NEON GOLD PRESENTS: THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

So far, 2012 has been a banner year for California indie, and The Neighbourhood are one of the figureheads of this recent West Coast takeover. "Female Robbery" was love at first sight, and "Sweater Weather" remains one of our absolute songs of the year, so it's with boundless excitement that we announce their maiden voyage out east later this summer. We'll be putting on their debut New York dates this August at the Studio at Webster Hall on the 21st, before heading across the bridge to Glasslands on the 23rd. Tickets for Webster are HERE, and you can get your Glasslands tickets HERE. It's a late summer treat, so tell your friends, tell your neighbours, and come on out to see one of the most promising bands of the year take their first steps towards world domination.

STREAM: "Wires" - The Neighbourhood


STREAM: "Female Robbery" - The Neighbourhood


STREAM: "Sweater Weather" - The Neighbourhood

GOLD036: WILDCAT! WILDCAT!

There's something about Wildcat! Wildcat! that just makes us feel superhuman. Maybe it's the dark magician charm, maybe it's the meticulously brilliant execution. Either way, we're smitten like kittens and very excited to be bringing their debut 7" into the world next year, starring the familiar wiles of "Mr. Quiche" as well as the unfettered behemoth that is brand new track "The Chief".

As the shimmering, morning glorious beat pumps you full of caffeine, supercharged keys electrify the air and the rose-tinted falsetto picks you up and carries you to high heaven. The anxious middle eight thaws out any leftover cold weather and blows the blues away, paving the yellow brick way for the sexiest sax solo since St. Lucia's "All Eyes On You". If you need more than a shadow of optimism in your life right now, look no further than this. Our Wildcat! Wildcat! double A-side - and your essential summer 7" package - drops July 30th, so get your preorder on HERE.

DOWNLOAD: "The Chief" - Wildcat! Wildcat!

BLOOD ON MY HANDS AND MY HANDS ON THE GUN.

Regardless of where Viva Brother stand (or sit), we're not here to talk about the merits of a bygone era. We're here to talk about Lovelife, the fresh new face of Brother frontman Lee Newell and Mirrors' Ally Young. Through a sequence of various events, they've skipped Londontown and landed on our very doorstep, as they get ready to launch a month long residency at Pianos tomorrow night. "Me After You" may still be in demo form, but you can already feel the melodic contrasts and fluorescent synth outlines taking shape through the hazy smoke and mirrors of it all. It's a black-and-white chase scene that heals more than Hurts, and reminds you that sometimes when the car runs out of gas, the only thing left to do is hit the ground running.

DOWNLOAD: "Me After You" - Lovelife [exclusive]
 

ROCK FIST PAPER SCISSORS.

∆ (alt-J) is one of our favorite acts to emerge from the UK this year, so we're thrilled to hear that our dear friends at Canvasback will be bringing the debut full-length, An Awesome Wave, crashing down on US shores in September. Album highlights "Breezeblocks" and the awe-insipiring "Taro" stun in spades, while lead single "Fitzpleasure" triangulates between soul-searching vocals, idiosyncratic melodies, and meticulous instrumentals. Given that "Fitz" already sounds like the genetic hybrid of Wild Beasts and new TV On the Radio, it makes perfect sense that TVOTR's own Dave Sitek took the reins on this massive rework. Mr. Sitek neatly trims the fuzz to reveal the more youthful exuberance of alt-J hiding underneath. Gone is the rumble and grumble of the original, replaced by all the tribal goodness in the world. Cop the exclusive download below and see for yourselves.

DOWNLOAD: "Fitzpleasure (Dave Sitek Remix)" - Δ [exclusive]

POPSHOP BOSTON: RAC + PENGUIN PRISON

The Popshop takeover continues next week as we set our sights on Boston, teaming up with The Chuckness to bring you a double headliner affair for the ages. Fresh off their spotlight-grabbing collaboration on one of the year's biggest tracks, "Hollywood", RAC and Penguin Prison look set to launch Popshop Boston in style. They're both bona fide headliners in their own right, so expect this one to be LARGE, and maybe we'll even get a live collaboration of "Hollywood" out of it. WHO KNOWS. Getting things started early will be the new favorite sons of the Berklee electro scene, Carousel, fresh off a rousing Popshop debut in NYC earlier this month. Tickets are $15 advance and $18 day of show, but act now and hit up our superfans only ticket link HERE, where we've got a very limited amount of cheap $12 tickets available while they last. See you next week, Boston, it's ON.

WATCH: "Hollywood (ft. Penguin Prison)" - RAC

STREAM: "Don't Fuck With My Money" - Penguin Prison

STREAM: "Where Have You Gone" - Carousel

BABY IN SECONDS FLAT.

And so the West Coast hit parade just keeps marching on, as the mysterious and amazing Ghost Loft hit the scene with "Seconds", an R&B chart-topper in another life coming back to haunt your dreams. With all the shadowy intrigue of The Weeknd's arrival last year and the Tumblr-noir aesthetics of Ms Mr,  "Seconds" opens with an XX-esque bass line that pulses through sliced up samples of straightforward sentiment. When the verses take over, the dreamlike vocals intertwine seamlessly with the instrumental, flitting effortlessly between soothing and soothsaying. Shouts to Ms Mr for shining a light on Ghost Loft via their brand new (and, uh, kind of amazing) mixtape, Track Addict Vol. 1, available for streaming or track-by-track download now.

