May 9 2011

Candy Apple Blue

Like a raw, punky version of Roxette, Pittsbergh based Indie-ElectroPop twosome Candy Apple Blue create music that sounds like a DIY take on 80’s stadium Pop.

Their new single ‘Tricks’ could easily be on the soundtrack to an 80’s Teen dramedy, maybe something Schumacher. I don’t really like using the term ‘New Wave’, I’m not sure it exists, or if it ever did (I’m of the opinion that is was invented just so Geffen could sell British SynthPop artists to the US rock market packaged with UK Post-Punk imports) but Candy Apple Blue are pretty New Wave. In the sense that they combine elements of SynthPop, Post-Punk Indie and 80’s Songwriting into a catchy sing-along package, which is actually a style that not many people are doing these days, sure there are loads of 80’s sounding ElectroPop acts but the likes of Candy Apple Blue are far to rare. We will be watching them with interest.

♫ Candy Apple Blue – Tricks

Candy Apple Blue’s ‘Tricks’ EP is out 4th July and promises a host of reMixes!

Buy Candy Apple Blue’s music from:

May 9 2011

Hey Champ!’s new single

Chicago’s finest ElectroPop export Hey Champ! have released the title track from their forthcoming new single.

‘Anything At All’ is out this week and it’s a fun ElectroPop jam with an Indie twist. Just as bouncy and catchy as ‘Cold Dust Girl’ or ‘Neverest’ the track just shows that Hey Champ! haven’t lost anything that made their album so special, if anything they are getting better. Imagine that!

♫ Hey Champ! – Anything At All

Hey Champ!’s ‘Anything At All’ EP is out tomorrow, their awesome début album, ‘Star’ is out now.

Buy Hey Champ!’s music from:

May 9 2011

CSLSX

This track hit all the right buttons!

Philidelphia based, but worldwide staffed, Electro collective CSLSX have just dropped this downtempo Disco jam ‘Keep On Shining’. It appeals to every bit of the electronic music lover in me. It’s driven by a mid-tempo solid rhythm section with a head nodding bassline, Cosmic synth work and hit of Dub influence. This is a tune to be played on repeat on long, hot, summer nights.

♫ CSLSX – Keep On Shining

Keep an eye on CSLSX at their Facebook page.

CSLSX @ Facebook

May 9 2011

Gigamesh & Foster The People

What a tune to come back from the weekend too! Gigamesh smashes this reMix of Foster The People’s ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ right out of the park!

With just the right mix of Indie-Electro and Disco Gigamesh has revamped FTP’s over-remixed ‘hit’ into a piano and electro tom laden summer anthem. A new lease of life for the track was defiantly needed for this song to get some of the summer play it so desperately wanted and Gigamesh has done just that.

♫ Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (Gigamesh reMix)

Foster The People’s album ‘Torches’ is out 24th May.

Buy Foster The People’s music from:

May 6 2011

Fear Of Tigers’ ‘The Guestlist’ this week with College and you know who!

Fear Of Tigers – ‘The Guestlist’ 06/05/2011 = The week Fear Of Tigers’ special guest is Valerie Collective head honcho, and the man behind College, David Grellier and in a fit of insanity Fear Of Tigers invited me back on the show to pick my big tune of the moment, which had to be Ride The Universe’s reMix of Chromeo’s ‘Hot Mess’, alongside the usual best of ElectroPop, Dreamwave and Nu-Disco around.

♫ Fear Of Tigers’ ‘The Guestlist’ 06/05/2011

As you probably know Ben from Fear Of Tigers ran the London marathon a while back to raise money for WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals). We’d like to extend our congratulations to Ben for an amazing job, you can read about it in this blog post, and there’s still time to get in with a quick sponsorship if you’re feeling charitable, check out his Just Giving page.

Fear Of Tigers @ Just Giving

Buy Fear Of Tigers’ music from:

May 6 2011

Hardtopronounce & BlackOut Disco’s ‘Monique’

Ace Disco-House label Champagne Records’ latest free release is Hardtopronounce & BlackOut Disco’s ‘Monique’ single.

You should go get it, kick off your weekend is cut-up Disco style. ‘Monique’ is one smooth slab of filtered goodness with a funky ass vocal sample throughout and a cute little running flute riff. Labelmates Vostok-1, drop a sweeping blissed-out Nu-Disco reMix as part of the single with cranks up the effects to take you on your journey to planet Disco. Play it loud!

♫ Hardtopronounce & BlackOut Disco – Monique

♫ Hardtopronounce & BlackOut Disco – Monique (Vostok-1 reMix)

Download the whole single for free at Champagne Records SoundCloud page.

May 6 2011

Mustang’s Monarchy reMix

Monarchy and Rokhsan’s single ‘I Won’t Let Go’ was released a week or so ago, so if you haven’t heard it yet here’s the amazing Mustang reMix.

Epic and emotional, Mustang has done an awesome job here. Loaded with Disco bass, big retro chords and a funky little guitar riff this reMix really highlights both sets of vocals for the powerful performance they are. I think this is defiantly my favourite of the reMixes, it takes the raw feeling of the original but dials the music down a bit and lets you just sink into it.

♫ Monarchy – I Won’t Let Go (Mustang reMix)

Monarchy’s ‘I Won’t Let Go’ war released last week.

Buy Monarchy’s music from:

May 6 2011

The Good Natured’s ‘Skeleton’ video

Here we have the video for The Good Natured’s new single ‘Skeleton’. Sarah’s getting more and more mid-80’s indie by the day but keeps it wrapped-up in some catchy ElectroPop.

The Good Natured is managing to get she noir thing on, both lyrically , musically and visually without loosing any of her accessibility. Which is quite a feat.

We’re not going to use the word Goth, we’re really not…

The track is out to download 8th May, with a whole EP available 20th June.

Buy The Good Natured’s music from:

May 5 2011

Ronika

It’s not the weekend just yet, but here’s a little tune that’s sure to get you in the partying mood.

Hailing from Nottingham, Ronika is a retro DiscoPop whirlwind here to blow the cobweb out of your 21st century brain. Musically this is real authentic sounding early 80’s Pop, particularly reminiscant of that period of American Pop that was on the tail end of Disco and the emergance of SynthPop. Think early Madonna or Blondie’s flirtation with Disco (and Hip Hop), the lead line on ‘Forget Yourself’ is pure B-Boy Electro while the squelchy synth bass is loaded with funk. Yet amongst all the nostalgic American musical awesomeness is a Modern British singer with tongue-firmly-in-cheek and an English sense of irony that would make Pet Shop Boys proud.

A one hundred percent DIY operation, Ronika releases her second EP ‘Forget Yourself’/’Wiyoo’ next month backed with reMixes from Mirrorzisland and herself. I can’t help but feel that this is how Pop sounds if people who love Pop are left to make it unsupervised (by people who want to make money). Or, at least, this is how it should sound!

♫ Ronika – Forget Yourself

‘Forget Yourself’/’Wiyoo’ drops 13th June on Ronika’s own label, RecordShop, her début EP is out now.

Buy Ronika’s music from:

May 5 2011

Frankmusik’s ‘Do It In The AM’ video

Here is the long-teased video for Frankmusik’s forthcoming single featuring Far East Movement.

‘Do It In The AM’ isn’t Frankmusik’s best song ever, but it is a cool summery Pop tune that could be his real breakthrough track, and the video show how Vince is living it up LA style these days.