Another year, another CMJ, and that means another star-studded double-decker New Shapes blowout at Santos Party House. If you were on the front lines with us last year, you experienced the US live debut of Gotye and oh so much more. And this year - as always - we're looking to go even bigger, as we team up with our UK brothers-in-arms, National Anthem and Chess Club, to bring you the show to end all shows Thursday night at Santos.
Upstairs, we have Brooklyn heartthrobs Lovelife, synth-noirists Citizens!, electro-superstars Strange Talk, UK stadium-indie rockers Morning Parade, and west coast supergroup extraordinaire JJAMZ. This all before headlining beauties Icona Pop shut it down in the coveted headline slot, an honor claimed by Gotye, Grouplove and Theophilus London in years past. Downstairs, we've got newborn ruffians Busy Living, Brit-crooner Gabriel Bruce, jungle-pop Aussies Jinja Safari, and west coast sunkids Pacific Air and Blondfire, before Sky Ferreira and Capital Cities closing the night out in style.
All this for the impossibly low price of $5 advance, $10 day of show, plus free entry for a limited number of CMJ badges (so arrive early!). Mark your calendars for 6pm sharp on October 18th and get your advance tickets HERE, this is one for the history books.
UPSTAIRS
07:30pm: Lovelife // DOWNLOAD: "Me After You"
08:30pm: Citizens! // DOWNLOAD: "True Romance"
09:30pm: Strange Talk // STREAM: "Cast Away"
10:30pm: Morning Parade // STREAM: "Headlights"
11:30pm: JJAMZ // STREAM: "Heartbeat"
12:30am: Icona Pop // STREAM: "I Love It"
DOWNSTAIRS
07:00pm: Busy Living // STREAM: "It's A War Out There"
08:00pm: Gabriel Bruce // STREAM: "Perfect Weather"
09:00pm: Jinja Safari // STREAM: "Peter Pan"
10:00pm: Pacific Air // STREAM: "Float"
11:00pm: Blondfire // STREAM: "Where the Kids Are"
12:00am: Sky Ferreira // STREAM: "Everything Is Embarrassing"
01:00am: Capital Cities // STREAM: "Safe and Sound"
Morning Parade are starting to happen in a big way at US rock radio, and they're storming our shores tonight by headlining Mercury Lounge to celebrate the release of their debut album in the US this week. Better yet, they happen to be giving away our favorite track on the record, "Carousel," for free, so cop that below and don't miss the dawn of the takeover tonight at 8pm.
This year, we're getting the New Shapes SXSW team back together again for one more run at the title, bringing you the pond-spanning best of the US, the UK, and beyond in one mega bill. Indoors and outdoors, we'll be using every square inch of the Red Eyed Fly. Outside, we've got Ambassadors, the enchanting Wild Belle, the UK's next great rock band Morning Parade, our resident dreamers Savoir Adore and St Lucia, and of course, the new loves of our life, HAIM. Inside, we've got the equally brilliant stylings of Nathaniel Rateliff, Daughter, Spinto Band, Chet Faker, and the incredible Charli XCX and Ben Howard as the icing on the proverbial cake. And as if that wasn't enough, Andy Rourke of The Smiths (legend) will also be manning the decks all day. It's all popping off March 15th, so get your RSVP in HERE and get involved.
GREAT NEWS. Popshop 2.0 is only three sleeps away, as we get ready to do it bigger than ever before with Classixx this Thursday at Santos Party House. The not so great news - we've lost another amazing act to the pitfalls of homeland security, as Morning Parade's visas were delayed until later in the month, meaning they won't be able to join us for this round of Popshop. Worry not though, they'll be back with us in March for a special pre-SXSW edition of our semiannual NEW SHAPES party as part of one of the biggest lineups we've ever brought to NYC (stay tuned).
Back to the matter at hand though. We've dug deep to find a stellar replacement for the Parade, and we're thrilled to announce that NYC's greatest rock 'n roll band Workout will be joining us on the Popshop stage, getting things popping early before French Horn Rebellion and Classixx tear it down in the headline slots. Workout are pretty much our new favorite live band in New York and it's a show that needs to be seen to be believed, so do yourself a favor and come down early - it'll be the best decision you make all month, guaranteed. It's all going down Thursday at Santos, you can cop cheap $10 adv tickets HERE before they're either sold out or $15 on the door, you're call.
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
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.
List season, y'allll. The BBC published their annual Sound of... list last week and now it's time for us to follow suit with our very own annual list. We're going to stick with the whole Sound of... route in terms of criteria - artists can't have had a Top 20 single or album to date, can't be a solo project from an established artist or someone who's already achieved fame by other means (sorry Willow), etc - and what follows are our 15 picks for superstardom in the new year.
