It's a Nerd Revolt

From the very first conversation, m.0 and the iLL.F.O. bonded over a love of synthesizers. It was the start of a friendship that would inspire them to reach for their dreams.

But it was more than just starting a band. They shared a vision of what a 21st century artist could be. The tools kept getting more powerful, and you could broadcast your work instantly. Having total creative control, you can share ideas and express yourself... which might empower others to live their dreams too.

From all these late-night conversations, the seeds of Nerd Revolt were planted.

With their eponymous debut album, Nerd Revolt has unveiled a more confident and refined sound. Dark, complex, and synth-heavy, their self-produced record captures an emotional journey and tells an inspiring story of liberation. the iLL.F.O. (lead vox + synths + programming) delivers hypnotic, confessional lyrics and psychedelic soundscapes, while m.0 (synths + programming) holds it down with his production, sound design, and engineering skills.

Watch out because this revolt is just gaining traction.

Download: Fallen
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Head To Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain began as the bedroom project of Ian Bevis. After releasing early demos and remixes online, Ian caught the ear of long-time friend and collaborator Kyle Statham. Together, the two friends brought the sounds to the stage by blending live instrumentation with dance style electronics. Their sound has been described as a mixture between Cut Copy and Passion Pit, infusing lead singer Ian Bevis’ vulnerable and emotive vocals.

The debut album from Bear Mountain is titled XO, a collection of songs that is unmistakably fresh and powerfully captivating. From lush synth sounds and chopped vocal samples, to tropical drum beats and house drenched kicks, the album manages to capture the feeling of the infinite and the impossible, all rolled into one. In a world where dance music is being destroyed daily by nu-metal kids it's nice to see that someone remembers how to make uplifting stuff.  XO has just recently been released via the usual channels.

Download: Congo
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James and Evander Get Remixed

After dropping their debut LP Bummer Pop, back in May, the Oakland, CA duo James & Evander are back with remixes from a handful of friends and sonic soul-mates to accompany their first full-length. As such, six of the album's tracks get re-imagined into even spacier and synth-laden territory by Cascine's RX Gibbs, Sweden's Bam Spacey, and Brooklyn resident Courtship, among others.

Tracklist:
01 - Can't Forget (RX Gibbs Remix)
02 - How It Feels (The Major Cities Vs. Heart Island Remix)
03 - CTSOF (Bam Spacey's Tropical Refit)
04 - Ambigamy (Parentz Remix)
05 - Living the Dream (Courtship Remix)
06 - Nostalgia (shortcircles Remix)

James & Evander's debut LP, Bummer Pop was built on what had started as a pair of synth nerds geeking out in their apartments, last year J&E parted ways with the delicate indietronica that defined their early output, successfully adding a layer of subdued vocals to their sound with 2011’s Constellating EP.

Download: CTSOF (Bam Spacey's Tropical Refit)
Download: Bummer POP Remixes
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Making Computer Magic

Computer Magic is the solo project of 22-year-old DJ/blogger Danielle, aka her blog handle Danz. She started making music as Computer Magic last year in the little downtime she had between school, DJing, and graphic designing.

Danielle creates a unique brand of bedroom electronic pop music that feels equally whimsical, claustrophobic, and ethereal. Her music is inspired by the Philip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner if you know the movie), a quality that makes sense after repeated listens. Currently in studio, she is busy putting the finishing touches on her upcoming debut album for Kitsuné.

As a nice little preview, Danielle will release Orion, a 5 track EP on Kitsuné, mixing a delicate cosmic sound and her graceful voice for the perfect blend of bedroom synth-pop.

Download: Orion Minimix
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Next For JD Samson + MEN

Brooklyn-based band/art/performance collective JD Samson + MEN release their new Next EP today, Tuesday February 21! Self-produced with help from Jordan Lieb, who also worked on the debut album Talk About Body, the Next EP is self-released via JD Samson + MEN’s label MEN Make Music and made available via all digital platforms and the 3-track EP is also available on tour as a 200 Limited Edition with handmade screen-printed sleeves.