MP3: "Seconds" - Ghost Loft

GET A LITTLE CLOSER.

Going hammer on the blog today - new Purity Ring single "Fineshrine" coming correct, the first taste of their forthcoming debut album Shrines. Picking up right where last year's untouchable AA-side single "Ungirthed"/"Lofticries" left off, expect big things from the full length.

MP3: "Fineshrine" - Purity Ring

SINGING A MELODY ALL OUR OWN.

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.

MP3: "Carousel" - Morning Parade

GOLD035: FOXES

Foxes (our girl Loui Rose Allen) has been churning out effortless hits like butter for the better part of the last year, so it's with the great pleasure that we announce our next release with her, the three track Warrior EP. We've already hinted at the thunder-stealing AA-side's prime cuts in the empire-toppling "White Coats" and anthem-in-waiting demo "Let Go For Tonight", but it's EP title track "Warrior" leading the charge on the A-side.

With a lovesick power surge of Loui's larger-than-life vocals and enough riotous coming-of-age inertia to move mountains, "Warrior" is perhaps her biggest offering yet. This dovetails beautifully into "White Coats", an adrenaline rush of dystopian pop whose merits have already been preached from the mountaintops in these very pages. "Let Go For Tonight" rounds things out, a shining demo of boundless potential that has all the makings of a radio smash.

The Warrior 7" hits shops July 9th, but you may preorder the entire thing and get physical HERE. In the meantime, stream "Warrior" below and be sure to check out the digital EP (including two bonus tracks) on iTunes.

STREAM: "Warrior" - Foxes

NEON GOLD + POPGUN PRESENT: ICONA POP

It's been a longgg minute since we last had Icona Pop in NYC, going all the way back to when we put on their US debut alongside Oh Land and Friends (unreal bill in retrospect huh) at Popshop back in the Tammany Hall days. But we're pleased to announce the wait is over, as we team up with Popgun to present their first ever New York headline this Friday at Glasslands. Plus they've got support from our main man Xaphoon Jones and The Pop Manifesto's Ille, so yeah, BIG night. Move fast though as there's less than 50 tickets remaining, expect this to sell out in the next 36 hours and don't say we didn't warn you. Cop HERE.

STARS + STRIPES FESTIVAL 2012

Our nation's birthday is just around the corner, which could only mean one thing: Stars + Stripes, Round Two. Last year's inaugural fest on Martha's Vineyard was nothing short of amazing, with Chiddy Bang, The Knocks, French Horn Rebellion, and Savoir Adore lighting up the night and helping us raise over $30,000 for local charities. It was a massively rewarding event for everyone involved and we're thrilled to bring it back for the second year.

And this time, we're taking it to another level with one of our favorite bands in the world, as Grouplove top the bill with support from our very own firecrackers Alex Winston and St. Lucia, plus Brooklyn's own Sea Monsters getting things started early. It's a gathering of genuinely some our favorite people in the world and we'd be delighted for y'all to join us. And just like last year, all proceeds will go to the Martha's Vineyard YMCA, and more specifically, the incredible teen center and music program they've developed. Raging for a cause, guys.

It's all going down 9pm at Flatbread Company (formerly Nectars MV), with tickets now available to purchase HERE. And as a result of Stars + Stripes Part Deux and the July 4th holiday, Popshop NYC is taking a little vacation from Santos in July, but we'll be doing a special double-sized blowout for Popshop Brooklyn in its absence the next week. Stay tuned for more info.

DOWNLOAD: "Dark Vineyard Day" - Sea Monsters

STREAM: "Before the Dive" - St. Lucia

STREAM: "Velvet Elvis" - Alex Winston

STREAM: "Tongue Tied" - Grouplove

ALL BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO GO HIGHER.

Ghost Wave are one of those rare new bands that already knows exactly what they want. The last time we heard this much rookie talent from Auckland, New Zealand, it came in the form of The Naked & Famous, and we all know how that turned out (well. very well.). On debut single "Sunsetter", The Wave set their sights high and aim straight for anthem status, constructing two and a half minutes of sunkissed 70's bliss around a massive Dandy Warhols lick that hides in the crosshairs of Deerhunter and Tame Impala.

DOWNLOAD: "Sunsetter" - Ghost Wave [exclusive]

THOUGHT YOU KNEW BETTER.

We're hardly halfway through it, but this year has already been a golden one for the fairer coast, and Beat Club are the latest hopefuls looking to make a name for themselves in the flourishing LA music scene. Touting ex-members of Low vs Diamond and Julian Casablancas's touring band, the trio's debut single "Something Better" is just a wrecking ball of rugged indie pop. Unfolding with a funky and syncopated intro like the Fresh Prince theme song in skinny jeans and hipster glasses, it's not long before serrated guitar lines shred through the disguise and hook into you with razor sharp talons. Then without warning, that soaring, ebullient chorus let's loose and the rest is history. Like Foster The People covering Tokyo Police Club under a massive beach umbrella, it's pretty much it's own unique strain of massively contagious pop, so just sit back and let it take you over.

