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