The Presets - Ghosts

"Ghosts" is the second single from The Presets' upcoming LP Pacifica. The song opens with lush synths over a stuttering, frenetic beat. They are joined shortly by Julian Hamiltons' strong, clear vocals. His lyrics here deal primarily with the pains of aging and memory ("Oh, we've had a merry old time, but merry old times don't count for nothing"). A dreamy background chorus reappears throughout the song, giving the proceedings a kind of maritime vibe (some people have described the song as a modern sea shanty). Set sail and listen below.

Rapids - Cut Fast

Thundering drums, brash vocals and a general anarchic spirit are usually a recipe for success in rock music, and “Cut Copy” from Australia's Rapids is no exception. The song's greatest asset is its bassline, which is as catchy as anything you'll hear today and provides a strong foundation for the rest of the band to play around on. With their loose and blustery approach, Rapids will probably draw many comparisons to another garage rock four piece from Down Under, The Vines, but their sound is dynamic enough to resist easy labeling. The video – an artful, black-and-white depiction of a very unpleasant dinner date -- is well worth a look as well.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Dear Believer (Timmy the Terror Remix)

Timmy the Terror's remix of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' track "Dear Believer" takes a breezy folk tune and transports it to a decidedly new environment. Gone is the light acoustic guitar of the original, replaced instead with drum machines and a thumping bass. Jude Castrino's background vocals -- cut up and looped to incredibly beautiful and trippy effect -- are given more of an emphasis. The song sounds sundrenched and triumphant, like it has discovered new levels of confidence and ambition in TtT's hands. The narrator claims in the chorus of both versions that "reaching for heaven is what [he's] on Earth to do." In this remix, he seems a little closer to that goal.

Visitor - Coming Home

French producer Visitor is putting out a new EP, Coming Home, on September 10th, and to help promote the release, he has made a preview of the record's material available for your enjoyment. The songs have a desperate and romantic 1980s quality to it, with lyrics dwelling on the themes of lost love and regret. The album cover features Visitor's jagged, extra-terrestrial logo descending on a sleepy mountain suburb, which is appropriate: The music here feels like a collision between innocence and something more dangerous. 

Chris Malinkchak - These Dreams

French Express is back with another summer-friendly release, "These Dreams" by New York' Chris Malinchak. Former subway musician Damon C Scott (with whom Malinchak also collaborated on his 2011 track "No Secrets") provides soulful vocals over a sleek and hypnotic digital loop, reminding the listener repeatedly that they have "no excuses." Listen below -- this is the perfect cool refreshment for a hot summer afternoon.

Grace Jones – Williams Blood (Aeroplane Remix)

In advance of her headlining performance at the Lovebox festival in London this Sunday, the legendary Grace Jones has made the Aeroplane remix of her 2008 single "William's Blood" available as a free download. Though four years old, the track sounds every bit as vibrant and seductive as it did when it was mixed. Aeroplane's version is heavier and more urgent than the original, with more echo applied to Jones' rich and powerful voice. Give a listen below if you missed it the first time around.

The Knocks and Fred Falke - Geronimo

"Geronimo" is a collaboration between New York-based artist The Knocks and French producer Fred Falke. Bright, funky, pulsing, with an infectious hook -- trust me, you'll be singing the chorus in your head the rest of the day -- the track should feel right at home on any summer dancefloor. The EP also features remixes of the song by Lenno, Louis La Roche, and Aylen. All are well worth your time.

The Yes Way - Barcelona

The Yes Way are five piece indie rock outfit from Brooklyn. In a region so saturated with groups it can hard to distinguish yourself, but these guys have spent the past two years quietly collecting a band of supporters in the press. "Barcelona," the first single from their upcoming full-length, will show you why. With a jazzy, shuffling beat, a tinkling piano, distorted riffs, and eerie vocals all blended together seamlessly into a (highly listenable) whole, the song is an impressive demonstration of the group's unique aesthetic. The Yes Way are performing at the Mercury Lounge this Saturday with Shake the Baron. Listen below, then hop on over to their website to pick up tickets.

Keenhouse - Where I Belong

"Where I Belong" is the first single from Four Dreams, the long-awaited second album from L.A. musician Ken Rangkuty, AKA Keenhouse. The track opens with Rangkuty's light, breathy vocals over an endlessly winding bass melody. The lyrics set a suitably trippy mood: he at one point describes looking "where the skyline meets some noisy minds, a place that always stays the same," and that's about as lucid as it gets. The song invites you from its first second to sit back and let its music take you on a journey. Accept the offer. I promise you'll like where you end up.

