LITTLE BOOTS - "New in Town"

Victoria Hekseth, aka Little Boots, is taking Europe by storm with her infectious breed of electro dance-pop. Now she has her sights set on America. She is set to release the US-exclusive ep Illuminations on June 9th. The disc will include the singles "New in Town" and "Stuck on Repeat", serving as a precursor to her full-length debut Hands, due later this year. Get a free mini-mix of the album here.

Little Boots plays Le Poisson Rouge in NYC on May 18th. Check out the brand new video for "New in Town" below. And definitely grab The Golden Filter remix of the track over at Disco Dust. It is so hot!

Review in Short MSTRKRFT - Fist of God 71%

Fans of huge breakneck electro bangers should love the sophomore LP from MSTRKRFT. Fist of God is tailor made for the clubbing hipster. Thirty-eight minutes of high energy future dance, that more than overtly tips its hat to Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx. Of course, this duo never reaches the complexity and overall genius that is DP, but there are definitely moments of pure ear candy here. I particularly dig the big hard-hitting track "Click Click", "Heartbreaker", featuring John Legend, and the first single "Bounce". The album also features contributions from E-40, Ghostface Killah, Jamal, and more.

Fist of God has an overall slick production quality, resulting in a smooth and consistent sound. And I love how each track blends seamlessly into the next. But overall it feels like things could have gotten dirtier.

THE GOLDEN FILTER - "Solid Gold"

The Golden Filter are a couple of photographers who met in New York and became an electro duo. The first single "Solid Gold" is really sexy and fun - new video below. They play the Gorilla vs. Booze party in Austin next week. Check out more tunes here.


Solid Gold - The Golden Filter from golden filter on Vimeo.

Wish I Lived in Australia

Modular Records, the home to luminaries such as Avalanches, The Presets, Cut Copy. New Young Pony Club, Klaxons, Van She, Ladyhawke and more, turns 10! This is going to be amazing. I kind of really do wish I lived in Australia. The event plays Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth in December. Tickets are almost sold out, so Australians get with it and get your tix now!

"NEVEREVERLAND is the musical wet dream Australia this December to celebrate Modular notching up double digits and turning ten. With The mighty, mighty Presets, the neo-awesome knights Klaxons, latte legends Cut Copy, DFA darlings Hercules And Love Affair and the rest of the completely bonkers line-up, NEVEREVERLAND will whisk you to a place beyond your brain’s limits, where the inescapable aural ecstasy is unimaginable."

WEIRD TAPES

Weird Tapes have been getting a lot of blog love lately, and deservedly so. With a seemingly endless stockpile of tracks popping up as free downloads, it's becoming increasingly clear that Philadelphia's Weird Tapes are an exciting new talent in the dark electro/dance world. Facts are minimal, but it seems Weird Tapes are part of a collective that also includes Memory Cassette and Hail Social, both also from Philadelphia.

The latest track to emerge is "My Babe Walk", the hardest dance track I've heard yet from Weird Tapes, but it features a sample from Cyndi Lauper that works really, really well.

Weird Tapes - My Babe Walk (mp3) (link)

ELECTRIC TUNNELS

This Saturday in Bushwick...

LE CASTLE VANIA

I've been a fan of Le Castle Vania since his incredible remix of Snowden's "Black Eyes" back in 2006. The talented remixer from Atlanta has been busy in the last year with loads of remixes and his collaboration with Blake Miller of Moving Units on a new project, Lies in Disguise. In fact, Lies in Disguise are playing tonight (and every night this week) at the Winter Music Conference in Miami.

Le Castle Vania has an ep in the works, but in the meantime check out his brand new remix of "Hey You" by Kill the Noise, an electro killer for the dancefloor.

Kill the Noise - Hey You (Le Castle Vania remix) (mp3) (NSFW!!!)