MP3: "Something Better" - Beat Club [exclusive]

IT WAS SIMPLE ENOUGH.

Xaphoon Jones is about to take your whole summer over with his forthcoming mixtape, XJV3, and we've got your first taste right here. Bringing together two of the biggest superstars of tomorrow in St. Lucia and Madeon, Xaph delivers a worthy successor to last year's instant classic, "The Jackson Pit", on an anthemic disco smash that'll be setting rooftop parties off all summer along.

MP3: "Oui Got It Wrong" (Xaphoon Jones Bootleg) - St. Lucia x Madeon

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PUT ON THE RED LIGHT.

Strange Talk are yet another one of those Australian bands that just has the perfect pop formula down to a science. So when they said they had an exclusive cover of The Police classic "Roxanne" for us to drop, we had high hopes. High hopes that were quickly obliterated by the actual product, a massive, hands-in-the-air club rework that brings to mind all the best bits of Classixx' now legendary take on Phoenix's "Listzomania" and St. Lucia's "September". A love potion so real it should be illegal.

MP3: "Roxanne" - Strange Talk [exclusive]

POPSHOP RADIO 017

Just in time for tomorrow night's Santos Party House throwdown, it's time to welcome back our old friend Popshop Radio, now coming to you courtesy of our recently-crowned resident Popshop DJ Friendly Greg. With the perfect mix of choice cuts from the stars of tomorrow night's lineup - most notably Danger's still-flawless electro classic "11h30" - and a healthy dose of summery heaters from Neon Gold all stars past and present (Penguin Prison? Check. Marina? Check. The Knocks and St. Lucia? Check check.), it's got everything you need to get you in the mood and then some for tomorrow night's festivities. The last few have sold out hard and this is shaping up to do the same, so cop your $10 advance tix HERE while they last.

1. "Hollywood (featuring Penguin Prison)" - RAC

2. "Closer Than This (Viceroy Remix)" - St. Lucia

3. "We Got It Wrong (Xaphoon Jones Remix)" - St. Lucia

4. "11h30" - Danger

5. "Let it Go (The Knocks Remix)" - Dragonette 

6. "Primadonna" - Marina & the Diamonds 

7. "South Pacific (Database Remix)" - Is Tropical 

8. "Where Have You Gone" - Carousel

9. "Falling Out" - Body Language

NEON GOLD PRESENTS: ALEX WINSTON

Hot on the heels of her triumphant return to the US at her sold out Knitting Factory show in April, we're bringing Alex Winston over the bridge to Manhattan for her next NYC play next month. Returning to our second home at Santos Party House for this one, we're bringing you a rare, guilt-free Friday night out with what's sure to be another Winston performance to remember.

We're also thrilled to bring you a stacked support lineup for this one, as we bring Mr. Little Jeans over for her long-awaited NYC live debut in the main support slot, and round things out with a powerhouse opening set from London-via-Brooklyn newcomers Lovelife getting things started early. Winston's last New York headline sold out hard and fast, and with a very limited number of $7 early bird tickets available before they jump to $10 advance and $13 day of show, you'd be wise to lock your tix up HERE now. It's also a rare 18+ event for us, so any and all young folks tired of watching from the sidelines would do well to seize the opportunity and get involved. It's all going down Friday the 13th of July at 7pm sharp, and yeah, it's going to be scary good.

DOWNLOAD: "Guts" (The Sound of Arrows Remix) - Alex Winston


DOWNLOAD: "Rescue Song" - Mr. Little Jeans

CAN'T STAY BROKEN HEARTED.

Berkeley trio Carousel are only a few blocks away from pop supremacy and they're pedaling fast. "Where Have You Gone" has this wistful, soft spoken falsetto juxtaposed against a synth-laden electronic washout that sounds like Passion Pit colliding with Urban Cone in a union of blissful oblivion under a vesper moon. And when the hourglass slows to a single drop, it brings with it an entire second wave of feelings that permanently overflow your senses. The Carousel boys are kicking off our June Popshop this Thursday before Body Language, Danger and Xaphoon Jones. Advance tickets are still available HERE, get moving New York.

MP3: "Where Have You Gone" - Carousel

ALL THINGS GOLD 011: MYSTERY JETS

If ever we said All Things Gold couldn't possibly get anymore golden, we're now eating our words. This month, we've got none other than the reigning kings of UK indie, Mystery Jets, as they take a break from their current US tour supporting Keane to let loose on the U Hall stage in a special headline show. Not only are they one of our favorite bands of all time (and quite possibly our favorite UK band of the last decade), but they've got a brilliant new record out this month, so expect them to come through with no shortage of hits new and old. And just to ice the cake, we've got DC's favorite son Brenton Duvall keeping you moving early and late. It's all going down at U Street Music Hall at 10pm sharp, so cop your $7 advance tix HERE before it's too late.

STREAM: "Serotonin" - Mystery Jets

STREAM: "Tryouts (Brenton Duvall Remix ft. Childish Gambino)" - Javelin