Subtle

Big industry awards often frustrate me. Be it the Oscars, the Emmy's, or the Grammy's, the nominees for these types of shows often feel all-too-predictable, seeming more the result of bureaucratic processes than true appreciation. But every once in awhile, a gem of an underdog gets the recognition they deserve in the form of a nomination. This year, we're cheering for Mikky Ekko, the Tennessee songwriter who's duet Stay with Rihanna (perhaps you've heard of her) received a nomination for Best Pop Duo Performance. But while Stay is an undeniable smash, it would have been cool to see his more recent collaboration with Active Child, the incredible Subtle get a nod, too. But hey, baby steps.


Subtle (feat. Mikky Ekko) - Active Child



While I gush away about his collaborative tracks, I have to note that Ekko is a formidable performer in his own right, evidenced by his summer single Kids, which you definitely need to check out.

Hello Again

Hey fellow countrymen, have y'all had enough of the cold weather yet? Me too. But don't worry, I know just what you need: JAMAICA.

Sadly no, I am not running a contest to fly all my readers to paradise, but close. JAMAICA -- the insanely catchy, pop rockin' French duo -- are back after years of doing whatever French musicians do between albums (smoke a lot of cigarettes, look cool, and eat bread probably, idk) with their sophomore release, Ventura. While the album drops in March, its befittingly monikered first single, Hello Again, is here now. It has every bit of the bouncing beats and jangling guitar work we remember from the band, with a markedly tighter, polished finish. This preview has us pretty darn excited for the rest of the album, but as for now -- a snow day never sounded so good.

You can preview the song below, but if you want a download link, you've gotta head over to the band's website.
Go, Go!

Hello Again - JAMAICA

Habits

I've gotta stay high all the time to keep you off my mind.

The year's most stressful month has arrived. While you're busy buying Christmas presents and spending too much money on plane tickets trying to get home for the holidays to family you not-so-secretly distain, music writers everywhere are wracking their brains and arbitrary ratings systems to create their all-important Best Of The Year lists. I probably won't do a "best of" list this year; mainly because I haven't listened to more than 5 albums all the way through.^* But that doesn't mean I won't preach to you at least a little bit.

Before you inevitably read other, more legitimate publications' lists, I want to tilt your bias by presenting you with what I think know to be the best pop song of the year, no contest. (Well, barring Titanium, but that is a contentious topic, and also I'm pretty sure it was released in '12, and also also we're here to promote music's little guy, not its Guetta.) Obviously it was written by a Swede. Tove Lo's Habits is such a perfect sad girl power ballad you'll probably know all the words without having heard it. Swedish girls just get it, after all. While Habits has already been used for background on every MTV show produced this year, it has yet to go double platinum, and I think we should rectify that before 2014 rolls along.
Looking forward to seeing y'all -- and Tove! -- at the top.

Habits - Tove Lo


^{* [I realize this makes me the problem, not the solution.]}

With The Winds Of Despair

While yesterday's topic was the phenomena of avoiding a band based solely on their name, today's is the antithesis of that. When a certain "Tiger Forest Cat" showed up in my rarely-checked (sorry) submissions inbox , I downloaded the promo immediately. Normally to make it on to my precious hard drive a strict vetting process of internet streaming occurs, but I went out on a limb here because I just knew that any band with a name like that was going to be amazing. You may think I'm sounding silly and arrogant but you know what? I was so right.

Turns out in addition to having a great name, Tiger Forest Cat is from the greatest country - Sweden. So it's no wonder that his whimsical, breezy pop single With The Winds Of Despair seems destined to soundtrack the next great commercial spot -- Swedes are built and programmed since birth to make hits. This is fact. Even if you're skeptical of my sources, once you get to the chorus you'll agree with me. That run on "little darling of mine" is the stuff that dreams are made of. Kudos to me for finally checking a submission email, kudos to TFC for having the best name ever, and kudos to you for telling all your friends about him. I just knew you would.

