TOO MUCH NOISE IN MY HEAD.

This went up with our official SXSW showcase announcement earlier this week, but it's so brilliant it really deserves it's own feature. Elof is one of the hottest up-and-coming producers in Sweden at the moment, having already worked wonders with Erik Hassle, Niki & The Dove and Icona Pop (have you heard his production on "Top Rated"? It's INSANE.) and his remix work doesn't disappoint either. Penguin Prison's "The Worse It Gets" was already a masterstroke of dark, brooding pop at it's most paranoid, but the Elof remix is even more destabilizing, dramatic piano chords and ominous bass laid bare over a sonic tapestry literally falling apart at the seams as we listen.

While Elof continues to tear it up across the pond in Sweden, Penguin will be down at SXSW next week, where he'll be playing our official showcase with his full band set up on Wednesday night, before going unplugged to headline the Acoustic Stage at our unofficial New Shapes day party at 4:40pm on Saturday. Enjoy the black magic of Elof's Penguin remix below, and keep checking back throughout the weekend as we continue to leak the lineup of our Saturday New Shapes party (which will be FREE to all with RSVP) before the full announcement on Monday.

MP3: "The Worse It Gets" (Elof Remix) - Penguin Prison [exclusive]

MARINA HITS NYC.

At long last, the time has finally come for Marina & The Diamonds to hit the United States, and we're over the moon to be putting on her first-ever US show at The Bell House on Sunday, March 14th. We firmly believe Marina to be one of the best performers of our generation, and we couldn't be more honored to be putting on her stateside debut next month. The night is also the launch of Popjustice NYC, with whom we'll be promoting the show, and we're pleased to announce support for Marina in the form of a full band performance from the amazing Erik Hassle and The Knocks tearing it up on the wheels of steel in between sets. Marina will also be performing the next night at Le Poisson Rouge in Manhattan, before heading down to Austin, Texas for a string of shows at SXSW (among which will be our official Neon Gold Showcase, more details on that coming soon), before returning for a proper US tour later in the year. This is absolutely going to be one of the best events we ever put on, so roll over to Ticketweb to cop your tickets now, they will go fast.

In other news, The Family Jewels is out on Monday (though you can stream it in its entirety here) in the UK and is easily one of our favorite albums of the last five years, so pop down to the shops next week and show it the love it deserves. Seriously people, pop music needs Marina more than your wallet needs that tenner.

WELCOME HOME.

A few weeks ago, Swedish wunderkind Erik Hassle and his guitarist Viktor Paronitti were just messing about with covers, going through the pop catalog from Abba to La Roux and went on to record that essential cover of Robyn’s "Be Mine" with newly-anointed Brit Award Critics' Choice winner Ellie Goulding. Today we exclusively bring you this absolute gem of a track that’s got more heart and more break in it than we’ve ever heard from him before.

Sam Cooke’s "Nothing Can Ever Change This Love" reflects a whole lot about Hassle’s sound and songwriting: growing up he’d listen to Swedish punk rock and the usual pop, but the soul music of Sam Cooke, Donny Hathaway and Wilson Pickett are what really stuck, and their influence is clear in his emotive, heartfelt delivery. We’ve been waiting to hear this on record since he ended an intimate London live show with it recently, so take a moment, have a listen, and if you feel you need to: go have a little cry, we’re not judging.

MP3: "Nothing Can Change This Love" - Erik Hassle [exclusive]

WRONG FROM THE START.

Regardless of how the next three months play out, Erik Hassle's "Hurtful" is going to go down as one of our absolute favorite singles of the year and Penguin Prison as one of our most exciting new prospects for 2010. Thus, we can barely contain our excitement at the beautiful union of the two on this here remix supporting the upcoming UK single release of "Hurtful". As usual, Penguin takes the blueprint laid down on the original and drops a choice groove over it, taking it from the pop charts to indie discos with athletic ease. He's a special guy, that Penguin Prison.

MP3: "Hurtful" (Penguin Prison Remix) - Erik Hassle [exclusive]

In other news, the wonderful Huw Stephens will be premiering "Under The Sheets", the massive debut single from Ellie Goulding (out on Neon Gold in November) on Radio 1 tonight. EXCITED MUCH? Tune in here from 9pm GMT for all the glory.

LOST THAT FEELING.

Visitor have arrived from a parallel universe where pop reigns supreme and synths will never go out of style, and they've brought with them a heavensent slice of stadium-sized dance pop as a token of peace and goodwill. Riding a monumental synth progression laid down by the gods themselves (or more accurately, Australian hitmakers Diamond Cut), "Los Feeling" sounds like The Killers on a dreamwave kick. They make their live debut at Gold Dust tonight and we'll be there with bells on. And given our beloved pop hero Erik Hassle is headlining, we suggest you do the same.

MP3: "Los Feeling" (Demo) - Visitor

DEEP INTO THIS SHIT.

Erik Hassle and Yes Giantess are probably the best things to happen to pop music in 2009, so the union of the two in the Giantess remix of Hassle's debut UK single "Don't Bring Flowers" is the stuff dreams are made of. Hassle is the next global pop sensation (just try to tell us "Hurtful" doesn't have the makings an international number one) and he sounds even better over a barrage of thugged-out Yes Giantess synths. Get this on your headphones and you're ready for the weekend.

MP3: "Don't Bring Flowers" (Yes Giantess Remix) - Erik Hassle [exclusive]