MAYBE I'LL FIND SOMETHING REAL.

There's no denying that MS MR has been smashing it as of late on a very global scale (see: festival audiences in the thousands Down Under, a sold out run through the UK and Europe, and a massive sync on the latest Game of Thrones trailer). And with their newest single "Fantasy" quickly amassing an impressive remix package featuring the likes of Kele Okereke and Xaphoon Jones, MS MR's human drum machine himself, Zach Nicita, throws his hat in the ring with a thunderstealing mix of his own on a fantastic remix debut. Over a sidewinding bass line that just doesn't quit and a flickering percussive rhythm, it replaces the glittery innocence of the original with a shadowy ominousness that reimagines "Fantasy" in an entirely new light.

MP3: "Fantasy" (NICITA Remix) - MS MR [exclusive]

NEON GOLD SXSW 2013.

SXSW is coming in hot this week, so let's do this. The 2013 installment of our annual official SX showcase is our biggest yet, as we take over the main stage at Empire Autos on Friday night. On the bill, we've got Lovelife, Ghost Beach and Sir Sly, before HAERTS, Foxes and St. Lucia close out the night in style. On the decks, captain Xaphoon Jones will be keeping the night alive in the late night slot alongside open bar cocktails from 12:30-1:30, courtesy of Western Spirits. It's all popping off at 7pm, Friday March 15th at Empire Autos, conveniently located on the corner of Red River and E 7th Street. Let's go, Austin.

08:00pm: Lovelife // DOWNLOAD: "Dying To Start Again"

08:45pm: Ghost Beach // STREAM: "Close Enough (Feat. Noosa)"

09:30pm: Sir Sly // STREAM: "Gold"

10:20pm: HAERTS // STREAM: "Wings"

11:10pm: Foxes // STREAM: "Warrior"

12:20am: St. Lucia // STREAM: "September"

01:10am: Xaphoon Jones // DL: "If You Love Me" (XJ + Grave Goods Remix)

POPSHOP023: FRENCH HORN PARTY ENSEMBLE

Those who reside within the greater NYC area know French Horn Rebellion as one of the city's most purely enjoyable partystarting crowdpleasers, so it's with great pleasure that we welcome them back to the Popshop stage next month. But this, dear friends, is French Horn as you've never seen them before, as they bring their 8 piece Party Ensemble - featuring The Great Apes and members of Penguin Prison, HAERTS, Savoir Adore and more - to Popshop as they look to showcase one of the most powerful party supergroups the world has ever seen. Amazing, WE KNOW.

As if that itself wasn't enough, we've got one of our favorite new UK pop starlets making her US debut as Yadi comes to town to kick things off early, before Brooklyn's finest, Workout, keep things rocking in the main support slot and the almighty Xaphoon Jones shuts things down on the decks. And since last month was so much fun, we're doing it 1000% FREE with RSVP once again, so be sure to take advantage as unfortunately a party bargain like this can't last forever. It's all going down at Santos next Thursday, February 7th, at 9pm sharp and if the line around the block last time was any indication, you'll want to get there early to ensure maximum euphoria.

STREAM: "Poster Girl" - French Horn Rebellion

STREAM: "The Blow" - Yadi

STREAM: "These Are The Years" - Workout

WHISPERING INTO MY EARDRUMS.

Remember last week when we told you Xaphoon Jones was having a moment? Well, that golden moment continues this week with another mind-bending remix, this time for Everything Everything's comeback single "Cough Cough" (already a fairly amazing track in its own right). It's another scorcher, so get the download below and be sure to cop Xaph's brand new mixtape XJV3 HERE if you missed it last week.

MP3: "Cough Cough" (Xaphoon Jones Remix) - Everything Everything

GOT A FEELING.

