New Music: Allie X- Catch

Allie Hughes was a piano playing singer-songwriter who had a bit of notoriety a few years ago in Toronto with a wacky wedding themed concert and an appearance on a reality TV show that had contestants auditioning for The Sound of Music. Now, Allie is back as Allie X and she has transformed herself into an electro pop star. For her debut song in her new persona,  Allie plays a jilted lover who seemingly wants to seek revenge and has a warning in the chorus "Just Wait Until I Catch My Breath". "Catch" is the kind of addictive saccharine pop song that gave Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches a household name, and it seems Allie X is about to follow in her footsteps. Download below:

New Music: Phantogram- Fall In Love + Nothing But Trouble

After releasing a self titled EP last fall, Phantogram are back and are ready to come out with something more significant. The new album is titled Voices and will feature the polished synth pop sounds of "Fall In Love", "Nothing But Trouble", which you can listen to below, and the awesome "Black Out Days" which was also on the earlier EP.

Voices is out February 18th via Republic.

New Music: Nyssa- Swear 2 Me

There were rumours flying around last summer that Toronto garage pop band Modern Superstitions had broken up. If this is true it would be sad and surprising news , after all,  they had just released their debut self titled album a few months earlier which received widespread critical acclaim.

Modern Superstitions' lead singer Nyssa Rosaleen is moving on with her music career and has just released a new song titled "Swear 2 Me." She has taken a different futuristic approach on this song that seems to be the polar opposite of what she created with her band, although her amazing voice is still front and centre.. The electro pop track was created with the help of producer Egyptrixx and has an accompanying stylistic music video that features Nyssa hanging out with a hairy monster. Watch and listen below:

"Swear 2 Me is available for download over at Nyssa's bandcamp.



Swear 2 Me from Nyssa Rosaleen on Vimeo.

New Music: Phantogram- Black Out Days + Celebrating Nothing

After a quiet couple of years New York state electro duo Phantogram have recently come out with two new singles titled "Black Out Days" and "Celebrating Nothing." These two new tracks are as good as, if not better, than any of the songs released from the big electro bands of the moment. Perhaps it is time for Phantogram to break it big and join the ranks of other recent success stories like Passion Pit and Chvrches. They are well on their way. Listen below:

The band's self titled EP is out today (September 30th) via Republic.

New Music: Some Minor Noise- Aeroplanes + Coffers

Toronto boy/girl electro duo Some Minor Noise are going to get obvious comparisons to Crystal Castles, the most famous male/female electronic duo from that city. The pair uses the same expansive electronic sound and dark lyrics as their contemporaries, however singer Jayne Void's voice is far more relaxed than the screechy Alice Glass. Listen to their two new songs "Aeroplanes" and "Coffers" below:

New Music: Sundays- World We Own + Hope It's Enough

Introducing Sundays, (not to be confused with 80's indie pop band The Sundays) a Vancouver electro soul artist who has just dropped her first two singles "World We Own" and "Hope It's Enough". The music is intimate and the voice is very beautiful and even though her music is more stripped back, Sundays has all the ingredients to follow in the footsteps of up and coming indie stars Grimes and Lorde.

Sundays will release her debut, self-produced EP Eros & I in the near future. Meanwhile, download, lay back, and take in the two beautiful new songs below:

New Music: Poliça- Chain My Name

Way back in April Minnesota synth pop band Poliça released the brilliant, Justin Vernon assisted, electro R&B single "Tiff". Now the band are back with "Chain My Name", a single that sounds a lot like the music of that other Minneapolis throwback band (and Poliça side project) Gayngs.

The track is taken from their forthcoming new album, Shulamith, which is out October 22nd via Mom + Pop.

New Music: Phèdre- Ancient Nouveau

It is always great to promote new bands from my hometown of Toronto, especially when a really terrific song like "Ancient Nouveau" comes along. The track comes courtesy of Phèdre an electro pop band who released a pretty decent self titled album last year and are poised with a follow up LP, Golden Age, that will be out in October. Listen to the first single from the album below:

Golden Age comes out October 1st via DAPS/Discos Tormento.

Five Star Songs: Niki & The Dove- The Fox

"The Fox" by Swedish electro pop band Niki & The Dove keeps coming up on my iPod shuffle and it sounds better and better every listen.

The track is taken from last year's excellent Instinct LP which is available on iTunes.

Cansei De Ser Sexy- Live at The Mod Club

While all of Toronto’s hipster elite were fawning over Zooey Deschanel at the She & Him concert Thursday night, Brazilian electro pop group CSS were playing before a small crowd at The Mod Club. That was lucky for me because I got to stand in front of the stage to watch one of the most enigmatic front women (Lovefoxxx!!!!) in music today. Last night’s show was one of the funnest gigs I have ever been to and I was left wondering why it took me seven years to see this band.

It is always good to begin a concert on a winning note and CSS did that with “Art Bitch", the sexually overt electro punk song from their self titled debut album. With lyrics like “My art is called egocentric soft porno,” and “Lick, Lick, Lick my art tit" how can you go wrong. Those words perfectly describe the music of the band and their theatrics for the show.