With The Winds Of Despair

Stay

You know when you hear of a band and the lexemic association you place on their name completely overshadows any of their output for you? Like, "Awwwww man, Cake? I hate cake, why would I want to listen to a band called Cake?" Well, if you've ever found yourself in the preceding scenario, you're a sadist. Seriously, who doesn't like cake? But moving on.

Having lived in New York for just under a year, I've come to resent tourists with a fire equal only to how Beyonce undoubtedly feels about Kim K: I can't stand them. But I'm not letting that get in the way of enjoying Tourist, the man. Tourist is a London-based musician with an undeniable knack for the deep house-hearkening, lush production style so popular in the past year. That's not to say his downtempo beats and layered instrumentation render him a copycat act in any way -- his late night jams display a deftness artists twice his age could only dream of possessing. He's demonstrated this most recently in a string of EPs -- his next set for an early December release -- and some expert remix work. He'll be kicking off a US tour in NYC over CMJ, so be sure to shake off any xenophobia, and catch the man in action.

Stay - Tourist

Real Slow

While our government is crumbling under the weight of its own idiocy, in world news, Australian musicians are still killing it. At least everyone is being consistent, right?

As far as consistency goes, Miami Horror could very well have their picture in the dictionary in under the word, as their brand of sunny, feel-good pop rock never fails to disappoint. With this in mind, we had good reason to be excited when our buds at Neon Gold announced that they were releasing the band's new single, Real Slow. While Real Slow has a bit more of a dance groove to it than the name might suggest, its breezy chorus is everything we needed to help ease our begrudging transition from summer. You can cop the single here, stream it below, and -- GREAT NEWS -- see it in real time tonight, if you're in NYC.


While we're on the subject of Australians, another formidable group are making their way to the big apple, and various cities across the country. Gold Fields have been tramping around US for the past month, bringing their blend of hybrid power pop with them. They'll be in NYC on Thursday for NG's monthly Popshop installment. Check it out, as its sure to be all koalas and rainbows and sparkles. Best kind of party.

Treehouse (GLOVES Remix) - Gold Fields


Gold (Gold Fields Remix) - Sir Sly

Embrace

Our man Goldroom is back with his first EP in two years. Luckily, it doesn't feel like it's been that long what with the steady stream of remixes and one-off originals he throws our way...but it's still cause to celebrate. The EP showcases a string of female-fronted pop singles released over the past couple years, and includes the brand new Embrace. It seems Goldroom has saved the best for last, as Embrace is probably his catchiest original to date. And that's really saying something. We might credit that superlative in part to the co-writing credits from Australia's George Maple (a chick you should get to know immediately), but seriously - just try to get this shimmering chorus out of your head. Stream the tune below, and support the man by buying the full EP on iTunes.

Rollercoaster

Remember a few months ago when Skream said he was giving up on dubstep to start producing disco; and all the skrillex-worshiping high school ravers were like "ahhh what the fuck man?!", while everyone who had listened to dubstep before 'EDM' was a 'thing' were like "hmm ok yeah that makes sense."? Well, Skream just released his first single showcasing this new direction, and no one need be disappointed. Rollercoaster is funky, fresh, and expertly produced. Skream's talent showcased in a new medium is a great big gust of fresh air, and we're pretty excited to hear what his future catalog has in store. Stream the single below and check out its just-released music video, which is really, really cute.

PARTOFME

Is it wrong to make you love me?
Is it wrong to make you stay?
It breaks my heart to see you watching.

About once or twice a year I absolutely freak out over a new band. I listen to their every song on continual repeat (we're talking like 20 plays per song per day), and lament their obscurity to anyone who will listen. NO CEREMONY/// is one such a band. The Manchester trio craft the most perfect electrically-inclined music, and I hope they become the biggest group in the world. They excel in a specific brand of dark, driving pop: it's kind of dancey, kind of proggy (full disclosure: I love prog), and filled with a sense of urgency marked by growling crescendos and an always perfectly-timed drop. The use of two vocalists (of different genders) helps ensure that nothing sounds too "samey," though if every song in the world sounded like FEELSOLOW it would probably be an okay thing.

