Pallers Are Lost In A Sea of Memories

Pallers is an interesting lot. Named after a suburb of the Swedish town of Ahus, the band creates a fusion of their interests. Comprised of two members the guys have known each other for half their lives as friends, explored half of Europe, hung out in clubs, but never ever thought of forming a band together...until now. That's where Pallers comes in.

Half of the duo nurtures a love for love for ambient, trip hop and electronica while the other is deeply involved in the world of pop. Pallers integrate the seemingly tricky components with such ease it almost seems effortless – turning it into something new - something of their very own.

Download: Come Rain
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Soft Metals Mesmerize

Patricia Hall and her boyfriend Ian Hicks have been enchanting one another with song since the spring of 2009. Their first meeting was an audition. Ian was looking for a voice to compliment his moody, cinematic synthesizer sketches and Patricia hoped to meet the right partner to help put her day dreamy poems to music. Their mutual love of early 80s synth pop, the nascent incarnations of house and techno, ebm, krautrock, post punk, and the first wave of industrial music set the course. After a few sessions together the partnership proved to be exactly what they had both been searching for and Soft Metals was born.

This summer marks the release of their first full length, a self-titled release with Captured Tracks. A collection of bittersweet electronic pop songs balanced by a delicate surrealism, a patient sense of experimentation that leaves you floating in your subconscious and moving to the beat . The sonic landscapes are sleek, but never icy. Even at her most dreamlike, Patricia's vocals reach an eerie beauty that is always deeply emotional. 

Think early Human League meets the Cocteau Twins and you might be able to see where Soft Metals are coming from.  If the single, "Psychic Driving," is a hint of what the whole album will sound like it'll be as if Lush were resurrected w/synths instead of effects pedals.   Soft Metals are post shoegazing electro pop that picks up where Seefeel left off and continues to head out into space.  These guys in a word are awesome. 

Download: Psychic Driving
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Ursula 1000 Goes Mondo Beyondo

Ok...I'm a bit biased on this one.  I know Ursula 1000.  Back in the 90's his band, 23, was one of the only bands in Miami that channelled Ride and wanted to be popstars.  We were part of the scene that had no name...and had no fans.  There were like ten of us who liked Britpop, indie pop and the like and we all kind of hung together.  So much so that after I left Y&T Records, Alex (Ursula 1000) and I used to go over faxes every week from Go Ahead London and order the weeks coolest records from his secret lair at BAM! Comics.  Eventually, I left Miami and well Alex adopted his secret identity and sort of became world famous.  And so did his former band mates who wound up forming The Postmarks.  And well Miami...now it has a scene with a ton of fans; but sixteen years ago there were like 10 of us.

Sentimentality aside, Ursula 1000 has a new record coming out on August 19th.  From retro tinged spy themes, disco, electro, go-go pop ... he never stops evolving.  Drenched in snarling fuzz, heavy-hitting drums and his signature ominous organ stylings, this new collection of tracks sees Gimeno getting back in touch with his roots but channeling it through a new set of kaleidoscopic eyes.

As per usual, Alex takes 60's Swinging London, runs it by Peter Sellers, puts it on a plane, sends it around the world, electrifies it and then lends his own sense of humor to it all.  The results are quirky electronic dance pop that's just plain fun!

Download: Répétez Le Repetoire (feat. Isabelle Antena)
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Serena Andrews Resistance

Serena Andrews just released Do Not Resist – a concept album done as a part of The Wire Magazine’s RPM Challenge to create a full album in under 28 days during the month of February. Starting late, Andrews completed the 10-song requirement between Feb 9th and 28th, just making the deadline.

This is a fun record that seems like it was made over the course of months, not days.  The songs are rich, catchy as the flu, and sound like a million bucks.  It's great stuff. 

Aurally, the record is kind of all over the place while sitting on top of a glitch-base.  It' bleeps and bloops and then works it's way between your ears with ease.  It's energetic stuff that rides high on Serena's rather adorable voice while covering cover everything from existence itself to love and missed phone calls.

