NYE Essentials Vol. 1

As 2013 comes to a close and everyone gathers with their friends and family to ring in 2014, I sit here and reminisces about everything that has happened since this site has launched back in September. It has only been four months, but in that time Oblivious Pop have reached over 10,000 views, with 5,000 of those being in the month of December alone. To be honest though, Oblivious Pop isn't about getting views and being a big name blog. Oblivious Pop's sole purpose is to help artists' music reach people it normally wouldn't reach. Writing about music and telling your friends is the best way for people to listen. I want to help musicians spread their amazing music throughout the world. I want someone to come across Oblivious Pop and find their favorite bands. I want them to fall in love with the band or artist and follow them through their journey in the music industry. In four months, I feel like Oblivious Pop is in the right direction in doing so. After working with two amazing artists, Germans and Marlene ∞, to put together an amazing show, I feel like Oblivious Pop is on the right track to helping artists. 2013 is now reaching its final hours, but after looking back on how successful everything has been this past year I believe that Oblivious Pop is in the right mindset to further expand itself. I'm currently working on ideas that are going to push Oblivious Pop to the next level. I've set some new goals for Oblivious Pop to achieve in the next year and I hope that all of the viewers who love Oblivious Pop will stick with us as these changes occur throughout the year. I couldn't do this without the help and support of everyone I've met and haven't met. To all of my friends in the music industry that have helped me out this year, thank you! I also want to thank the people who work at Hype Machine. I've been an avid follower of their site, which has introduced me to the music blogs that I follow on a daily basis. Adding Oblivious Pop to their site has been a major help with everything. I look forward to the next year of music. So much phenomenal music is being released, and with our plans in London, 2014 looks like it will be epic. Oblivious Pop will be there to help bring this music to as many people as it possibly can. I also cannot wait to have all of these ideas that are just floating in my head become reality!
With this, I give you our final offering of 2013. This is our NYE Essentials Vol. 1 playlist. It features a rocking set of songs that will help you party your way into the New Year. All of these artists on the playlist are major inspirations behind the music that I feature on Oblivious Pop. I hope that you enjoy, jam out, and share this with your friends and family. Enjoy the rest of 2013, and may you all stick around and enjoy 2014 with Oblivious Pop!

-Mike

Never Grow Up

We've got a a new jam for you to party into the New Year to. LA based, electronic group Frenship give us their debut "Kids" which is club ready and a major powerhouse of energy. With production like Swedish House Mafia, Frenship build into powering chorus that will make you catch yourself singing to every time you hear it. The song builds into a mid section, arena chant "We are the kids, the kids that live forever young!", staying true to its final seconds -- "We will never grow up." Frenship will have you dancing through your youth to this powering tune that gets better with every listen.

Make An Example Of Myself

To end the year on the right note, Lovelife dropped their new song "Everybody Wants To Be Someone Else". After having a successful year of touring, releasing their Stateless EP, and killing CMJ, Lovelife seems ready to give us some more tunes for 2014 with this final offering of 2013. This sick track is a bit more laid back, filled with a California beach guitar that makes you want to chain smoke your day away. The song has a buzzing chorus that embraces a summer haze feel like the sun beating down on you making you melt on a hot summers day. For being as cold as it is this winter, Lovelife brings the heat with this latest track. Escape into summer with "Everybody Wants To Be Someone Else".

Emotion Like A Shooting Star

If you can't get enough of Ayer's latest single "Young" then you're in luck! Mickey Valen, the man behind the wonderfully produced sounds of Ayer and Noosa, has done a remix of this already hit potential, making it even more club friendly. With a thumping dance beat paving the way to the chorus that makes you want to sing along with, the song powers through with disco chords that ignite the song's fire to the highest degree. You might just want to keep your eye on Mickey because we're predicting that he might just be one of the hottest producers to work with in 2014 with his unstoppable work.

