Lance Herbstrong Survives A Dragon Attack

Through stream-of-consciousness aural atmospherics, Lance Herbstrong takes you on a trip, sustaining musical momentum with sonic layers propelling the rhythms. The result is music that is ethereal and organic, of the air and of the earth, and always moving. The nation’s most esteemed climate change scientists described their first Lance Herbstrong show as a ‘motherf---ing Fun Bomb that just goes off inside you.

If that wasn't enough Lance has taken one of the greatest Queen songs ever and roughed it up a bit and somehow, someway, seemingly made the song seem heavier.  This is a fantastic re-work that pays loving tribute to the original while roiding it up.  Featuring former Porno for Pyros member Peter DiStefano on guitar this is like the best dance metal crossover thing ever.

Download: Dragon Attack (Lance Herbstrong rework)
Tweet

Head To The Weatherhouse

George Cochrane met Christopher Vick in the wee hours at a San Francisco house party. George, an electronic music producer, DJ, and label owner, and Christopher, a disco evangelist and party thrower, spent much of the night talking Disco, and became fast friends. Soon enough, Chris moved to Los Angeles, forming a tropical goth band and a clothing company, while George continued his electronic music career.

A "Hey, we should make music sometime" chat eventually became reality, and before long, Chris and George began to collaborate long-distance as Weatherhouse, creating the blueprint album for their new sound, 2011's E Pluribus Calo Disco.

Single handedly creating a new sub genre, Calo Disco is everything you'd expect from someone from California; sun drenched, chilled, and gorgeous. 

As for what 2012 holds for Weatherhouse,  that's easy.  More EPs, a gang of remixes, and a growing list of live and DJ bookings are in store for 2012. Wax the starship and sequin up the space suits, crank up the sunshine and lets get Balearic.

Download: Koala
Download: Discasio
Tweet

Francis Harris Pays Tribute To His Dad With Leland

Brooklyn-based Francis Harris recently announced Leland, his forthcoming full length album on his new imprint Scissor & Thread. The album and project is a very personal one, as Harris composed the album as a requiem for his father. With the approaching 2 year anniversary of his father's passing coming up on February 25th, Harris has pushed back the Leland album release to the adjusted date of February 28th (it was originally set for a February 7th release), now in closest proximity to the life-marking event. The album itself is poignant, reflective, and moving, providing enough of a contrast to his dance alias Adultnapper that allowed Harris to release the album under his actual name (his first release as such in many years).

Like Adultnapper, the dancefloor friendly micro-rhythms are intact here with the Francis Harris material, but only representing part of what's really going on. At other points in the album, Harris injects live cellos, trumpet, piano, guitar and vocals throughout, creating a cohesive and captivating listen that is wholly unique.

Download: Pharoah In The Morning
Tweet

Escort Head Back To The Space Disco

Despite it being impossible, do you wish that Donna Summer and Georgio Moroder would work together once again? Well say hello to Escort...they're your new disco buddies.  No other band I've heard recently embraces that dynamic duo better than these guys.  Writing songs as if it were still 1980, Escort have a retro-futurist sound that feels like it came from the great big dance floor in the sky.

Escort is a seventeen-member “disco orchestra”, founded by producers Eugene Cho and Dan Balis, and fronted by lead singer Adeline Michèle, features an incredible cast of musicians who have played with everyone from indie-rock titans Arcade Fire to avant-classical luminaries Alarm Will Sound.

Escort’s long-awaited debut LP will be released on vinyl and CD January 31st and is out on iTunes and digitally retailers now through Escort Records. 

Download: Why Oh Why(Pound Sterling Remix)
Tweet

Fanfic Love Nights In Berlin

Back when I used to do radio there used to be this guy named Marco. Marco was a cool kid. He was all combat boots and Front Line Assembly t-shirts. He was Belgian and was the only person I knew who could say Einsterzende Neubauten. He did a show where he played industrial/nu beat and he used to play tapes because the stuff he had was so underground it didn't know it existed yet. He also ALWAYS ran over his allotted time, which used to drive us metal kids NUTS.

Why am I telling you this? Well this band called Fanfic from that most European of areas, Texas, seem to look like they'd be some sort of post electroclash unit but in fact may actually be the children of Marco! Fanfic create dark electronic pop which has its roots closer to old school industrial and Depeche Mode than it does anything post 2003. These guys write songs you pull rope to while smoking illegal Clove cigarettes.

Are they good? Oh heck yeah they're good. They're so good in fact, that you'll want to don a trenchcoat and speak with a thick Belgian accent after listening to them. So why not get in touch with your inner goth and join Fanfic in a graveyard!

