OUTLINED AGAINST A PURPLE SKY.

Niki & The Dove can do no wrong as far as we're concerned, and their incredible new video - courtesy of Seattle production collective WINTR - for last year's single "The Fox" is no exception. Niki & The Dove blew us away in their first London headline at Popshop UK last year, and we're thrilled to announce that we'll be bringing the Swedish duo stateside for their first headline plays in NYC and DC next month. Stay tuned for more info...

DOWNLOAD: "The Fox" - Niki & The Dove

PRETTY GIRLS BORN IN THE NINETIES.

As residents of the rage haven that is New York City, we've had our fair share of gripes about the concrete jungle and its dehumanizing tendencies, but we've also found the silver lining in the form of honest, homegrown pop duos like Ghost Beach. While their debut single "Empty Streets" isn't the most lyrically optimistic, there's a certain magnetism that appeals to our soft inner core that ultimately manifests itself in an overwhelming pop radiance. It's more cathartic than depressing, maybe because it sounds like a post-punk Passion Pit, all skyscraping synth lines with the jilted lover's vocals expertly oscillating between solid ground and high-flying falsetto breaks with athletic ease. It's the kind of thing that leaves you feeling like a modern Peter Pan, with both your shadow and your youth intact.

We're also fans of their very Instagram-ready video (above) that lets you keep your head in the clouds and daydream away. The pacing is brilliant, with the treading shiny shoes and the gradual reveal of the female anti-hero delving into the wild, for some quality alone time. It's like post-breakup, when the pros eventually outweigh the cons - even if it's just in your head - and the self-deprecation turns into a mature, blissed-out feeling of independence. We have to admit, dancing on your own with a glass of wine, sparklers, confetti, and balloons usually does do the trick for temporary healing. Let "Empty Streets" take you over, then mark your calendars for December 1st when Ghost Beach will make their live debut on the Popshop stage, kicking off a celebration for the ages as the first year of Popshop NYC comes to a close in style.

MP3: "Empty Streets" - Ghost Beach

SHADOWS BLEED.

We still don't know who or what they are exactly, but with each passing day we find ourselves falling more and more head over heels for Ms Mr's mysterious pop charms. Pardon our French, but there's a certain je ne sais quois about their wholeheartedly nostalgic pop-noir that's just fucking incredible. Take this new video for "Ash Tree Lane", edited by the visually gifted David Dean Burkhart, for example. With a brilliant cinematic intro, it soon plunges headfirst into an Alice In Wonderland rabbit hole before taking off on a journey into the heart of the American dream. Again, it's the mystery girl's vocals that effortlessly tug at your heartstrings, while taking you by the hand and guiding you through a slideshow of familiar images of American life, so nostalgic they feel like a far-off fairytale.

The constantly moving visuals are perfectly suited for the high-hat heavy beat and ominous, weighted keys that howl beneath the song's surface and steadily build up like Jenga bricks before coming crashing down in the chorus like a synthwave attack. It's a massive drop for a massive tune, and we're more than excited to share the mp3 with you below, along with the exclusive premier of the video above. Have at it.

MP3: "Ash Tree Lane" - Ms Mr

LET YOUR VOICES SING IT LOUD.

As a band from the heart of hurricane-prone south Florida, ANR have put their homegrown survival instinct to use in the force majeure video for our latest release, "It's Around You", which was fittingly conceptualized during Hurricane Irene. This cinematic work of art from the brilliant minds of Jillian Meyer and Lucas Leyva contextualizes the various layers of the track by juxtaposing piercing images of frantic swimmers with human cyclones and interpretative dancers. The visual accompaniment successfully makes natural disasters seem more human and bodily movements more fluid in the interlocking ebb and flow of life.

Meyer and Leyva (of Miami's prolific Borscht collective) are also responsible for the hauntingly spot-on music video for ANR's "Big Problem", which launched ANR into the national consciousness earlier this year. While the original song was already an apocalyptic pop gem in its own right, the acoustic version - an extra from the deluxe edition of ANR's masterful Stay Kids LP - is a lush orchestral masterstroke, complete with an elegiac string section that softly hums over the unthreatening strums-and-drums combo. It's an incredible change of pace that's perfect for all those lazy mornings following long nights, and we've got an exclusive premiere of this beautifully raw reimagining for your listening pleasure below.

MP3: "Big Problem" (Acoustic) - ANR [exclusive]

THERE IS NO ONE LIKE ME.

We just can’t hide our unabashed and undying love for the regal pop bliss of Icona Pop. We’ve been peddling their debut offering “Manners” - a single so perfect it's already inspired a bounty of incredible remixes and scored the starring role in the new Chiddy Bang single "Mind Your Manners" - since we released it last March, so when the duo finally sent through the neon daydream of a music video they’ve put together for the track, we were drooling out of dropped jaws. Cue quick cuts, kaleidoscopic acid trips, and mouths overglowing with emotion. We were already truly, madly, deeply in love with everything about the Icona girls and their creative output, but now they’ve gone and taken everything to another level with the kind of video Neon Gold dreams are made of.