Hey! Lady

We say this every time: "Sweden is the best place for indie pop". That much is true with the indie pop newcomer SKOGRÅ. Dropping "Now You See Me" just this week, SKOGRÅ has presented a unique gem here. With a heavily influenced disco beat, SKOGRÅ whips in some funk to get the party started. If this doesn't satisfy you enough, There is an epic build up to the final chorus where all you want to do is dance your ass off. Not much is listed about SKOGRÅ as to who is behind this amazing work, but what we do know is that their name comes from Swedish folklore about a forest spirit who seduces men and takes their souls. If thats what SKOGRÅ is, then soon enough they will have seduced everyone with their irresistible sound, having us surrendering our hearts to their music.

You Were The One

 2013 has been known as the year where indie pop duos have risen from the depths and shown their unstoppable power. One of these duo is the New Zealand duo Broods who made quite some noise with their debut "Bridges" produced by non other than those who helped make Lorde who she is today. Now they are back with their second offering "Never Gonna Change", a second glimpse at their upcoming EP. "Never Gonna Change" continues with their minimalistic sound, while take more of a powering, electrified sound. Grasping at the end of heart break, BROODS is comparable to the darkened sounds of IYES. BROODS has crafted an unstoppable sound and there's no doubt that we'll be seeing a lot more from these two. BROODS' debut EP is set for release in early 2014 off of Capitol Records.

Born In A Troubled City

France has been building up a force of musical geniuses that have been working more so behind the scenes by producing for some of the greatest pop stars of this age. With a lot of great production work coming from France, there seems to be a lack of recognition or a lack of care these days as to who does some of the wonderful work on these tracks that smash the charts and the indie scene. Things might be changing as French producer, Feder, drops his first track "Sixto", a well-crafted remix of the Rodriguez song. Staying true to this song from the 70s, Feder throws in a high energy disco feel that gives the song a modern twist that's ready for radio airplay. Hopefully "Sixto" isn't the last we'll see of Feder and his grooving remixes.

Heart Can Be Broken

Melbourne songwriter and producer, Yeo, has been working the industry for the past couple of years closely by dropping some chill tracks and opening for some big names like Kimbra. From this, he has created his latest acoustically driven song "Girl," which works its way into a hornlike synth wonderland mixed with a chorus that's so minimalistic yet so powerful. Gracefully, yet abrupt, the synth wub paints the perfect audio picture of what a true broken heart feels like. Let Yeo's chill sound swallow you under his ocean of pressurizing sound, allowing it to  pull you deeper and further under the tide of what great music sounds like.

Will It Ever Change?

Lorde, the seventeen-year-old girl gone superstar in a matter of months, is prepping for her first headlining tour this spring which will sure push her further ahead in her career than she has even been. Lorde, being as amazing as she already is for a seventeen-year-old, she is hitting the road with another soon to be massive super star Lo-Fang. Lo-Fang, or Matthew Hemerlein, has been classically trained in violin, cello, bass piano, and guitar, all of which shine through in his songs. Lo-Fang has his debut LP coming out this February and has worked long and hard with Francois Tetaz (Gotye producer) to make things on his debut LP the best it could possibly be. Clearly having a worldly sound, Lo-Fang has used his travels to different parts of the world as his inspirations to his music. After listening to #88, and his other releases, Lo-Fang will win your heart over and have you dying for more.

Stay The Night

R&B takes an electronic turn with PLOY's latest track "Liker". After releasing some really phenomenal stuff in the past, PLOY surpasses themselves with this chillax track. With a smooth and soulful verse, PLOY jumps into a running synth driven chorus similar to ASTR. This Maryland based duo has been slowly building up with some amazing performances down in the D.C. area, with an extremely noteworthy one last week with none other than Betty Who. As we wait for more from these guys take a listen to their latest, chilling synth-filled track that might just make you fall in love with them.

