[Electro-Pop] Chromeo ft. The Dream – Bedroom Calling

Chromeo, the stylish, iconic duo of Montreal natives and high school best friends Dave 1 and P-Thugg have established themselves as two of pop music’s most notable tastemakers since their effervescent reverberations first began making their universal rounds all the way back in 2004. Behind sterling LP’s She’s In Control, Business Casual, Fancy Footwork, and White Women the pair have cemented themselves as this generation’s leading voice of pop infused synth-funk, and to pace this year, they’ve announced the release of the group’s fifth full-length release Head Over Heels. 

We’ve already had the chance to hear the LP’s leading single “Juice”, and today Chromeo have dropped off the second offering from Head Over Heels, “Bedroom Calling” featuring The Dream. The tune follows Dave 1 & P-Thugg’s established blueprint of tightly wound, popping drums, sparkling synths and crooning vocals; but with the addition of fellow funk-distributor The Dream, “Bedroom Calling” finds its own seat firmly among the duo’s established catalog. About the track Chromeo shared: “We’ve been obsessed with The-Dream since ‘Fast Car’ from his first album. To us, he’s a modern day funk auteur, like Prince or El Debarge. This song pays homage to our favorite work of his.” Stream “Bedroom Calling” below.

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[Synth-Pop] Penguin Prison – Keep Coming Alive

It’s been a few years since we last checked in with synth-pop producer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter Chris Glover; who is known much more widely under his artistic alias Penguin Prison. One of the most talented musicians we’ve fallen in line with over the years, Glover never fails to produce wondrously polished, pristine work. Recently, the pop virtuoso began teasing the release of another addition to the Penguin Prison puzzle. The EP Turn It Up will see release on February 9th and while he’s already shared the title track, today we’re offering Turn It Up‘s second single “Keep Coming Alive”. The tune follows Glover’s effervescent indie-pop  blueprint, featuring rollicking guitar licks, snapping snares and a bevy of warm synths which creates a song that feels both familiar to his oldest fans, but cleaner in nearly every inch of production detail to simultaneously show off a clear evolution in craft.

While Penguin Prison was once a near daily staple in our steady diet of music, we’ve seen his releases dwindle in  numbers over in the time since his Lost in New York release.  Opening up about his recent work, Glover shared: “On the night of November 8, 2016 I initially wondered how I could even keep being an artist. It seemed like making art was trivial at that moment.  Upon further reflection I realized that of course the world needs people to make music and film and all kinds of art.  It can get very hard to keep coming alive while it seems like the world is trying to cut you down.  You have to keep reminding yourself every day.” We can’t relay how touched by these sentiments, and happy to be featuring new Penguin Prison music in the process.

In support of Turn It Up,  Penguin Prison has also announced a new slate of tour dates which you can read after the jump. Stream “Keep Coming Alive” below.

Check out Penguin Prison’s Upcoming tour dates here:

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[Indie/Synth-Pop] Yoke Lore – Goodpain (Blondage Remix)

YOKE LORE
Goodpain (Blondage Remix)

Brooklyn based indie-pop auteur Adrian Galvin (formerly of Walk the Moon) spins lush webs of synth soaked pop music under the Yoke Lore moniker, and closed out 2017 with the release of an excellent EP: Goodpain. This past weekend, Yoke Lore’s Goodpain was buoyed by the release of an accompanying Goodpain Remixes sister-EP featuring indie mainstays including Yeasayer, Chad Valley, Shy Girls and more; and we’ve been happily consuming it in the time since.

Standing tall among Yoke Lore’s impressive offering of remixes is Danish electro-pop duo Blondage‘s sparkling treatment of the EP’s title track “Goodpain”. Blondage unravels Lore’s original melody, infusing their revision with a healthy dose of soulful piano stabs, and a bent take on its hooky synth line. Instrumentally, the pair manage to simultaneously gloss up their version of the tune, while also painting flecks of a more minimal approach to pop music throughout. Be sure to check out the rest of Yoke Lore’s Goodpain Remixes EP, but until then stream Blondage’s remix of “Goodpain” above.

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[Indie/Dream-Pop] Ravennas – Meet in a Garden

Ravennas
Meet In A Garden (prod. by DoM)

Worming their way into your ears on this beautiful Hump Day is up and coming Seattle duo Ravennas. Comprised of childhood friends Ben Grant and Paul Dutton, Ravennas have been playing various shades of music together in some form since grade school, while their debut single “Meet in a Garden”, which was produced by tastemaking favorite DoM, sees the brand new project fusing a foundation of psych-pop, indie-rock and electro-pop. Clearly, the pair have cultivated an aural chemistry and understanding of each other’s musical prowess which can already be heard on “Meet in a Garden; an introductory tune which carries the kind of sharpness usually reserved for artists much further along their creative journeys.

