TOPS – Go Away

TOPS is a new Montreal-based four piece that is a making a stir with their debut full length, Tender Opposites, out on Arbutus Records last month. Two of the members are from one of my fav Montreal bands the Silly Kissers but each of them played in a number of other bands too, including Pat Jordache, Paula, Hammond-Ri and Sugar Boys. Vocalist Jane Penny’s light vocals coincide well with the moody lo-fi jams that wreak of the eighties and overall, it’s a really awesome debut.

You can download the album for a mere five bucks at their Bandcamp page, I highly recommend it! Also they are currently on tour (and playing 560 in Vancouver tonight, March 29!) so be sure to check them out at a city near you!

Lana Del Rey – Blue Jeans (RAC Remix)

I have been sharing RAC’s stuff since the early days of Jenny’s Song Of The Day and honestly… he does the best remixes on the planet, hands down, and his latest official mix of Lana Del Rey’s jam “Blue Jeans” is no different. The online music community’s opinions on this indie songstress have been split and while I’ve mostly been on the negative train, RAC has turned it all around for me with this jam!

While many DJs use great indie songs to create insanely heavy club bangers, which I’m not a fan of, André Allen Anjos aims to create new versions of songs while maintaining their core. Here, his beats go perfectly with Del Rey’s breathy voice, making it an instant party jam that is it hard not to dance to. Click here to hear some of my other favourites from RAC and be sure to follow him Twitter for all the latest news, including his current adventures down at SXSW. Also, visit the Soundcloud page to grab some of the beats.

Thanks, RAC! You always get it right.

Villa Kang – Hallucinating Arkansas

Here’s a blissed-out, chillwave pop tune from new Toronto producer/songrwiter Bryan Osuszek who aims to direct Villa Kang as an ongoing experiment mixing different genres of electronic music with the help of a rotating collective of visual artists, producers, musicians and film makers. This song was released as a single February 21 and today the corresponding video was released via Eletrik Press, directed by award winning independent filmmaker David Kennedy. The debut EP is set to be released June 12 – can’t wait to see what the rest of it is like! Find out more on their Facebook page.

Villa Kang – Hallucinating Arkansas

Woodkid – Iron

Woodkid is Yoann Lemoine, a multi-talented creative who has created videos for Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, has directed hugely popular commercials, remixed a bunch of rad songs and, in additional to all that, creates his own brand of intense orchestral music as Woodkid. This song, released a year ago on the four track Iron EP, is an enchanting, horn-filled song with this beauitfully accompanying video (self-directed, of course) theat features Agyness Deyn. The only major thumbs down I can find rigt now is that he produced some of Lana Del Rey’s stuff (look how bad this collab is).

Check out more from Woodkid right here! The rest of the EP is really worth a listen.

Woodkid – Iron

Woodkid – Iron from WOODKID on Vimeo.

Germany Germany – Departure/Disconnect

Victoria’s favourite bedroom artist Germany Germany is back at it with a two track release entitled “Departure/Disconnect.” Germany Germany is the moniker of Uvic student Drew Harris, the artist I first introduced you to with this little ditty last summer. Harris is fresh from a six month hiatus that was taken after the release of his debut LP Adventures last May and an extensive Euro tour last summer. He describes it here: “I realized that it was time for a break. I never intended for this project to take over my life the way it did. After trying to make some more music and ultimately failing, I announced my indefinite hiatus from music. I had never felt so relieved in my life. I built an electronic light installation and spent more time with my friends. Thankfully, as time wore on I felt more and more inclined to create, and that is what I’ve done. I feel different, maybe a little wiser and a little more mature.”

These songs are a taste of what is to come: a full length LP set to be released this year entitled Blank Mind Empty Heart. These two are mellower than what we are used to hearing from Harris and he said we should expect that from the whole album, except for “a few bangers” to liven things up. I really love these two tracks, especially “Disconnect” with vocals from his friend and previous collaborator Steffaloo. Grab the tracks below or check out his Bandcamp page and website for more information.