CUT COPY, PINK SKULL Played Studio B, In Ghost Colours Full Album Stream

CUT COPY wowed a packed house at Studio B on Saturday night, delivering a high energy dance party with their new wave, electro-rock sound. After kicking off the set (after 1am) with the new track "So Haunted", the band pleased the late night crowd with favorites like "Going Nowhere", "Saturdays", and "Future", as well as newer tracks "Hearts on Fire" and "Lights and Music". The new stuff sounded fantastic live.


Cut Copy are releasing their new album In Ghost Colours April 8 on Modular Records. You can now stream the entire album at Myspace.


Philadelphia's Pink Skull opened the show for Cut Copy. Knowing nothing about these guys prior to the show, I can say that I was thoroughly impressed. So much so that I bought their latest album Zeppelin 3. They kind of remind me of early !!! (Chk-Chk-Chk) - solid art-dance tracks that really come alive in a live setting. Definitely check these guys out if you ever have the chance.

-Pink Skull

-All photos by Scot Bowman

ELECTRIC TUNNELSThis Saturday Night in Brooklyn

Hey Bushwick! The Sky Report presents Electric Tunnels, Bushwick's only (as far as I know) 80's/electro/new wave dance party. The fun goes down this Saturday, March 8th at the Northeast Kingdom Lounge - 10:15 - 2am-ish. DJ's Paleboy (yours truly) and C-Section (aka Amos Mac) will be on hand to fulfill your every retro desire. Come play!

Northeast Kingdom Lounge
18 Wyckoff @ Troutman
Brooklyn
Take the L train to Jefferson

PACIFIC! - Reveries

Pacific! are yet another exciting new act from Gothenburg, Sweden who make airy, romantic synth-pop. Their new album Reveries is released tomorrow as an import via Dolores Recordings. The new single "Number One" comes with a fantastic animated video, directed by Stephane Manel. Check it all out below.

You can purchase Reveries here.

Number One by pacific!

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Hot Lips by Pacific!

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LADYTRON - Velocifero

Ladytron have announced the details of their upcoming new album Velocifero. The disc, produced with the help of Alessandro Cortini and Vicarious Bliss, is set to be released in the US on June 3 via Nettwerk Music Group.

That's all we've got right now, but expect more details soon...

Velocifero tracklist:

01 Black Cat
02 Ghosts
03 I'm Not Scared
04 Runaway
05 Season of Illusions
06 Burning Up
07 Kletva
08 They Gave You a Heart They Gave You a Name
09 Predict the Day
10 The Lovers
11 Deep Blue
12 Tomorrow
13 Versus

PALEBOY, Saturday Night in Brooklyn

I will be doing a laptop DJ set at the Northeast Kingdom Lounge Saturday night from 10 - 2. The NK Lounge is in Bushwick...just take the L Train to Jefferson and exit at Starr St. It's on the same block, at the corner of Wyckoff and Troutman.

Expect modern electro and rock, as well as new wave/eighties dance tracks and a dash of post-punk for good measure.

$2 PBR's and $5 draft and chalkboard wines. It's a cheap night out, with great music in a cozy, intimate space.

STEVE AOKI - "Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles" CD Giveaway

Steve Aoki's bangin' debut mix album "Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles" is about to explode onto the scene. The electro-slam rock mix features hot tracks from Justice, Peaches, Datarock, MSTRKRFT, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand and others, with guest vocal drops from Santogold, Spank Rock, Uffie, Kid Sister, Pase Rock, Amanda Blank and Mickey Avalon. This mix is out of control!

For a chance to win a copy of the CD, write to theskyreport@yahoo.com and briefly explain why you would like to add this mix to your collection. See the full tracklisting below.

"Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles" will be released January 22 via Thrive Records.

For tour itinerary and remix streams, go to Steve Aoki's Myspace page.

