Siriusmo

Siriusmo, one of my favourite electronic producers, once said he will not DJ or perform live due to conflicting interests. Obviously these interests no longer conflict as Siriusmo has fled the safety of his bedroom studio and taken his ten or so years worth of production to the ever inviting club culture. This decision to branch out and perform live has influenced his production with his latest splurge of remixes sounding more dance floor oriented than much of his previous work.

Both his remixes for Clare Maguire's 'Ain't Nobody', and 'Stay The Same' by The Shoes are more 'clubby' than anything off 'The Plasterer Of Love EP' even utilising the concept of 'the drop' - something almost unheard of throughout his back catalogue. Despite the change, his production remains near faultless - such an appreciation for groove, attention to detail and an understanding of 'less is more' aligns Siriusmo with the likes of electro luminaries Tiga and Zombie Nation - his latest offerings could almost be compared to a hybrid of the two.

Check out the remixes below and get hold of a rare 320kbps gem of 'Stay The Same.' Then head to hypem, type in Siriusmo and bask in the beauty of his sometimes quirky, often experimental, but always creative production. 

The Shoes - Stay The Same (Siriusmo & Jan Driver Remix) - DOWNLOAD

Clare Maguire - Aint Nobody (Siriusmo Remix) - DOWNLOAD





Siriusmo Live @ Conne Island

Wolf Gang - Lions In Cages

Wolf Gang first tickled my ear buds almost a year ago now with his first single 'The King & All Of His Men', so my attention was immediately drawn to the email in my inbox adorned with the most simplistic of subject lines - 'Wolf Gang'.

Needless to say I was excited to discover the email contained the brand spanking new Wolf Gang single entitled 'Lions In Cages' and after thrashing it on repeat for the last few days I am confident in declaring it is an absolute indie-pop gem. It's grooving and dancey without being spoiled by overindulgent synthesizers and features one of the hookiest choruses of 2010. Wolf Gang has captured a fresh energy from a severely exploited sound and has channeled it into creating something only just shy of pop perfection. 'Lions In Cages' comes out on November 22 on Atlantic Records - just in time to make your summer that little bit brighter.

Take a sneak peek at the track, and check out a suave live performance.

Wolf Gang - Lions In Cages

Gemini Club Remixes

I posted on Gemini Club all the way back here and I've been keeping an eye on their progress thanks in part to one of my most regularly visited blogs Too Many Sebastians (check these guys out!). In the time between posts Gemini Club have released their debut single 'Ghost', but have most notably been busy making their mark in the remix department having remixed The Vanish, Housse De Racket, Shinichi Osawa, and most recently fellow Chicago electro-poppers Hey Champ. 

Rather than just churning out a 'club' version of an original track Gemini Club reinvent songs to be performed live. Incorporating raw guitars into the mix injects the dose of rock n roll energy that Gemini Club are becoming known for. They are one of the most exciting electro acts you haven't heard of, but we're doing our part to make sure you do.

Their latest remix of 'Cold Dust Girl' by Hey Champ has been on repeat allllll day. Check it out!

Hey Champ - Cold Dust Girl (Gemini Club Remix) - DOWNLOAD

Check out the rest of their remixes here.

The Naked & Famous CHIDDY BANG'D!

The Naked & Famous are one of our favourite New Zealand bands. They recently won the prestigious Silver Scroll award for their chart-topping single 'Young Blood' and just completed a tour with another kiwi favourite of ours, Kids Of 88.

Continuing in their stride of musical domination they have had 'Young Blood' remixed and given some hip-hop treatment by international superstars Chiddy Bang. The hip-hop / rap / electro duo played in Auckland last week with 'bup bup Americano' Yolanda Be Cool and a bit of old-fashioned networking must have gone down to arrange the remix.

The remix is electro-fied by Xaphoon Jones and embellished with some tasty rhymes courtesy of Chiddy. It retains the original, hypnotizing chorus but aside from that it's an entirely fresh invention that's sure to propel The Naked & Famous onto the radar of a whole new demographic of music lovers.