NO CEREMONY/// just released their debut album in England. You can't yet get it in the US but you can stream it here. If you're in Europe, you also have the chance to see them live. I missed them at this year's SXSW due to an unfortunate traffic situation, so someone please go and report back how awesome it was. As for the rest of you, have a couple teasers and welcome to your new obsession.

FEELSOLOW - NO CEREMONY///



You know I don't normally do YouTube streams but this is their new single and you need to hear it.

HURTLOVE - NO CEREMONY///

Feeling Foxy

Kitsuné, everyone's favorite fashion brand cum music label, has been on the grind lately. In addition to their seasonal Compilation albums, they've been putting out singles for up and coming artists left and right. Additionally they've been working on some pretty cool campaigns incorporating more music into their fashion, and vice-versa. August saw them release the Romanticise EP from Australian songstress Chela, who you may remember from last year's collaboration with our man Goldroom. Romanticise totally encapsulates the Kitsuné "sound" - bright synths, disco beats, and summer vibes. Fellow Aussies Gold Fields did a remix of the single, and it's quite a catch. Don't take my word for it - download it for free below.

But one EP is never enough for the label, who also put out Digitalism's new Lift EP two days ago. Veering from their pop roots and into more hardened electro territory, the EP's first single Electric Fist sees the German duo collaborating with Canada's Blood Diamonds. The end result is a fiery one two punch of pulsing beats and crackling distortion. If you're looking for a pretty solid 2008 throwback, look no further. (Ah, the good old days.)

Last, but certainly not least, Kitsuné have been expanding their always-rocking Club Nights to more cities around the globe, and this post comes just in time to remind you of a big one happening in New York City tonight. This time, Kitsuné teamed up with Matte Projects to bring us a crazy awesome lineup including Digitalism, Classixx, Plastic Plates, and Le Youth. Matte are the guys who put on summer's Full Moon Festival, at which we had wayyyy too much fun (seriously…it got aggressive), so we've got high hopes for tonight. Get your last minute tickets here, and I'll see you on the dance floor.

Romanticise (Gold Fields Remix) - Chela

Somebody Loves High Society

We're high society.

By this point, it should be well-known fact that LOOSE L!PS is a huge fan of Neon Gold. It's one of our favorite labels, and some of our favorite people to party with. So when I received an invite to the latest and greatest Popshop (their monthly bi-costal dance party/live music extravaganza) and saw an artist on the bill I was unfamiliar with, I immediately did a Google search -- cause if NG is booking it, it's bound to be good. Betty Whoturned out to be the kind of playful, synth-driven power pop the Goldies are so good at cultivating, and I was hooked. Scrolling through Google Images I had a nagging sense of "I swear I know this person", and after some sleuthing realized why: Betty Who and went to school together. So, internet: Root for the LL Home Team and check out Betty Who. Grab some songs below and if you're in NYC, catch her next Friday at Brooklyn Bowl. It would be rude not to.



Somebody Loves You - Betty Who


High Society (The Soundmen Remix) - Betty Who

Where Have You Gone [Cause This Is Not Enough]

If I say I want it back, would you meet me with the same eyes?
These days seems long, where have you gone?

A year or so ago, Soundcloud underwent a huge interface revamp. They introduced a shuffle feature, and whenever the song you were listening to ended, the site would shuffle you to a random "related" song from any one of the thousands of accounts they hosted. The only problem was 99.99% of the time this random song was completely unlistenable. An accidental case of "where is that open window playing music I have too many windows open AGH" led me to discover that it seems they've finally figured out their algorithms, and instead of shuffling me to nu-jazz flute recordings, Soundcloud has started delivering gems.

