SO DARK AND LONELY.

We've been spitting the Strange Talk gospel for some time now, and after the release of their fantastic debut EP on Neon Gold earlier this month (available now from the Neon Gold Shop) it's time to keep the ball rolling with the unveiling of the music video and remix package for next single "Eskimo Boy". In addition to the video above we've got an exclusive double drop of oven fresh remixes of the single in a two for the price of one deal that's almost like we're paying you... or something.

The first of the two comes from Welsh up-and-comers Vanguard, hot off barnstorming remixes of Louis La Roche and Passion Pit, who continue their rapid ascent to electro stardom with a massive floor-filling club mix of the Strange Talk original. Then it's our main man Lightwaves' turn, who puts his "yeah, I'm pretty much DJing your dreams right now" spin on the track with a gradually building masterpiece that eventually erupts in a hands-in-the-lasers moment for the ages in the song's second half. He's been pretty much killing it on every remix he's touched thus far and this could be his finest work yet, drawing you in with shades of Daft Punk's "Digital Love" ("why don't you play the gaaaaame") before knocking you for six with the most epic keys breakdown since Russ Chimes changed the game with his "Starry Eyed" remix last year. WELL DONE SIR.

MP3: "Eskimo Boy" (Vanguard Remix) - Strange Talk [exclusive]
MP3: "Eskimo Boy" (Lightwaves Remix) - Strange Talk [exclusive]

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KEEP YOUR HEART CLOSE TO MINE.

Now that Alex Winston is wrapping up her debut album and well on her way to super stardom (see below), one might wonder what The Knocks have in store for us next over at their HeavyRoc Music studios. Well wonder no more, as it's time to introduce you to the latest addition to the HeavyRoc family, St. Lucia. Arriving just in time for the endlessly bleak winter of NYC to give way to the long light of summer, St. Lucia is the sound of childhood holidays and faded photographs of faraway places.

Inspired by his homeland of South Africa, his journey through the UK and eventual relocation to Brooklyn, St. Lucia's debut offering "This Old House Is Gone" plays like a lucid dream that you never want to wake up from, drifting by on an ethereal chord progression that recalls The Shins' "Sleeping Lessons" as viewed through the kaleidoscopic lens of Animal Collective's "Did You See The Words". A winning mix of heavily layered percussive elements, technicolor synth flourishes and tropical electro vibes, it's a little bit of Australia in our own backyard, coming off like The Temper Trap as produced by Cut Copy with shades of Empire of the Sun thrown in for good measure. So basically, dreams DO come true. Expect big things.

MP3: "The Old House Is Gone" - St. Lucia [exclusive]

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STUCK WITH YOU.

With her second video in the mix, our girl Alex Winston does not disappoint. Directed by That Go (Brooklyn production duo Stefan Moore and Noel Paul), the video for "Sister Wife" sort of plays out like one of those Stefon sketches from SNL's Weekend Update... "this club has EVERYTHING: creepy old ladies in nightgowns, toilet bread, bed pythons and a puppet cat that spews blood..." But in all seriousness this video's amazing - all shadowy atmospherics and an eerie sense of controlled chaos, as Winnie has a bizarre yet visually astounding house party in a haunted mansion. It's basically perfect, marrying (polygamy style of course) all aspects of the song together as the video wraps the playful violence and sweet darkness of the track into one awesomely weird package.

Speaking of playful, violent, sweet 'n dark (that's how I take my coffee by the way) - Ladyhawke is back! This time around she's lending her grungy electro touch to a stellar "Sister Wife" remix, and this one's on seriously heavy rotation people. Building off the vibe of Star Slinger's Mormons In The Hood remix from a while back, Ladyhawke elaborates with SERIOUS attitude, all "oh know she didn't!" hand claps and "get the fuck out" synths. Together, the video and remix are just another step towards world domination for Ms. Winston as she preps her hotly-anticipated debut album for release this autumn. It's a great day for sister wives everywhere.

MP3: "Sister Wife" (Ladyhawke Remix) - Alex Winston

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NEON GOLD AT THE GREAT ESCAPE.