This year, the band will release 4 EPs. The next JD Samson + MEN EP All the Way Thru will be released this Spring with production work from Alex Suarez from Cobra Starship, and subsequent EP releases produced by XXXChange (Spankrock, The Kills) and JD Samson + MEN themselves. These four EP releases are true to the unique, non-conformative and collaborative style of earlier MEN productions, such as the partnership for a tour only split 7" with Brazil's CSS, and “Who Am I to Feel So Free” feat Antony (from Antony & The Johnsons).

Next will be available to download through the 28th.  So hop to it folks, before the gettin' is gone.

Download: Next
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It's Been Longer Than 120 Days

120 Days have been playing together since 2001 and their debut took them around the world, from America, where they signed with Vice Records, to Japan, where they played to crowds of 17,000+. It won them two Norwegian Grammys and was not only critically acclaimed but also commercially successful.

Five years on and they've learned a lot, done a lot, and written a lot. And it all shows up on their new record 120 Days II. Darker and a bit tougher than their debut, the new stuff is sure to widen their fan base and wreak some havoc along the way.

Set for a March 6th release with Splendour (of Montreal/Casiokids, His Clancyness/Shimmering Stars) their latest single  Dahle Disco is quite the tune.   When you look up the definition of epic tune, you will see a picture of 120 Days standing next to it with this song in hand.  Unfolding rich layers of synth, the single winds through cosmic soundscapes pulsating just short of an epic ten minutes.

Download: Dahle Disco
Download: Osaka (diskJokke Remix)
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Watch Out For Rapids!

"Nameless // Faceless," is the closing track on Rapids! forthcoming Fragments EP. Written in the band’s cramped and claustrophobic rehearsal space during the winter of 2010, Fragments perfectly soundtracks the daily struggle of life in a sleepy coastal town. With its gushing honesty and striking maturity, Rapids! proves themselves worthy of our time.

The band recorded in three separate studios during the making of the EP. The job fell on the shoulders of producer/mixer Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers, Idlewild) to collect up the fragments and blend them into one. As the name suggests, each song breaks away into its own bundle of fiery angst. But it’s when pieced back together that Fragments reveals its true force, with each peak and trough taking you on a journey through a troubled mind.

As a special treat, Russell out of Bloc Party and Pin Me Down has remixed, "Nameless // Faceless," and did one heck of a job of doing it.  It's all dance floor ready!

Download: Nameless//Faceless (Bloc Party vs. CoPilots Remix)
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Get Into The Routines

Routines are an electropop band from Nijmegen, Netherlands.

Influenced by late 80s wave and house, a pinch of 90's house and Chicago basslines Kelly and Andre began Routines two years ago. Over the last two years the band have refined themselves from distorted raps to soulful vocals.

Earlier this year Routines found a drummer -Jimmi- and have since been working hard on developing a live show.

Bizarrely, Routines are currently unsigned.  Undeterred by this, they are working on a new EP to release early September.

Download: Young Hearts
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About to Short Circuit

Like a robotic amalgamation of disco and punk influences Andrew Verner is electronic songwriter Short Circuit. Born and raised in Los Angeles, his blend of robo-pop and disco creates ends up as a unique brand of bedroom pop thats equally fitting for night driving and the dancefloor.

The son of a small record label manager, Verner was raised around guitars, keyboards, and a turnstile of talented songwriters. On his debut EP, Late Night Drive, Short Circuit draws inspiration from those times, placing genuine songwriting within the context of the world of sequencers and vintage synthesizers. Earnest and heartfelt songwriting highlight the 6 song release, which straddles the world of the club and the world you have to come home to afterwards.

"How We Speak" exemplifies Short Circuit's dichotome, vocoded vocals leaving the listener both nodding their head and feeling the heartbreak of the song. Themes of lost love and hope make Late Night Drive the kind of album that will stick in your head for more reasons than just the hooks.

Download: How We Speak (Fabian Remix)
Download: How We Speak (Sam Padrul Remix)
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Remove My Gold Mask!

In the tradition of the great artistic couples (Fred and Ginger, Gram and Emmylou, Kinski and Herzog) Rochelle and Armondo better known as  My Gold Mask conjure a mood rather than a simple sound or idea. Their music is a part art-pop, part sonic poetry, and part personal chemistry and in a word moody.