Speaking in the Dead of Night

After having a successful 2013 with his release of his Embrace EP, Goldroom is back to remixing some of the greatest artists in this day and age. With this, Goldroom just dropped his latest remix of St. Lucia's epic song "All Eyes On You". Goldroom throws in the 80s dance feel, which reminds us of St. Lucia's banger of a song "September", all while keeping Goldroom's own classic sound in the mix. Goldroom takes this superb pop hit and makes it into something we can see people dancing to in the club. The mix remains true to the clear 80s influence present in any St. Lucia song, which makes this combination perfect in every way. Fingers crossed that maybe there will be a collaboration between the two in 2014, but if not we have this mix which is epic enough.

Devotion Like An Animal

After receiving much acclaim for his debut single "Circle Down" and for the Keljet Remix, and Ayer is ending 2013 with his second single, "Young", which takes things to a whole new level from where he started off. Ayer infuses twirling synths over a strong back line, sprinkled with his depth defying lyrics all resulting in the feeling of slow motion. This new song comes off as sex-infused yet entirely graceful, the perfect description of youth itself. Ayer has truly captured the title perfectly and has shown the industry that he isn't backing down. As we wait for more music from him in 2014, turn the lights down low and be entranced by the slow hypnotic sound of Ayer's "Young".

Anticipating This

London has got a new sweat heart on their hands with this one. Aria gives us her debut single "Eyes Wide Open" that mixes an acoustic sound with a simple electronic beat that lets her voice shine through. This euphoric masterpiece truly opens your eyes to some great music that's coming from the UK currently. Aria's voice is phenomenal and gentle with a slight country sound, while still remaining fully in the pop sphere. Aria is currently working on recording her debut album and there's no doubt that it's going to be a major highlight of 2014.

Artists To Watch In 2014

Instead of creating a list of the artists that we think are going to be huge in 2014, we decided to compile a playlist of their music for your ears. Take a listen below to artists who have been hard at work in 2013 and are continuing their hard work into 2014.

Breathing Fire

One of our favorites from London, Laurel, has had quite the end of 2013. With the release of her debut single "Fire Breather", along with a B-side "The Desert", and a cover of Dan Croll's "Home", this girl is setting herself up for a very successful 2014 packed with nothing but amazing opportunities. Just over a month after her debut release, she gives us her video for "Fire Breather", which paints the perfect compliment to this fiery, drum-driven song that screams to the darker side of pop. 

Inspire A Generation

London has always been a great place for music, with super stars like Adele make strides to become international super stars. Interesting enough, London has been dishing out a lot on the indie pop scene this year, and we are calling it now; London is going to be busting out major super stars in 2014. With this, we bring you another act that has potential to win the hearts of listeners around the world. London duo, Knocking Ghost, dropped their latest single "Soul Aspiration" earlier this month, a electronic filled powerhouse ready for arena play. Knocking Ghost mixes a Coldplay and Bastille like sound into synths and powering beats that is perfectly ready for international play on television and radio. For just making a debut at the beginning of 2013 and now dropping this sure-fire hit at the end, 2014 is looking bright for these guys.

Save Me Right Now

Beyonce dropped her latest album out of surprise on Friday, and it set the music industry on fire. What got even better was when IYES released a cover of her biggest hit "Crazy In Love" that same day, probably an ode to the Queen B herself. Taking a different spin on this massive hit, IYES takes a sultry turn, incorporating a meltdown of pure piano and electronics. With vocals that softly soar above the electrifying beat, IYES has once again graced the world with a perfect masterpiece. We can't say that they did the song better than Beyonce, simply because Beyonce is the queen, but IYES is definitely up there in the realm of pop royalty in the making. Definitely put this duo down at the top of your list for ones to watch in 2014.

