Seems like comeback season is in full swing, so it's great to welcome The Postelles back into the fold with a taste of their new record, featuring none other than our own beloved kid sister, Alex Winston. "Pretend It's Love" shines like a beacon of glimmering hope in the tangled hair of Americana, like Elvis Costello going down an Alex-in-Wonderland rabbithole after vacationing in Saddle Creek, USA. Keep an eye out for The Postelles' new full-length ...And It Shook Me, shaking things up April 23rd on +1 Records.
DOWNLOAD: "Pretend It's Love (feat. Alex Winston)" - The Postelles [exclusive]
The time for CMJ is nigh. As has become tradition, we've got two nights of new music excitement locked and loaded for you, kicking off Tuesday night at Santos Party House as we team up with All Things Go for a special CMJ installment of All Things Gold. Heating things up early we have London's fresh-faced Queen of Hearts making her US live debut, before Blackbird Blackbird, Robert DeLong, and Ghost Beach prime you for the holy trinity of All Things Gold headliners to come. Leading off the final act are our resident dreamers Savoir Adore and the loveliest creature of all, Alex Winston, before everyone's favorite remix mavens RAC shut it down in the grand finale. Plus we've got Viceroy manning the decks throughout, keeping things moving between sets. And all this for the low low price of $5 advance, $10 day of show, plus limited entry with CMJ badges. Cop your tix HERE, this is gonna be historic.
Alex Winston's got a brilliant new Google Chrome commercial that's pretty much everywhere in the UK at the moment, and today she further ensures the omnipresence of "Velvet Elvis" with this stripped-down version of her lead single from King Con. Great for us then, as we still can't get enough of the track a year on from its initial release, and this acoustic version shines with the shiver and shake of a fierce fiesta.
DOWNLOAD: "Velvet Elvis (Acoustic)" - Alex Winston
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.
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
It's no surprise that Alex Winston has so quickly become one of those great American heartbreakers with her irresistible brand of potent indie-pop. Hot on the heels of the release of her brilliant debut album King Con, we're pleased to present her first NYC headline show in over a year at the Knitting Factory next Tuesday. Setting the stage for her triumphant return to the NYC stage, we'll have the pop noir of Savoir Adore's leading lady Deidre Muro and her new solo project Deidre & The Dark, before Pittsburgh's finest 1,2,3 light up the night in the main support slot. Better yet, it's a very rare all ages show for all you under 21s out there, so there's no excuse not to come out and bask in Winnie's glow with us. Advance tickets are going fast HERE, and if you haven't already, we highly advise that you procure your own copy of her brilliant debutASAP.
With only a few more weeks to go before the long-awaited release of her debut album, our girl Alex Winston goes under the knife of 17 year old J£ZUS MILLION on this chopshopped remix of "Choice Notes". Precisely splicing Winston's vocals over pounding beats and whirring synths like the demented bastard child of Clock Opera and Star Slinger, J£ZUS shifts to warp drive in the chorus as you hurtle towards an ominous conclusion. Yet another remix trophy for Winnie's mantle.
DOWNLOAD: "Choice Notes" (J£ZUS MILLION Remix) - Alex Winston
As the year comes to a close we turn an eye towards our most anticipated releases of 2012, and shining at the top of our list is of course none other than our beloved Alex Winston. Out February 28th, it's called King Con (perfect) and it's completely brilliant, at once precious and brazen, darling and devilish. To celebrate, Alex brings us an exclusive premier today in the form of her take on The Black Keys' "Everlasting Love", produced by the one and only Charlie Hugall, with whom she's recorded the lion's share of King Con, alongside collaborations with Bjorn Yttling and The Knocks. Exclusive mp3 below, let it be your everlasting light.
Niki & The Dove are basically our new favorites. Malin Dahlström has the frostbitten Scandinavian looks to kill with the icy vocal chops of Lykke Li and Alex Winston, while her partner in crime Gustaf Karlöf crafts the kind of electronic opuses you just want to live inside of forever. "The Drummer" is currently on repeat as one of our favorite singles of the year, but supporting it on EP of the same name is stellar past single "Mother Protect", which gets a new lease on life with this oven fresh remix from LA's Goldroom. Fresh off sun-baked remixes for Penguin Prison and Poolside, Goldroom zooms in on the glittering arpeggios of the original and adds an uplifting key progression that takes the original to warmer shores, where its icy disposition melts away under the sunny beats of the beating sun. It all goes double-time in the breakdown as you start to get lost in her atmospheric vocals, until the determined keys return to lead you exactly where you need to go. Consider it the perfect track to whet your appetite before the duo headlines our introductory POPSHOP UK event with The Sound of Arrows this tomorrow at Cargo. Not that we need to remind you, but it's completely FREE ENTRY, so get involved if you're into living the dream without regrets.
DOWNLOAD: "Mother Protect" (Goldroom Remix) - Niki & The Dove
Hot on the heels of a brilliant rework for The Good Natured, it looks like Crystal Fighters have picked up the phone and found their calling as remix connoisseurs. Their latest is a tribal balearic rework of Alex Winston's "Velvet Elvis", previously remixed to bits by RAC in another seriously winning effort. The jubilant London five piece uproot the rustic leftfield pop of the original and ship it off to some faraway tropics to get some color, blowing over the vocals with just the right amount of dicey echoes and hums while going hammer on the wind chimes and shakers throughout. And by the time the synths wash over the chorus and fall back into the rhythm of the second verse, you half expect to taste that salty seaside air and feel the sand between your toes. Good stuff, this.
