TAKE A SECOND LOOK AND YOU'LL SEE.

Captain Cuts exploded onto the scene earlier this year with their 1000% gamechanging remix of Grouplove's "Colours", and now we're thrilled to have them back with their sophomore effort on our latest Neon Gold release with Icona Pop (available here at the Neon Gold Shop). We've already made our feelings known about "Manners" (basically that it's pop music perfected), but now here's the Captain Cuts remix coming over the hill, ready to pound your town to hell with a fire in its eyes and an insatiable appetite for destruction. It starts off innocently enough, pristine synth tones drawing the listener in before the Captains rain down a metric ton of synths and percussion on an out-of-nowhere haymaker of a chorus that hits harder than Mike Tyson on PCP. Even caps lock can't do the unrelenting MASSIVENESS of the track justice, just turn the speakers up to 11 and hope you make it through. Hide your children. Hide your spouse. Shit just got REAL.

MP3: "Manners" (Captain Cuts Remix) - Icona Pop [exclusive]

ONE WRONG MOVE AND YEAH WE'RE THROUGH.

Star Slinger, that British dude with the golden touch and a whole lotta soul behind some of the best tracks and remixes from the past year has struck again. This time around, our number one lady Alex Winston is his target and he's shooting to thrill with this oven fresh remix of "Sister Wife". With a militant snare beat and fuck-off swagger, Star Slinger reworks everyone's favorite anthem for dysfunctional polygamy into a jam that's way more Mormons In The Hood than Big Love. Playing off Winnie's sugar sweet yet strong vocals, the astral crusader seamlessly pairs a warped drumline percussion with ice cream truck jingles and synthy fireworks, boldly underscoring Winston's straight shooting message. If you didn't already then you certainly know now: this sister wife is not fucking around. Alex wraps up her current tour this Tuesday at Mercury Lounge, come join us down front and discover firsthand why Alex is one of the best new performers in the game.

MP3: "Sister Wife" (Star Slinger Remix) - Alex Winston

LIKE FIRE AROUND THE BRIM.

Friday nights in NYC used to be all about The Knocks' Mr. Jpatt tearing up the decks at Antik, the highlight of which was always his immaculate blend of Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead" and The Jackson 5's "I Want You Back". Then when Xaphoon Jones moved to New York and witnessed the magic, he took it one step further and turned Jpatt's segue into a full length track, which he's been playing out around town for a minute now and finally today unveiled on his brand new mixtape Xaphoon Jones Volume 2. Basically, it's perfect. Grab it below and hit up Ill Roots for the whole tape, since it's kind of furiously brilliant.

MP3: "The Jackson Pit" - Xaphoon Jones

CAN'T GET YOU FAR ENOUGH AWAY.

Savoir Adore are kind of the most adorable band in the game and they prove their eternally endearing qualities once again with new track "Sparrow," yet another promising step towards a potentially brilliant second album after the unveiling of "Loveliest Creature" earlier this year. While the Brooklyn dreampop crusaders have always reminded us of Stars, under the light of "Sparrow" (which they've been so kind to give us the exclusive premier for below) they seem cut from a more classic americana cloth - sweet without being saccharin and catchy as fuck.

Spastic drums and fuzzed out guitars ground the song's ethereal levity, while understated synths sparkle in the distance and round out the track's breezy melancholy. Exceedingly infectious - as is usually the name of the game with Savoir - the track puts them in line with some of America's great pop duos. Could Deidre and Paul (not that they're "together" per se) be 2011 indie pop's answer to Sonny and Cher? Or maybe Tammy Terrell and Marvin Gaye? But you know, less dramatic... and white? Come on out to Popshop next Thursday and judge for yourself, tickets still on sale here but going fassst.

MP3: "Sparrow" - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

IF YOU'RE VAGUELY ATTRACTED TO ROOFTOPS.

Freelance Whales have quietly been killing it (see: like every ad on television right now) since signing to Frenchkiss/Mom+Pop in late 2009, and their ascent from local bright young things to nationally acclaimed indie darlings continues with the release of their latest single "Hannah". Helping out on the remix package, we got our boy Lightwaves on the case, who takes the Sufjan-meets-Postal Service original and electrifies it into dreamy pop oblivion. It's got the same breathtaking endgame as the original but takes you on a very different journey to the finish line - instead of floating above Brooklyn rooftops on the wings of Freelance's lo-fi synths and frontman Judah Dadone's gentle vocal, you're moonwalking through fields of neon fireflies under fluorescent night skies. Fully equipped with Lightwaves signature handclap drums and heart-fluttering synth drops, it comes complete with a dance break in the middle eight that will get even thems without a pulse on the dancefloor - clear some space to sway around your apartment to this one, people.

MP3: "Hannah" (Lightwaves Remix) - Freelance Whales [exclusive]

TINY LITTLE WAVES OF THE FOREST.