Boerd - Velocity EP (Teasure)

Scandinavian producer Bard Ericson (alias Boerd) is releasing his third EP, Velocity, on August 14th, and has offered the world its first preview of the forthcoming material. The teaser below feature snippets from the record's four songs, spliced such that they fade into one another almost imperceptibly. Beginning with a cool liquidy groove, the EP's mood is placid to start, with the energy generally increasing with each new clip. The title track announces its presence around the three minute mark with some lively electronic sax flourishes, then quickly and cruelly fades out. You'll be tempted to circle that date two weeks from now on your calendar. This is a fast four minutes.

David Lynch's "Eraserhead" Soundtrack Vinyl Reissue

 
Sacred Bones Records announces a Deluxe Vinyl Reissue (to be released August 7th) of the soundtrack to David Lynch's classic film "Eraserhead". According to the press release, "the soundtrack will be released in a limited edition of 1500 and will feature a 16-page booklet, three 11-inch prints, a digital download, an a 7-inch single of Peter Ivers' "In Heaven" with the previously unreleased "Pete's Boogie". It's difficult sometimes to feel that marketers are not marauding classics for everything they are worth, but this particular LP feels lovingly put together, rolling out an ambitious set of interesting extras befitting of the man responsible for all this. 'Eraserhead', like many classics, was not completely lauded upon its release, but one thing was universally acclaimed: The sound production. Lynch, from his movie soundtracks to his other music pursuits, is an surrealist of the visual and the auditory, and the forthcoming LP, we anticipate, is sure to startle on vinyl. The film and its soundtrack have cradled the dreams of many. For example, Stanley Kubrick (not exactly an interpretative slouch himself) loved the film so much he screened the film to the whole cast of "The Shining" before filming. George Lucas, after seeing 'Eraserhead', wanted Lynch to direct "Return of the Jedi"(imagine that). H.R Giger--the man who created the incomparably frightening aliens in the film "Alien"(basically, a strange dude)--once said that Lynch was closer than himself in realizing his own vision for "Dune". David Lynch continues to be an artist that funnels into our minds, bodies, and, of course with this Deluxe Vinyl Reissue, our---*let's hope they're not severed on an idyllic lawn* ears.

RPR - It's A Blue World (feat. D-Ver)

RPR from Keep Shelly in Athens revisits an Ella Fitzgerald staple, with a little help from D-Ver. If this song could be a shade of blue, it would be, in true Ella Fitzgerald style, Azure. Drifting is perhaps the most choice word to describe the vibe on this record. Light, blue, and celestial. Like the best of Keep Shelly in Athens, it has an effortless manner, as if one could switch the blues of the sky with the blues of the ocean and no one would care a wink.

Fjazz - Embody

  

FJazz releases "Embody", complete with co-production from mix tape, murder (and scotch) and all around mix master favorite Krychek. The track is a strong confluence of the possibilities alt electronics and alt jazz can create when they form a straight line. The light, airy electro backbeat sets up the wandering saxophones perfectly, volleying them but always cushioning the breaks. It's fitting that the artwork above is pointilist: rarely have artwork and sound matched so well. Two seemingly disparate genres (electronic: a stereotypically taut, controlled sound, and jazz--the most improvisational sound) combine, and in their intricacies, reveal a new whole. To check out more, head here to listen to FJazz's "Sound Bending" EP.

2:54 - Sugar

2:54 release the joyously un-sweet 'Sugar'. This is good old fashioned guitar-snarl. Even it's lighter moments--those moments when salt threatens to turn into sugar--reveal a sense of tautness and something just about to be loomed. Around 3:26 there is a light, startling punk melody one imagines to be the opening of a top 10 summer hit---only for that very melody to be rushed back into the fuzz moments later in a virtuoso show of control. With the release of 'Sugar' and their strong cuts in the past, things are really looking up for the band : They'll be supporting The XX on select stops in their European Tour.