Download: Damaged
Download: Touchmachine
Download: Nights In Berlin
Tweet

US Royalty Welcomes Us Back

Gooooooood Morning Viet Nam! Or should I say blogosphere. After six weeks of being away, The POP! Stereo has returned to make your life a bit more tolerable. And while that may be, you might be wondering what the hell took you so long. That's a long story that involves, hospitals, doctors, PET scans, CAT Scans, blood work and the like. This all led to me being on Family Medical Leave for almost three months and while I was posting during that time, I new at the drop of a hat I would have to return to care for my family. And I did.

But as time passes, life slowly but surely resumes normality no matter how emotionally altering it may all be. After everything I've been through and will continue to go through, I will say this...spend time with your family, they're important. In fact, they're THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you are part of and never forget that. No matter what the scene is, what's cool, or who talks shit about you, your family will always be there. (even the Jersey Shore cast knows that)

If you're 20 something you probably don't realize that because you just got your freedom from your parents and it feels good...but as you grow older you'll realize that they were/are the single most important influence on you. And when they come calling to ask for help, don't hesitate, just remember all that they've done for you and the advice they gave as you were growing up.

Ok...that's my e-parent pep talk of the day.

Anyway, with that being said, on to the resumption of posts. We kick it off with a band that has a sort of funny name...US Royalty. No, they're not a roving band of Kennedy's and they're not even royalty. They are a bunch of scruffy looking dudes who happen to right some damn fine stuff though. While I'm not generally a fan of the pastoral folk pop thing, this kind of has something more to it that rocks in a rough and shoddy way and almost sounds something like a poor mans Doves or Elbow (UK Royalty, no doubt).

Of course if the pastoral indie rock isn't enough there's always the Flosstradamus remix of their latest single, "Equestrian," which forces the band to get loved up and lost on a dance floor. There are always exceptions to the rule and the sweeping nature of US Royalty's songs grabbed me right between the ears and made me understand. This is good stuff.

Download: Equestrian
Download: Equestrian (Flosstradamus Remix)

The POP! Stereo Top 25 for 2010

This was originally going to be posted at the end of December 2010, but things sort of happened that wouldn't allow me to do this. If you follow the blog on Facebook or Twitter, you'll know that I've had a family medical emergency that made me set the blog aside for a couple of weeks. I'm now trying to do the blog in an effort to create a sense of normality amongst a sea of change.

So, my apologies for doing this late, but family comes first .

As for the countdown, it's a god honest run down of my favorite records this year. It's got NO hipster credibility as I, quite honestly, have no idea what the hell the blogosphere went gaga over the last year. It's what I found myself listening to over and over again. Belle & Sebastian is about as cool with the hipster community as relaxed fit jeans...but you know what? I still love them and they made a fantastic record that's on this list. That's just a little hint of where I'm coming from...so prepare yourself and enjoy!

Without further delay...here we go....and no those aren't mp3's but videos from each album.

25: No Age: Everything In Between
This is indie rock the way it used to be played.
Fever Dreaming

24: Quitzow: Juice Water
Pure, simple, overjoyous synthpop
Cherry Blossom

23: 1900's: Return of the Century
Fantastic indie pop that's lazy goodness

22: Julius C: Ok Ok
Big massive power pop to fill enormodomes
Don't Want Anybody

21: Magic Bullets: Magic Bullets
All hail Orange Juice and those who sail in them.
Lying Around

20: Five O'Clock Heroes: Different Times
Yeah...that band w/Agyness Deyn showed up in.
Who

19: Lyrics Born: As U Were
Somewhere right now Cameo is shitting himself.
Kontrol Phreak

18: Goldfrapp: Head First
Alison Goldfrapp revisits Xanadu and never leaves.
Alive

17: DVAS: Society
Like a Members Only Jacket only cooler.
Society

16: Shout Out Louds: Work
Sunshiny pop from Scandinavia that's not work to listen to.
Show Me Something New

15: Wolf Parade: Expo 86
Who knew these guys could have made a record this good?
Yulia

14: Belle & Sebastian: Write About Love
Stuart is still brilliant. I still love them and always will.
I Want The World To Stop

13: Foals: Black Gold
Musical adventure that's absolutely blinding.
Black Gold

12: Amusement Parks On Fire: Road Eyes
The Son of Mustang Ford is still alive and kicking.
Flashlight Planetarium

11: Stereolab: Not Music

Two decades later and these guys are still amazing.
Silver Sands

10: The Mynabirds: What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood
The soulful sixties channelled through one of the most gorgeous voices on earth.
What We Gained In The Fire

09: Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
Still as important as ever.
Ready to Start

08: Rusko: O.M.G.

