tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69485374907319248652024-03-14T05:28:27.775+00:00The POP! StereoPaul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.comBlogger1031125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-972349886572948352015-10-24T16:25:00.000+01:002015-10-24T16:25:20.894+01:00National Beat's Carnival Caravan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Natioanl Beat's latest ep, <i>Carnival
Caravan featuring Cha Wa</i>, is a
five song trip to Brazil via New Orleans. It's a crazy mash up of
party atmospheres that lends itself to a upbeat, uptempo, percussion
fueled vibe that's filled with energy. This short record is an
ethnomusicologists dream of what cross cultural pollination is all
about. South American maracatu drumming meshes with New Orleans
second line rhythms and funk to fuse a sound that's as celebratory as
it is unique. <br /><br />From the funky vibes of “Casa Diamante –
Sew Sew Sew,” complete with fuzzed out guitars to the extremely
catchy fun of the NOLA fueled march of, “Liza Jane,” you'll have
no idea what continent you're on, what influences are playing off one
another and why you can't stop tapping along. National Beat are
truly a <i>Carnival Caravan</i>
and they're taking their party from the streets of the French Quarter
to the carnival's of Brazil and everywhere in between. <i>Carnival
Caravan</i> is the sound of
diversity and all fun.
</div>
Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-47758163125849848632015-10-11T16:18:00.002+01:002015-10-11T16:18:53.325+01:00Animal Daydream Create Easy Pleasures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Animal Daydream are a band so in love with west coast pop they seemingly have gotten lost within it. Their recent four song single <i>Easy Pleasures</i> is a ray of sunshiny jangle that's as laid back as a Sunday morning in Santa Barbara. With enough of a Teenage Fanclub/Tyde influence to make you wonder if they're not really lost in Britain as opposed to California, this group gently strums guitars, layers harmonies, and write songs as if the sun was in perpetual sunset mode. </div>
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<i>Easy Pleasures</i> is an absolute joy to listen to. It's uncomplicated breezy nature is as warm as the sun and as fresh as the salty beach air. Each of the four songs are melodic masterpieces that are bright even when they're going on about rain. If ever there was a soundtrack to a bonfire on a beach, <i>Easy Pleasures </i>would be it, it's casual and optimistic tone is the perfect way to top off a long day in paradise. This record truly is an easy pleasure.</div>
Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-48343902223625042782015-04-27T09:00:00.000+01:002015-04-27T09:00:02.416+01:00Grounders Ring In Debut Album<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />This spring, the Toronto-based Grounders - Andrew Davis (vocals and guitar), Daniel Busheikin (keyboards), Mike Searle (Bass) and Evan Lewis (guitar) - will release their first full-length album, a collection of dense and intricate pop music under the gauzy veil of krautrock and psychedelia.<br />
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Over the course of the last two years, Grounders rediscovered their love for classic pop music, an appreciation that had waned over the years as they became obsessed with circumventing the conventional. Just another day in the life of a band. While rediscovering this appreciation, they listened to pop staples like David Bowie and Devo, and revisited old favorites like Velvet Underground, Neu! and the Zombies. When Grounders finally came up for air, they had a new found love for pop and a glut of ideas for a debut LP.<br />
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The album came to life in two distinct spaces: Davis's bedroom in Toronto's sleepy High Park neighbourhood; and a spacious two-car garage packed with vintage gear from various pawn shops and second-hand stores across the country.<br />
<br />
After recruiting DIANA's Kieran Adams to handle drums, the band headed into the studio with longtime pal Marcel Ramagnano (Born Ruffians, Absolutely Free) to record. Months of tracking, tinkering and layering later, Grounders enlisted the incomparable David Newfeld (Broken Social Scene, Holy Fuck) to give each song the bombastic, fried analog treatment he's become known for.<br />
<br />
With the self-titled album on the verge of release (May 12th) the band are set to head out on the highway shortly thereafter...<br />
<br />
5/28: Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy<br />
5/29: Brooklyn, NY @ Palisades<br />
6/11: Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz<br />
6/12: Ottawa, ON @ Café Dekcuf<br />
6/13: Kingston, ON @ Old Fort Henry<br />
6/18 - 6/19: Toronto, ON @ NXNE<br />
6/20: Chicago, IL @ Fizz<br />
6/22: Winnipeg, MB @ The Good Will<br />
6/23: Saskatoon, SK @ Vangelis<br />
6/24: Edmonton, AB @ Wunderbar<br />
6/25 - 6/27: Calgary, AB @ Sled Island<br />
<br />
Check out the slightly groovy, "No Ringer."<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="300" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/181214640&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-48374241793687797892015-02-08T19:39:00.000+00:002015-02-08T19:41:20.812+00:00Le Couleur Adds Color To A Grey Winter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fueled by the music of Todd Terje and Giorgio Moroder, Montreal's <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lecouleurmusic" target="_blank">Le Couleur</a> </b>set out to record a 5 track EP that would eventually be dubbed <i>Dolce Désir</i>. The follow up to 2013’s much beloved <i>Voyage Love EP</i>, <i>Dolce Désir</i> sees the band fully embrace the romantic disco visions of yore, while maintaining their forward thinking franco-pop sensibilities.<br />
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The video isn't much to look at but the single it represents, "Concerto Rock," is a 80's sensible pseudo-Moroder masterpiece that's as spangly and exotic as Donna Summer lost in Paris. Have a gander at the magnets vs. TV's video below...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FdMBZQQN5Bw" width="360"></iframe><br />
<br />Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-54938062130428307092015-02-03T22:32:00.001+00:002015-02-03T22:34:14.727+00:00One More Top 25 For The Road!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />A week later and we're still here! Hard to believe, I know, but it's true. <br />
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And to cap off our first week, we present our last (but certainly not least) Top 25 for 2014! This one comes to us from <b>Natalie</b> who calls Tampa home now but is originally from Jacksonville. When she's not going to see all the bands that we DON'T get to see here in Jacksonville she finds the time to compile lists. Here's her Top 25 for 2014...</div>
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<b>25. Lindsey Stirling: Shatter Me</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qg7L0OQiN78" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>24. MO: No Mythologies to Follow</b><br />
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<b>23. Broken Bells: After the Disco</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E36_UiCiIxk" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>22. Dum Dum Girls: Too True</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2XvoO9UgbTU" width="271"></iframe><br />