RAC - Something About Us (ft. Liz Anjos)

RAC celebrates hitting 20K fans on their Facebook page by releasing this gift--a cover of Daft Punk's Something About Us', featuring Liz Anjos. The remix is as if Daft Punk went Air. Dense layers, minimal explosion, and inescapable cool. Liz Anjos has an ideal voice for the rich dissonance of the mix. It is convincingly fatal and soliciting; such a dexterous voice that it can guide the song with little distortion to its own chords.

Bondax - Baby I Got That

Baby I Got That is the latest release from Bondax, the peewee production duo from the UK. Not even old enough to vote yet, the lads from Lancaster have nevertheless weaved together a collection of sounds of surprising maturity and sensuality. Blissful and irresistible in equal measure, the track will not see official release until August 26th. Listen to a rip from Irish DJ Annie Mac's radio program below.

Ben Mono and Idiotronic - 1992 (Justin Faust Remix)

Justin Faust's remix of Ben Mono and Idiotronic's 1992 presents you with a nice and understated groove. The harsh, Shao Kahn-type voice sample in the middle adds gravity and contrasts nicely with the clear, sleek character of the rest of the track -- but there is no great build-up or epic statement here. The track does comes in, does its job, and never overstays its welcome.
 

Digitalism vs Tommy Trash - Falling

Falling, a collaboration between Germany's Digitalism and Australia's Tommy Trash, builds steadily for its first 30 seconds before its beat drops and the music spirals rapidly and enthusiastically outward. Heavy, hypnotic, with hints of nostalgia (there is an 80s synth interlude around the minute and a half mark) the track more than satisfies its obviously grand ambitions. The official video is loaded with kaleidoscopic imagery, but with the music pulsing through the background that touch almost seems like overkill. Listen to the song and close your eyes. Your mind will do the rest.

Moonlight Matters - Come for Me

The official video for Moonlight Matter's banger Come for Me depicts featured vocalist Gustaph in his snazziest duds lounging inside a club alongside two very lithe female companions. In the feature's most memorable detail, disturbingly realistic fake eyes have been painted on top of the girl's eyelids, so that -- whether their eyes are open or closed or in the process of blinking -- they remain staring at you. The effect is, as you might imagine, creepy as hell. Gustaph occasionally dons the a geometric animal mask that adorns the single's cover as well, making him look uncannily like the boss at the end of the original Star Fox. Enjoy the visual feast below.

Living Colour - Cult of Personality (Virgin Magnetic Material Remix)

Virgin Magnetic Materials takes a message to the grassroots of the Nu-Disco demographic in their remix of Living Colour's 'Cult of Personality'. The track begins with a speech from one of the most undeniably inspiring personalities in history, Malcolm X. The segment of the speech that is sampled talks of a 'talk right down to earth, in a language that everyone can easily understand'. This statement takes a sinister turn when the twisted groove sets, and the singer (speaker) becomes an elevated something for everyone to project their ambitions, alleviate their horrors, and discharge their confusion. And, in the case of this one--dance.

Adele - Rolling in the Deep (Blackbird Blackbird Remix)

  
Blackbird Blackbird gives Jamie XX a serious rival for best remix of Adele's defining fuck-off, 'Rolling In the Deep'. Whereas Jamie XX's remix--full of hand claps and a set of trill chopped and screwed Adele vocal chords--is a raucous booster in spirit with the original, Blackbird's remix is for the sunken-eyes and the sallow-faced. 'Trip Hop' is one label for the remix, and the track does recall the cold, alluring mechanisms of the genre. Adele via a Beth Gibbons-esque aesthetic is not one we expected, but it's one in which we gladly accept and celebrate.

Drop The Lime @ Le Bain

Enter the Night is the latest release from longtime New York-based DJ/producer Luca Venezia's Drop the Lime project. Combining club beats with flashes of rockabilly -- a lot of the guitar parts sound like something Link Wray might have recorded -- the album is an eclectic and truly unique collection of sounds. We saw DTL celebrate the LP's release in style with a free show at Le Bain at the Standard Hotel in NYC last Saturday, where he was blending rock, club house, and tracks off his latest release in front of a lively crowd overlooking the manhattan skyline. Check out pics here.