Cue then, Step Brother (a production team so mysterious they lack so much as a URL to attach to their name), who hit the scene with impeccable timing on this new gloriously lush new remix of the track. Keeping it in the Neon Gold family, Step Brother use “Manners” as the perfect synth-fueled vehicle to lure you in like quicksand, when time is visibly relevant, and captures the precise moment when icy stares melt away in the heat of the night. We didn’t think it was possible, but this re-imagining in itself is even more a siren song likely to make men weak at the knees, so honestly don’t feel bad when you’re won over within seconds.

MP3: "Manners" (Step Brother Remix) - Icona Pop [exclusive]

STUCK WITH YOU.

With her second video in the mix, our girl Alex Winston does not disappoint. Directed by That Go (Brooklyn production duo Stefan Moore and Noel Paul), the video for "Sister Wife" sort of plays out like one of those Stefon sketches from SNL's Weekend Update... "this club has EVERYTHING: creepy old ladies in nightgowns, toilet bread, bed pythons and a puppet cat that spews blood..." But in all seriousness this video's amazing - all shadowy atmospherics and an eerie sense of controlled chaos, as Winnie has a bizarre yet visually astounding house party in a haunted mansion. It's basically perfect, marrying (polygamy style of course) all aspects of the song together as the video wraps the playful violence and sweet darkness of the track into one awesomely weird package.

Speaking of playful, violent, sweet 'n dark (that's how I take my coffee by the way) - Ladyhawke is back! This time around she's lending her grungy electro touch to a stellar "Sister Wife" remix, and this one's on seriously heavy rotation people. Building off the vibe of Star Slinger's Mormons In The Hood remix from a while back, Ladyhawke elaborates with SERIOUS attitude, all "oh know she didn't!" hand claps and "get the fuck out" synths. Together, the video and remix are just another step towards world domination for Ms. Winston as she preps her hotly-anticipated debut album for release this autumn. It's a great day for sister wives everywhere.

MP3: "Sister Wife" (Ladyhawke Remix) - Alex Winston

KEEP IT UP DON'T STOP.

NewVillager burst onto the scene with their rather amazing debut single "Rich Doors"/"Ghengis On" and started making waves around SXSW 2009. Then things quieted down for a minute. But now they're back with new single "LightHouse" (out now on IAMSOUND) and have the buzz swirling once again. Big track, bigger video. Alright we're off to Coachella catch y'all next week.

MP3: "LightHouse" - NewVillager

RUN THE HELL OUT OF TOWN.

ANR are amazing. Their new album Stay Kids is amazing. And the new video for current single "Big Problem" is AMAZING. With that in mind, y'all should probably come see them tear up Popshop this week (tickets here). It might be amazing.

MP3: "Big Problem" - ANR

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

EVERYTHING WILL BE BETTER IN THE FALL.

London's Entrepreneurs is one of the more fascinating prospects kicking around the UK electro-indie scene at the moment, so it's with great pleasure that we bring you the world premier of the Tyler T. Williams-directed video for his latest single "Bubblegunk" in these here pages. It's pretty out there and downright disconcerting at times, but it's also kind of amazing... not unlike Entrepreneurs' tracks themselves. Juggling a brilliant pop sensibility with a completely off-the-wall production style, "Bubblegunk" puts Entrepreneurs in a sonic league of his own, his effortlessly cool Julian Casablancas-meets-James Murphy vocal delivery setting the pace for the track before the bridge finds him unleashing the kind of mammoth guitar solo that Eddie Van Halen would eat his grandma for. It's all out via Fear & Records on limited edition CD (complete with post-apocalyptic survival kit) April 4th and available from iTunes now, but you can grab a free piece of "Bubblegunk" below.

MP3: "Bubblegunk" - Entrepreneurs

KEEP TRYING TO RUN AWAY.

So now that we've all had some time to come down in the wake of New Years and get our heads about ourselves, we suppose it's time we introduce you to some of the exciting new acts we've got passing through our ranks in the year to come. First up in the Neon Gold Class of 2011 are Australia's Strange Talk, who's debut EP will see the light of day as our first full-fledged CD and vinyl release in the coming months.

Like the perfect hybrid of Friendly Fires and Phoenix with a bit of that Down Under electro touch thrown in for good measure, the Aussie four-piece are one of the most polished and exciting new acts we've heard in ages. Bursting onto the scene late last summer already fully equipped with an arsenal of stadium-ready anthems, the spectacular "Climbing Walls" is their first formal offering, all shimmering synths, cascading bass surges and expert delay pedal use. The kind of guitar band Neon Gold dreams are made of, Strange Talk look set to do big things in 2011 and we're pleased to report that "Climbing Walls" is only the very tip of the iceberg, so get acquainted below and watch this space closely for more in the months to come.