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<b>21. Phantogram: Voices</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0n_6EcruXeA" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>20. Brian Eno and Karl Hyde: Someday World</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rDAuBFLkqpQ" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>19. Tycho: Awake</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d_MSTG-X4S0" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>18. Swans: To Be Kind</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vfmi0v5vIGo" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>17. Bombay Bicycle Club: So Long, See you Tomorrow</b><br />
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<b>16. St. Vincent: S/T</b><br />
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<b>15. Damon Albarn: Everyday Robots</b><br />
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<b>14. The Roots: ...and then You Shoot your Cousin</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UhwA0f1mymY" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>13. Jack White: Lazaretto</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sRbnAxrS3EM" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>12. Jenny Lewis: The Voyager</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k9hKp2zm6X4" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>11. Kimbra: The Golden Echo</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fg_BHCyxySU" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>10. The Pierces: Creation</b><br />
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<b>9. The Kooks: Listen</b><br />
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<b>8. Karen O: Crush Songs</b><br />
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<b>7. Tove Lo: Queen of the Clouds</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RQCSKguBloE" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>6. Ok Go: Hungry Ghosts</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u1ZB_rGFyeU?list=RDu1ZB_rGFyeU" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>5. Cold War Kids: Hold My Home</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GFfDKWpIWy8" width="271"></iframe><br />
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<b>4. Gemma Hayes: Bones + Longing</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qGWSfKOtsAA" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>3. Charli XCX: Sucker</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7H89R9K75eo" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>2. Interpol: El Pintor</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Aw90St_8ek0" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>1. FKA Twigs: LP1 </b><br />
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Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-62846526432575150752015-02-01T15:52:00.000+00:002015-02-01T15:52:49.611+00:00Even More Top Records from 2014!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Three posts in under a week? Something must be wrong with these people! It's true though, we're on our third post...that's three more than all of 2013 & 2014 combined!<br />
<br />
Anyway, up next is <b>Rachel</b> who comes to us all the way from Pittsburgh, PA. When not freezing to death up in Pittsburgh she apparently has time to root for the Pens, listen to music and teach and these were her Top 10 records of 2014 in reverse order from 1 - 10.<br />
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1. <b>Phantogram</b>-Voices<br />
2. <b>Caribou</b>-Our Love<br />
3. <b>Royskopp</b>-The Inevitable End<br />
4. <b>Ariel Pink</b>- Pom Pom<br />
5. <b>St. Vincent</b>- St Vincent<br />
6. <b>SWANS</b>- To Be Kind<br />
7. <b>New Pornographers</b>-Brill Bruisers<br />
8. <b>Parquet Cour</b>ts- Sunbathing Animal<br />
9. <b>Damon Albarn</b>- Everyday Robots<br />
10. <b>Klaxons</b>- Love Frequency<br />
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She somehow managed to out-British me because I <i>completely</i> forgot about Damon's solo release and the Klaxons.<br />
<br />
Coming straight outta the 904 is our next contributor...<b>Cassandra</b>. I've known Cassandra for a bunch of years and we've bonded over BW3, trivia and wanting to bring back white belts and Spock haircuts. When not doing this Cassandra listens to a lot of hip hop (and punk) and even finds time to rhyme here and there. She sent me her Top 10 rather than telling it to me in person...because apparently we live thousands of miles apart. Anyway, here's her Top 10 which has a few left turns in it...<br />
<br />
10. <b>Homeboy Sandman</b> - White Sands<br />
9. <b>clipping</b> - clppng. <br />
8. <b>Milo</b> - Toothpaste Suburb<br />
7. <b>Open Mike Eagle</b> - Dark Comedy <br />
6. <b>Rob Sonic</b> - Alice in the Thunderdome <br />
5. <b>Murder City Devils</b> - The White Ghost Has Blood on Its Hands Again<br />
4. <b>Jean Grae</b> -'5'<br />
3. <b>Run the Jewels</b> - 2.<br />
2. <b>St. Vincent</b> - St Vincent <br />
1. <b>Madlib and Freddie Gibbs</b> - Cocaine PinataPaul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-74166249078180559882015-01-29T12:54:00.001+00:002015-01-29T12:54:34.450+00:00More Top Records From 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br /><br />Bet you thought we wouldn't have two posts in two days?<br />
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See we really are back. Really.</div>
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As promised we're continuing with our Top Records of 2014 while we prepare to start writing about stuff from 2015. </div>
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Up next and coming from Austin, Texas comes <b>Susan</b> who writes, "2014 was a crazy year...and my musical tastes were everywhere."<br />
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In no particular order...here's her Top 8<br />
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<b>Angel Olsen</b><br />
Album:Burn Your Fire For No Witness <br />
Song: Forgive Forgotten<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/PinTAGbIsV4" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>Tele Novella</b><br />
Album: Trouble in Paradise<br />
Song: Trouble in Paradise<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Npnm65bHy_o" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>Les Sins</b><br />
Album: Michael<br />
Song: Bother Me<br />
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<b>Darius</b><br />
Album: Romance EP<br />
Song: Hot Hands<br />
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<b>De Lux</b><br />
Album: Voyage<br />
Song: Better at Making Time<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/p5eAcWbFLrk" width="360"></iframe><br />
<br />
This ones kind of a guilty pleasure now since i've OD'd hard on it...<br />
<b>Sylvan Esso</b><br />
Album: Self Titled<br />
Song: Coffee (although Mami was in my head for 5 months straight)<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Qr5AIKRPIHo" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>Pure X</b><br />
Album: Angel<br />
Song: Heaven<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/k83QOSjAwjE" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>Hospitality</b><br />
Album: Trouble<br />
Song: Last Words<br />
Got stuck in the rain between two freeways waiting for the city bus with this song on repeat. I wish there was a video but this is my favorite song on the album<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/BYDYDQi5oPg" width="360"></iframe><br />
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Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-62043527995384222152015-01-27T04:24:00.000+00:002015-01-29T12:55:06.138+00:00We're Baaaack With The POP! Stereo Top 25 (or less) Of 2014 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