The Naked & Famous - Young Blood (Chiddy Bang Remix)

Check out the latest single from Chiddy Bang - 'The Good Life'

LexiconDon - Student Body

LA electro-pop / new kids on the block LexiconDon have released their first music video for the single 'Student Body.' It's is a blatant feel-good pop track and the video reflects this through its pink / blue tint (a clever little branding strategy to tie in with the album aptly titled 'Pink + Blue'). Check out the video below and get hold of the Bit Funk remix - it's packed with happy vibes and summery goodness.

LexiconDon - Student Body (Bit Funk Remix) - DOWNLOAD

BIG DAY OUT 2011 - OFFICIAL FIRST LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT

The first announcement for the Big Day Out 2011 was released today via a melodramatic video blog by eccentric party hard king Andrew W.K (who also happens to be playing the festival). While the headliners don't appeal to my tastes tooooo much, I am quite impressed by the variety and calibre of artists they've hoarded so far. And remember... this is just the first announcement - still two more to go!

Andrew W.K Video Announcement

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT:

TOOL, RAMMSTEIN, IGGY AND THE STOOGES, M.I.A, JOHN BUTLER TRIO, GRINDERMAN, WOLFMOTHER, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, BLOODY BEETROOTS DEATH CREW 77, CRYSTAL CASTLES, LUPE FIASCO, PRIMAL SCREAM SCREAMADELICA LIVE, THE BLACK KEYS, DEFTONES, BLISS N ESO, ANGUS & JULIA STONE, PLAN B, PNAU, DIE ANTWOORD, EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS, BOOKA SHADE DJs, ANDREW W.K., THE JIM JONES REVUE, BIRDS OF TOKYO, LITTLE RED, GYROSCOPE, VITALIC, CSS, RATATAT, AIRBOURNE, DEAD LETTER CIRCUS, BLUE KING BROWN, THE NAKED & FAMOUS, OPERATOR PLEASE, CHILDREN COLLIDE, GYPSY AND THE CAT, WILL STYLES, LOWRIDER, SAMPOLOGY, KIDS OF 88, KID KENOBI & MC SHURESHOCK. 

(the ones in bold get me excited)

Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 LIVE

Crystal Castles  - Baptism LIVE @ Glastonbury

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 8TH OF OCTOBER

WWW.BIGDAYOUT.COM

LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls - DOWNLOAD (Removed By Request)

Andrew W.K - Party Hard - DOWNLOAD (Removed By Request)

Kids Of 88 - Sugarpills

When the kids seductively flirted - "I wanna take you back to my house" last year, who would have thought this one-night-stand would blossom into a scandalous, polygamous relationship?

The response to their debut single 'My House' - a song written in their bedroom with no serious intentions - was so overwhelming that their fate (or destiny?) as Kids Of 88 was sealed. Now with a Sony international record deal, a trifecta of top 40 singles, and a swanky new album, the duo look poised to venture forth from their bedroom studio and take on the world.

Kids Of 88 released their debut album 'Sugarpills' in August - a highly addictive dose of bubblegum pop and electro-dance wizardry. The album kicks off with UK-single 'Ribbons Of Lights', a dreamy new-wave track that works well as an intro. What follows is an 80's school disco playlist of Kids Of 88 pop-hits. Second single 'Just A Little Bit', the bop-a-long 'Cotton Mouth', marching chant 'Everybody Knows', the sexy super-hit 'My House', and the slightly darker 'Apart Of You' should keep any sweet-toothed fan moaning with sugary fulfillment.





The flow is temporarily interrupted by my personal favourite track 'San Fran' - a more toned down, mature track providing a tasteful reprieve from the pop onslaught. The reference to 80's TV Show 'Full House' also provides some heartwarming nostalgia - "I can play uncle Jesse, you can play Mary-Kate." The latest single 'Downtown' dethrones Black Eyed Peas 'I Got a Feeling' as the new 'going out, getting messy, hitting town' anthem with the catchphrase "We're getting dressed up from the waist down" - the KO88 guide to partying on a budget. The album is rounded off nicely with another personal favourite 'Feed The Birds' and the evolving lullaby to club-banger 'SQRL.'

Sugarpills lives up to its name as a candy-coated indulgence of infectious electro-pop. Sam McCarthy and Jordan Arts have cemented themselves as the leading whiz-kids of the New Zealand music scene and have plenty of libido left to thrust their pelvises at an unsuspecting international audience.