Slightly Gothic in their aspirations, My Gold Mask hide behind a veil of sweeping beats, soaring vocals, and an impending sense of doom.  Believe it or not, it's good stuff that might remind you of later period Siouxsie & The Banshees.

The band has recently had several tracks remixed, two of which are below.  They've also been working on their follow up to last years EP and are planning on bring the Mask to a city near you this summer.

Those dates...
•Chicago, IL @ Ribfest 2011 (South Stage)
Friday, June 10 at 7:00pm

•Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
Wednesday, June 15 at 9:00pm

•Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks w/ Super Vacations
Thursday, June 16 at 8:00pm

•Easton, MD @ Nightcat
Friday, June 17 at 8:00pm

•Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
Saturday, June 18 at 10:30pm

•Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear’s
Tuesday, June 21 at 10:30pm

•Brooklyn, NY @ The Rock Shop w/ Smoke Fairies
Wednesday, June 22 at 7:30pm

•New York, NY @ Pianos
Thursday, June 23 at 9:00pm

•Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern w/ Fangs Out
Friday, June 24 at 9:00pm

Download: Violet Eyes (Eyes In The Forrest RMX by Baryshnikov)
Download: Ghost In Your Bed (Robots With Rayguns RMX)
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Ira Atari Shifts Gears

Ira Atari was not named after the famous video game manufacturer, although judging by her music one has to wonder whether or not it was an influence.

Creating electro as if it were second nature, she, along with Frittenbude’s mastermind Ja!kob know how to balance pop with underground dance with mathematical precision.  Balancing pop with dance music, Ira Atari's debut album Shift is a fantastic record that has its eyes on massive hooks and dark recessed corners of the dance floor.  Ira seduces you with her voices and then has her way with you thanks to beats.  It's expertly engineered to wear you out.

Put it this way...With new Divas like Robyn leading the way it’s time for Ira Atari to take the world over one console at a time.

Download: Don't Wanna Miss You (ULTRNX - Remix)
Download: Back To Zero (Fuzz Galaxy Buzz - Remix)
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Chucha Santamaria Y Usted!

Originally hailing from Puerto Rico and New York respectively, Chucha Santamaria Y Usted is a duo based in Oakland, CA consisting of Sofía Córdova and Matthew Kirkland. After a mutual discovery/re-appreciation of Italo disco, Latin freestyle, and a myriad other pop dance sub-genres Matt and Sofia created a band in an effort not only to have fun but a device in which they could revisit the history of dance music.

Sounding like the perfect replacement for Bonde Do Role, this dynamic duo creates sexy Latin tinged electro floor burners that either melt your face off or seduce you into bed.  It's hot sexy stuff that's almost like aural pornography that comes at you from about 80 different genres at once.  Brilliantly catchy and blindingly good,   Chucha Santamaria Y Usted are all about leaving monolinguals confused but sweaty.

Their debut release is the Chucha Santamaria Y Usted mini LP, and will be out on June 28th through Austin based record label Young Cubs.

Download: Fiebre Tropical
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Don't Step On The Glass

The Glass are Dominique Keegan and Glen 'DJ Wool' Brady. Dom runs the Plant Music label in NYC with partner Adrian "Stretch Armstrong" Bartos, and Glen lives in Berlin, where he runs the label We Collect Enemies and releases music under his DJ Wool moniker. Both originally from Dublin, the duo started collaborating in 2004. Their first two singles "Won't Bother Me" and "Hear The Music" were released on Four Music out of Germany and showcased on The Sound of Young New York compilations (which Dom compiled & the duo mixed). They subsequently released the seven-track EP Couples Therapy in 2007 and have been remixed by Mylo, 20/20 Soundsytem, Nadastrom, In Flagranti, Luke Solomon and more recently Black Van and Ian Pooley.

Their debut album At Swim Two Birds is released next week in the Americas with Europe having to wait until 2011. A nod to Dominique's and Glen's interest, the album title comes from a love of the sea from Glen (he was a water polo champ) and Dominique's budding ornithological career! Birds, water, and beats...what more could you want out of a record? Yeah, you got me...I have no idea.

Until the record comes out next week enjoy the single, "Four Four Letter."

Download: Four Four Letter

Download: Four Four Letter (Black Van Remix)

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