Today the site read my mood/mind as it started playing a dreamy pop song from a band called Carousel. Turns out these guys are from LA and the shuffle couldn't have come at a more serendipitous time, as their new EP, Palms, is set to be released just around the corner, on August 5th. With breezy melodies and that circa-2008-Dreamwave vibe, Carousel gets an immediate addition to my list of indispensable poolside tunes. A round of applause for Soundcloud, everyone, and lend your ears to Carousel.

Old Single:
Where Have You Gone - Carousel


New Single:

Be Cool (EMiL Remix)

You know what's really hit-or-miss? Remix videos. And by that I mean they usually suck. It's one thing for a remix to be able to stand alone as a piece of music, but for it to be worth its weight in jpegs as well? That's a veritable unicorn. So it seems fitting then, that the thing to inspire LL out of the figurative ashes of the internet is one such figurative unicorn.

Our friend EMiL (of Emil & Friends -- yeah he's pretty popular) just dropped his remix of Phoenix's Be Cool, and whipped up a whole video from scratch to go with it. We're not talking your typical indie "boy meets girl and they go on a road trip" type shtick, but something fun and summery and colorful and--dare I say--magical. Don't take my word for it, watch for yourself below.

Phoenix - Be Cool (EMiL remix) from Emil on Vimeo.

Be Cool (EMiL Remix) - Phoenix


Bonus:
Be Cool (Breakbot Remix) - Phoenix

Swim And Sleep (Lindstrom Remix)

I wish that I could swim and sleep like a shark does
I'd fall to the bottom and I'd hide til the end of time

All songs previously in my "blog/share with the world" queue got pushed back due to the release of a new Lindstrøm remix. If you've been following this blog for any amount of time (or since the beginning - holler to all five of you), you'll know that if I subscribed to any religion, it would be Lindstrømism. He's just perfect. Or rather…his music is perfect. I was especially taken by his latest remix endeavor as it saw him collaborating with one of my new favorite bands (one who's bandwagon I am admittedly late to jump on), Oregon's Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra are a psych-rock band making waves with their 2013 sophomore album, II. For ease of reference's sake, UMO sound like Tame Impala with less fuzz, breezier melodies, and more accessible lyrics. Take the experimental out of psychedelia, and you have UMO - a nice place to be, if I'm to judge. But forget rock for a minute -- Lindstrøm's rework of their 2012 single Swim and Sleep (Like A Shark Does) takes a lilting melody and turns it intergalactic disco spectacular. Still with me? Check it out.

Bonus: The original, oh so sweet, single.
Swim And Sleep (Like A Shark Does) - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

Penny

You're my perfect little...penny

Is 2013 the year that garage rock officially "comes back," or was that 2012? Whenever the date, Hanni El Khatib is a welcome genre contributor. This spring sees him releasing his sophomore album, Head In The Dirt, produced by the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach (insert approving head nod here). While the album's first single was a raucous, messy affair - shaped by a charging drumline and growling guitars - the second single Penny is a sunny, organ-drenched love song.

Penny shines on its own, but label-mates Classixx took it and did more than polish it up - they turned it into an entirely different creature altogether. A bright, even cute, rock tune is transformed to a deep disco slow burner under their touch. A total 180, but wildly successful. Stream the original below, download the remix, and be sure to look for Head In The Dirt on Innovative Leisure later this spring.

Penny (Classixx Remix) - Hanni El Khatib

Fade Away (C2C Remix)

Joe Bonomo

Recently I've been feeling a bit disenchanted with electronic-based music. Then I realized that I'd forgotten about the French. Those sly bastards are still so on top of the game, its almost as though their a genre unto themselves: incomparable to the rest of the "production" world. One of the best examples of this is Vitalic (née Pascal Arbez), who I have unrelentingly held as the second-greatest French producer (after Daft Punk, naturally) since I first caught wind of him back in the noughties. Listen to any piece in his catalog and you'll catch the perfect bass lines and tight drums that, while providing a solid backbone to each piece, never teeter towards overindulgent.