Kids Of 88 - San Fran (Personal Favourite)

 
Kids Of 88 - Ribbons Of Light - DOWNLOAD (Removed By Request)

Swedish House Mafia + Pharrell + Foals

Swedish House Mafia's 'One' has been given new life thanks to the smooth grooving vocal addition courtesy of N*E*R*D front-man Pharrell Williams. What is considered one of the biggest house tracks of 2010 has now been made-over for a pop audience, but fans of the original should appreciate it's reincarnation. It's more sonically stimulating with the vocal "I wanna know your name" building the track and increasing the tension before the anthemic climax that has been sending dance festivals across the world into uncontrollable spasms. It's also one of the most incredible videos I have seen for a while... This track is gonna blow up... again!

Swedish House Mafia feat. Pharrell Williams - One (Your Name) - DOWNLOAD (Removed)

And for something a little different - UK indie maestro's Foals have performed a cover of the song introducing guitars, a more frantic drum beat and an overall more raw interpretation of the original. It's surprisingly fun to hear a blatant club banger transformed by five guys using real instruments.

Foals - One (Cover)

ZOWIE - Broken Machine

The music video for ZOWIE's cutesy debut single 'Broken Machine' has been released for the masses and it is quite fantastic. The video is full of stimulating candy colours that make me want to reach inside my computer screen and gobble it up. It also incites nostalgia of those 'I SPY' books I trawled over as a kid... all those pretty pictures. 

ZOWIE - Broken Machine

'I SPY' book...

Surf City - Kudos

I have yet to jump aboard the 'surf pop' band wagon. I never really got it... A sport inspired genre played by skinny white boys with a nostalgic affection for the Beach Boys. I do like the style though. It's refreshing and relaxed like a hot summers day on the coast, and New Zealand surf-poppers Surf City are riding the sickest swell from Mt. Roskill to well... everywhere really with the release of their debut album 'Kudos.'

To be fair Surf City (originally called Kill Surf City) shouldn't be pigeon-holed as 'surf pop' as this is merely a label given to a recent extension of indie music attributed to the likes of The Drums and Surfer Blood. Surf City have been around since 2004 and define themselves as 'shoewave' (shoe-gaze / dream wave?). They play what I would describe as sometimes dreamy, sometimes frantic, sometimes buoyant, sometimes gloomy guitar pop. Like the wind blowing sand into your sunburned face as you walk hand in hand with your beach-bronzed summer lover... It's bittersweet, but mostly sweet.

 Surf City - Dickshakers Union (From Debut EP)

'Kudos' is the soundtrack for summer. Eleven tracks of feel-good, soul fulfilling pop that make you want to buy a combi van, a surfboard and an acoustic guitar and road-trip down the coast making love and peace with mother nature herself. Saturated in reverb and hooky guitar licks, 'Kudos' has that vintage feel so absent on studio embellished recordings. It sounds like four guys jamming their hearts out in an echoing beach house with a 4-track and a couple of mics.

You can buy 'Kudos' here or head over to Arch Hill Recordings to order a hard copy of the album.

Surf City - See How The Sun - DOWNLOAD

Chromeo feat. Ezra Koenig

The iTunes version of the latest Chromeo album 'Business Casual' features a quirky collaboration with Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig.

Ezra's charming vocals weave a tasteful melody through the retro electro resulting in an unlikely, but likable pop track.

Chromeo feat. Ezra Koenig - I Could Be Wrong - DOWNLOAD

It's not the first time Chromeo and Vampire Weekend have worked together. Chromeo did a remix of 'The Kids Don't Stand A Chance' last year, and the two groups performed a re-interpretation of the track together at the MTVU Woodie Awards.

Vampire Weekend & Chromeo - The Kids Don't Stand A Chance LIVE

Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand A Chance (Chromeo Remix) - DOWNLOAD

The Mould

So, The Proxy has started a record label - Mako Records - and yes, you would be right to assume they are releasing some morbid shit! 