Love Don't Work

What better way to start off your music career than with a placement in a Master Card ad that reaches millions of people. Well, for Powers thats just what happened with their debut single "Gimme Some". With what started as an impromptu writing session has led this LA/NY duo to create one of the catchiest tunes we've heard this year similar to the tunes of Holychild. Absolutely giving off the playful vibes of a song that would be on The Ting Tings album, Powers adds some soul and passion into their music. There's no doubt that Powers will be making a huge splash in 2014, especially with the number of people their song has reached in a matter of a month. We're watching you Powers.

Like An Animal

It's official. Beyonce is back and the world is in a frenzy with this release that was so unexpected. What is even more exciting is looking at the amazing people who helped her make this album what it is. When looking at the lists of people who produced and wrote for Beyonce's latest work you come across Boots. Nothing is really known about him, except for the fact that he has been spending this year mostly working on the Bey's album and he's signed to Rocnation. He has one song on his own, "Haunted", which literally the title speaks for itself. Giving off a 60s acoustic feel, Boots infuses synths that don't over power, but compliment the overall effect of this music. We're predicting that Boots will be the new hit maker that everyone will be want to work with. On this, we leave you to listen because this song clearly speaks for itself.

Head Above The Water

Sweden has been notorious for delivering the world undeniably powerful pop stars and undeniable hits that make the swoon at the creativity behind them. Today, we bring you the indie pop/rock band Kaskelott and their song "It Matters" off of their debut EP Retrospective. With the indie rock sound like The Darcys infused with a dash of darkness, they infused some Phoenix sounding synth work on top of lyrics similar to Joywave. Definitely more leaning more toward the rock side of things, Koskelott has the ability to make even the most pure pop fan love their undeniably catchy music, but what else is new? Sweden has done it again by giving the world some amazing music.

Losing Touch With The Physical

Made In Heights is back with their latest release "Murakami", a chillax track transfused with humming, elegant synths on a very simplistic level. The first half of the song builds from a R&B mix that you kinda wanna jam to in your seat, but it grows in to an enormous breakdown featuring powering horns like MØ. Our favorite part of Made In Heights music has got to be their lyrics that are so deep and real on the same level as London Grammar. It's amazing how well Made In Heights builds their music around the lyrics, having everything compliment one another creating one major hit. We almost lose our minds with how great Made In Heights is and sometimes "lose touch with the physical".

Take A Bullet

Swedish super-star Frida Sundemo gave the music world an early Christmas present yesterday with her new song "For You, Love". With a humming synth and a light dance beat under her flowing lyrics on the verses, the song builds to a chorus with glittering synths and a sultry sax that makes you feel like you're on top of the world soaring endlessly over oceans and mountains. We love the folk style of her lyrics, while infusing her music with an electronic sound. Overall, Frida Sundemo is electric and elegant all together.

Neon Beach

Yesterday, Ghost Beach dropped their lead single off of their upcoming album BLONDE. "On My Side" is the perfect track showcasing the wonders that Ghost Beach has in store for their big album. With the some rock-like vocals similar to Smallpools, the 80s Passion Pit synths combine making for the perfect mixture of sun-filled glory. Ghost Beach sure has brought summer into the middle of this cold winter. Get your sunglasses out and your swim suits on, because this track is one you'll want to blast on your way to the beach (if that was only possible in this below freezing weather). BLONDE drops on March 4th, 2014 via Nettwerk Music Group.

Waiting For You

After dropping his debut single at the end of summer, Sweet Talker, also known as Kevin Fischer, delivers his third release "I Wish". This heart-felt track makes your heart ache from the pain instilled in the lyrics. With a dash of Mike Posner's mixture of R&B and pop, Kevin Fischer adds his Justin Timberlake-like vocals to make this a potential pop classic. Today, a lot of artists are working to find the next great sound in pop, but Sweet Talk has found a channel of something new while still pulling sounds some classic pop sounds from the past that everyone loves. Take a listen below as his lyrics pull at your heart strings.