After working on and building up POP! Stereo for six years straight, day in, day out, reviewing, listening, and getting bogged down with more music than I could handle it simply wasn't fun anymore. It had become less of a hobby and more of an unpaid job. And that's not really why I started this thing. It was originally an outlet for punters who came to my POP! DJ night to find all the new stuff I was playing every Thursday but by 2011 had become an mp3 blog with a spin off review blog and a beast that was uncontrollable. So, I stopped. <br />
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Funny thing about stopping this is that I began to miss it. I didn't miss coming home from my <i>real</i> job every day and having to handle my <i>hobby</i> for three hours each night but I did miss the thrill, the rush, the addiction of being bombarded by tons of cool music. How could I not? After nearly six years of this you kind of get used to hearing 20 new bands a day. It's hard to walk away from.<br />
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So, after nearly 28 months, 56,000 unread emails (seriously), and a stack of music that reaches ceiling to floor it seemed like a good time to come back from my self-imposed hiatus. This time though, I've brought friends. No longer will I be forced into self imposed exile on a Friday night because I have to write a post, write two record reviews, and sort 300 emails...I'll simply pass it on to my cohorts. (Sorry guys!).<br />
<br />
What does the future hold? I have no idea. I have about a zillion ideas running around my head including a complete redesign because lets face it...POP! Stereo <i>looks</i> like it was put together in 2006. It's on <i>Blogger </i>for God's sake! We'll probably end up merging the reviews into the MP3 end of things as well so we'll have a complete site as opposed to two micro-sites. Alot has changed since 2012 and I missed it all...I like that. So, here we are a little wiser, a lot more relaxed, tan, rested, and ready to rock once again.<br />
<br />
We figured the best way to "relaunch" this thing was with our Top 25's for 2014. Yeah, ok we're three weeks into 2015, but you know, after two years away whats another week or two. <br />
<br />
Without further adieu...The <i>new</i> cast and crew of POP! Stereo present our favorite records from last year....<br />
<br />
<b>Starting of with yours truly...Paul POP! </b><br />
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<b>25) Dope Body - Lifer</b><br />
American indie <i>rawk</i> should always sound as if it's about to tear itself to shreds in a fit of depression, anger, chaos or a combination of all three. <i>Lifer</i> is the living embodiment of all of that in overdose quantities. It's a mess. It's brash. It sounds like it was recorded on a Radio Shack tape recorder from 1985 on a broken c-30 cassette in a I-95 rest stop bathroom. That's why it's awesome. My only question is whether or not the band survived the recording of this record?<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EB6KoxgYy2Q" width="360"></iframe><br />
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<b>24) Imandra Lake - Avane</b><br />
In a post-gazing world, it's nice to know not everyone is obsessed with effects pedals and walls of distortion. <i>Avane </i>is a quiet, contemplative work of beauty.<br />
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<b>23) Lia Ices - Ices</b><br />
I didn't like this record at first. I thought it was some sort of pretentious post-folk/chill wave record that was too lost in itself for it's own good. But, as I spent time with it grew on me and here it is in my Top 25. It's quirky, echoey, and weird in all the best ways and sure, it's still some sort of post-chill wave record but it's adorable. <br />
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<b>22) Bio Ritmo - Puerta Del Sur</b><br />
This is a first in the 20 years I've done Top 25's. I've included a world music record in the countdown. Gasp, shudder, cringe. Don't get your jorts in a bunch. I'm from Miami. I grew up surrounded by Latin music and while I didn't understand it when I was younger, it now it reminds me of home. And even though Bio Ritmo aren't from Miami they make me crave Cuban coffee every time I hear them.<br />
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<b>21) Brooklyn Shanti -Bedstuyle</b><br />
Globally chilled out, occasionally housey brilliance that proves that chilled grooves can be so much more than yuppie fodder. <i>Bedstuyle</i> is a wondrous, diverse, lush record that gave me goosebumps every time I listened to it and still does. It's literally a <i>chill out</i> album...get it.<br />
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<b>20) Gene Siewing - Drastic Measures</b><br />
In a world inundated by Nu-metal kids making EDM, it's nice to know that people remember that <i>house is a feeling</i> and not just a wall of noise with a big drop. Siewing takes it deep, deep, deep undercover here with <i>Drastic Measures</i> and comes up with a slice of tech/deep house goodness that sounds more like it came out arond 1999 than 2014. If Muzik and Ministry magazines were still around this would be the sort of thing they'd be raving about and DJ's would be caning. Alas...mechanized death rules the dancefloor now.<br />
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<b>19) White Hex - Gold Nights</b><br />
Fitting snugly between The Cure, Sisters of Mercy, Clove cigarettes, and Curve lie White Hex. Are they goth? Are they witch house? Are they nightmare pop? Who knows and who cares. What matters is that <i>Gold Nights</i> works equally as an album you can pull rope to in a sea of dry ice or get lost in at home. It's a dynamic and spooky record that you probably shouldn't listen to in the dark. <br />
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<b>18) The Black Watch - Sugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy</b><br />
These guys have been kicking around forever. They've never really gotten the respect they deserve but over the course of their career have been fairly consistent when it comes to producing very good pseudo-noise pop with an 80's British pop feel. <i>Sugarplum Fairy, Sugarplum Fairy </i>is no different and only serves to build upon their mythos. As if to prove the point that they don't get the respect they deserve they don't have one single video on YouTube!<br />
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<b>17) Unicycle Loves You - The Dead Age</b><br />
Unicycle Loves You reminds you of all those records of Creation bands that you have that never got the respect that Ride did. These guys do gazing, do noise, do the cascading waves of distortion but do it with just enough devil may care attitude to keep them out of the spotlight. They're just sloppy enough, just rock and roll enough to be lumped in with the Meadowlark Eleven's of the world. Hmph. That's OK though because 9 times out of 10 records like those are better than the hyped ones. <i>The Dead Age</i> is heaving with life,, electricity, energy and fantastic tunes that will deafen you.<br />
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<b>16) Tacocat - NVM</b><br />
How can you not love a band named Tacocat? I mean really...it's so ridiculous it's brilliant and <i>NVM</i> is like that. This might be one of the few bands on the planet that make Aunt Flow sound like a jolly jangly good ol' time and that's saying something I suppose...being a guy I'm not sure what. <i>NVM </i>is a short burst of sugary sweet indie pop that's raw and rambunctious and the sort of thing that induces random bouts of pogoing.<br />
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<b>15) White Reaper - s/t</b><br />
Yet another record from the raw and rambunctious camp, White Reaper's self titled effort was a surf rock inspired garage rock record with addictive melodies, simple rhythms, and a wall of noise. It's a chaotic little record that was seemingly led by Bobcat Goldthwait's doppleganger. What White Reaper lacked in structure and organization they more than made up for it with energy and the ability to turn a 2:30 pop song into the most important thing in your life. <br />