The Mould is a young Russian producer creating tunes that sound like a 'Revenge of the Power Tools' b-grade horror, where everything from your garage - drills, chainsaws, lawnmowers - become possessed by evil forces and reign murderous terror upon their owners. It's raw, nasty, fist-pumping electro quite similar to... well, The Proxy really. 

If you're the type that likes to head-bang on the dance floor and have a fetish for filth then The Mould is essential listening. Fans of The Proxy, Bloody Beetroots and Housemeister will feel right at home with this heavy hitter.

The deubt EP aptly titled 'Mad Soldier Take A Rifle' is out now - Get it here.

The Mould - Ghetto - DOWNLOAD

Over The Atlantic

Over The Atlantic is the collaborative entity of New Zealand musicians Nik Brinkman and Bevan Smith. It began as a solo-project of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Brinkman, before Smith, who has previously performed under the Aspen, Signer, and Skallander monikers was invited on board to assist with production. 

They play graceful dream-pop... the kind where you can close your eyes and melt into your surroundings. It's subtle, yet engaging - a soothing blend of instrumental storytelling that gently strokes the heartstrings. The latest single 'Drama' sounds like a slow dance at an early 80's high school prom. It took me literally 8 seconds before I knew I loved it... The retro synth bells and lethargic vocals are so hypnotic that that one has to suspect the use of subliminal messages embedded within the recording. When you play 'Drama' in reverse I would not be surprised to hear the devil groan - "This is your new favourite song."

Over The Atlantic - Drama 

Over The Atlantic  are signed to international label 'Carpark Records' (Beach House, Toro Y Moi) and New Zealand label 'A Low Hum' (Diasteradio, Mount Pleasant), through which they have successfully released two albums - 'Junica' in 2006, and 'Dimensions' in 2008. You can purchase all or any of their tracks here.

Over The Atlantic - Celia

Houses - Soak It Up

Houses are a 'bliss-pop' group from Chicago and 'Soak It Up' is the second track from their forthcoming debut album All Night.

It is the perfect chill track for those early mornings or lazy evenings - so delicate and ethereal you can literally soak your soul in its peaceful embrace.

Houses - Soak It Up

The first track these guys released was 'Endless Spring' - a spacious dreamscape of wafty vocals and echoing percussion. So fitting for the season... being 'spring' and all.

Houses - Endless Spring - DOWNLOAD

All Night is due out October 16.

Leno Lovecraft September Mix

Leno Lovecraft has just released his latest mix - a 12-track voyage through obscure weird-pop and sexy electro. It is an utterly delicious selection of tracks that will transport your mind to mysterious worlds without the aid of any superfluous substances.

He has also just completed an up-tempo space disco remix for Golden Axe, which features in the mix - a sure hit for any retro-junkie.

Check out the mix here (it's totally worth indulging in the entire 40 minute experience), and grab a couple of free tracks for ze iTunes.

Tracklist:

Aeroplane - We Can't Fly
Chris & Cosey - Exotica
Jimmy Edgar - Hot Raw Sex
Housse De Racket - Dan's La Avion (Leno Lovecraft remix) - DOWNLOAD
Lio - Sage Comme Une Image (Bottin Remix)
Gorgio Moroder - Chase
Donovans - Sharkness
Leno Lovecraft - Alien Sex Juice
Casco - Cybernetic Love
Alexander Robotnick - Problems D'Amour (Leno Lovecraft Edit)
Golden Axe - Freetime (Leno Lovecraft remix) - DOWNLOAD
Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia

Leno Lovecraft - September mix by lenolovecraft

Kimbra live @ 'Sing Sing'

I can't get enough Kimbra right now. She just released two live videos recorded at 'Sing Sing Studios' in Melbourne and they are completely captivating. From her impassioned hand flailing, to her effortless vocal improvisation - a near perfect performance. Jaws will drop.

Kimbra - Settle Down Live @ 'Sing Sing Studios'

Kimbra - Plain Gold Ring (Nina Simone Cover) Live @ 'Sing Sing Studios'

You can download 'Settle Down' for FREE over at Perez Hilton's blog - Click here.

ZOWIE

ZOWIE is the reincarnation of gritty thrash-pop fem-bot Bionic Pixie.