You probably already know this, but Alex Winston is one in a million. Part chanteuse, part dreamboat, Winnie is a full-bodied glass of water with a soprano that washes over you with effortless resolve. Enter Andre Anjos of RAC, who takes her new single "Velvet Elvis" to town, buys it a new dress, and turns it into (sister) wife material. With a flick of his magic wand and a soft trumpet proclamation, RAC lights the track up with spritely string plucks and a wistful keys progression that sounds like the precocious younger cousin of Avicii's "Penguin". The chugging locomotive drumline of the original is replaced by rollicking top-of-the-morning percussion that gains energy and momentum with each passing refrain. Perhaps the best Winston remix yet, consider this another trophy on the shelf for Anjos and the RAC crew. Grab the remix below and check her video over on Beyond Gold now, it's a keeper.
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 Stefonsketches 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.
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.
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.
Going to Austin next week? Then you're gonna want to make sure you keep your schedule clear on Wednesday, cause it's all going down at Bat Bar for our official Neon Gold showcase. Little Red. Walk The Moon. Alex Winston. Clock Opera. Penguin Prison. The one and only Ellie Goulding. We've got them all under one amazing roof on the first night of SX, the perfect way to kickstart your SXSW 2011 experience. As it's an official showcase it's badges and wristbands only (we don't make the rules y'all), but we've got a special day party on the Saturday for those of you keeping it real at SX this year without an official badge. Look for an announcement on that by week's end, but for now behold the lineup for our official night below and mark your calendars. You won't want to miss this.
Alex Winston's upcoming Sister Wife mini-album is one of the best debuts you'll hear all year, and with singles "Locomotive" and "Sister Wife" already picking up serious steam on both sides of the pond, you can fully expect Winnie's star to continue it's rapid ascent in the months to come. Sister Wife is out March 19h via our friends at HeavyRoc, and to ring it in we've got an exclusive remix from the UK's Jaybird. Epic and atmospheric, Jaybird reinvents the original in a beautiful new context, all tangible cinematic drama and haunting pop noir. Get involved, this bird has some damn fine feathers.
Our homegirl Alex Winston is basically The One, so it's with great pleasure that we announce the imminent release of her debut EP Sister Wife on HeavyRoc. There's not a weak track on the EP, but it's the title track that's our favorite song from Winnie to date. We've loved "Sister Wife" since she first sang it to us over 4am whiskeys in her apartment a few months back, and The Knocks-produced finished version is one of the best tracks 2011 has produced thus far. I mean, it's pop music for polygamists, WHERE CAN YOU GO WRONG? Answer: you can't.
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.
It's that time again, as we make our way towards mid-October and the collective gaze of the music industry falls upon CMJ and all the beautiful chaos that comes with it. Last year we brought you the first annual New Shapes party, which saw everyone from Theophilus London and Darwin Deez to Chief and Local Natives grace the stage at Santos Party House. This year we're going even bigger with it, moving to the wide open spaces of Brooklyn and the multiple stages of Public Assembly, and it's finally time to bring the curtain back on what's easily the biggest event we've ever been a part of.
Chess Club are once again our partners in promotional crime for this event, and we've also teamed up with the UK's Plugged In PR to help us bring you one of the best and brightest line ups on offer at CMJ this year. It's all going down at Public Assembly on Thursday the 21st of October, from 3pm to 3am, with two stages and over 20 amazing new bands playing over the course of the evening. Below you'll find the full line up and schedule for the night, complete with mp3s so you can sample the artists on the menu for the evening. Tickets are currently on sale via the event page HERE, and at only $12 a pop that's a hell of a bang for your buck so you'd do well to move quickly and reserve your ticket today. And as this is an official CMJ event, we will also be opening the door to a limited number of CMJ badge holders, but as space is limited you'd be wise to arrive early to ensure entry.
Once again tickets are $12 (BARGAIN) and available online HERE. There's also a Facebook event page up over here, and you can stay up to date on all further updates via our official Neon Gold Records twitter feed here, which to be honest you should have probably already been following anyway.
Our girl Alex Winston has been cartwheeling around our heads in stereophonic technicolor all summer with her debut single "Choice Notes" (out now on HeavyRoc Music), but it's thunderstealing AA-side "Medicine" that's slowly but surely been creeping up on us as our sleeper favorite from Detroit's finest new export. It's quintessential Winston, her ethereal vocals drifting across a melange of acoustic guitars and The Knocks' punchy drums before giving way to an anthemic climax of group vocals featuring none other than HeavyRoc's favorite son Samuel getting involved on BVs. In a weird way it's kind of the feelgood hit of the summer, so don't get left out.
Seems like comeback season is in full swing, so it's great to welcome The Postelles back into the fold with a taste of their new record, featuring none other than our own beloved kid sister, Alex Winston. "Pretend It's Love" shines like a beacon of glimmering hope in the tangled hair of Americana, like Elvis Costello going down an Alex-in-Wonderland rabbithole after vacationing in Saddle Creek, USA. Keep an eye out for The Postelles' new full-length ...And It Shook Me, shaking things up April 23rd on +1 Records. 
The time for CMJ is nigh. As has become tradition, we've got two nights of new music excitement locked and loaded for you, kicking off Tuesday night at Santos Party House as we team up with All Things Go for a special CMJ installment of All Things Gold. Heating things up early we have London's fresh-faced 
With only a few more weeks to go before the long-awaited release of her debut album, our girl 
As the year comes to a close we turn an eye towards our most anticipated releases of 2012, and shining at the top of our list is of course none other than our beloved 
