We've got boundless love for our Brooklyn up-and-comers, and Future Screens are the latest to burst onto our radar. Debut single "Don't Stop" opens with an electrifying intro that teases and twirls forcefully into daredevil synths that go skydiving in the midst of a blissed out whirlwind. It's a near-perfect wedding of Manners-era Passion Pit and the blissful etherea of The Sound of Arrows, and firmly establishes them as ones to watch in the months to come.
Don't miss St. Lucia's dazzling warp-drive lovedrug throwback of a Passion Pit remix. Oh, and he's also playing Popshop BK this weekend (tix still available HERE).
If Haim are the best new LA band already on everyone's radar, then Wildcat! Wildcat! are next in line to bowl people over. It was their Royal Tenenbaums-inspired calling card and flawless aesthetic that first caught our eye, but it wasn't long before the trio's technicolor serendipity pop had us hook, line and sinker. With vocals that flit between the chronic lightness of Passion Pit and Active Child and keys mined from the darkest depths of Miike Snow's imagination, Wildcat create a bristling soundscape like no other. Multi-tiered synths build up and crumble like sovereign empires, with smoke breaks in between to recharge the self-destructive cycle, flawless production leaving the whole affair shining resplendently throughout. Get familiar with Wildcat! Wildcat! and their debut offering "Mr. Quiche" below, as this lot are sure to be turning serious heads in the months to come.
We posted Edwin van Cleef's AMAZING "Listzomania" cover in our All Things Gold preview last week, but it seriously deserves a bit more shine in its own dedicated post as it really is the one. Transcending the remix category and jumping straight to the upper echelons of our favorite tracks of the year, van Cleef procures a stunning vocal from Australia's Jane Elizabeth Hanley, who shines over the British club maestro's summery synth arrangements. Things slow down in the bridge for a minute, only to come racing back when the track bursts through the other side in a shimmering burst of ebullience, like a sun-drenched Coachella headrush or Passion Pit on their (MDM)A-game. Van Cleef makes his US debut this Thursday at U Street Music Hall as the DJ headliner on our last All Things Gold of the year (along with Xaphoon Jones, Monarchy and Xylos), and this is not one you're gonna want to miss. Get your tickets HERE.
DOWNLOAD: "Listzomania" (ft. Jane Elizabeth Hanley) - Edwin van Cleef
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 GhostBeach. 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.
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.
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.
We know next to nothing about Black Light Dinner Party, other than that they hail from Boston and are coming correct with more of the fresh electronic pop sounds we've come to expect from the Northeast in recent years thanks to bands like Passion Pit and Dom. You can hear shades of both in their sound, with emotive vocals reminiscent of Miike Snow and a top notch production sound - West Coast beats rolling along with frosty NYC synths and lush Parisian melodies - that truly establishes them as a band to watch this year.
UPDATE: Apparently the remix we posted last week was sent to us prematurely by Sony, and Vito wanted some more time to throw some studio magic at it. That said we were still very much all about it and it topped the Hype charts in spite of its work-in-progress status, but now the real deal finished product has hit our inbox and it's bigger and better than ever. To quote Vito himself: "I hope you guys can hear the difference because for me the difference is HUGE!". We feel you Vito, we feel you.
We've been loving the sights and sounds of Australia's Gypsy & The Cat since their brilliant "Jona Vark" first slipped onto our radar about a year ago, and it's with great expectations that we eagerly anticipate the release of their debut album in early 2011. First though, comes their new single "The Piper's Song", backed by a brilliant remix from a sonically rejuvenated Aeroplane.
Since parting ways with writing partner Stephen Fasano (now recording as The Magician) and going it solo under the Aeroplane moniker, Vito De Luca sounds like he's got a renewed lease on life and you can hear it in his work. Gone are the dark, brooding nite versions that defined the Belgian duo's vaunted early output, in its place a carefree jubilance that's a whole new look and feel for Aeroplane. Sounding more like Passion Pit than the Aeroplane of old, De Luca's "Piper's Song" remix is nothing but hands-in-the-air synth exuberance, trading the dramatic intensity of his early output with Fasano for a remix that's just fucking fun. Summer's back y'all, dive in.
Last month we pulled back the curtain on our favorite track of the year and quite possibly the biggest single we've ever released, so we're pleased to announce that the Young Blood 7" from The Naked & Famous is now available for preorder from the Neon Gold Shop and our friends at Puregroove. Like Passion Pit if they fucked with guitars and had an anthem-of-a-generation like "Kids" or "Sweet Disposition" in their arsenal, "Young Blood" 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.
Sporting beautiful cover art courtesy of our heroes over at Special Problems (who also directed the song's flawless video) and rounded out by an epic cover of fellow New Zealand rockers The Mint Chicks' "Crazy? Yes. Dumb? No.", the release is out September 6th and we couldn't be more excited. Remixes are also on the way from The Sound of Arrows (amazing), Pink Ganter (amazing), Chiddy Bang (AMAZING) and more. We posted the original with the amazing Special Problems-directed video last month, but here's the radio edit for the completionists among you or the ADHD set who just can't quite handle the immense gravity of that drawn-out middle eight.
Things have been kind of quiet on the Penguin Prison remix front while dude's been hard at work finishing up his debut album - which y'all should be warned is sounding completely and utterly amazing - but now he's back with a fiery new remix of our beloved Neon Gold alumni Passion Pit. Putting to bed any concerns that his remix muscles might have atrophied over the past few months, the track is a hypnotizing melange of pulsating house piano, ice cold synths and chilled out female vocals, and we've got it on exclusive lockdown for you below.
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.
There's a synth-pop epidemic taking over Massachuesetts and we're totally down with it. Carrying the torch lit by former Neon Gold alumni Passion Pit and Yes Giantess, Worcester newcomer Dom threatens to outshine both of them with his debut Sun Bronzed Greek Gods EP, out on Burning Mill Records next month. The whole thing is nothing short of amazing, but it's lead track "Living In America" that's dominating our stereo as one of the absolute best tracks we've heard all year. It basically sounds like Fear of Tigers producing that first Passion Pit EP, which as you can imagine is pretty much the best thing ever. Dom has completely and utterly restored our faith in new music, this shit is MAGIC.
Now that Passion Pit is kind of cruising on its own steam, its members have found time to balance touring obligations with a number of side projects. Nate's still rocking shit as Shuttle and will have his debut album out on Ninja Tune before the year is out, Jeff and Ayad are taking over the Ableton DJ circuit as the Wet Bandits (catch them crushing Miami if you're at WMC this weekend), and Ian's recording with his girlfriend Sofia Degli Alessandri under the moniker Aislyn. The latter have just released their self-titled debut EP (available on iTunes here), but it's their otherworldly remix of our dear friends Freelance Whales' "Generator ^ First Floor" that we can't stop playing this week. Subverting the anthemic energy of the original into a more dreamy and downbeat affair, it's a refreshing take on one of our favorite songs of the year and well worth your hard-earned bandwith. Enjoy.
Don't miss St. Lucia's dazzling warp-drive lovedrug throwback of a Passion Pit remix. Oh, and he's also playing Popshop BK this weekend (tix still available 
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