I, for one, mourned the hiatus of Bionic Pixie and assumed that she had accomplished her mission on earth and embarked on an intergalactic adventure in search of a new, extra-terrestrial audience to enrapture. Needless to say, I was rather excited when I noticed ZOWIE popping up all over the place looking and sounding hotter than ever.

ZOWIE says, "Bionic Pixie is the toaster, and ZOWIE is the terminator", oozing confidence that her transformation is a vast improvement. Embracing her musical evolution ZOWIE has adapted into a new species, while still retaining the dominant traits of Bionic Pixie. It's still raw pop music infused with a post-punk attitude, it's still futuristic and sonically diverse, and her style is still tilted towards wearable art, if not slightly more sexy. But, ZOWIE is undefinably different.

Her latest track 'Broken Machine' tiptoes a thin line between bubblegum pop and well... conventional pop. It's like nothing we've heard from her work as Pixie, and transports you back to when Cyndi Lauper was the disco queen. It's not an insult - I love pop! But, fans of the old may not be so down with new. However, don't base your judgment on 'Broken Machine' alone. The teaser video below features ZOWIE's forthcoming single and it is f.r.e.s.h.




RAC (Remix Artist Collective) did quite a delicious remix of 'Broken Machine' morphing it into a club-ready nu-disco time machine.

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Pikachunes

Pikachunes is the solo project of ex Tiny Paper Daggers, new Tiger Tones member - Miles McDougall. Currently residing in quake-shaken Christchurch, Pikachunes has been shaking booties across the country with his minimal, moody concoction of electro-pop for close to a year now playing some of New Zealand's top venues, and hottest club nights.

There's something charming about a weedy white guy occupying a stage with nothing more than his drum-machine and a synthesizer, but Pikachunes more than compensates for his physical presence (or lack thereof) with the grooving hypnotism of his music. Stripped back to bare essentials a typical track features one or two synths, a 70's analog bass line and a reverberated, sometimes auto-tuned, vocal track - no unnecessary frills.

It's this honest simplicity that makes Pikachunes so appealing. Tracks like 'Just a Boy' tells the story of a blossoming romance, and 'Nervous' describes the fear of a musician rising to fame and fading into obscurity. McDougall's Brandon Flowers/Bernard Sumner-esque vocals make Pikachunes all the more easy on the ears and glide tastefully amongst their new-wave surroundings.

You can download the debut Pikachunes EP for FREE right here.

Pikachunes - Shout It Out (Music Video)

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Invisible Light Boys Noize Remix

If it's not already obvious, Boys Noize is one of my favourite producers. I lap his shit up like a fat chick at an ice-cream store.

He recently did an epic remix for 'Invisible Light' by the Scissor Sisters who are now signed to Boys Noize Records. The original track is actually quite decent, reminiscent of over-dramatic 70's synth gods Depeche Mode. However, Noize squeezes out any leftover camp-juice creating a darker interpretation that sounds like the theme music to an inter-galactic, apocalyptic battle. You half expect Rammstein to start growling 'Du - Du Hast - Du Hast Mich' over the top. Despite its other-worldly qualities at 3:52 you are shaken back to earth as the relentless build escalates into a trademark Boys Noize drop. Get a hold of a tasty 320 below.

Scissor Sisters - Invisible Light (Boys Noize Remix) - DOWNLOAD

Tiiiggggaaa

The illustrious and eloquent Tiga has been getting stuck into remixing following the release of his sophomore album 'Ciao!' last year. This year we have seen remixes for Boys Noize, Jamie Lidell, LCD Soundsystem, and most recently The XX - all of which magically deconstruct and revive the original into a perplexing avant-garde / dance-floor machine. Tiga has always been somewhat experimental in his approach to production and his latest works are tilting further into the realm of weird-pop. It's definitely not a bad thing... it's actually quite amazing. His more minimal anti-banger approach is mind stimulating and soul searching, teasing your body into motion... But, not the 'hands-in-the-air' all out rave... more of an individual groove... your own, slightly off-kilter rhythm amidst the bleeps and *doof doof's* of Tiga magic.

Check out a selection of his latest remixes.