Xaphoon Jones is having a MOMENT. After killing 'em all summer long with more insane remixes than even we knew what to do with, Yung Xaph returns to the mixtape game with XJV3, the third and final installment in his mixtape trilogy. Fully loaded with more hits than a blotter sheet, it's the perfect curtain call to his illustrious remix career and an incredibly promising taste of things to come for the young beat architect. While you'll have to wait just a little bit longer for the whole thing, we're here to premiere our favorite cut for you today, as Xaph turns in what is quite possibly his finest remix to date on St. Lucia's "Closer Than This". Stripping the original down to its skivvies 'til it's just topless synths and bottomless beats, it's a tranquil starlit nightswim before the ocean-sized chorus comes crashing down without warning in a torrential downpour of space horns and lunar guitars. Swim at your own risk.

DOWNLOAD: "Closer Than This" (Xaphoon Jones Remix) - St. Lucia [exclusive]

NEON GOLD PRESENTS: ELLIE GOULDING

Our starlit darling, Ellie Goulding, has been scorching the charts like wildfire with her aptly titled debut album, Lights, as her breakout single of the same name continues to burn on at the top of the charts nearly two years on from its initial release.  Now with her hotly-anticipated sophomore follow up, Halcyon, cresting over the horizon, we're thrilled to celebrate the occasion with a very special album release party for Ms. Goulding, as she takes to the Neon Gold stage at Santos Party House on October 11th. Yes, this is too good to be true, but guess what? It's happening.

And as if one of the world's biggest popstars playing the best intimate venue in NYC wasn't heart-stoppingly exciting enough already, we've also got the boy king Xaphoon Jones getting things heated early on the ones and twos. This time around we're opening the floodgates to the 16+ crowd, and tickets go on sale to the general public (fanclub-only presale is already sold out) on Saturday morning at 10am sharp HERE. It almost goes without saying, but this will sell out in literally seconds flat, so you'd be wise to have your trigger fingers warmed up and credit cards at the ready come Saturday morning. Don't say we didn't warn you.

TAKE A PICTURE YOU COULD NEVER RECREATE.

We've already gone on about the debut single from Atlas Genius, "Trojans", and its infinite wisdom, but for now, we're here to talk about the gravity-defying Xaphoon Jones edit. This time, young Xaph blesses the original with the power of invincibility and the insatiable desire to conquer civilizations. From the start, the warping ghost loops wrap around the earnest vocals and crescendo strategically, foreshadowing an ominous remix of the darkest persuasion. As the chorus ramps up, it's the unyielding onslaught of massive black hole synths that vacuums up everything in its way, leaving the best looking trail of destruction in its wake. It's almost like watching 2012: A Space Odyssey on ketamine and breaking the laws of physics. On a related note, our "Trojans" remix contest is still open (rules HERE) until July 31st, so don't forget to get yours in before then.

DOWNLOAD: "Trojans (Xaphoon Jones Remix)" - Atlas Genius [exclusive]

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.

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 KNOW WHAT YOU'RE HERE FOR.

It's been a minute since we've heard new material from our leading lady Ellie Goulding, but that's the kind of thing that happens when your debut record refuses to stop selling and your most recent single streaks into the Top 40 a year after its original release. But as "Lights" continues to burn on, there's some incredible new material on the horizon, and it starts now with a dazzling prelude in the form of her Xaphoon Jones-produced cover of The Weeknd's "High For This". It's two of the most talented people we've ever had the good fortune to work with covering one of the best songs of the past 18 months, and they've been kind enough to throw us the exclusive premiere below.

DOWNLOAD: "High For This" - Ellie Goulding [exclusive]

POPSHOP017: DANGER + BODY LANGUAGE

Last month's Popshop was another sold out classic and the stuff of legend, but next month's lineup is quite literally a dream come true. Yes, the rumors are true, we've got French electro heavyweight Danger - presumed missing since the great electrowars of 2007-2008 - as he makes his triumphant return to New York with a brand new, never-before-seen live show. We don't know where he's been hiding these past few years, but we do know that he threw down one of the most amazing shows we've ever seen when he obliterated Berlin in 2008, and we've been dreaming of having him on the Neon Gold stage ever since. And as if that wasn't enough, we've got our favorite Brooklyn partystarters Body Language tearing the roof off the place live, plus Boston synth radicals Carousel getting things started early and our main man Xaphoon Jones keeping it going late. Yeah, it's gonna be a large night. Santo's Party Mansion. Thursday, June 7th. 9pm SHARP. Tickets HERE.