Take What You Want

If you haven't heard of Lincoln Jesser yet, then you better take note of his name. After receiving much acclaim for his song "Something Right" last month, he is back with his latest work "Tops". Keeping the trend of his tinkering signature synth sound , Lincoln throws in a the classic "wub" sound that takes his music to more of an EDM sound. Think Zedd meets Neon Indian fusing together to create the ultimate powerhouse. We're planning on adding "Tops" to our favorite songs of 2013 and definitely playing through the new year. Watch out for Lincoln Jesser because after ending 2013 with this hit, 2014 might just be his year!

I Love You

About a month after dropping her debut single "Sadie", upcoming UK artist Manou gives us her first music video. Keeping things on a simplistic level, Manou keeps the viewers' appeal with the tropic feel. With the aquatics in the background, Manou looks flawless throughout the entire video. Watch the video above and be prepared to be awed by this video that compliments her debut oh so well. 

Lose Your Self Control

Taking chill to a whole new level is ORKID with his debut single "Games" featuring some wonderful vocals from Andrea Hatanmaa. With a tropical, echoing guitar at the very beginning, this track brings some sweet R&B vocals, similar to Great Good Fine OK, over some beautifully crafted beats. There's no doubt that ORKID, also known as Niklas Tjäder, has got some talent here. Add him to your list of Swedish artist to watch because his music may be chill, but he's bringing the fire!

Explorations: United Kingdom

In honor of our big plans for this spring in London, we are rolling out a new series of playlists called Explorations. These playlists will feature some of our favorite artists from different areas of the world that are breaking down barriers in the indie pop world.
Today, we bring you the first installment of Explorations with "Explorations: United Kingdom" in celebration of the showcase we are currently working on in London for Spring 2014. As we continue to work out this project and all of you wait for more updates on whats going on, sit back and take a listen to some of the artist that are doing some amazing things over in the United Kingdom.

Happy Holidays From Oblivious Pop

We're happy to announce today about out future plans for Oblivious Pop. Oblivious Pop will be making the journey to Europe this Spring. During our time there we will be exploring the music scene over there, working to bring you new and upcoming artists for your listening pleasure. Along with this comes our biggest announcement yet. Oblivious Pop is working on booking a London showcase featuring artist from the U.K. In order to make this possible, we launched our Indiegogo campaign to help raise funds to make this the best show we can. If you're interested in donating or for more information, please click on the widget below to go to the official Indigogo campaign site. From there you can check out our perks for donating and be part of something special. We greatly appreciate any help. Stay tuned for further updates on the showcase.  Hope you have a happy and safe holiday season! 

Time After Time

After starting some buzz over their debut "Easy Friend", East of Ely is back with their second single "Came Without". With a piano-chord progession similar to Panama's in "Always", they add a touch of the 80s electric guitar similar to the guitar solo on HAERTS' "Hemiplegia". With a evident influence of 80s rocks, this 5-piece Sydney band has found the perfect combination that and pop escalating them further into the game with a sure fire hit. They are set for their debut EP to be release in early 2014. Prepare for the takeover of East of Ely because they sure brought the fire on this track!

Sugar Veins

Brought to our awareness by Arthur Beatrice announcing them as their opener for their upcoming tour, Adult Jazz is the latest indie pop breakthrough coming to us from the UK with their debut single "Springful". Starting off with some simple soulful indie rock sounds, similar to the Darcys, Adult Jazz slowly moves through a perfect pop melody that leads to an electronic back layer, channeling the wittiness of Alt-J. Interesting and tasteful, Adult Jazz is switching up the indie pop game with this tune. A true under the surface hit.

Convertible Nights

Just joining the music scene this spring, LA producer Peter Thomas is doing it 100% right and killing it with his latest smash "All of You", which features none other than the worlds next pop queen Betty Who. Creating the perfect soundtrack to a summers day with the top down, Betty Who's flawless vocals soar above the electronic 80s production that shows no flaws. Theres' no doubt that the music Peter Thomas is creating is hit worthy. With a Zedd-like sound, Peter Thomas makes us want to dance our asses off. We are literally dying for more. Peter Thomas will definitely be the new producer every artist will die to collaborate with. Hit Maker!