Jamie Lidell - Telephone (Tiga Party Like It's 19909 Remix) - DOWNLOAD



LCD Soundsystem - I Can Change (Tiga Remix)



The XX - Shelter (Tiga Remix)

Knives At Noon - Violins & Violence

Knives At Noon are one of those rare finds - a radiant gemstone among the piles of musical garbage that litter the bustling streets of the inter-web. They reside in the depths of Dunedin churning out what they call 'Doom Pop' - an ever so slightly darker interpretation of conventional pop with an indie / post-rock twist. They inevitably draw comparisons with fellow South Island dance-punk maestro's Bang Bang Eche!, with their synth heavy riffs, infectious melodies and white-boy aggression.

Their latest single 'Violins & Violence' off the forthcoming debut EP Glitter Guts is a hooky dance track driven by a 4-to-the-floor beat, raw lo-fi guitars, burping synth and tongue-twisting vocals. And despite my failure to adequately encapsulate the song in words, it is one of the best New Zealand releases I've heard in a good wee while... The breakdown towards the end is undeniably 'Doom Pop'!

Keep an eye on these guys, they opened for Vampire Weekend a few months back and are slowly stamping their mark on the NZ music scene... I foresee a prosperous future for these Dunedin doom-poppers!

Glitter Guts, the debut EP from 'Knives At Noon' is due out in September.

knivesatnoon.com

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BOYS NOIZE - NEW TRACKS!

Literally 8 minutes ago on Facebook BOYS NOIZE announced the release of two new 'preview' tracks to his soundcloud. While they are obviously still works in progress they are nonetheless brilliant as Alex Ridha effortlessly flaunts his electro wizardry. Although the two sneak peeks are trademark 'Noize' they thump with more authority than anything off the more experimental 'Power!' Perhaps a bangin' 12" in the making?

Let's hope we get a taste of the new stuff live @ Rhythm & Vines 2010/2011!

Boys Noize "1010" Preview by Boys Noize

Boys Noize "YEAH" Preview by Boys Noize

Miami Horror - I Look To You MUSIC VIDEO

I only posted on Illumination, the debut album from Miami Horror a few days ago, but today the they released the music video for the disco-funk album favourite 'I Look To You' featuring our most enchanting New Zealand lass Kimbra.

LexiconDon - Pink + Blue

LexiconDon unleash their debut album, 'Pink + Blue' today on Binary - a feat that has been two years in the making. These guys caught my attention a few months back with their first single 'December Sunset', a no frills disco track that magically envelops emotion in a singular revolving chord progression. There is a sense of less is more with LexiconDon as they strip back to the bare essentials serving up infectious, unadulterated synth-pop. Admittedly, they are a slightly guilty pleasure with tracks like pop-heavy 'Student Body' that wouldn't sound astray on any 'top 40' countdown, but it's not worth holding it against them - pop is great. However, Pink + Blue is not a one trick pony. LexiconDon delve into banging electro, sexy R&B, and 70's inspired nu-disco creating an eclectic, well rounded album that will be enjoyed by an extensive audience.

Check out the tunes below, and if you like what you hear pick up a copy of 'Pink + Blue' on iTunes today - they even encourage you to burn copies for all your friends!

LexiconDon - December Sunset

LexiconDon - Student Body





LexiconDon - December Sunset (U-Tern Remix) - DOWNLOAD

The Earlybirds - Favourite Fears

New Zealand indie-pop young guns, The Earlybirds, released their debut album 'Favourite Fears' yesterday. Their first three singles 'Runaway', 'I Killed the DJ', and 'I Can't Live Without You' generated significant TV and radio exposure due to their accessible 'can't-get-you-out-of-my-head' melodies, and have propelled The Earlybirds onto the centre stage of the New Zealand music scene.

The Earlybirds take the raw rock & roll attitude of The Strokes and early KOL and sprinkle a spoonful of sugar in the mix to help the medicine go down for a more mainstream audience. The songs are well crafted and breathe originality due in part to lead singer, Filip Kostovich' suave European tinged vocals. It's hard not to like The Earlybirds... even the most pretentious 'alt-buff' is likely to catch themselves humming along to their infectious indie-pop anthems. The debut album, 'Favourite Fears', is a top-notch release boasting a musical maturity well beyond their years, so at the risk of my plug sounding like a closet 'uber-fan' outburst - runaway now, runaway now, runaway and grab yourself a copy today.

myspace.com/earlybirds

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theearlybirds.co.nz (download a free acoustic track here!)

