NEON GOLD PRESENTS: STARS + SAVOIR ADORE

We promised you some amazing underplays this fall and we're not about to disappoint. Ellie Goulding graces the Neon Gold stage next month, but first we've got a veritable dream come true as we bring you Stars live at Mercury Lounge next Saturday. For a little over a decade, their northerly pop charm has set our hearts on fire and put all our fears to rest, and to celebrate the release of their sixth full-length, The North, we're throwing a special afterparty for them after their sold out headline at Webster Hall. And supporting them live, we've got our very own Savoir Adore, undoubtedly New York's answer to Stars if ever there was one. The whole intimate affair is taking place on September 22nd at the Mercury Lounge, with tickets available only through Thrillcall starting next Tuesday (the 18th) at 10AM. When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire.

STREAM: "Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Give It" - Stars

CROSSED THE LINE AT NIGHT.

Finding their niche somewhere between the star-crossed dual vocals of Stars and the massive hooks and pop production of Sky Ferreira, DWNTWN's debut single "Transition" comes off like a radio-friendly pop smash masquerading as an accessible indie floor-filler. Beginning innocently enough, eerie droplets fall from the upper octave onto the dashboard as the female vocal shifts gears, adds a male passenger and goes from 0-100 in 8 seconds flat. Shining a light on that tragic post-relationship grey area, the single debunks all conventions of what is and isn't chart-worthy and vies for the stars and nothing less.



The blunt jungle beats and cross-hatching sonic flourishes absorb the brunt of the heartbreak lodged deep in the verses. While DWNTWN lacks vowels, the track achieves supersonic consonance, marrying a Top 40 prechorus reminiscent of Sky's "ONE" with an ethereal chorus flaunting ice cold synths that sound as if they crash landed from the uncharted planet of M83. It's a big track, and with the incomparable DJ Skeet Skeet (y'all heard his new Foster The People remix? FUEGO.) helming the ship on the management side of things, you can expect to hear a lot more out of these two in the months to come. Get familiar.



MP3: "Transition" - DWNTWN [exclusive]

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]

WE CAME TOGETHER.

Savoir Adore are quietly becoming one of our favorite bands in New York City, as they continue to rise to prominence as one of this town's best up and coming live acts and purveyors of the highest standard of boy-girl fronted indie pop. Having first hooked us with 2009's In The Wooded Forest LP and it's triumphant single "Bodies", the Brooklyn four-piece continue to shine on new single "Loveliest Creature". Standing out as the sterling highlight of their recent set at our CMJ showcase last month (complete with its own choreographed routine), they've since made the track available for free download as their new single. Recalling the best moment of Stars' cherished catalog, it's a much-welcomed addition to our fall playlist at Neon Gold HQ, its understated natural beauty complimenting the change of seasons perfectly.

MP3: "Loveliest Creature" - Savoir Adore