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<b>14) Eureka California - Crunch</b><br />
Happy Happy Birthday To Me never let you down. They've released so many seminal indie pop and indie rock records it's hard to keep track of. <i>Crunch</i> is yet another one in their catalog. <i>Crunch</i> is classic indie rock in that Merge records kind of way. It's noisy, shambolic and seemingly held together by duct tape but the band create melodies out of all that and make it a fun, white knuckle ride through a set of guitar strings and broken pedals. Not sure if they're named after the earthquake that happened years ago (Google it) but it would kind of make sense if they were...<br />
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<b>13) Merchandise - After The End</b><br />
Let me just first off say...these guys are from TAMPA. Yes, Tampa! The heart of 80's Manchester runs through Dale Mabry and it's amazing. Perhaps no other band better embraced mid to late 80's British pop this year than Merchandise. Sounding like the best compilation Cherry Red, Creation, and 53rd & 3rd, and the Subway Organization never released...<i>After The End</i> is like an updated C86 compilation that you want to play over and over and over. They're jangly, they're clever, they write great tunes and somewhere you imagine Stephen Morrissey going, "These Florida kids get it." Tampa is way more than trashy strip clubs, the hapless Buccaneers, and Busch Gardens because of these guys. <br />
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<b>12) Alvvays - s/t</b><br />
Apparently 2014 was the year surf music broke. Seriously, just about every great indie rock or indie pop record has this west coast surf pop vibe to it and <i>Alvvays</i> is not any different. The difference is that <i>Alvvays</i> is a record to fall in love to. While most of the bands that embrace this aesthetic are noisy and shambolic you get the sense that <i>Alvvays</i> yearns to be in love and then be completely engulfed in it. This is a gorgeous, dreamy, shuffly record that shimmers in the California sunshine. <br />
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<b>11) Lights - Little Machines</b><br />
Pure Pop Goodness that I am unashamed to say that I adore. I think I was originally pulled in by Lights' lopsided haircut...then I heard her songs and being in touch with my inner emo kid, was won over. <i>Little Machines</i> is an emotional roller-coaster of massive pop songs and even more thrilling hooks. It's fun, happy, uplifting stuff that's like such a rush it's like eating 1000 packets of sugar. This might be Radio Disney fodder but I <i>am</i> a Disney geek after all.<br />
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<b>10) Ex-Hex - Rips</b><br />
Mary Timony was back and back in a big way. Rather than just resurrect Helium she started a whole new band. This was a good thing as <i>Rips</i> was better than anything Helium ever did. <i>Rips</i> was the sort of record that feels like it was recorded in 20 minutes with the band firing on all cylinders in Timony's car port. <i>Rips </i>was garagey rock and roll the way it should be played; loose and with a lot of energy.<br />
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<b>9) Afghan Whigs - Do The Beast</b><br />
In case you live under a rock, Greg Dulli is a bit of a legend. The 90's wouldn't have been the 90's without him and while he has been kicking around in other projects over the last decade or so, it's really the Afghan Whigs everyone wanted to hear again. So as if by magic <i>Do The Beast</i> was unleashed upon us and it turned out to be a stunning record. That tension and drama that lurks in every Afghan Whigs record is ratcheted up 10 notches on this record and the results are an amazing, potentially career defining effort. Dulli proved he and his band still have it and <i>Do The Beast</i> was just that, a beast of an indie rock record.<br />
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<b>8) The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Days of Abandon</b><br />
<i>Days of Abandon</i> is like the best record Slumberland never released. It's an amalgamation of post-shoegazing, indie pop, getting lost in fields of heather, tattered issues of Melody Maker, and a worn out copy of NME's c86 compilation. This is a record that jangles, shimmers and shines rays of sunshine into every nook an cranny of itself. It's an over joyous, energetic, fey record of beauty. It's shuffly and twee and ridiculously fun. If you want to know what indie pop sounded like in 2014 this was one of the poster children for it. <br />
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<b>7) Yelle - Competement Fou</b><br />
Is Yelle the French version of Bjork? She's weird enough, she loves house, she loves odd videos, and she writes songs that are ridiculously good. Not that those are definitive qualities but you have to wonder and I like to think she kind of is. Anyway, <i>Competent Fou</i> was a sugar coated blast of French electro pop that embraced 90's piano house with open arms and was so good it could make a dead man dance. If she's not a national treasure in France she should be.<br />
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<b>6) La Sera - Hour of the Dawn</b><br />
<i>Hour of the Dawn </i>is an indie pop record with a lot of swoon. What's that mean? Well, Katy Goodman's voice is so pure, so sweet, and so great that it'll make your heart leap and give you goosebumps. Imagine that happening ten times over and you get why <i>Hour of the Dawn </i>is here. La Sera's brand of indie pop is so emotional, colorful, and striking that it's mesmerizing and I'm a sucker for that sort of stuff. Oh...and she puts her pets in her videos too.<br />
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<b>5) Lily Allen - Sheezus</b><br />
More pure pop goodness from one of the most clever people in pop music. She's a mom, she's a star, she's self deprecating and I suspect she does it all with tongue firmly planted in her cheek. <i>Sheezus</i> was as funny as it was fun and while it wasn't as instant as her first couple of records, once you spent time with it, it soon attached itself to your memory and never let go (just try and forget the chorus of, "Air Balloon").<br />
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<b>4) Dum Dum Girls - Too True</b><br />
Continuing their quest to bring sexy back to indie pop (was it ever there to begin with?) Dum Dum Girls made <i>Too True </i>a seductive experience. Sounding a bit like the first Heartthrobs record brought via TARDIS to 2014, <i>Too True</i> was arty, dramatic, gauzy, hooky and awesome. Dee Dee knows how to play with emotions as well as how to play with guitars and manipulates them both into slices of flirtatious and bewitching pop. <br />
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<b>3) Music Go Music - Impressions</b><br />
No other album had me questioning what year it was more than <i>Impressions.</i> So deeply rooted in the magic of Abba is this band that I'm kind of convinced it <i>is</i> Abba. Seriously, the similarities to the Swedish superstars is downright creepy. <i>Impressions</i> is so Abbaesque you could probably convince people that it's a long lost recording. Needless to say <i>Impressions </i>is campy discotastic fun that's swathed in musk cologne and more polyester than legally allowed. While everyone else was locked in to the 90's revival, Music Go Music headed back to the 70's!<br />
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<b>2) The Primitives - Spin O Rama</b><br />