MP3: "Climbing Walls" - Strange Talk

FOLLOWING YOUR EVERY MOVE.

The third and final installment of Russ Chimes' Midnight Club mini-film has arrived and it doesn't disappoint, wrapping things up in an epic finale soundtracked by EP highlight and next single "Targa", featuring a killer vocal from our main man Cass Lowe. The EP will be available for purchase soon, but for now revel in its accompanying mini-film directed by Saman Keshavarz, the finale of which is above.

NEVER LOOK BACK.

Russ Chimes upcoming Midnight Club EP and its accompanying short films have us besides ourselves with excitement, and now that the first installment has dropped we're pleased to report it doesn't disappoint. Brilliant non-linear filmmaking from director Saman Keshavarz set to another absolute burner from Monsieur Chimes. We seriously can't wait for parts two and three to arrive in the coming weeks, loving everything about this project.

NIGHTS LIKE THIS.

We were out of the game for a minute there at Lollapalooza, and during our absence our boy Samuel released his debut video for "I Heart NY", and while we're kind of late to the party we've still got to show it some love because it's kind of really fucking great. It's a creative treatment executed flawlessly and shot beautifully by director Austin Peters, in which our hero cruises through his hometown on the back of a garbage truck driven by our dudes The Knocks, who wrote and produced the track with Samuel. And since we already dropped the mp3 of "I Heart NY" on the blog last month you can get at another burner from Sam's forthcoming debut album Trains To Wanderland called "Champagne Kisses" below. Gets you ready for the weekend and then some.

MP3: "Champagne Kisses" - Samuel

FALL BACK IN LOVE EVENTUALLY.

Quite possibly our favorite new band of the year and architects of the essential summer anthem 2010 has been waiting for, The Naked & Famous emerge from Down Under as New Zealand's next (first?) great hope for international pop stardom. Like Passion Pit if they fucked with guitars and had an anthem-of-a-generation like "Kids" or "Sweet Disposition" in their arsenal, the song is a breath of fresh air, a wistful celebration of the ephemeral pleasures of youth. Built around an amazing central riff of heavily-affected guitars, the song soars on the wings of singer Alisa Xayalith's urgent vocals, their breathless innocence juxtaposed sharply against the ominous rumble of the overdriven bass that lies beneath the song's surface.

And as if the song itself wasn't brilliant enough, NZ's finest visual team Special Problems have directed a masterful video (viewable above) for the track - beautifully reminiscent of Levi's recent "Go Forth" campaign - all jubilant shots of young people being young interspersed with footage of the band amongst the picturesque environs of their native New Zealand. Already chart heroes back home, the band saw the self-release of "Young Blood" go straight to #1 in the NZ charts last month, holding off the likes of Katy Perry and B.o.B in the process and making them the first New Zealand band to do so in three years. Now it's time to introduce the them to the rest of the world, and with "Young Blood" locked in for a September 6th release on Neon Gold, we're honored to be the band's vessel of choice to do so. Preorder will be available soon, but for now grab the track below and lose yourself in its briliance, we hope you'll love it every bit as much as we do.

MP3: "Young Blood" - The Naked & Famous

TURNS ME TO WHITE GOLD.

Not gonna lie, we kind of slept on MNDR when she first hit the streets late last year, but recently we've been seriously making up for lost time with her debut offering E.P.E. in permanent rotation on the Neon Gold stereo. She's also been burning up our speakers via her feature on the new Mark Ronson single "Bang Bang Bang" (peep the brilliant Warren Fu-directed video for it above), which just debuted at #6 in the UK last week. So yeah, it's safe to say shit's kind of popping off for her right now, and if the buzz surrounding her first UK live shows last week is anything to go on, sounds like it's pretty damn well deserved. We'll have some exclusive new MNDR material coming at you in the next few weeks, but for now familiarize yourself with E.P.E. standout "Fade To Black" and brace yourself for MNDR's reign of buzz to continue dominating summer twentyten and beyond.

MP3: "Fade To Black" - MNDR

THE LAST THING I REMEMBER.

TODAY IS A BIG DAY. The inimitable Penguin Prison makes his international live debut tonight, playing a sold out show at the Mercury Lounge. We've been to a few rehearsals and caught a secret warm-up gig a few weeks back at Cakeshop, and it's safe to say anyone coming down tonight is in for a serious treat. Dude's also just gone live with his debut music video, directed by Roman Rappak for Penguin's amazing "Something I'm Not", which dropped last month on Neon Gold. Filmed over Skype and then enhanced by Rappak in post-produciton with a barrage of rad after-effects, it's a masterful example of how a little bit of creativity can take a low-budget concept a long way. Scope the video above, and hit up the download below for a rather brilliant remix by London newcomers Luxury Living, who take the amazing original to ominous new heights, injecting it with a tangible sense of nocturnal danger and their signature decadent disco style.

MP3: "Something I'm Not" (Luxury Living Remix) - Penguin Prison