STREAM: "11h30" - Danger

STREAM: "Holiday" - Body Language

STREAM: "Where Have You Gone" - Carousel

STREAM: "Stay Scheming" - Xaphoon Jones

ALL THINGS GOLD PRESENTS: BREAKFAST AT NIGHT

Don't worry DC, we didn't forget about you. While NYC gets Chiddy Bang as the special guest headliner at Popshop next month, we're bringing them to you two days prior on their album release date of February 28th, presented by All Things Go and yours truly for a very special ALL THINGS GOLD to remember. To celebrate the album, we're calling it Breakfast At Night and will be bringing you Chiddy Bang live at 11pm, followed up by a face-melting DJ set from the almighty Xaphoon Jones into the early hours. Going to be a LARGE night to say the least. Doors are 10pm with only 300 advance $10 tickets available HERE before they're $15 on the door, so get going as these won't last long.

TICKETS // TICKETS // TICKETS // TICKETS // TICKETS // TICKETS // TICKETS

GOLD031: ST. LUCIA

We've been hinting at it for a while, but - in case you didn't already hear - a new era is upon us here at Neon Gold. That's right, it's time to put out some albums. So without further ado, we're over the moon to announce our first ever albums signing, the one and only St. Lucia. We'll be bringing you his immaculate debut EP this March and a debut album later this year, but first we're kicking things off with a remix 12" for EP standout "We Got It Wrong", a euphoric time-bending masterpiece that allows you to escape into the beaches of your imagination.

Beautifully packaged on widescreen 12" vinyl and in all good record stores on Valentine's Day, it comes complete with a star-studded supporting cast of remixes from some of our favorite electronic talents around. Finnish boy wonder Lenno molds the original into a nu-disco force of nature like an apprentice of the highest order, while the master puppeteer Starsmith adds layer upon layer of synth varnish like an OCD Gepetto on speed. Elsewhere Xaphoon Jones, the dark wizard of the bunch, summons up black magic from the spirit world with teeth-baring synths and just-make-it-clap beats on what can only be described as a festival massacre just waiting to happen. It's all out physically on February 14th, but you can preorder the full package from the Neon Gold Shop HERE. But wait, there's more... for the first time ever, we've also got the release available for purchase digitally from iTunes NOW, a highly dangerous experiment in immediate gratification that's sure to yield only the sexiest results.

MP3: "We Got It Wrong" (Xaphoon Jones Remix) - St. Lucia [exclusive]

ALL THINGS GOLD 005: MONARCHY + E. VAN CLEEF

DC, don't think we forgot about you. In what has become another monthly family tradition, we're teaming up with our All Things Go bros yet again to bring you our last All Things Gold showcase of 2011. This time, we're back with even more international starpower, featuring a double threat of British club maestros hitting the east coast for the first time ever. Headlining live will be Monarchy, taking the Neon Gold stage for the first time in a moment we feel like we've been waiting for our whole lives. Then headlining the night on the decks will be the hotly anticipated US debut of Edwin van Cleef, storming DC with an arsenal of bangers (see: this, this, and this) so dangerous we're just hoping homeland security even lets him into the country.



Rounding out what just might be our strongest bill yet are Xylos live and Xaphoon Jones on the decks, taking this month's Popshop lineup on the road down to DC for an encore performance at All Things Gold. It's all going down at DC's finest venue, U Street Music Hall, Thursday December 8th at 9pm sharp, with $10 tickets available for purchase HERE. You better believe this will be a special one, so come out and join us for an end of the year celebration not soon to be forgotten.



09:30pm: Xylos // STREAM: "X-Ray"



10:30pm: Monarchy // DOWNLOAD: "Gold In The Eternal Fire"



11:00pm: Edwin Van Cleef // DOWNLOAD: "Listzomania" (ft. Jane Elizabeth Hanley)



12:45am: Xaphoon Jones // DOWNLOAD: "Dreamers" (Xaphoon Jones Remix)





Finally, those of you not in DC next week but still desperate to see Monarchy, fear not. You've got the consolation prize of the century coming when Monarchy make their NYC debut at Highline Ballroom on December 10th, with support from none other than our dearly beloved St. Lucia. Tickets are available HERE but, as expected, they're going fast.