   

Holy Other - Held

Holy Other unveil the title track off their debut LP, "Held". The track is scaling and ethereal, effortlessly stretching pop and dance sensibilities to a resonant wooze. The LP is out August 28th on Tri Angle Record. Holy Other will also soon be setting out on tour. And yes, New York, you're welcome. The tour includes an appearance September 14th at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Nine Inch Nails - Survivalism (DeadMau5 remix thing)

DeadMau5 takes a razor to Reznor and Nine Inch Nail's' "Survivalism". The result is harsh, sexy, and something that would make even the ornery David Fincher smile a cracked clown grin. You might stick this Nine Inch Nails through each one of your eyelids. It's just a little something something. It ain't a revival, just some shit for your survival.

Hot Chip - Look At Where We Are (Major Lazer remix)

Remix king Major Lazer takes on Hot Chip's "Look At Where We Are". The track has an understated beginning, but soon we're back to manic progressions of Lazer. Gone are the reggae vibes, though. Instead we get an instrumental that leans toward an industrial, grimy but still gleaned direction. Nothing to inspire a switch up like taking on a indelible cut from electronic legends never afraid to experiment themselves.

The XX - Angels

Angels is the lead single from The XX's highly-anticipated sophomore effort Coexist (due in September). The track opens with Romy Madley Croft's vocals and the echoey, atmospheric guitar they featured heavily on their debut. They're joined later by a soft, rippling snare and a little sleepy basswork, but the song is pretty much the guitar and her voice alone for three minutes. It's unusually sparse and understated for a lead single, but the songwriting is slick and immediate (like all their stuff) and the resignation with which Croft sings the refrain -- being as in love with you as I am -- has a way of sticking with you.

Com Truise - In Decay

In Decay is the new LP from Com Truise, the alias of New Jersey producer Seth Haley. Much like Pilot Priest's recent Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, it is an album of instrumentals that, despite being loaded with 80s-sounding drum machines and synths, never stops sounding fresh and inventive. Listen while you drive through a new city at night.

Chris Malinchak - Beside Me

From New York producer Chris Malinchak comes the insanely fun and addictive Beside Me.  With bright synths, tropical percussion, and a sample of Brandy's vocals from Best Friend riding over top, the song is a deliriously joyful celebration of all the pleasures of havin' buds. (Note: Brandy sounds like young Michael Jackson when her voice is sped up and it's kind of awesome.) Ladies and gentlemen, this is what happy sounds like.

Best Coast @ Union Square, Philadelphia

Best Coast brought their signature brand of dreamy surf pop to Union Sqaure in Philadelphia Monday night, part of their tour of the other, not-so-bad coast.

The show opened with Brooklyn indie rockers DIIV ripping through a brisk set of songs from their debut full length, Oshin. DIIV are kind like Real Estate, if Real Estate had heavier percussion and its members were more into headbanging (they were originally named Dive, after the Nirvana song, a piece of trivia that makes more sense after you see them live). Their performance was phenomenal. The above description is really the only appropriate one -- they ripped through these tracks. It helped that the band was clearly having a blast: their joy was picked up by the crowd and thrown back at them and picked up and thrown back until the energy level in the room was miles higher than it'd been before the set. You couldn't ask for much more in an opening act. Keep an eye on these guys; this was a truly impressive show.

DIIV was followed by acclaimed country/garage rockers Those Darlins. Sounding like a twangy Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, the band has an enjoyable gimmick and all play their roles well. Their set was tight and very well-received.

Then, at last, Best Coast took the stage, everything got jangly and wistful for a while, and the crowd remained transfixed for more or less the entire time. Best Coast's music really shines in concert. It's not just that the band members are skilled at their instruments or engaged with their performing (though they are). It's more simple than that. The technical flawlessness of the the band's music on record can interfere with its charms a little, and push it too far in the direction of "She and Him"-type preciousness. The music is more affecting in a less controlled setting, the feelings behind the words conveyed with more immediacy and power.

Also, it should be mentioned, it is a little difficult to stand in the crowd and stare at lead singer Bethany Cosentino for an hour and a half and not fall a tiny bit in love with her. It probably helped that she stood in the center of an otherwise dark stage bathed in radiant light wearing a white dress. And that she seemed pretty often to be singing about her longing for a boyfriend. As for the other three band members, though they remained partially obscured in blue shadows most of the set, each provided more than capable support to their frontwoman -- particularly lead guitarist and co-founder, Bobb Bruno. Despite the mellow nature of most of the band's material, the epically-potbellied Bruno can and will shred when called upon, as he did towards the end of a lively rendition of "When I'm With You" during the encore.