This was perhaps the biggest surprise of 2014. Having been a fan of this band since 1992 (and collecting every single and album in every format imaginable) it gave me goosebumps when I actually got hold of <i>Spin O Rama</i>. What's truly amazing about this album is that they've somehow managed to sound exactly the way they did from 86 - 92. Tracy Tracy sounds adorable as ever and the band sound as if they haven't left the flowers they wen't through in the mid-80's. <i>Spin O Rama</i> is a masterwork of fizzy indie pop that serves as a reminder that you can teach old dogs new tricks.<br />
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<b>1) Chromeo - White Women</b><br />
My second favorite group of Canadian's returned in 2014 with another brilliant work of 80's lovin' funk. <i>White Women</i> wasn't necessarily a revolutionary album by Chromeo but it was packed to the rafters with enough Hall & Oates kitsch and white boy funk to make your head explode. These guys consistently get it, don't take themselves too seriously, seemingly have the most fun being a band and write humorous anthems that could reanimate the dead. How could something like this not be my favorite album of 2014? <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="203" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RhmUnk454MA" width="360"></iframe>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-55861659266069377842012-11-21T01:14:00.000+00:002012-11-21T01:15:24.322+00:00We'll be right back...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey Folks...I know some of you have been wondering where the hell we've been. Well first it was vacation in October and well this month it's been recovering from last month. With that being said...we're taking December off as well. There's a TON of other stuff we have to take care of here at HQ and it needs to get done sooner rather than later. So with that in mind, we'll be back January 1 and hopefully we'll have a few surprises for you then. You'll just have to wait for that though...<br />
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Thanks as always for the support...and to quote the Mickey Mouse Club..."See You Real Soon..." Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-11206203325448083132012-09-27T12:53:00.001+01:002012-09-27T12:54:20.447+01:00Why? Get Mumps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V77HAG8OylY/UGQ-FmMomsI/AAAAAAAAFho/fAXwJq0usfQ/s1600/why.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V77HAG8OylY/UGQ-FmMomsI/AAAAAAAAFho/fAXwJq0usfQ/s320/why.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br />
Nipping at the ragged heels of their eagerly devoured <i>Sod in the Seed EP</i> (which you can download for FREE here), <b>WHY?</b> at last unleash their fifth long-player,<b> Mumps, etc</b>, a meticulous work of morbid fascination and offbeat romanticism dubbed Mumps, etc. Though there is a mysterious sickness (perhaps of the mind) that lurks about these thirteen songs, one might also imagine the title as describing the musical state of these three Midwestern men as they bring their sound into glisteningly buff focus. <br />
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Yoni Wolf, brother Josiah and Doug McDiarmid are in the pocket, the unbreakable rock core at the center of a spinning ball of sonic kaleidoscopie. And all the things we love about them are still true: the grinning sun-warped choruses, that jangly Western lope, those confessionals cut with wry wit and crude details, set dancing down the odd knots of complex poetic daisy chains. It's just that ... well, all of it sounds better than ever this time around.<br />
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You can hear this for yourself as <b>WHY?</b> is on tour. <br />
Here are the dates...<br />
10.05 Düsseldorf, Germany: New Fall Festival<br />
10.06 Evreux, France: L'Abordage<br />
10.07 Paris, France: Maroquinerie<br />
10.08 Brighton, England: Old Market<br />
10.09 London, England: Electric Ballroom<br />
10.10 Manchester, England: Central Methodist Church<br />
10.11 Bristol, England: Fleece<br />
10.12 Glasgow, Scotland: SWG3<br />
10.13 Oxford, England: The Bullingdon<br />
10.15 Berlin, Germany: Volksbühne<br />
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10.18 Cincinnati, OH Lois & Richard Rosethal Center for Contemporary Art Black Box Theatre<br />
10.20 Pittsburgh, PA Altar<br />
10.24 Richmond, VA Canal Club<br />
10.25 Athens, GA 40 Watt<br />
10.26 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits<br />
10.27 Orlando, FL The Social<br />
10.28 Tampa, FL Crowbar<br />
10.29 Tallahassee, FL Club Downunder<br />
10.30 Mobile, AL Alabama Music Box<br />
10.31 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon<br />
11.01 Houston, TX Walter's<br />
11.02 Dallas, TX Sons of Hermann Hall<br />
11.03 Austin, TX Fun Fun Fun Fest<br />
11.05 St. Louis, MO Luminary Arts <br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/anticon/why-jonathans-hope/download" target="_blank">Jonathan's Hope</a><br />
Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/anticon/why-probable-cause/download" target="_blank">Probable Cause</a><br />
Revised 3.0 Version (with Twitter button)<br />
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fpopstereo.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fwhy-get-mumps.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:20px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe> <a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="PaulPOP">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-91792549244904904502012-09-26T05:33:00.000+01:002012-09-26T05:34:34.365+01:00Herve Knows Night Turns Into Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QY7-5Xgarig/UGKFnExO3nI/AAAAAAAAFhQ/fNA5bkno8lM/s1600/herve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QY7-5Xgarig/UGKFnExO3nI/AAAAAAAAFhQ/fNA5bkno8lM/s320/herve.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br />
The third single from <b>Hervé’s</b> acclaimed debut album, <i>Pick Me Up, Sort Me Out, Calm Me Down</i>, comes in the shape of the club thumping <i>Night Turns Into Day</i>, featuring the vocal charms of Lottie Tricity.<br />
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<b>Hervé</b>, under his various guises, has built a reputation on club anthems and the title track is no exception, with blistering bass, pounding kicks and big room keys all coming to the fore. All this power is complimented perfectly by the subtle vocal musings of Lottie, who lifts the track into slightly more pop territory, without loosing any of its club bite. <br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/mightymouse-1/herve-night-turns-into-day/download" target="_blank">Night Turns Into Day (Mighty Mouse Remix) </a><br />
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Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-43928548804564966332012-09-26T02:58:00.000+01:002012-09-26T02:59:11.834+01:00Neov's Windvane Released<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KPV9qXD6jqU/UGJhOFxaocI/AAAAAAAAFg4/ped5B0Ob4Uc/s1600/neov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KPV9qXD6jqU/UGJhOFxaocI/AAAAAAAAFg4/ped5B0Ob4Uc/s320/neov.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Hailing from a small village in eastern Finland, two brothers Anssi and Samuli Neuvonen started making music way back when they were children. They formed the band Neufvoin, released a few well-received EPs and toured throughout Europe. But, after a series of line up changes, the members started a new life in 2012 under the name <a href="http://www.facebook.com/neovband" target="_blank"><b>Neøv</b></a>. <br />
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Several areas of the band's hometown, Kuopio, are built on islands as the city is surrounded by lakes. As one might suspect such an environment worked it's way into the sound of the band. Their songs are expansive but quiet, grandiose but intimate. And when it boils down to it...good.<br />
