GOLD003: YES GIANTESS

New name, same great taste. We've been alluding to our involvement with Giantess for a while now, but now it's time to make it official. Next up from Neon Gold will be the Boston pop behemoths' "Tuff N Stuff" and "You Were Young" in what is yet another double A-side release for the ages. Due to some copyright issues stemming from a previously existing Giantess in Canada, we've had to change the name to Yes Giantess, but worry not - the tunes are still as massive as ever.

Following in the footsteps of Passion Pit with an even more synthed-out electro sound, Yes Giantess are the next great hope for electronic pop in the US. Produced by Passion Pit's own Ayad Al-Adhamy at his Bo Flex Music studio, they're unleashing some of the biggest pop jams you'll hear all year. "Tuff 'n Stuff" is their masterwork, leading you in with a deceptively plaintive intro before dropkicking you in the jaw with a metric ton of Ratatat-sized synths and huge pop choruses. "You Were Young" stuns on the AA-side, all spiraling synths, infectious hooks and a seriously ill bridge that sounds like Daft Punk on a sugar high. Yeah, they're pretty much the sonic equivalent of flying down the yellow brick road while its raining ecstasy and skittles, and yeah, you're gonna want to taste this rainbow.

Limited to 500 copies and pressed on sexy white vinyl, the record is available for preorder now in the US from the Neon Gold Shop and in the UK exclusively from Puregroove, due to ship out on April 20th (and here you already couldn't wait for 4/20). "Tuff N Stuff" and "You Were Young" have already been kicking around the blogs for a minute now, but here's a shit-hot exclusive remix of the lead track courtesy of Boston DJ crew Pirate Stereo to tide you over.

MP3: "Tuff N Stuff" (Pirate Stereo Remix) - Yes Giantess [exclusive]

THIS ALREADY HAPPENED. SORRY.

So our second Neon Gold party went down at The Delancey on Friday and we kind of forgot to tell you about it. We had an absurdly busy week hence the epic fail in the promotion department, but the place was filled to max capacity and both performers killed it so it was a moot point really. Apologies to any NYC-based readers who would have been down to attend though, we won't let you down again. Our bad.

To recap though, Brooklyn's finest and frequent Theophilus London collaborators Body Language rocked shit with their soulful mix of party hits and babymakin' jams. An epic cover of Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" and brand new jam "Holiday" killed it, but it was set opener and live favorite "Huffy Ten Speed" that brilliantly set the tone for the whole night.

MP3: "Huffy Ten Speed" - Body Language [exclusive]

Giantess were back for another round at Neon Gold, this time as the main event and they didn't disappoint as A&Rs in attendance from both sides of the Atlantic nodded approvingly and kids up front lost their shit. There were a few sound issues, but it's still early days (this was only their sixth ever show) and there's always bound to be a few complications when a band's live set up involves more wires, electronics and computers than an IBM commercial. Future single tracks "Tuff 'n Stuff" and "You Were Young" slayed as usual, as did new standout "Endless Highway". As one commenter pointed out last week, Giantess are driving the bus to the stars and you better get a seat while you still can.

MP3: "You Were Young" - Giantess [exclusive]

Incriminating photographic evidence here courtesy of all around bad ass and official afterparty host Scott Marceau. In other news, the second installment of our hot tips for '09 series drops Wednesday. Stick around.

REASONS NOT TO END IT ALL IN 2009 PT. I

We've been talking up our hot tips for '09 for a minute now, but we decided it was high time we took action and threw together a proper list. Here are some bands you're going to give a fuck about over the next 12 months.

You can't stop Giantess, you can only hope to contain them. Say what you will about them being an electro boy band or "a less fit version of MGMT", but these dudes can fucking play. "Tuff 'n Stuff" is one of the biggest songs we've ever heard and we're over the moon to be officially dropping it on Neon Gold next month. Enjoy it now before it takes the world by storm.