We've got a habit of being a bit far-sighted with our lists in the past - many of the acts on last year's list still are yet to release their debut albums and thus a few will make repeat appearances this year, but all in all we like to think we've got a pretty decent track record with these things. After overshooting our mark in years past with bands that failed to get an album out in the following calendar year, we'll be focusing this list on bands that will definitely have albums hitting the streets in the next calendar year, with another list of fresh up-and-comers set to make their first foray into the limelight in 2011 to follow at the beginning of the year. But for now, let's get down to the business with our very own Sound of 2011 presentation.
JESSIE J // You can't fuck with Jessie J. With an absolutely killer voice, swagger for miles and the writing chops to match (homegirl wrote "Party In The USA"), not to mention fans in Justin Timberlake and Dr. Luke, she's already blowing up (debut single "Do It Like A Dude" is currently at #29 in the UK charts) and is about as close as you can get to a lock for superstardom in 2011 on both sides of the Atlantic. STREAM: "Do It Like A Dude" (Labrinth Remix) - Jessie J
STARSMITH // With Calvin Harris' recent announcement that he's retiring from the limelight of pop stardom to focus on his DJ and production work, the door's been opened for a new producer-cum-popstar to take the throne. And who better than Starsmith, who in the last 18 months alone has definitively established himself as the best pop producer in the UK under 25, with principle songwriting and production credits on four #1 albums in 2010 alone. Though massive, his debut single "Give Me A Break" (released on Neon Gold last month) is but the tip of the iceberg, as 2011 finds Starsmith set to release a debut album of more straightforward (yet still entirely banging) pop and vocal tracks featuring his own vocals as well as contributions from Alphabeat's Stine Bramsen, Daley, Ellie Goulding and many more. STREAM: "Give Me A Break" (Starsmith Remix) - Starsmith
CLARE MAGUIRE // We've been preaching the gospel of Clare Maguire for nearly two years now, but 2010 saw her finally make the first steps towards her superstar destiny on debut single "Ain't Nobody", and with her debut album slated for early 2011 and featuring such surefire megahits as "Last Dance" and "Sword & Shield", the girl with the golden voice looks set to at long last fulfill the promise that's made her the talk of the industry since 2008.
BROTHER // First things first: Brother are not the future of music. They're pretty fucking great at what they do though, and with their naturally controversial disposition, big hooks and fuck-off swagger, they'll make headlines as one of the most polarizing bands of 2011 but could ultimately outsell every single artist on this list. With their signature by-the-people-for-the-people "gritpop" sound and a music industry desperate for the return of big guitar bands to Britain, Brother are destined to make a lot of noise in 2011, whether you like it or not.
STREAM: "Darling Buds of May" - Brother
THE NAKED & FAMOUS // Up against The Vaccines to nab the token indie spot on the BBC's shortlist, our Neon Gold darlings look set to follow in the footsteps of their Down Under contemporaries The Temper Trap as an absolutely massive 2011 looks albeit inevitable for the Kiwi five-piece. Nevermind the fact that their album's already out in New Zealand and Australia (and thus already making its rounds on the internet), when you've got an chart-toppling single like "Young Blood" - not to mention brilliant ace-in-the-hole set up singles like "Punching In A Dream" and "All of This" - in your repertoire, big things are bound to happen. Expect to see this lot EVERYWHERE next summer.
STREAM: "Young Blood" - The Naked & Famous
ALEX WINSTON // We love Alex Winston like one of our own, and it's with ear-to-ear smiles that we've watched her absolutely smashing the game to bits over the second half of 2010. A refreshing departure from the at times painfully now cred-pop ladies of recent times, her style refuses to welcome lazy comparisons as she establishes her own niche in the current landscape of pop music. She's got less than ten live shows under her belt to this point, but anyone lucky enough to see her perform can attest to how special she is as an artist and performer. Homegirl is an absolute superstar, and while her best tracks remain unheard - expect that to change with her debut mini-album on the way next month - you can rest assured she'll be making serious waves in the new year.
STREAM: "Choice Notes" (Labyrinth Ear Remix) - Alex Winston
PENGUIN PRISON // Our flagship artist and the coolest thing to come out of the NYC pop scene in a long minute, Penguin Prison is set to turn serious heads when his debut full-length arrives in the first half of 2011. With three Neon Gold singles already under his belt (including the amazing "Golden Train" out this week), he's no stranger to the carousel of hype that defines this industry, but with massive singles "Don't Fuck With My Money" and "Multi-Millionaire" still awaiting deployment in the new year, you should trust us when we say you ain't heard nothing yet.
STREAM: "Golden Train" (The Royal Palms Remix) - Penguin Prison
JAI PAUL // Standing out from every single other artist on this list, Jai Paul is the UK's next great hope for an alternative male pop star. Your quintessential XL artist (with whom he signed earlier this year), he sounds like nothing else around at the moment, blending a broad spectrum of styles and genres with athletic ease. It's still early days with debut track "BTSTU" his only real offering to speak of, but with XL at the helm and their nigh-on immaculate track record of late, we can easily see Jai Paul coming out of left field to make considerable noise in 2011.