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They've just released a new single and Korallreven remix of 'Windvane.' <i>Windvane</i> previews the band's debut album, Orange Morning, to be released this winter and produced by members of Rubik.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullsteam/ne-v-windvane/download" target="_blank">Windvane</a><br />
Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fullsteam/ne-v-windvane-korallreven/download" target="_blank">Windvane (Korallraven Remix)</a><br />
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fpopstereo.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fneovs-windvane-released.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:20px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe> <a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="PaulPOP">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-4751762628836804632012-09-25T13:16:00.001+01:002012-09-25T13:17:31.150+01:00Lost on Indian Trails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bcnn2BIj1GE/UGGgqDJvYTI/AAAAAAAAFgg/EeRchR3_Gk8/s1600/indiantrails2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bcnn2BIj1GE/UGGgqDJvYTI/AAAAAAAAFgg/EeRchR3_Gk8/s320/indiantrails2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<b>Indian Trails</b> was formed in early 2011, when Nico and Antti thought they wanted to try and do something musically lighter after five years of mostly hard-rock band experiments. In early summer of 2011 Jouni Mathias was found via internet and after first practice he joined the group and the band was officially born. Leo Richard and Joel Alex joined the band at early winter 2011<br />
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The groups first single and song they wrote together was "Lights," which was later recorded and now released. After a year of so of writing music it was time to record first EP. Called <i>Brighter Night</i> was released in April.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/indiantrails/anchor/download" target="_blank">Anchor</a><br />
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fpopstereo.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F07%2Flost-on-indian-trails.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:20px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe> <a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="PaulPOP">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-86665589610909018472012-09-25T13:01:00.002+01:002012-09-25T13:04:10.055+01:00Hyperheart Will Fill You Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bai0INDGcLY/UGGdH8GWTVI/AAAAAAAAFgI/CYG_0mF6t7U/s1600/hyperheart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bai0INDGcLY/UGGdH8GWTVI/AAAAAAAAFgI/CYG_0mF6t7U/s320/hyperheart.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Unlike so many Swedish bands, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hyperheartofficial" target="_blank"><b>Hyperheart</b></a> doesn't sound frivolous, jolly, or jangly, Oh no, <b>Hyperheart</b> are far to detached and electronic for that. This is a group who embraces the stark conditions in which their country is often thrown in and use it to their advantage. The result is clinically precise synth pop that sounds as expansive as a snow covered continent.<br />
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<b>Hyperheart's</b> latest single <i>Fill Me Up </i>is just like that...detached and epic but none the less absolutely gorgeous. If you can imagine the Tindersticks and Depeche Mode lost in a land of synths and snow you know exactly where <b>Hyperheart</b> are coming from. It's all a bit harsh and blunt but in that tough love kind of way.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/hyperheart/swallow/download" target="_blank">Swallow</a><br />
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Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-68406891360629851942012-09-25T01:56:00.001+01:002012-09-25T01:57:29.766+01:00Lets Release A hitRECord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gw52zSYQPMk/UGEBQCFs-UI/AAAAAAAAFfw/1tAcr5f1GNE/s1600/moveonthesun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gw52zSYQPMk/UGEBQCFs-UI/AAAAAAAAFfw/1tAcr5f1GNE/s320/moveonthesun.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>hitRECord</b>, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's open collaborative production company who have just released a double vinyl album <i>Move On The Sun</i>. As part of their quarterly subscription series, the <i>hitRECorderly</i>, 78 artists including Wilco’s Nels Cline, Cibo Matto & Joseph Gordon-Levitt himself came together to make <i>Move On The Sun</i>, a genre spanning spectacle in the form of a double vinyl album.<br />
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Gordon-Levitt (Dark Knight Rises, Looper, 50/50, 500 Days of Summer) launched <b>hitRECord</b> in 2010 as a professional production company that uses the Internet to collaborate with artists (100,000 and counting) from all over the world, forming a community around the art they make together. Artists of all creative focuses (video, audio, image, text) can log on and contribute to hitRECord. As with all <b>hitRECord</b> productions, if and when an artist’s work is used, <b>hitRECord</b> splits the profits 50-50.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lowlifeinc/hitrecord-move-on-the-sun/download" target="_blank">Moving Hollows - Move On The Sun</a><br />
Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lowlifeinc/hitrecord-electric-loss/download" target="_blank">Ryan Patrick - Electric Loss</a><br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fpopstereo.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Flets-release-hitrecord.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20" style="border: none; height: 20px; overflow: hidden; width: 450px;"></iframe> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="PaulPOP" href="http://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><script src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" type="text/javascript"></script>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-67676135146675946862012-09-20T12:50:00.002+01:002012-09-20T12:51:03.680+01:00Caviare Days Whip Up A Tasty Treat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XRuqm5Op7hU/UFsC9POJ5lI/AAAAAAAAFeQ/7kt9Tw0Ieuo/s1600/caviaredays.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XRuqm5Op7hU/UFsC9POJ5lI/AAAAAAAAFeQ/7kt9Tw0Ieuo/s1600/caviaredays.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
<b>Caviare Days</b> consists of Swedish sisters Lina and Maja Westin. Their driving force lies in creating a well-tailored but dirty rock, that is more baroque than minimalist and more organic than mechanical. <br />
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Their full length album, to be released Oct 9 2012, is produced by Mats Björke of Mando Diao and Jorge Elbrecht of New York based Violens. It is mastered by Frank Arkwright at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. In 2012, Caviare Days are involved in an exiting collaboration with the fashion brand GANT together with the New York based designer Michael Bastian. They created the soundtrack for the mod inspired Fall collection, presented during New York Fashion Week in February and to be released in August. <br />
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Download: <a href="http://edvinssonpublicity.com/montreal/caviare_days_you_ll_qualify.mp3" target="_blank">You'll Qualify</a><br />
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LA-based artist <b>Harlan</b> is pleased to announce his second release, the <i>1984 EP</i>, out digitally on September 25th. This follows his previous <i>Native Son EP</i> which was the perfect blend of funk, soul, and R&B. <br />