Tracklisting:

1. Refused - New Noise
2. Justice - Waters of Nazereth (Erol Alkan's Durr Durrrrrr Re-Edit) w/ Pase Rock's Guest Drop
3. Does It Offend You, Yeah? - We Are Rockstars w/ Spank Rock & Amanda Blank's Guest Drop
4. Services - Element of Danger (MSTRKRFT Remix) w/ Har Mar Superstar's Guest Drop
5. Goose - Bring It On w/ Todd Fink's Guest Drop
6. Larry Tee & Princess Superstar - Licky (Work It Out) [Herve Goes Low Remix] w/Santogold Guest Drop
7. Green Velvet - Shake and Pop w/ Kid Sister's Guest Drop
8. Klaxons - Gravity's Rainbow (Soulwax Remix)
9. The Mystery Jets - The Boy Who Ran Away (Riton Re-Dub)
10. Peaches - Boys Wanna Be Her (Weird Science Remix)
11. Datarock - Fa-Fa-Fa w/ Steve Bays' Guest Drop
12. Yelle - Je Veux Te Voir
13. Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To (Erol Alkan's Glam Racket Remix)
14. KIM - Wet 'N Wild w/ Mickey Avalon's Guest Drop
15. Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (MSTRKRFT Remix)
17. Scanners - Low Life (L.A. Riots Remix) w/ Uffie's Guest Drop

HOT CHIP - 'Ready for the Floor'

'Ready for the Floor' is the first single from Hot Chip's forthcoming album "Made in the Dark", due February 5 from DFA/Astralwerks. The video has arrived for the bouncy synth jam, featuring singer Alexis Taylor dancing around as The Joker, as well as many other silly activities involving color. It's total nonsense, but a fun video nonetheless.

As far as the track goes, it really grows on you after a couple listens. The single drops on January 29th.

Hot Chip - Ready for the Floor (music video)

THE PRESETS - 'My People'

The Presets are back with a brand new single!! 'My People' will be released as a digital single and on vinyl December 18th via Modular. No word as to whether this is the precursor to a new album yet or not, but a video for the track is expected to be released soon. The Presets will be touring Australia with Daft Punk throughout December, though most dates are already sold out.

STREAM - The Presets - My People

DIGITALISM - 'Idealistic'

'Idealistic' is the new single from German electro duo DIGITALISM. If you haven't heard the debut album "Idealism", it is one of the best electronic albums of the year, right up there with the 2007 debuts from SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO and JUSTICE. The new single is available September 17 and will feature remixes from WHOMADEWHO, A-TRAK, and HYSTEREO.

Digitalism - Idealistic (music video)

PRIVATE - 'My Secret Lover'

I love when I get new music in my mailbox, especially when I like it from first listen. PRIVATE are a new act out of Copenhagen, Denmark fronted by Thomas Troelsen, formerly of SUPERHEROES, who recently disbanded in 2006. Troelsen is a prolific Danish producer, having worked with such acts as JUNIOR SENIOR, AQUA, and JULEE CRUISE just to name a few.

PRIVATE were recently signed to Universal, with an album to hit American shores in 2008.

DOWNLOAD - Private - My Secret Lover (Downsyndrome Mixxx)

KRAFTWERK By Way of HOT CHIP

NME reports that KRAFTWERK are readying a new double single, consisting of 'Aerodynamik' and 'La Forme', both to be remixed by members of HOT CHIP. Both tracks were originally released on Kraftwerk's 2003 album "Tour De France Soundtracks". The single is slated to be released on September 17.

Kraftwerk - Aerodynamik (live at MTV Europe Awards 2003)

PORT-ROYAL - "Afraid To Dance"

I just discovered electro-ambient band PORT-ROYAL and wow! They are so, so good. The 2nd LP "Afraid To Dance" was released last April on Resonant and the video for the single 'Putin vs. Valery' is the sexiest thing I've seen in a long time. Making love with headphones on! Does it get any hotter? I think not.

Port-Royal - Putin vs. Valery (music video)

GUS GUS - 'Hold You'

I've been a huge fan of GUS GUS since their first album "Polydistortion". The line up has changed quite a bit since those days, but the smooth, sexy electro sound is still there. Their latest single 'Hold You' features the lovely Earth on vocals and walks the same line as the Gus Gus classic 'David'. The single comes from the awesome new album "Forever". Check it out!

BUY - Gus Gus - Hold You (also available on iTunes)
STREAM - Gus Gus - Hold You/Moss/Need in Me