Late Of The Pier - Best In The Class

Late Of The Pier released a double A-side single, Best In The Class / Blueberry, in March on limited edition vinyl and digital download on Erol Alkan's Phantasy Sound label. It is their first release since the full-length 'Fantasy Black Channel' in 2008, which set an unprecedented standard for indie / electro crossover bands by defying era and genre with the help of visionary producer Erol Alkan.

Best In Class / Blueberry expands on the experimental tendency of Late Of The Pier. 'Best In Class' is definitely the 'pop-ier' of the two, but you couldn't exactly classify it as conventional pop. The melody is hooky, but the modulated vocals after the first chorus and the unexpected thrashy breakdown outro is on a par with 'weird-rock' maestros The Mars Volta. 'Blueberry' tilts even further into the experimental beginning with a noisy, frantic intro before dropping into an MGMT-meets-Beatles strum-a-long and once again evolving into a spastic distorted guitar finale. What some will consider genius, others will label noise-pollution - whatever you're opinion, everyone should agree that Late Of The Pier are relentlessly innovative.

The Naked & Famous - The Sun

I saw this video a while ago and had every intention of posting it, but for reasons unknown, it slipped my mind.

I stumbled across it again today during a routine youtube click-a-thon and was once again enthralled by its magnificence. 'The Sun' is a song from the forthcoming debut album by The Naked & Famous, which was filmed for the C4 Live Sessions and recorded at York Street Studios.

It's not likely to be a single, but it's such an intelligently executed track. The gradually building female / male vocals over a melancholy Radiohead-esque chord progression, scattered with distorted guitar feed-back builds the tension to the brink of climax... and then leaves you hanging, thrusting for more, but still - strangely satisfied by the overall experience.

The debut album, Passive Me, Aggressive You, is due out September 6.

The Chemical Brothers - Swoon

The Chemical Brothers catapulted dance music into the mainstream with the anthemic 'Hey Boy, Hey Girl' in 1999 and changed the world forever. While today they may be overshadowed by some more 'popular' pioneers of the dance music renaissance, they remain the champions of consistency, endurance and quality having produced seven cutting-edge albums since 1995.

Their latest album, Further, is no exception - sonically superb - building, dropping and guiding you through an experience of no bullshit 'do-it-for-the-love-of-it' electro. I'll spare you an extensive review, but check out the first single, and standout track from Further - 'Swoon' - then indulge yourself in some classic Chemical Brothers and pay homage to the ones who paved the way for the popularisation of modern electronic music.

The Chemical Brothers - Swoon

Miami Horror - Illumination

'Illumination', the much anticipated debut album from Australian dance-floor killers 'Miami Horror' is out today!

Illumination is everything we've come to expect from Miami Horror only amplified and improved. The soundscape's are expansive and each arrangement is dynamically stimulating leaving no purpose for the 'skip' button on your iPod. Unlike many single-oriented full-lengths, the hits 'Sometimes' and 'Moon Theory' are not the only nuggets of Miami Horror gold - in fact, to abuse the metaphor, Illumination is a gold-miners wet dream. Songs such as 'I Look To You' (the forthcoming single) featuring Kimbra, feel-good summer jam 'Holidays' (chorus melody magic!), and the "Justice goes to disco" title track 'Illumination' all ooze with the charming disco-funk spirit Miami Horror are renowned for.




Illumination will transport your mind to the road trips, the romance, the beauty and the festivities of summer - it is the soundtrack for the season.

Don't forget you can catch Miami Horror live this summer at Rhythm & Vines 2010/2011!

Chilly Gonzales - Ivory Tower

If you haven't heard of Chilly Gonzales - you have a lot of catching up to do. An extensive wikipedia session should get you up to date, but here's a few fast facts. Chilly Gonzales is an eccentric Canadian musician who has dipped his finger in the pie of pop, electro, rap, piano, music production and songwriting. He has collaborated with Peaches and Feist, broken the world record for the longest solo-artist performance (27 hours, 3 minutes & 44 seconds), but is perhaps most renowned for challenging "party hard" rockstar Andrew W.K to a piano battle, which he questionably 'won'. He is a master of his craft and has recently been garnered with attention for his piano re-works of contemporary artists such as Boys Noize & Erol Alkan, Daft Punk, Marina & The Diamonds and 50 Cent.