Vitalic's latest album, Rave Age was released in November. The EP for his second single, Fade Away, will be up for purchase by the end of the month. In the meantime, stream the C2C (another French act and LL favorite) remix of the single below.

Bonus: The greatest remix of the greatest song from Vitalic's last album.
This is seriously indispensable.
Poison Lips (Captain Flash Remix) - Vitalic

One Way Trigger

I don't want to be in there without your love no more

Am I the only one who really, really loves the new Strokes album?
If that's the case, oh well, because I'm not taking anything back. The new Strokes album is a breath of fresh air in a catalog that was getting stale. While its by no means perfect - its lacking in cohesion and a lot of the hooks fall short - it sees the Strokes flexing their range and deviating from formulas established in their previous two albums. It sounds younger than its predecessors, more willing to take risks; ironic from an aging band who's look and sound seemed carefully calculated from the start.

Listen to the first single One Way Trigger, in which Casablancas' relentless falsetto shapes the best Strokes song in years, and then be sure to buy Comedown Machine, out today.

One Way Trigger - The Strokes

Bad Habit

I'm a bad habit, one you cannot break.

Two weeks ago, we returned to Texas for the annual music pilgrimage that is SXSW. Sparing the gory details, (if you want them you can check the twitter back catalog) let's just say that you missed a good - albeit aggressive - time.

Absolutely in no way related to the events that transpired in Austin are Foals. Foals are an English quintet formed in 2005, and no doubt they've already been around the festival block. Rather than head to good ol' Texas, the boys prepped for their upcoming North American tour - which will be kicking off with a pretty-high-up-on-the-lineup-poster spot at Coachella. This tour comes on the heels of their just-released third album, Holy Fire.

While the song Bad Habit hasn't been released as a single, its my favorite song of right now. With a kind of cinematic drama, it speaks to a phenomenon to which we all fall prey. I know I'm currently nursing a couple bad habits I can't seem to break…not that I'm trying.

Bad Habit - Foals

Harlot

She's got a lot of affection in her thighs
And the way that she might look at you could turn you into ice

Akin to romantic relationships, band love is a fickle thing. Some obsessions creep up on you - you don't pay them much notice until one epiphanic moment when you realize they're the greatest thing you've ever come across. Others are more forward in their approach - it's love at first listen (sight). Misun fall under the latter category. The first time they shuffled onto my iPod I scrambled to see which of my favorite bands' new material I had been ignoring. But my assumed old companion turned out to be a group I had never heard. Misun are a DC-based trio poised for greater things than one-off 60s throwback pop songs. I mean have you listened to their first single, Harlot? Really listened? No? Well do so below, and make sure everyone knows I told you so.
Have I found my new favorite band? Maybe.

Stream and download their debut single below, and then you can download most of their debut EP for free HERE, which is beyond awesome.

Harlot - Misun


Bonus: Their second single. No sophomore slump here.
Battlefields - Misun

Love Is Dangerous

When the waves come crashing baby I'm just trying to survive.

Things you may or may not care about so we'll keep it short:
1) LOOSE L!PS is now coming to you from NYC
2) "Post Regularly" was a top New Year's resolution - so expect at least bi-weekly updates.
3) I've collected so much great music the past few months of vacation; I can't wait to share.

First up in Feburary, this gleeful Chrome Canyon remix of French Horn Rebellion. FHR was the first concert I saw after moving to the city (at Neon Gold's evercool PopShop), and this single was the clear standout. But while the original Love Is Dangerous (buy the EP here) incorporates so many styles it can end up feeling all over the place, Chrome Canyon filters through the noise by backing the indelible vocal line with funk - pure and simple. A sinfully satisfying bass line ties up any loose strings and propels the song to full disco-revival glory.

Dance on but just remember, it's almost Valentine's Day - don't go breaking too many hearts.

Love Is Dangerous (Chrome Canyon Remix) - French Horn Rebellion