MP3: "Tuff 'n Stuff" - Giantess

We don't know much about these New Villager dudes, other than that they split their time between Brooklyn and San Francisco and are crafting some of the most refreshing beats we've heard this side of 2009. Their fresh to death debut single "Rich Doors" is out this month on Two Syllable Records and is one of the most exciting things to grace our hi-fi in a minute, bursting at the seams with anthemic energy and just the right amount of good-trip psychadelia.

MP3: "Rich Doors" - New Villager

If one thing's for certain it's that 2009 is the year of the female pop star. Between Little Boots, Marina, Florence & The Machine and now La Roux, '09 is shaping up to be a legendary one for girl pop enthusiasts worldwide. We were all ready to peg La Roux as a future also-ran, but then "I'm Not Your Toy" off her sparsely-circulated sampler rolled up on 18" rims and let us know it had every intention of being one of the best pop songs we've ever heard. That future smash is being kept under wraps by the powers that be for the time being, but "Fascination" sounds like a 21st century electro touch up of "Sweet Child of Mine" and that's pretty damn okay by us.

MP3: "Fascination" - La Roux

We wrote about Two Door Cinema Club's fresh faced brand of upbeat-as-fuck indie and their self-released EP a little ways back, but it's their amazing debut single proper "Something Good Can Work" that hasn't left our speakers since coming across our radar last November. We'd previously been asked to keep the lid on things, but this shit just can't be contained. Sure to go down as one of the finest debuts of 2009.

MP3: "Something Good Can Work" - Two Door Cinema Club

Rounding out this first installment of our finest bets for the new year is Ellie Goulding, who's shaping up to be the darkhorse to outshine everyone else in the crowded race for female pop supremacy in '09. Not since Marina Diamond pirouetted out of our dreams and into our stereo have we been this excited about girls and pop music, and Ellie just might give our Neon Gold homegirl a run for her money in the months to come. If the Frankmusik-produced "Wish I Stayed" wasn't enough to get you all hot and bothered, then try "Guns + Horses" on for size and see if it doesn't rock your world a little bit. Then take a deep breath, hear us when we tell you we've heard some of the newer material coming out of the Ellie Goulding camp and that these tracks are barely the tip of the iceberg, and then start believing in Ellie as the new what's next.

MP3: "Guns + Horses" - Ellie Goulding

ONLY YOU CAN KNOW THE WAY I'M FEELING.

Back from London and back in the swing of things. Giantess are obviously one of our biggest tips for 2009, what with the fact that everything they've touched so far has turned to gold and whatnot. A big reason for this is the sexy studio touch of Ayad Al-Adhamy, who apart from holding down the synths and samples in Passion Pit moonlights as Giantess' producer at his Bo Flex Music studio in Boston. Ayad's taken to remixes these days, sometimes teaming up with the Giantess bros (as was the case on their phenomenal "Sleepyhead" mix) or going it alone as he's done on his latest rework, this one for DC indie types US Royalty. The original's a fairly unremarkable, standard-rock affair that's not much to write home about, but the Bo Flex treatment drapes it in layers of icy synths that perfectly complement the admittedly phenomenal vocal of the original. Pure studio magic, Bo Flex's take on "Keep It Cool" is just one of the many reasons to keep an eye on Boston's rapidly up and coming pop scene in '09.

MP3: "Keep It Cool" (Bo Flex Remix) - US Royalty

// Monotonia //

FLIPPIN' THROUGH YOUR RECORDS.

The Giantess guys are some of our favorite bros around and they've been producing nothing but fire in the studio as of late. "You Were Young" is the latest slice of pop bliss to emerge from Bo Flex HQ, and we're here to hook you up with an xxxclusive first listen. Spiraling synths, infectious hooks and a seriously ill bridge that sounds like Daft Punk on a sugar high, listening to this is like flying down the yellow brick road at 100 mph while its raining ecstasy and skittles. Taste the rainbow, bitches.

MP3: "You Were Young" - Giantess ((exclusive))

AND EVERYTHING IS GOING TO THE BEAT.