To say Rusko is a dubstep producer is an insult to his ability to level dance floors of all kinds.
Hold On

07: School of Seven Bells: Disconnect From Desire
Somewhere amongst the miasma the Cocteau Twins are blushing.
Windstorm

06: Editors: In This Light And On This Evening
Having done the Joy Division thing, they're well on their way to becoming the next New Order.
Papillon

05: OMD: History of Modern
Who says resurrections can't be fantastic?
New Babies New Toys

04: The Vaselines: Sex With An X
Let the c86 revival start now...again.
Sex With An X

03: LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening
Is there anything James Murphy can't do?
Pow Pow

02: The Drums: The Drums
The Best British Band On The Planet and they're NOT even from Britain.
Best Friend

01: Chromeo: Business Casual
Some bands know that a tongue planted firmly in cheek is the key to great pop music.
Hot Mess

Tweet

Rock It Science Labs Strikes Gold

Folks...it's been a dreadful week. The number of mediocre tracks coming across the POP! Stereo headquarters has been stifling. Here it is Thursday and this is the first thing that seems worthy of our time. That being said, lets hop to it shall we?

The latest drop on the hot new label Rock It Science Laboratories, created and run by Eric Sharp and DJ Fame, is a masterpiece from S.I.M.O. & Native Intelligence complete with genre-busting remixes including veteran of the UK tech scene Evil Eddie Richards,Dubnoir’s Chris James, NYC’s Bit Crushers and Dubstep phenoms The Flying Skulls.

With this the label's fourth EP, the figured they'd just hand out a bazillion tracks and let you sort out which ones are your faves. They're all over the place and you might just end up getting dizzy by the time you finish listening to them all.

Download: Wiggle Room (Santiago & Bushido Remix)
Download: Wiggle Room (Till Bass Remix)
Download: Wiggle Room (Andrew Phelan Synth Mix)
Download: Wiggle Room (Andrew Phelan Strip Mix)
Download: Peak Time

Tweet

Sebastien Tellier Gets Remixed

Two years after its release via renowned French label Record Makers, Sebastien Tellier’s Sexuality still garners praise from around the globe- and now, we’re excited to announce the release of the official Sexuality Remix album, out now!

Sebastien started the campaign with his version of “Sexual Sportswear,” a classic, as many of his works tend to be. Critically acclaimed Italian/Belgian duo Aeroplane contributes a dancefloor killer of “Kilometer,” and Kavinsky reworks a stellar version of “Roche.”

German producer-extraordinaire Boys Noize also delivers a unstoppable Eurodance mix pf “L’amour Et La Violence,” while A-Trak does it D-I-S-C-O on “Kilometer.” Other gems from Midnight Juggernauts, Breakbot, Arpanet, Donovan and Danger round out this brilliant remix album, the only way Record Makers knows how.

Download: Kilometer (A-Track Remix)

Their Name Is B.R.U.C.E.

Amsterdam's Magnetron, home of Le Le and Rimer London, keep literally banging out the hits and with an increasingly impressive stable and slew of amazing tunes it doesn't look like they'll be slowing down anytime soon. With a new sub label, Instant Replay, being launched the label has released/leaked their first release from B.R.U.C.E. entitled, The Wallet.

B.R.U.C.E.'s (Billionaire - Rambunctious - Under - Circumstances - Extraordinaire) tune to excess, mindlessness and cash money is like Green Velvet if he were possessed. Bangin' it's way through beats like a maniac and vocals that sound like the devil himself, the tune is a dark disco destroyer. It's blindingly brilliant for it's creating something so simple but hypnotically groovy. Awesome stuff then.

Throw in a couple of remixes and you have a single destined for great things. The Souljack Remix (below) is a deep jacking analog remix by Tom Trago, who has become a rapidly rising star on the deeper end of house. His album Voyage Direct on Rush Hour (released last year) has put him on the map as a producer to reckoned with.

Download: The Wallet (Original)
Download: The Wallet (Tom Trago's Souljack Remix)

The Fog Rolls In

Fog is a DJ and producer form Dublin, Ireland. He has been DJ for over 11 years and has held residencies in a plethora of top Irish clubs. Right now he holds residencies at the Twisted Pepper and runs the ThunderBots club night in Good Bits.

As with most DJ's after caning it for years, it only made sense for Fog to actually start creating his own tracks. Having been at it for about year now, he's starting to make more of an impact than the Euro exchange rate. As if to prove the point, Fog has a forthcoming EP on Bualabeats entitled The Concrete EP' that will be available in early April through most of the major download sites. In addition to that he has also recently remixed 'Deathstar' for Cut La Roc, which will also be available in April through the Roc Star record label.

Fog's tracks are somewhere between breaks and dubstep and it really comes down to how he feels at the moment when he produces. He's got his bases covered and whichever direction he chooses at the time, you can be sure that the tunes involve punishing bass lines and more wobbly bits than a super model. He rocks the beats and rocks them hard. It's all good stuff as you'll see below...

Download: Fuzzy Dice
Download: Charly Says Bass