POPSHOP012: XYLOS + XAPHOON JONES

And just like that, our first year of Popshop NYC is coming to a close. While 2012 will see Popshop spreading its wings overseas with regular events in London and Paris, our first love will always be New York. And to say thanks for such an amazing inaugural year, we're doing POPSHOP012 as a FREE ENTRY end-of-the-year blowout, bringing you four amazing live acts and the almighty Xaphoon Jones as the main event on the decks. Headlining live are the brilliant Xylos, fresh off a sold out US tour supporting Trentemoller, with main support coming from our beloved Emil & Friends, whose brand new Lo & Behold LP shines as one of the year's most exciting debuts. Then opening things up we've got Ben Bronfman's massive new project TEACHERS and the international live debut of new Brooklyn pop sensation Ghost Beach. EXCITING TIMES AHOY.

It's all going down Thursday, December 1st at our home away from home Tammany Hall, and as we may or may not have mentioned before, it's 1000% FREE ENTRY, you just need to shoot an RSVP over to RSVP@neongoldrecords.com and you'll be all sorted. And as if that wasn't enough, we've got our usual hour of open bar magic in the mix courtesy of Absolut, so come one, come all, and let's ring out the year in style.

09:00pm: Ghost Beach // STREAM: "Empty Streets"

10:00pm: TEACHERS // DOWNLOAD: "GOLD"

11:00pm: Emil & Friends // STREAM: "Crystal Ball"

12:00am: Xylos // STREAM: "X-Ray"

01:00am: Xaphoon Jones // DOWNLOAD: "Lights" (Xaphoon Jones Remix)


FREE ENTRY WITH RSVP: RSVP@neongoldrecords.com

WATCH IT TUMBLE DOWN.

We've been waxing poetic on our undying love for Savoir Adore's "Dreamers" since first announcing it last month, but the B-side - a rightfully ambitious Xaphoon Jones remix - plays in a completely different ballpark, one where there's no such thing as gravity or limits. This re-imagination is "Dreamers" on steroids, starting with the crescendoing whirr of interstellar rocket engines powering up and Paul Hammer's swooning vocals setting the scene for a 2011: A Space Horn Odyssey. Then, just as you're bracing yourself for the laser beam synths of the original to drop in, Xaph drops those motherfucking SPACE HORNS on you and the rest is history. So cop your 7" here, get your download on below and celebrate the "Dreamers" release day in style. It's 11.11.11 y'all, the dream is real.

MP3: "Dreamers" (Xaphoon Jones Space Horn Remix) - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

GOLD028: SAVOIR ADORE

We've been on about Savoir Adore for quite a while now, who in the past twelve months have gone from one of our favorite new bands in Brooklyn to our absolute favorite boy-girl duo in the game, swiftly overshadowing your Mates of States and even your Matt + Kims of the world. And that was even before they unleashed "Dreamers", their masterstroke of a new single and arguably the best song we've heard all year. It's a SPECIAL track, so it's with great pleasure that we bring it into the world next month on Neon Gold, just in time for it to become your most essential track of autumn 2011.

It opens innocuously enough, as the crescendo emerges gradually from the ominous mists of the intro, before the synths drop with the full centripetal force of a rollercoaster, swooping in and around staccato guitar picks and frontman Paul Hammer's ethereal vocals. Then at the chorus, it's lady vocalist Deidre Muro's turn, as the synths let up and give her center stage before returning with all the emotional gravity of a thousand heartbreaks in the second verse. It all reaches a fever pitch in the middle eight, as this palpable combination of dreamweaving harmonies, self-assured handclaps, and textured synths come together to play out like a slow-burning cinematic threesome. From there, "Dreamers" builds and builds like a stairway to synth heaven and once you've reached the top, there's just no turning back.