Our friends over at Finger On The Pulse and Palms Out Sounds have just announced their next No Big Deal party, this time with our very own Passion Pit headlining (their last NYC show of 2008!) and DJ support from Etan and Red Foxxx. It's all going down at the amazing Glasslands, the coolest new venue in NYC, and to celebrate their holding a remix contest for everyone's favorite "bass-heavy Cristal bath" and jam of the year frontrunner, "Sleepyhead". Grab the parts here and do your thing.

You've got until December 2nd to piece together your masterpiece, but it's gonna be hard to top the efforts already put forth by up-and-coming producers Landau and Bo Flex. We've already touted the Landau bros' interpretation here, but its the Bo Flex treatment that's the real freshness. Bo Flex Music is the production imprint launched this autumn by Passion Pit synth man Ayad Al-Adhamy, and it's off to an amazing start with Bo Flex heroes Giantess set to deliver their debut EP by the end of the month. Look for more noise out of the Bo Flex camp in the months to come, but for now Ayad and Karl from Giantess have teamed up to drop an absolutely immense rework that'll blow your speakers and then come back round to steal your girl. Huge.

MP3: "Sleepyhead" (Bo Flex Remix ft. Giantess) - Passion Pit ((exclusive))

// Scott Hansen //

THAT RULED.

Thanks to everyone who came out Thursday for our first Neon Gold party, we all had an amazing time. It was only Giantess' second gig ever and they totally rocked shit, and Theophilus was absolutely jaw dropping. Body Language and Etan kept bodies moving all night and the Delancey provided the perfect backdrop for all the madness - that jungle on the roof deck rules. To celebrate, here are a few more insane cuts from Theo in the form of "Star Scream" and "Leader of the New School", the back-to-back highlights of dude's incredible JAM! mixtape. Featuring more incredible production from Machinedrum, JAM! is the hottest shit since Wale announced his imminent takeover with 100 Miles & Running in '07. Dude is a fucking superstar just waiting to blow up, download the whole mixtape here.

MP3: "Star Scream" - Theophilus London
MP3: "Leader of the New School" - Theophilus London

Look for Neon Gold to start throwing down on a monthly basis in '09. This is only the beginning.

NEON GOLD PRESENTS: NEON GOLDEN 001.

We're throwing a fucking party. Theophilus London is the future of rap (seriously). Giantess are like Chromeo only sexier. They both know how to show you a good time and they're both playing our first Neon Gold party Thursday November 13th at the Delancey. $8 at the door or $5 if you RSVP to neongoldmusic@gmail.com (put 'RSVP' in the subject line). Cheap drinks and DJ sets from Etan (Ninjatune/Basstown), Body Language (NormRex) and Neon Gold's own freshprints. See you there?

Giantess are the next great hope for Boston-based electronic pop, following in the footsteps of Passion Pit with an even more synthed-out pop sound. Produced by the Pit's own Ayad Al-Adhamy on his Bo Flex Music imprint, they debuted their live show last month in Boston and we're thrilled to be putting on their first ever NYC gig. "Tuff 'n Stuff" is their best work to date, leading you in with a deceptively plaintive intro before dropkicking you in the jaw with some of the most immense synths you'll hear this side of Ratatat. Only a demo at this point, you can only imagine how immense this'll sound once Ayad's gone and properly seduced it with his worldly ways and tender studio touch.

MP3: "Tuff 'n Stuff" - Giantess

Now, a few more words on Theophilus London because this dude is just unreal. No word on just how he slipped under everyone's radar at CMJ, but works for us - we'll be doing a single with him in the new year and it's gonna be huger than huge. Williamsburg sensibility with a massive mainstream appeal, untouchable swagger on stage and big league flow, we wouldn't fault you for calling Theophilus the future of rap (because, uh, we're pretty sure he is). Much more to come on the superstar-in-waiting, but for now feast your ears on "Sandcastles". It's a serious contender for jam of the year status, Theo's fierce verse perfectly complimenting some next level production from fellow NormRex ringleader Machinedrum.

MP3: "Sandcastles" (ft. Theophilus London) - Machinedrum