Serena will spend the next month working on a music video for one of the tracks, and is slated to tour this Spring and Summer as a duo with producer Brian Wenner (Shapeless Shadow).

Download: Bird On A Wire
Download: Life Support
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Madison Makes Some Noise

While NYC via Miami's independent pop noise-maker Madison only recently announced the impending release of her debut EP in January of next year, it's no surprise that she's quickly begun to turn some heads.

Madison's signature sound is a postmodern pop pastiche with street-smart style--high fashion for lowbrows, if you will--and a refreshing reminder that great pop music is essential even in today's world of pervasive indie. She lives this ethos everyday. Madison left the world of academia to pursue music, trading a past as a published neuroscience and medical school student for the New York art scene to pursue the science of pop.

The first installment of a 4-part EP series/multi-part pop and art project, The Noise Some People Make will be released on January 11th, 2011 on her very own G Records. Madison is madly pursuing a new perspective to pop music: the setting of trends, the making of tastes, a business model that is perfect for the new music "industry" - playing by one's own rules, which for Madison means having no rules at all; pop made with no boundaries, no labels, no super star producer--and entirely on Madison's own terms.

Download: Hot Hot Love
Download: Number One

Recoil Get Selected

During his 14 years as a member of Depeche Mode, as well as being an accomplished solo musician, Alan Wilder really honed his skills in the studio. With his attention to detail, Wilder pushed the boundaries even within the restrictive climate of commercial pop.

As an antidote to the demands of the Mode, his studio project Recoil was born in the mid-eighties. Two albums were released: Hydrology (1988) and Bloodline (1990) both giving an indication of his expanding horizons. After his departure from Depeche Mode in 1995, Wilder resurrected Recoil full-time and has since released Unsound Methods (1997), Liquid (2000) and subHuman (2007).

Recoil Selected, a brand new selection of classic Recoil tracks, is out now. Alan Wilder, who chose the track listing, explains, "The collection is made up of my personal favorites, remastered and edited together into what I consider a cohesive and total listening experience.” The album features a varied selection of vocalists including Diamanda Galás, Joe Richardson, Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb), Nicole Blackman, Samantha Coerbell, Toni Halliday (Curve) and Maggie Estep. Recoil Selected is available to download and as a 2CD physical edition.

Download: Prey (Shotgun Remix)

Shoop Shoop to Jupe Jupe

Jupe Jupe mix sci-fi and glam into a synth-noir cocktail and serve it in the genre they wholeheartedly embrace: Pop. Invaders, this debut cocktail, sees it's national release October 5th, 2010.

Taking their textual cues from campy films and the excitement of a late-night dance hit, Jupe Jupe provide escapist songs you can move to – in Milan, or alone in your bedroom.

Jupe Jupe is composed of My Young on vocals and synthesizer, Bryan Manzo and Patrick Partington on guitar, and drummer Jarrod Arbini – veterans of the Seattle and Austin music scenes (Pleasurecraft, The Cinematics [U.S.], Maximum Coherence During Flying). The quartet’s first release, Invaders, combines crooning vocals, jangling guitars, shimmering synths and pulsating beats to take you on a glamorous ride to the far reaches of the electro-pop universe. Set the controls. Launch.

Download: Something About Love

To The Maxx With Waxx Maxx

The threesome that is Waxx Maxx assembled in the Spring of 2010 in Minneapolis. Waxx Maxx was originally a collaboration between established producer/guitarist Mark Mallman and vocalist Nicole Godiva. The drumming talents of Alyssa Marie (NG's sister) were added later to compliment the budding sounds being created.

The band have an ambitious goal of writing and recording one song a month and have thus far written and released a couple of songs. While Mark Mallman has been around for a while, to say this is a young band would be an understatement.

Download: Phenomena
Download: Celine and Julie Go Boating
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