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<b>Harlan</b> grew up studying classical music. While studying cello at Berklee School of Music, <b>Harlan</b> decided one day to pick up his roommate's guitar, having never played before, and wrote his first song. Soon the cello was replaced by the electric guitar and a musical style influenced by funk, soul, rock, R&B and 90's hip-hop began pouring out. <b>Harlan's</b> music is filled with memorable hooks and stone cold grooves and sounds something like Frazier Chorus meets Prince. Check out a few tracks below and relive 1984.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/harlan1984ep/1984-1/download/s-gdWcA" target="_blank">1984</a><br />
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Not ones to let time stand still, <b>Fossil Collective</b> return with a new EP, <i>On & On</i> on Dirty Hit and an accompanying lengthy UK tour this October.<br />
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It follows the release of their acclaimed debut EP <i>Let It Go</i>, that saw the band tour with soul singer Ren Harvieu and Benjamin Francis Leftwich, as well as completing their first solo UK jaunt.<br />
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<u>October tour dates</u><br />
Fri 12 Oct Doncaster, The Leopard<br />
Sat 13 Oct Manchester, Deaf Institute<br />
Sun 14 Oct Newcastle Cluny<br />
Mon 15 Oct Glasgow King Tuts<br />
Tue 16 Oct Liverpool Shipping Forecast<br />
Wed 17 Oct Bristol Louisiana<br />
Thu 18 Oct Birmingham Hare & Hounds<br />
Fri 19 Oct Nottingham The Bodega<br />
Sat 20 Oct Oxford East Oxford Centre - Gathering<br />
Sun 21 Oct Cardiff SWN<br />
Mon 22 Oct Norwich Waterfront<br />
Tue 23 Oct Cambridge Portland Arms<br />
Wed 24 Oct Brighton The Hope<br />
Thu 25 Oct Exeter Phoenix Arts Centre<br />
Fri 26 Oct London Old Queen's Head<br />
Sat 27 Oct Leicester Academy 2<br />
Sun 28 Oct Leeds Brudenell Social Club<br />
Mon 29 Oct Sheffield Soyo<br />
Tue 30 Oct Manchester Apollo (supporting The Civil Wars)<br />
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Stream: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/fossilcollective/on-on" target="_blank">On & On</a><br />
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Kinder Machines is the third full-length album from SF/NYC/Melbourne quintet Beaten by Them. Formed in San Francisco in 2005, the band has since been quietly at work, creating original and enduring experimental and cinematic post-rock music. <br />
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Recorded live to analog tape on a farm in the wine-producing region of Sonoma, California, the album is an invigorating collage of acoustic instruments and multi-layered rhythms that puts melody in the forefront.<br />
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Kinder Machines sounds huge, and is presented in a unique limited edition, individually numbered hard-cover book CD package and is released on October 16th.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://teamclermont.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bad3a523aa6f569c729a0975&id=877be22348&e=9ff5fd182a" target="_blank">Salvador Divinorum</a><br />
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</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-suXmtxbnKTA/UFhlzae20uI/AAAAAAAAFa4/stA3RsR0YqA/s1600/streetpartyinsoho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-suXmtxbnKTA/UFhlzae20uI/AAAAAAAAFa4/stA3RsR0YqA/s320/streetpartyinsoho.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Street Party In Soho are a young band hailing from Newcastle Upon Tyne. Although less than 1 year old they are already making waves Tyneside and are now ready to cross the bridge and go global. <br />
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Taking their influences from such bands as Bloc Party,Bombay Bicycle Club and The Libertines, the band sound a bit like a more northern version of Maximo Park. In fact at times during their single <i>Take Your Time</i> you'd swear Paul from Maximo was singing. Needless to say, this is good stuff done properly.<br />
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The band release their debut single <i>Take Your Time</i> on Monday 29th October.Catch the band live around the UK this month and next.<br />
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Tour dates: <br />
September <br />
Friday 28th Newcastle - Dog & Parrot (single launch)<br />
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October<br />
Thur 18th Northampton - King Billy<br />
Fri 19th Sheffield - The Redhouse<br />
Sat 20th Liverpool - Lantern Theatre<br />
Sun 21st Manchester - Retro Bar<br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/streetpartysoundcloud/take-your-time/download" target="_blank">Take Your Time</a><br />
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French house via Mexico...as odd as that sounds that's exactly what <b>Modulaire</b> is all about. Take a bit of nu-disco, a bit of Stardust, some Latin spice and you have the groups new EP <i>Glamour</i>. <br />
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The sound Modulaire creates is a strong fusion between filter and phaser with the mandatory funky basslines, and freshly washed out synthesizers. It's energetic, sparkly, shiny, and looped into infinity leaving <i>Glamour</i> to sound like the best thing to come out of 1998/99 that was never released.<br />
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Modulaire create the sort of tunes that someone like Bob Sinclair would love to have in his arsenal. And while he doesn't have them you can below.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/modulaire/glamour/download" target="_blank">Glamour</a><br />
Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/modulaire/carolyn/download" target="_blank">Carolyn</a><br />
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Leading Florida indie label New Granada Records will pair two of Orlando's most consistently celebrated indie rock bands on one 12-inch split: <b>The Pauses and Great Deceivers</b>. Representing the Orlando vanguard, both bands have made scene ripples and music press fans recently - <b>The Pauses</b> last year with their J. Robbins-produced debut album, <i>A Cautionary Tale</i>, and <b>Great Deceivers</b> over the past couple of years with two regionally acclaimed albums, <i>House of Stairs and Seasons in Reverse</i>. But even to those familiar with either of them, the expansion in sound from both bands here makes this 12-inch split doubly momentous. <br />
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On <b>The Pauses</b> side, "The Beginning of Things" is one of their most distinctly anthemic songs to date and mirrors their trademark intelligent angles with new shades of stuttering, nearly hip-hop electronic patterns. But, mysteriously, no Auto-Tune. In contrast, the quieter "Formerly" is acoustic reverie gently diffused with spare symphonic flourishes.<br />
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For their part, <b>Great Deceivers</b> have traded in their subtly moody dreamscapes for a more muscular, extroverted rock sound. Their signature nuance and complexity are still there, but newfound power and size drive these bracing tracks into Yuck's hood. Just listen to the noisy '90s guitar climax on "Phantom Strength" and the grainy brawn of "Foresight is 50 50."<br />
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The Pauses Fall Dates:<br />
9/06 - Jacksonville, FL @ Underbelly’s – Record Release Show w/Great Deceivers<br />
9/07 - Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub - Record Release Show w/Great Deceivers<br />
9/08 - Tampa, FL @ New World Brewery - Record Release Show w/Great Deceivers<br />
9/09 - Lafayette, LA @ Atmosphere<br />