STREAM:"BTSU" - Jai Paul
JAMIE WOON // With dubstep creeping further and further into the mainstream with each passing year (see Skream's gamechanging remix of La Roux in 2009 and Katy B and Magnetic Man's chart success in 2010), the nexus of 2010 and 2011 sees a new movement emerging from the genre with Woon (and fellow crooner James Blake) turning heads with their soulful electronic, "post-dubstep" sound. It's Blake who's the industry darling at the moment , but it's Woon who gets the nod from us here - his Burial-produced lead single "Night Air" stands out as one of the sexiest tracks of 2010 and has us champing at the bit to here more from the Polydor-signed up and comer. STREAM: "Night Air" - Jamie Woon
MNDR // Already finding main stream success via her feature on Mark Ronson's Top 10 hit "Bang Bang Bang", the seeds have already planted for MNDR (née Amanda Warner) to do big things in 2011. With her phenomenal debut release E.P.E. and it's triumphant singles "Fade To Black" and "I Go Away" already garnering her a burgeoning fan base and rampant critical acclaim, she's got starpower for miles (just check her brilliant one-woman live show for proof) and some serious anthems - "Sparrow", as performed with The Business Intl. as her backing band on the Ronson tour, is an absolute belter - waiting in the wings, it's time to welcome the new heir to the cred-pop (*cringe*) throne.
STREAM: "I Go Away" - MNDR
GROUPLOVE //I mean, have you SEEN this band live? They absolutely crushed as the breakout band of CMJ, with one of the most thoroughly entertaining and invigorating live performances we've seen in a long minute, and with their debut single "Colours" arriving on Chess Club in February and an album following on Atlantic/Canvasback later in 2011, we can't wait to see what these kids have in store for us next year.
STREAM: "Gold Coast" - GROUPLOVE
MR. LITTLE JEANS // Mr. Little Jeans is kind of a wildcard. Photographs of her are few and far between, she's yet to play live outside of Scandinavia, and there's no shortage of confusion surrounding the fact that this Mister is really a Miss, but we're yet to hear a single song from her we haven't absolutely loved and if she can keep up the gold standard of songwriting and hold her own in the live realm we can see things really taking off for the Danish chanteuse in 2011.
STREAM: "Rescue Song" (The Naked & Famous Remix) - Mr. Little Jeans
MORNING PARADE // Like Delphic if last year's list darlings hadn't gone so full-on electronic and weren't so mind-numbingly dull, Morning Parade fuse electronic elements with a classic Britpop sound on their epic, arena-ready anthems. Sky-scraping melodies, flitting electronics and ocean-sized guitar riffs converge on lead single "Under The Stars"and "In The Name", like a distinctly 2011 take on the "new British invasion" sound of the mid-2000s, and with what's apparently one of the best live shows in the game, we expect Morning Parade to rock a lot of faces off in the months to come.
STREAM: "Under The Stars" - Morning Parade YADI // Jessie J and Clare Maguire are the talk of the industry as 2011 creeps over the horizon, but next year's new wave of female pop icons can hardly be considered complete without Yadi in the mix. With the vocal prowess of La Roux and all the swagger and power of Marina & The Diamonds - not to mention solid gold hits like "Guillotine" and "Gold" already in her arsenal - Yadi is one of the most exciting prospects for superstardom in the years to come. With the ink still drying on her major label deal, it's still quite early days for Yadi and she may end up more likely to top hotly-tipped lists for 2012 than to get an album out next year, but either way she's one to keep an eye on in the new year. Expect BIG things.
STREAM: "Guillotine" - Yadi
CLOCK OPERA // Having rapidly become one of our favorite bands since we put on their first London show back in 2009, Clock Opera will at long last release their debut album into the world in 2011. We've heard a good deal of it and can say with confidence that it will undoubtedly be one of the best records to come out next year, a beautiful compilation of haunting torchsongs and cinematic epics that has is sure to awe and inspire listeners in equal measures. They're hardly the stuff Radio 1 dreams are made of, but keep an eye on Clock Opera as a Mercury Prize darkhorse next year. STREAM: "Once And For All" - Clock Opera
And while that concludes our Sound of 2011 longlist, we've got a few more contenders we expect to see making waves in 2011 that are more than worthy of your attention below.
Another year, another CMJ, and that means another star-studded double-decker New Shapes blowout at Santos Party House. If you were on the front lines with us last year, you experienced the US live debut of Gotye and oh so much more. And this year - as always - we're looking to go even bigger, as we team up with our UK brothers-in-arms, National Anthem and Chess Club, to bring you the show to end all shows Thursday night at Santos.