Lovefoxxx came out on stage dressed conservatively in a pair of parachute pants but by the time the band launched into “City Grrl" she ripped them off to reveal a pair of leopard print short shorts. She teased the audience for the rest of the show by hiking the shorts up at times and then covering them up with a black laced chemise at other times.

There was bit of introspection in the middle of the set when Lovefoxxx reminisced about the other time they played The Mod Club back in 2006 and she remembered how proud she was that the members of Death From Above 1979 came to that gig. That led the band laying into a blistering version of “Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above." that would have made Sebastien Grainger proud.

Lovefoxxx was a bundle of dancing joy throughout the set and wasn't afraid to come up to the lisp of the stage. There were times when she was standing right over top of me. She even stopped to flirt with an audience member who yelled out that he was lonely for her. She dedicated the song "I Love You" to him.... Lucky guy.

Could not find a set list for the show. Lovefoxxx handed out the paper set lists to the audience at the end of the gig but I was unable to grab one. However, I do remember several favourites were played by the band including "Move", "Alcohol," "Hangover" and the iPod commercial hit "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex." The encore contained "Alala" and the track with my favourite song title of the year "Frankie Goes To North Hollywood."

CSS ended with a fun song that Lovefoxxx dedicated to the bartender. “I’ve Seen You Drunk Gurl" is a hilarious hip hop duet between Lovefoxxx and bandmate Ana Rezende that brought the show to a awesomely amusing dumb (in a good way) ending.

New Music: Chelsea Wolfe- The Warden

Ever changing LA artist Chelsea Wolfe returns with a brand new single and just announced new album. Wolfe initially debuted with The Grime and the Glue LP, a gothic guitar driven album but then changed course last year with“Unknown Rooms: A Collection of Acoustic Songs,” a record of all acoustic songs. Now, the chameleon like singer has gone electro pop with her new single "The Warden." However, even though this song wouldn't be out of place on a dance floor, Wolfe does not lose that aura of darkness around her music.

 Wolfe will release her fourth album, Pain is Beauty, September 3rd via Sargent House.

New Music: Postiljonen- On The Run

Another euphoric synth pop track from Swedish electro band Postiljonen. Using the M83 template this band are making some of the best summer music of the year. "On The Run" is more downtempo than "Supreme"-the track we wrote about a few weeks ago- but that doesn't mean it is less blissful.

The track is taken from the album Skyer, out July 5th via Best Fit Recordings/Hybris.

New Music: Beck- Defriended

Welcome back Mr. Beck Hansen.

After a few restless years Beck has finally released a new original song, his first since the 2008 LP Modern Guilt. True, the California singer-songwriter/rapper has been busy doing collaborations and his Song Book series over the last while, but he hasn't put out a new original song until today.

Not totally a surprise because a couple of months ago Beck stated that he would be releasing an acoustic album some time this year. However, "Defriended" is definitely not acoustic and plays out more like something Animal Collective would produce. Listen below:

New Music: Kate Boy- The Way We Are

"The Way We Are" is a new song from Swedish electro pop band Kate Boy, which was released to celebrate there upcoming U.S. tour. The propulsive track sounds like a more R&B, and less political, version of The Knife. Listen to the song below:

New Music: Tempers- Strange Harvest

New York electro duo Tempers are sort of like The Kills, if the The Kills were an icy industrial synthesizer couple instead of a bluesy guitar duo. "Strange Harvest" is the band's second single and the 7" will be released on April 24th via Pendu Sound.

For fans of The Kills, Cold Cave.

New Music: Poliça- Tiff (Featuring Justin Vernon)

You know, I always keep meaning to check out Minnesota electro R&B band Poliça's earlier work, but I just haven't had a chance. I really love Gayngs, in which Poliça member  Channy (Caselle) Leaneagh is the lead singer, but didn't really know that until later.

Now comes a brand new song from Poliça that once again has me regretting having checked this band out earlier. "Tiff" was premiered live at Coachella last weekend and features fellow Gayngs member and Bon Iver dude Justin Vernon. Fellow Minnesotan and Gayngs fan Prince would be a fan of this song.  Listen to the funky tune below:

For fans of Gayngs, Purity Ring, Rhye.

New Music: Postiljonen- Supreme + Music Video

This song sounds like it could been recorded by M83. So much so, that I had to check my ears when I first heard it. "Supreme" is actually by a band called Postiljonen who are an electro dream pop band from Sweden.  The breezy track and accompanying video details a teen romance where a girl seems to trying to decide between some skateboarding dude and a Robert Pattinson looking guy. Kim and Jessie would be proud. Watch above:

For fans of M83 and Air France.

New Music: Valleys- Undream A Year + Music Video

First track from Montreal electro pop duo Valleys from their new LP Are You Going To Stand There And Talk Weird All Night which will be out April 30th via Kanine Records.

Watch the video for "Undream A Year" which features Valleys' member Tillie Perks walking through a dark streetscape and encountering lots of levitating people.

Valleys play Lee's Palace in Toronto on March 23rd as part of Canadian Music Fest. Check out all of the duo's concert dates here.

For fans of Handsome Furs, Divine Fits

Saturday's Record: Handsome Furs- Face Control

 Handsome Furs- Face Control #NowPlaying

Saturday's Record- Crystal Castles III

Finally!!!! Now on vinyl- Crystal Castles III. #NowPlaying #vinyl