link below for the MP3.

LINK: "Big Bills" (ft. Caroline Polachek) - Flosstradamus

// Frosk //

FLIPPIN' THROUGH YOUR RECORDS.

The Giantess guys are some of our favorite bros around and they've been producing nothing but fire in the studio as of late. "You Were Young" is the latest slice of pop bliss to emerge from Bo Flex HQ, and we're here to hook you up with an xxxclusive first listen. Spiraling synths, infectious hooks and a seriously ill bridge that sounds like Daft Punk on a sugar high, listening to this is like flying down the yellow brick road at 100 mph while its raining ecstasy and skittles. Taste the rainbow, bitches.

MP3: "You Were Young" - Giantess ((exclusive))

GOLD002: MARINA & THE DIAMONDS

We revealed last month our imminent collaboration with the amazing Marina & The Diamonds, and while some unforeseen delays have forced us to push back the release until the new year, we're thrilled to announce that Marina's debut single will at long last find it's way into the hands of the masses via Neon Gold this coming Valentine's Day. To make the wait more bearable, we've got the wonderful music video - beautifully directed on a non-existent budget by Tim Brown - above and are making the finished version of the track available for FREE download below. The demo remains one of our favorite tracks of the year, but the single version sports immense new production from Liam Howe that elevates the original to new heights of pop perfection. This is widescreen technicolor pop bliss that's sure to make Marina one of the most talked about new talents of 2009. Enjoy.

MP3: "Obsessions" - Marina & The Diamonds ((exclusive))


"Obsessions" is Marina's dramatic masterwork and the spotlight track here, but the single's another double A-side release with the equally impressive left field pop smash that is "Mowgli's Road" turning up the intensity on the flipside. While "Obsessions" might tempt hasty comparisons to other British starlets currently gigging around the UK, "Mowgli's Road" (available for streaming on our myspace) could quite easily be a standalone single in its own right, an unquestionably original breath of fresh air that puts Marina in a league of her own among her likeminded contemporaries. The two tracks combine to form an incredibly bold statement intent for such a young talent and establish Marina as a force to be reckoned with in the new year.

Limited to 500 copies worldwide (250 for the US and 250 for the UK/Europe) and featuring original artwork from the NYC's brilliant Mogollon collective, the record's currently available for preorder from the Neon Gold Shop (US customers) and Puregroove (international customers). Oh and did we mention the first 50 preorders will receive SIGNED copies? Because they will. Yeah, get on this. Grab the free mp3 above and sit tight for more details on the release, as there's plenty more excitement to come on this one, including remixes from Giantess, Little Boots and more.

// Tim Brown //

MADE IT TO THE TOP JUST TO GET AWAY.

2008 wasn't quite the banner year for UK indie we've seen in the past, but Northern Irish bright young things Two Door Cinema Club are here to make sure that won't be the case in '09. Touted by industry types as Vampire Weekend meets the Postal Service and all manner of other vaguely fitting comparisons, the Bangor three piece aren't easily pigeonholed but bring a high octane brand of electronically-leaning guitar pop that sets them apart from their like-minded indie contemporaries. Our three protagonists all pitch in vocals over top melodic guitar lines and a faithful drum machine, all of which converge to lend their tracks an air of refreshing vitality and frantic energy the likes of which hasn't been seen in quite some time.

"Undercover Martyn" is the standout track from the band's buzzworthy Four Words To Stand On EP and it's accompanying video (above) is a simple yet effective treatment that highlights the band's aesthetic perfectly. The track's being kept under wraps for the moment, but they've been nice enough to sort us with an exclusive demo to make available for download. "Hands Off My Cash, Monty" is a damn fine song in its own right and just another reason these guys are one of our hottest tips for '09.

MP3: "Hands Off My Cash, Monty" (Demo) - Two Door Cinema Club ((exclusive))

Elsewhere, the results are in and the winners of the Passion Pit remix contest have been crowned over at Finger On The Pulse. The third installment of their No Big Deal party series at Glasslands last Friday was out of control and saw Mr. and Mrs. Neon Gold taking professionalism to new heights of dranx'd while Passion Pit played one of their most fun sets to date. Cheers to FOTP and Palms Out Sound for throwing down one of the best parties we've been to all year and be sure to check out the fresh crop of "Sleepyhead" remixes up for download here.

// Brian Phillip Davis //