We're pretty much all about the burgeoning Miami music scene - I mean, who hasn't been inspired by the sounds of the Miami since Will Smith first preached the city's gospel way back when? Born of the hot hot heat, palm trees and neon pastels of the Magic City are up and comers like Lil Daggers, Millionyoung and of course the amazing ANR, and if you haven't gotten lost in the very special jams of the latter to this point you need to make haste and do so immediately. ANR's debut album Stay Kids is chock full of psychedelic pop gems but none more epic than their STRAIGHT UP power ballad, "The Endless Field of Mercury." The track starts out sweet: choral arrangements and soft keys as far as the eye can see. Then come crashing waves of percussion and urgent vocals that put them somewhere between Yeasayer and Local Natives, and suddenly you've got a severe case of contagious elation on your hands. And though we posted the mp3 yesterday it gets better still - the music video is JUST as epic as the song and strikes the same angelic yet powerful chord - who knew that 1970's beauty pageants could be so affecting?

Then there's the live show, which takes things to another level entirely. Not since The Dodos have we witnessed a two piece unleash so much raw power and intensity on stage, as drummer/vocalist Michael-John Hancock and virtuoso keyboard/synth man Brian Robertson Not planning on heading to Miami any time soon? Worry not - we got you covered. Check them out at the next Popshop (tickets here) along side Walk The Moon and Savoir Adore next Thursday April 7th.

MP3: "The Endless Field of Mercury" - ANR

POPSHOP004: WALK THE MOON + SAVOIR + ANR

With the dust settled on SXSW and everyone finally beginning to feel human again, it's time to get back in the New York groove with another round of amazing live music at Popshop, coming at you hard and fast on April 7th. We've got the hottest new band in the game and the toast of SXSW 2011 headlining in Walk The Moon, with support from starry eyed Brooklyn dreamweavers Savoir Adore and Miami's finest ANR. Then as per usual we've got Absolut bringing the drink specials early with 2-for-1 drinks from 8pm-9pm, plus Lightwaves lighting up the decks all night long.

You should have the hang of this by now, but as always it's going down the first Thursday of the month at Tammany Hall (152 Orchard between Stanton and Rivington) in the LES, and tickets are available HERE. We're also making the show FREE after midnight (space permitting), for those of you who hate live instruments but still want to get your dance on with Lightwaves until the early hours. And just a reminder - the first three Popshops all sold out in advance, so GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY. It breaks our heart to see people turned away at the door, so please save everyone the emotional anguish and don't sleep on this one. Set times and downloads/streams below, see you next Thursday.

09:00pm: ANR // DOWNLOAD: "Endless Fields of Mercury"

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

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

12:00am: Lightwaves // DOWNLOAD: "Loveliest Creature" (Lightwaves Remix)

CAN YOU FEEL IT.

Headed into SX there were already a few bands destined to be the talk of the town come week's end - Walk The Moon, Foster The People and James Blake all come to mind - but for us the real superstars of SXSW 2011 were Athens, Georgia's own Reptar. Their People Are Cool Y'all EP from late 2010 was already one of our absolute favorite releases of the past 12 months (honestly, it's kind of a masterpiece), but the live show is where they really bring the magic. This is furious pop music, like Isaac Brock fronting Passion Pit under the watchful eye of Animal Collective, and the controlled chaos of the live show is a beautiful sight to behold.

Anyone who didn't make it out west to Austin last week needn't look further than the BRILLIANTLY boisterous "Houseboat Babies" to see what all the fuss is about - it's the kind of track that immediately transports you back to that "one krrrAaaaAaaaAzy summer," even if yours hasn't happened yet. It's just that good. Coincidentally (or maybe not so), the plucky vocal samples that give the song it's backbone takes on a serious Mark Mothersbaugh vibe, not a million miles away from the theme song to Rugrats (from which the band take their amazing name). Those samples, paired with the exuberant call and response of "Can you feel it? / Yes I can feel it!" set the track up to be one of the biggest partystarters of 2011, the kind of invincible anthem that just makes you sigh "ahhh youth" and then dance until dawn. So yeah Reptar, we can feel it.

MP3: "Houseboat Babies" - Reptar

YOU JUST HAVE TO WAIT.

Alex Winston is our number one homegirl in NYC and a beloved member of the Neon Gold extended fam, and her contribution to The Knocks' (amazing) Same Old Songs EP is kiiiind of perfect. With The Knocks at the helm on production, Winnie kills it on the vocal for their cover of The Supremes' "Can't Hurry Love", a song it almost sounds like she was born to sing. It's our favorite cut off of Same Old Songs and a production sound we don't often get to hear her vocals paired with, so be sure to get involved with this special HeavyRoc cut below. And if you're in Austin this week, don't miss Alex's only official SXSW play at our official Neon Gold showcase in Austin tomorrow night at 10pm.

MP3: "You Can't Hurry Love" (ft. Alex Winston) - The Knocks