It's a timeless slice of ethereal pop brilliance and one of our absolute favorite tracks of the year, and we hope it'll be yours too. Limited to 300 copies worldwide, "Dreamers" comes true 11.11.11, complete with an empire-toppling space horn remix from Xaphoon Jones on the B-side. Preorder is available from the Neon Gold Shop now, but as were strong believers in instant gratification, you can find a free download of the mp3 right here, no waiting required. Go ahead, live the dream.

MP3: "Dreamers" - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

GROUPLOVE. OFFICIAL ALBUM RELEASE PARTY.

Our love for Grouplove truly knows no bounds, and we've had their debut full length Never Trust A Happy Song (released TODAY) stuck on repeat on the office stereo since they sent it through earlier this summer. Now, as a proper salute to the finest group of musicians on the left coast, we're throwing their official album release party Wednesday night after the band headline their biggest NYC play to date at Bowery Ballroom. Immediately after the show's conclusion, we'll be taking things back to our second home at Tammany Hall around the corner to indulge in a well-deserved celebration for the ages, complete with DJ sets from Xaphoon Jones, Captain Cuts and Grouplove themselves.

Furthermore, we'll also have the live debut of a brand new band by the name of Stay Gold, an oven fresh project from Kris Menace and Max Cooke, former mastermind behind the UK's late great GoodBooks and essential fixture in Ellie Goulding's touring band. Joining him on live drums will be everyone's favorite beatsmith, Xaphoon "You Crazy" Jones, before he swaps the sticks for the decks to close out the night on the ones and twos. And to top it all off, it's completely FREE. All you have to do is show up with your rageface on and a government issued ID saying you're 21+.

And in case all that wasn't exciting enough, to ring in the occasion we've got another very special exclusive from Xaphoon for you. Many of you may remember the "Colours" remix of Grouplove we premiered in June, but in an effort to come up with "something to scare people at festivals with", he went back into the lab and created a whole new beast of a bootleg edit "scrounged from the chasm-like depths of [his] hard drives". The result is the brand new MEGA EDIT of the mix that he's been tearing crowds in half with all summer long, complete with earth-shattering new bass surges in the chorus, dancehall snares and new vocal effects. Harder. Better. Monster. Stronger.

MP3: "Colours" (Xaphoon Jones' MEGA EDIT) - Grouplove [exclusive]

XAPHOON JONES + BRENTON DUVALL AT BK BOWL.

Earlier this week we were all, "What's going on this weekend?" and realized we had no plans for Friday night, so we decided to throw a party at Brooklyn Bowl with two of our favorite DJs in the world, Xaphoon Jones and Brenton Duvall. Why? Because it's going to be amazing. And because we can. Tickets are $7 on the door or $5 in advance here. Get involved NYC, your Friday night just got awesome.

SO PULL THE SWITCH.

So last week our main man Xaphoon Jones promised a new beat to his fans when he hit 20,000 followers, and now that he's eclipsed that milestone he's come to us to help him deliver the goods with an exclusive premier of his remix for Grouplove's "Colours". This track's already been remixed into oblivion and beyond by the homies Captain Cuts, but here Xaph's intertwined elements of their empire-toppling mix with the stems of the original, thrown them into the Xaphoon Jones pop magic machine and come out the other side with a barnstorming floor-filler that comes off like like Grouplove wildin' out down in Jamaica with Gyptian and Nicki Minaj. And trust us, that is a GREAT thing.

Xaphoon tore the fucking roof off of Tammany Hall at Popshop last Thursday with a DJ set for the ages, and he's back for round two next Tuesday at the Beyond Gold launch party, which conveniently also features Grouplove headlining live and the NYC debut of Captain Cuts alongside Xaph on the decks in what we can only hope will develop into a Neon Gold House Mafia DJ supergroup scenario. Tickets are only $5 (and did we mention there's free beer and vodka from 7-8pm too?) and are still available HERE, so get involved before it's too late. Trust us when we say this event will sell out.

MP3: "Colours" (Xaphoon Jones Remix) - Grouplove [exclusive]