Dutton’s reverb-laden, jangly guitar hearkens back to the blue print laid on some of those treasured early Captured Tracks releases, while symmetrical two-step drum pacing and a chugging bass line underpin its vocal track beautifully. About the collaboration with DoM, Dutton remarked: “DoM has a profound ability to follow his instincts and started shaping the song, shortening different sections and vibing the song out more so that it wasn’t so clean and dry.” Hearing such proficiency and direction on the duo’s debut single is quite promising, and you can be sure we’ll be anxiously awaiting the next offering from Ravennas, which is expected out early 2018. For now, sit back and enjoy “Meet in a Garden” above.

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Bliss Nova – Now [TMN VIDEO PREMIERE]

Bliss Nova
Now

Depending on how you look at it, a little bit of gorgeous, haunting synth-pop is either the perfect thing to welcome winter in, or is better served for the shimmering light of warmer months. Personally, I feel like today’s offering from Toledo-based Bliss Nova aligns with the former, providing the perfect soundscape for the upcoming chilly months.

“Now” is the latest offering from this fraternal duo comprised of Daniel and Joel Trzcinski, which follows up their last EP release, just six months back. It’s gorgeously layered with fluttering synths paired with solid guitar work and heavily treated vocals. From a structural point of view, it serves up plenty of intrigue, straying away from a traditional pop model, especially towards the end.

On top of a first listen, we’re also bringing a first look for you today. The music video is one hell of a trip, taking you on a psychadellic ride as you listen along.

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Hot Chip DJ Mix September 2017 [TMN Premiere]

Hot Chip
HOT CHIP DJ MIX SEPTEMBER 2017
Perhaps one of the most iconic live electronic outfits operating in any capacity of the music world today, London bred synth-pop superstars Hot Chip, have long been a shiny apple in both this writer’s, and TMN’s eyes (or ears for that matter). In advance of a looming November U.S. DJ tour, two of the Hot Chip’s gangs most formidable members, Joe Goddard & Felix Martin, have put together a healthy amount of tunes to tune your cochlear cavities in advance of what will no doubt be a bevy of eclectic sets from the pair. Their latest mix flirts with slices of R&B, reggaeton, soul, synth-pop, jazz and indie including a handful of effective groovers and obscure tracks from the likes of Addison Groove, Roman Flugel, and Omar S ft. Nite Jewel, all through the scope of a dancefloor, and they’ve come up aces with another worthy addition to their mix catalog. The tracklist for Hot Chip’s latest DJ mix can be found below, as well as all dates dotting their forthcoming U.S. tour. For our stateside friends with a pension for uniquely programmed, genre jumping dance parties, don’t miss Felix & Joe’s DJ iteration of the group coming in November.
Hot Chip (DJ tour) featuring Joe Goddard and Felix Martin:
Nov 10th || Output || Brooklyn, NY
Nov 11th || Lot 613 || Los Angeles, CA
Nov 15th || Terminal West || Atlanta, GA
Nov 16th || Club Here I Love You || El Paso, TX
Nov 17th || It’ll Do || Dallas, TX
Nov 18th || Smart Bar || Chicago, IL
Nov 19th || U Street Music Hall || Washington, DC
Nov 22nd || Mezzanine || San Francisco, CA
Nov 23rd || Fortune Sound Club || Vancouver, BC
Nov 24th || Neumos || Seattle, WA
Check out the full tracklisting after the jump.

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[Video] Porches – Find Me

Aaron Maine’s Porches music project has proved itself a critical darling after the excellent 2016 LP Pool and its demo based sister release Water. Porches has undergone a complete musical symbiosis from the folk inspired pop of 2013’s Slow Dance in the Cosmos, and after having recently announced the January 19 release of The House, the third full-length album from the New York based group, they’ve released its first music video backing the single “Find Me”. Aurally, “Find Me” is an icy track with its lyrics touching on anxiety, escape and isolation. Not new subject material for Maine, but one that he has shown an ability to convey flawlessly in his brief songwriting career. A signature array of vintage synths permeate the tune’s breathing space, rising and falling behind shuffling hi’s and greasy bass, resulting in that beautiful indie-pop aesthetic we’ve grown accustomed to from Porches. In video form, the visual theme is wound tightly to Maine’s psyche, focusing primarily on his physical from in the process.

Watch the video, co-directed by Maine himself, and Nick Harwood below, and revisit our review of their 2016 live show in Denver here. The House is available for pre-order now on iTunes, Bandcamp and from their label Domino Records’ online shop with a limited run of pale-yellow translucent vinyl complete with a fold-out poster, CD, cassette, and digital download.

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