WOKEN FROM A DREAM.

Without so much as a warning, Undercolours explode onto the scene as Australia's next great hope for global pop supremacy. Like fellow countrymen Gypsy & The Cat channeling the stadium-sized hooks and effortlessly anthemic songwriting of The Temper Trap, Undercolours sound like an overnight success story just waiting to happen. Debut single "Spirit The Ghost" awakens with soft passive aggressive guitars and a reconciliatory bass line before emotive piano chords unleash a nascent hint of optimism as tension builds in the prechorus. By the time Undercolours break through it all and lunge headfirst into a chorus filled to the brim with soaring harmonies and echo-oh-oh-ohs, they've already established themselves as the kind of act ready to turn heads at breakneck speed in A&R meetings the world over. Australia, you've gone and done it again.

MP3: "Spirit The Ghost" - Undercolours [exclusive]

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]

DANCE ALL MY FEARS AWAY.

Australian heavy hitters The Holidays are brought to you by the same team who discovered The Temper Trap, and now it's time to be forever indebted to them once more. In these gloomy winter times their unrelenting tropical vibes will have you kicking back on that imaginary beach in your mind in no time. Don't be alarmed if, when listening to their single "Moonlight Hours," you're fully transported to a real life psychedelic-pop version of "Under The Sea" - only instead of a Jamaican lobster on lead vox it's some melodic Aussie bros - although we think that crab jamming on those seashell bongos might still be in the mix there somewhere.

They've made a major splash in their homeland and now have their sights set on the US and beyond, as they make their way over to The America for SXSW and their debut stateside shows this week. If you're ready to get yr sunshine on then come down and see them at Public Assembly this Sunday, where they'll be pushing their wares - alongside Kyla La Grange, High Highs and many more - at a very special pre-SXSW Communion show we're helping out with. Plus, Neon Gold Beat Company will be killing it on the decks well until the moonlight hours and tickets are only $5, so you've really got no excuse not to come on down and dance all your fears away.

MP3: "Moonlight Hours" - The Holidays

PERILOUS THOUGHTS.

We got over trying to figure out how Penguin Prison manages to churn out remixes of such an insanely high caliber like every other week a while ago. There's no explaining it, it's just one of those natural phenomena you have to get past questioning and just enjoy, like the northern lights or the impossible attractiveness of girls in New York City. Here's his latest, this time for The Temper Trap's "Resurrection", off their upcoming remix album Conditions Remixed.

MP3: "Resurrection" (Penguin Prison Remix) - The Temper Trap

GOLD019: THE NAKED + FAMOUS

Last month we pulled back the curtain on our favorite track of the year and quite possibly the biggest single we've ever released, so we're pleased to announce that the Young Blood 7" from The Naked & Famous is now available for preorder from the Neon Gold Shop and our friends at Puregroove. Like Passion Pit if they fucked with guitars and had an anthem-of-a-generation like "Kids" or "Sweet Disposition" in their arsenal, "Young Blood" is a breath of fresh air, a wistful celebration of the ephemeral pleasures of youth. Built around an amazing central riff of heavily-affected guitars, the song soars on the wings of singer Alisa Xayalith's urgent vocals, their breathless innocence juxtaposed sharply against the ominous rumble of the overdriven bass that lies beneath the song's surface.

Sporting beautiful cover art courtesy of our heroes over at Special Problems (who also directed the song's flawless video) and rounded out by an epic cover of fellow New Zealand rockers The Mint Chicks' "Crazy? Yes. Dumb? No.", the release is out September 6th and we couldn't be more excited. Remixes are also on the way from The Sound of Arrows (amazing), Pink Ganter (amazing), Chiddy Bang (AMAZING) and more. We posted the original with the amazing Special Problems-directed video last month, but here's the radio edit for the completionists among you or the ADHD set who just can't quite handle the immense gravity of that drawn-out middle eight.

MP3: "Young Blood" (Radio Edit) - The Naked & Famous [exclusive]

BURNS THE BONES.

"Fader" was one of our absolute favorite jams of '09 when it arrived via the Temper Trap's stellar debut album Conditions last year, so we were all kinds of excited when The Knocks told us they were working on a remix of it with our boy Samuel helming the ship on lead vox. The result is possibly our favorite offering yet from the Heavy Roc Music camp, all slowburning synth grooves and interstellar production flourishes that project the original in a whole new light. Samuel's got a big couple of months ahead of him with his debut single proper "I Heart NY" on its way soon (stream it here now) and his debut album Trains To Wanderland following later this spring, not to mention a spot on our official SXSW showcase (more on that later this week), so don't be surprised when you're hearing his name on the regular in a few months' time. Dude's got what it takes to go the distance, and with The Knocks at the wheel you better believe this party bus is headed straight for the stars.

MP3: "Fader" (The Knocks Remix ft. Samuel) - The Temper Trap [exclusive]

SWEET DISPOSITION.

Riding in on a tangible wave of industry buzz, Australian indie hopefuls the Temper Trap made their stateside debut to a crowded room of A&R types at Pianos last night and absolutely rocked shit with a tight set of crushing instrumentals, anthemic choruses and stadium-ready riffs. Masters of the epic, their artful use of delays and electronics lends their songs an extremely professional touch even at this early stage, and initial single "Sweet Disposition" stands out as one of the most impressive debuts of the year. Opening on a shimmering guitar riff before taking to the skies on the wings of Dougy Temper's soaring falsetto, the track's one of the most immense singles you'll hear all year, finding the perfect compromise between haunting atmospherics and the Wembley-sized grandeur of U2 or Muse. The band return home to Melbourne this month and close out the year with appearances at the Modular-curated Nevereverland festival, but look for these guys to make some serious international waves in the new year.

MP3: "Sweet Disposition" - The Temper Trap