Gonzales most recently signed to Boys Noize Records and his new album Ivory Tower is produced by Boys Noize himself. The first two singles from Ivory Tower 'I am Europe' and 'Bittersuite' are what you'd expect from this unusual collaboration - engrossing piano arrangements decorated with Alex Ridha's electronic pizazz. 'I am Europe' - a quirky dance-floor filler, which parodies stereotypical European culture is a stark contrast to the sombre, revolving refrains of 'Bittersuite'.

The Gonzales-Noize combo is a refreshing reprieve for those who are a little queasy from riding the band-wagon too long. Ivory Tower looks set to be one of the most genre-defying, intriguing releases of the year.

Ivory Tower is out in Germany today! The rest of the world will have to wait a few days.








Erol Alkan & Boys Noize - Waves (Chilly Gonzales Piano Remake) - DOWNLOAD

The Naked & Famous - Punching In A Dream

Hot on the heels of their chart-topping anthem 'Young Blood' New Zealand indie-pop virtuoso's The Naked & Famous have released their follow up single 'Punching In A Dream'.

'Punching In A Dream' uses the same essential ingredients as 'Young Blood' - big reverberated drums, excessively distorted guitar, tasteful synth licks and a charming mix of male / female vocals. However, upon first listen it doesn't capture you the same as its predecessor. It doesn't incite instant desires to run free through a meadow chanting "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!" . But, give it time. After three or four listens - letting the melodies marinate through your mind - the song really comes to life as you uncover the delicate intricacies that make The Naked & Famous so enchanting. I'm going to go as far as saying 'Punching In A Dream' is more dynamically stimulating than 'Young Blood' - it's a grower, but those are always the best kind. Now excuse me as I go skipping barefoot through the snow singing "Way-ay-ay-ay-aye!"

thenakedandfamous.com

myspace.com/thenakedandfamous

facebook.com/tnafofficial

Azari & III

Azari & III caught my attention in the latest edition of MixMag with the caption 'All about retro disco and house beats'. I was hooked.

'Azari & Third' are a production duo from Toronto conjuring up an eclectic concoction of nu-disco with roots in old-school Chicago and Detroit house. Their latest 12" 'Reckless With Your Love' is a fluid house track with minimal musical variation. 'Reckless' is given life by the sexy gliding vocals courtesy of Cedric Gasaida who does for this track what Ms. Dynamite did for Zinc's 'Blunt Edge'. These guys are blowing up right now - get on the buzz!

Azari & III - Reckless With Your Love

RUBY FRÖST & LENO LOVECRAFT

*Exclusive*

RUBY FRÖST is the rather mysterious, sequin loving, space exploring songstress from New Zealand. Relatively under-the-radar still, Ruby (and band) have been building a reputation on the Auckland scene as the emerging 'it' group of 2010. Ruby Frost play unconventional pop - that quirky, cute kind, enhanced by Ruby's exotic voice and her atypical approach to melody.

It was only fitting for her track 'Moonlight' to be taken for a joyride by emerging electro whiz Leno Lovecraft. As the original is yet to be released I can't really draw comparisons with the remix. But, if Leno's previous works are anything to go by I can assume he sexed it up with his smooth grooving extra terrestrial love juice. Needless to say, it is sexy. Staying true to Lovecraft's signature futuristic space sound the rework tastefully compliments Ruby's melodies in a pop hit / dance-floor crossover of an international calibre.


Download 'Ruby Frost - Moonlight (Leno Lovecraft Remix)' *Exclusively* HERE


Check out this extra treat from Leno Lovecraft off his debut album.

Leno Lovecraft - Amulet Princess

It is exciting to see collaborations of this quality coming out of New Zealand and needless to say, I am eagerly anticipating any future releases from these two rising talents. *Watch this space!*

myspace.com/rubyfrost

facebook.com/rubyfrost

myspace.com/lenolovecraft

facebook.com/lenolovecraft