9/10 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk<br />
9/12 - Scottsdale, AZ @ The Rogue Bar<br />
9/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge<br />
9/16 - Portland, OR @ Tonic Lounge<br />
9/17 - Seattle, WA @ The Comet Tavern <br />
9/18 - Boise, ID @ The Boise Venue<br />
9/20 - Denver, CO @ The Walnut Room <br />
9/21 - Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon<br />
9/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Five Spot <br />
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Download: <a href="http://teamclermont.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bad3a523aa6f569c729a0975&id=9119859901&e=4aab2d8143" target="_blank">The Pauses - Beginnings of Things</a><br />
Download: <a href="http://teamclermont.us4.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bad3a523aa6f569c729a0975&id=69895ae964&e=4aab2d8143" target="_blank">Great Deceivers - Phantom Strength</a><br />
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fpopstereo.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fthe-pauses-great-deceivers-release.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:20px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe> <a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="PaulPOP">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-66768627822714245612012-09-02T01:34:00.000+01:002012-09-02T01:34:51.330+01:00Michna Is Moving Mountains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VDV-5-sqZ2s/UEKpdJyKi8I/AAAAAAAAFT8/lvx5TlmdK_Y/s1600/michna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VDV-5-sqZ2s/UEKpdJyKi8I/AAAAAAAAFT8/lvx5TlmdK_Y/s320/michna.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<i>The Moving Mountains EP </i>-- set for a September 18th release on Ghostly International -- is the first new material the world has heard from New York producer <b><a href="http://terrorbirdmedia.createsend1.com/t/r-l-kltydjl-owtrllx-v/" target="_blank">Michna</a></b> in nearly four years, since the release of his highly-acclaimed debut album Magic Monday in 2008. The new EP represents another great leap forward in terms of both songwriting and production, providing a neat summation of Michna's versatility by covering more musical ground in 20 minutes than most artists do in an entire album. <br />
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It's been quite a while between releases, but Michna's been anything but idle during this period – he's done everything from painting to production for the NBA to remixes for DM Stith, Joy Orbison and Kelis.<br />
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Download: <a href="http://terrorbirdmedia.createsend1.com/t/r-l-kltydjl-owtrllx-u/" target="_blank">Wanted Exotic</a><br />
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fpopstereo.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fmichna-is-moving-mountains.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:20px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe> <a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="PaulPOP">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-65686775279357066942012-09-02T00:51:00.000+01:002012-09-02T00:52:18.793+01:00The Hermit Crabs Know Time Is Relentless<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7i0slx1WF4I/UEKfPLbxNiI/AAAAAAAAFTo/BBR3Nr1dLIY/s1600/hermitcrabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7i0slx1WF4I/UEKfPLbxNiI/AAAAAAAAFTo/BBR3Nr1dLIY/s320/hermitcrabs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
A very welcome return of Scottish pop favorites <a href="http://www.facebook.com/thehermitcrabs" target="_blank">The Hermit Crabs</a>! The first release since the celebrated ‘Correspondence Course’ EP in 2009, the new ‘Time Relentless’ EP shows the band in remarkably fine form across four new songs mixing acoustic and electric guitars with nice bursts of percussion and keyboards.<br />
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Lead track ‘On The Spectrum’ is the comparison of two relationships set to jangling guitars, with an ace chorus about taking photographs, kissing in the rain, and talking about the blues. ‘Time Relentless’ combines classic Hermit Crabs orchestration with lyrics taken from a poem by Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree from his autobiography ‘The Flying Scotsman’. Keyboards and chiming guitars set the perfect tone for the stunning imagery of the poem. ‘Stop This Now’ is an upbeat two-minute pop hit about another relationship, showcasing twinkling guitars and exquisite harmonies, while final track ‘So Blue’ is an autumnal, mid-tempo tale about supporting a friend through a somber time, with layered instrumentation that builds to an especially melodic conclusion. <br />
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Limited to 1000 copies in custom minijacket sleeve, ‘Time Relentless’ is another Scottish pop triumph for the Hermit Crabs! <br />
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Download: <a href="http://matineerecordings.com/mp3s/Stop_This_Now.mp3" target="_blank">Stop This Now</a><br />
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fpopstereo.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fthe-hermit-crabs-know-time-is-relentless.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:20px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe> <a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="PaulPOP">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6948537490731924865.post-13468397812806383592012-09-02T00:45:00.002+01:002012-09-02T00:46:14.901+01:00It's An Endless Summer for Bondax & Justin Martin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M9AjZaYp-JA/UEKeBmWXUeI/AAAAAAAAFTg/l5fRkWLmQkM/s1600/bondax.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M9AjZaYp-JA/UEKeBmWXUeI/AAAAAAAAFTg/l5fRkWLmQkM/s320/bondax.png" width="317" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://your-army.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a03e316aadc6b08d3870a4e35&id=5e2389f9c5&e=78930fafa1" target="_blank"><b>Bondax </b></a>are Adam and George; two 18 year old school friends from Lancaster, already with a wealth of support from the likes of Annie Mac, Nick Grimshaw and Pete Tong at Radio 1 behind them.<br />
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Bondax release 'Baby I Got That/It's You' on 16th September through Just Us/Relentless so keep your eyes peeled for the official video dropping next week!<br />
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Dirtybird's very own Justin Martin has stepped up to remix Bondax's huge tune, 'Baby I Got That' <br />
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Entitled 'Justin Martin's Endless Summer Mix' - just in time for the last rays of our kind-of-but-not-quite Indian Summer - Justin Martin has transformed 'Baby I Got That' into a blissed-out, hands in the air extended edit; perfect for Ibiza terraces, party vibes and chilled out sun-kissed moments. We live in hope there will be more of those to come...<br />
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Download: <a href="http://soundcloud.com/bondax/baby-i-got-that-justin-martin/download" target="_blank">Baby I Got That (Justin Martin's Endless Summer Mix)</a><br />
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fpopstereo.blogspot.com%2F2012%2F09%2Fits-endless-summer-for-bondax-justin.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&colorscheme=light&height=20" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:20px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe> <a href="http://twitter.com/share" class="twitter-share-button" data-count="horizontal" data-via="PaulPOP">Tweet</a><script type="text/javascript" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Paul POP!http://www.blogger.com/profile/01062860123536572746noreply@blogger.com0