Germany Germany – Departure

Germany Germany – Disconnect ft. Steffaloo

While Germany Germany was on hiatus, he created a short, 15 minute arrangement of songs under the moniker Cecelia Spectrum, which you can find right here.

Santigold – Disparate Youth

Santigold is an American singer, songwriter and producer that is finally back with a new disc! “Disparate Youth” is the first official single from her highly anticipated sophomore LP Master of My Make-Believe, set to be released state state on May 1. It is a great track, featuring a melodic synth intro, solid bassline and quick, spastic guitar riffs that give it both a rock and a reggae vibe. Admittedly, Santigold has never been my favourite but this is one of my top tracks of the month and I’m really interested to see if the rest of the album continues down this groovy path. Hope so, because I’m into it.

Check out more from Santigold on her website!

Santigold – Disparate Youth

Chet Faker – Terms & Conditions

Here’s a new jam from Chet Faker, the mysterious Australian artist who first made it big with this amazing Blackstreet cover last year when it reached #1 on Hype Machine out of nowhere. After supporting the likes of Toro y Moi and Washed Out in Australia, he moved to LA to record an EP set to be released next month via Opulent Records, Thinking in Textures. “Terms & Conditions” was released via Soundcloud and got over 10,000 hits in under a week- pretty good for a guy who doesn’t even have a disc out yet. Give it a listen, you’ll hear why.

Be sure to check out more from Chet Faker on his Soundcloud and website. Bring on the EP!

Django Django – Default

Django Django, a band I first introduced to you last year with this little gem, finally released their self-titled debut LP a few weeks back and it has been making QUITE the splash. It was highly anticipated after the success of their 2010 EP and frankly, this disc does not disappoint. Their experimental art pop is being viewed as a breath of fresh air to what some might consider a relatively stale indie scene as of late. They’re not as well known here as they are in the UK but I have no doubt everyone and their dog will be talking about them stateside once they play at SXSW next month.

Django Django are equal parts weird and wonderful and I’m into it. Find out more about them, including info about where you can pick up their LP, by checking out their website.

Django Django – Default

Also: check out the song’s video below, created by drummer David Maclean, who hand painted over 4,000 video frames to creative this colourful 80s-inspired masterpiece.

Young Man – Nothing

Young Man is college kid Colin Caulfield, a Chicago based student who first started garnering attention online through his chilling catalogue of Youtube covers. The buzz surrounding his covers quickly led to him being scooped up by Frenchkiss Records, who released both his 2010 EP Boy, followed by the beautifully dark Ideas of Distance LP in September, 2011. “Nothing” is on his latest disc and features beautifully crafted guitar parts, enchanting drum machine percussion and of course, Caulfield’s signature enchanting vocal harmonies. It is a dark, atmospheric dream pop track that will likely have you pressing repeat. Perfect for a rainy day like this one!

Check out more from this Young Man on his website, and be sure to watch the Deerhunter cover that first caught everyone’s ear. Catch him at a city near you – he is currently opening for Fanfarlow across North America.

Young Man – Nothing

Porcelain Raft – Unless You Speak From Your Heart

Porcelain Raft is the moniker for solo artist Mauro Remiddi, an Italian artist who just released his debut LP Strange Weekend through the label Secretly Canadian last week. After generating a bit of buzz for himself through a handful of EPs over the last few years, here we have his best work yet: a reverb-drenched lo-fi disc that is shamelessly pop-y. The intro to this track kind of has a early-2000s Brit-rock feel to it- kind of sounds like something Richard Ashcroft might have released, but with a dreamy vibe to it. Remeddi just started a North American and Euro tour supporting bands like M83 and Smith Westerns so if he’s coming to a city near you, I suggest you check it out!

Check the vid below and check here for all the latest!

Porcelain Raft – Unless You Speak From Your Heart