So Monday night was a fucking blast, but if you missed out on the fun worry not, as we'll be going harder, better, faster, stronger Friday night in Brighton at our official Great Escape showcase with Walk The Moon, Post War Years and Wolf Gang at The Loft in central Brighton. Together with our bros-in-arms Chess Club, we'll be bringing you three of the best bands the festival has to offer late night from 11pm to 3am, plus DJ sets from our beloved ANR running things on the decks the first half of the night and the brilliant and beautiful Icona Pop girls killing it into the early hours. Set times and streams ahoy, see y'all in Brighton.

11:30pm: Walk The Moon // STREAM: "Lisa Baby"

12:30am: Post War Years // STREAM: "The Whole World On Its Head"

01:30am: Wolf Gang // STREAM: "The King and All of His Men" (LP Version)

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FEELING DEBONAIR.

Just touched down in Londontown and it feels oh so good to be back, and what better way to celebrate than throwing down big style at our Notting Hill Arts Club showcase tonight? We come bearing future superstars as Walk The Moon make their UK debut on our Neon Gold stage tonight, but we're every bit as excited to see Newcastle three-piece Polarsets make their London debut in the main support slot. They first graced our radar late last year with their massive hooks and blissed-out electronic pop sound and have since rapidly become one of our absolute favorite new bands in the UK. It's a beautiful lineup, a beautiful day and with tickets at the low low price of only £6, you're not gonna want to miss this.

Back to Polarsets for a minute though, they're the stuff Neon Gold dreams are made of and just absolutely tick alllll the boxes - cowbells for days, layers upon layers of shimmering electronics, meaty bass lines, golden vocals (highly) reminiscent of Two Door's Alex Trimble... you do the math. Someone better sound the alarm because we're on a straight up party anthem high alert over here.

MP3: "Leave Argentina" - Polarsets

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TEARING LOVE APART.

Icona Pop's "Manners" has seen some remixing in its day but none quite like this. Moody British new wave types The Kill Van Kulls give it a go and reinvent it in an entirely new light, stripping away the layers of textured electronics that defined original and replacing them with organic keys and moments of reverb drenched, borderline Jeff Buckley-esque guitar riffs. The result is a beyond beautiful, a sophisticated and ambient remix that sounds like a long lost Cocteau Twins or even Portishead B-side - to put it simply, this one's a headphones track, y'all. The KVK crew turn the electro power ballad into a more introspective affair and reveal the amazing versatility of the track - this song is just a gift that keeps on giving. Seriously, we could not love this remix more.

The Kill Van Kulls are currently prepping their new single "Lost & Found" for release later this month (catch the video above) and will take to the stage at our next Neon Gold UK event Monday supporting Walk The Moon and Polarsets, so get out early as these guys are definitely ones to watch.

MP3: "Manners" (The Kill Van Kulls Remix) - Icona Pop

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POPSHOP RADIO 005 + PLAN B AFTERPARTY

Oh word, Popshop's tomorrow? And it's Cinco de Mayo? You're damn right it is. And now we're taking things one step further and throwing the official Plan B afterparty into the mix (updated flyer above), as if Popshop 005 (tickets HERE) wasn't already shaping up to be the best night of your life. Entry will be free after midnight, so anyone hitting up the Plan B show at Music Hall of Williamsburg should cruise on over to Tammany late night for Futurecop! live at 12 followed by The Knocks DJing from 1 until close. To prep yourself for the occasion, we've got the latest installment in the Popshop mini-documentary series from our friends at Jackpot In The West, chronicling Walk The Moon's tour de force performance at Popshop last month.


And as per usual, we've also got an exclusive new minimix from The Knocks as well, featuring a selection of tracks from the allstars of Popshop 005 (including an exclusive new track from The Knocks) among other fresh new jams. Soundcloud's been deading our uploads all day so we'll have to forgo the player this week and just hook it up with a direct download, but we think you'll survive somehow. And who knows, maybe there's a hint in the tracklisting as to who the top secret live guest will be? Just saying. Maybe. We don't know.

1. "Eskimo Boy" - Strange Talk

2. "Ivy League Circus" - Gordon Voidwell

3. "Houseboat Babies" - Reptar

4. "Rich Doors" - New Villager

5. "Wait and See" - Holy Ghost!

6. "It's The Same Old Song" (The Knocks Remix) - The Four Tops

7. "NASA" - Futurecop

MP3: POPSHOP RADIO 005 (Mixed by The Knocks)

Tickets for tomorrow night still available HERE but going fast, don't sleep!

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