After a brief stop in Canada, Best Coast will close out July with a short tour of the Midwest. Check out the dates and locations here: www.bestcoast.us/tour-dates

The Presets - Youth in Trouble (Green Velvet Remix)

The Presets get the Green Velvet treatment in a remix of "Youth in Trouble". The remix is the kind of blistering knee knocking mix that, if someone was watching you dance to he rhythm of this one, they'd think you were into 4 really intense simultaneous games of Bop-It. It hits every corner and crevice, celebrating the original and offering up a tribute as only a good remix does. You'll be a velveteen rocking rapid rabbit. "Youth in Trouble" is the first single off the Presets upcoming album "Pacfica".

Monitor 66 - Deep in the Nite

Monitor 66 describe their music as "sunset inspired," which might help explain why "Deep in the Nite" so strongly calls to mind the experience of driving along a beach in the early evening. With its smooth vocals and sax flourishes, the song could almost pass for an early 90s R&B single. And with a recording as joyful as this, you'll be tempted to throw on some zubaz pants and party right along with them. 

Die Antwood - Fok Julie Naaiers (Nero Bootleg)

Die Antwood's "Fok Julie Naaiers" opens with ominous, horror movie synth. The music builds suddenly and then cuts out, at which point the floor is handed over to the one and only Yo-Landi Vi$$er. Mis Vi$$er proceeds to rap Afrikaans in her uniquely high pitched style over one of the dirtier beats you'll hear today, trading off for brief interludes with co-lead Ninja. Nero's bootleg dispenses with most of Ninja's original verses and juices the song with more throb and stomp, two tweaks that work together in total agreement.  Worth noting: between Vi$$er's foreign tongue and Ninja's heavy accent, basically the only intelligible words here are expletives, which, given the bratty vibe of the track, seems fitting Use this as your soundtrack the next time you deface public property.

Die Antwood - Fok Julie Naaiers (Nero Bootleg)

Talking Heads - Burning Down The House (Virgin Magnetic Material Remix)

Virgin Magnetic Material remix the Talking Heads staple, "Burning Down the House".David Bryne's inimitable groove is in good hands with Virgin Magnetic Materials. The nu disco instrumental is complimented by a Super Mario sounding little effect, and the overall vibe of the beat recalls a environment perfect for little men dancing in 5XXL beige suits. Talking Heads' sound is already so layered and rich with influence, how can a remix be so vividly reimagined? It stopped making sense a while ago.

Storbitrannien - Min Systa Syn

Min Systa Syn -- My Last Sight in English is the lead single off Taiga, the new EP by Swedish electro pop group Storbritannien. The track opens with lead singer Camilla Walloe's sultry vocals over sparse keyboard accompaniment. The beat comes alive and kicks up some dust during the chorus, at which point Walloe switches gears and begins to sing solely in eerie oohs and ahs. The result is very cool, a little unsettling, and highly listenable. If you've never had a woman coo at you in Swedish, now's your chance.

Splash : Ever Before - Capcom Italo Remix

Capcom remixes Splash the band's "Ever Before". The track is a mid 's inspired synth slick groove, coupled with contemporary scratches and paranoia. It's little surprise that Capcom is a psychologist. He knows how to decipher inner workings, how to read and react. "Ever Before" is fluid and informed, and confident in its execution.

The Bloody Beetroots - Rocksteady (Mumbai Science Remix)

Mumbai Science makes terrific tweaks on The Bloody Beetroots' "Rocksteady". The result is a sinewy, limber limbed electro remix. The mix is tightened to within an inch of its life. It's claustrophobic, and focused. Rocking steady is not so easy, after all.
 

Montevideo - Horses (Remixes)

Montevideo releases a set of remixes to their track "Horses". Discotexas is one of the artists to grace us with a remix, and it's genuinely a gift. Set to a gold laced, slim and powerful instrumental, Discotexas' remix is a bold cut that perfectly moonwalks backwards between the line separating disco and house. Its as fun a contrast as their namesake.Wild, wild horses.

Rufus - This Summer (Rufus Remix)

Rufus releases this "cheeky late night remix" of 'This Summer'. Cheeky here may not mean bright or smiling. It's all gothic, violet business here. The singer speaks of plans being made, but one gets the sense that they never came to fruition. This is a sly kind of cheeky. The kind of song for insomniacs around 3:33 A.M who can't help but scheme.