Feed Them Acid

After dropping a demo towards the beginning of summer and then a debut single just at the end, Ben Khan is back with his latest offering, "Savage". This London native is notorious for throwing some brassy synths on top of soul funk. With a riveting electric guitar, Ben channels a Jed Nayef vibe that only builds over the deep bass that is an earthquake. Its clear to us that Ben knows what's really important and that is the sick music he's been dishing out, considering his low usage of social media platforms. It almost works in his favor, letting the music speak for its self.

OK With Talking

A little late, but we are finally writing about the grooving sounds of Ayer. Reigning from the depths of Brooklyn, where the hipsters roam free, Ayer drooped his first single "Circle Down". This track features a heavy 70s influence with a slight touch on the 80s. Think Miami Horror's "Real Slow" mixed with the dance chords of Panama "Always" and the flawlessly light vocals of Wildcat! Wildcat! "Circle Down" is the lead single of the debut EP coming sometime this winter. There's no doubt that Ayer may just have something up his sleeve with this EP that could set his above all others and launch himself further into success!

Year Alone

HOLD THE PHONE! Lithuania is busting out a powerhouse here with "Now You" by GJan. With powerhouse vocals that only scream rebel, GJan reminds us of a cross over of Tove Lo and Charli XCX, with a dash of bad girl Gwen Stefani. Stating off with a simple poppy synth beat, "Now You" breaks into a powering chorus with a hook that makes you crave more from this Lithuania princess. She's been dropping demos and a few other songs over the past two years, but this just might be her big hit hit. GJan has the voice of a rocker, but the image of a pop star and there's no doubt that if the world grasps hold of her music that she could be a worldwide phenomenon.

Best of 2013

As the New Year approaches and the days get shorter, we have decided to pop out the bubbly and list our top 5 picks of 2013 that literally have defined this year in music. Yes, there is the typical hyped up release of Gaga and Katy Perry, in which our opinion showed how the hype of an album can literally be the demise of it, but we are staying strong with the indie pop side of the industry. We encourage you to pop some champagne or wine too, since wine time is all the time.

5. Haim - Days Are Gone

There's no doubt that this sister trio has been the hot pick of this year. Hitting up the festival circuit this summer, the girls prepped for their debut album Days Are Gone, which truly set them as the queens of indie rock. 

4. Betty Who - The Movement

If you haven't heard of Betty Who this year, then you have clearly been hiding under a rock. After releasing her debut EP The Movement earlier this year, there was an instant blow up over the summer. Playing at the hippest venues in New York, Betty Who attracted the attention of new fans and some industry professionals ultimately leading to RCA offering up a record deal. Betty Who clearly had a life changing year in 2013, all from the perfect pop EP release.

3. St. Lucia - When The Night

Capturing the perfect modern take on 80s inspired music, St. Lucia has killed it this year. After dropping their first single, "Elevate", off of their first LP When The Night, St. Lucia went out and nailed it at Lollapalooza and announced that they would be the first to release a full length album off of the hippest label around, Neon Gold Records. When The Night is filled with so many emotions, making you cry and making you want to dance your ass off (trust us their was a lot of crying from our end with how perfect this album was). There's no doubt that St. Lucia is rising to the top with their unique sound.

2. MS MR- Secondhand Rapture

There was no doubt that MS MR was going to be on our list of the Best of 2013. After releasing their debut EP Candy Bar Creep Show last year, MS MR prepped for their debut album Secondhand Rapture. Sticking with their darkened pop sound, MS MR has won our hearts over. After seeing them for the first time at CMJ 2012, we fell in love and have been following Max and Lizzy ever since. This album is packed full of amazing hits that range angst to sadness to happiness.
*btw MS MR is a band you must see live!*

1. Lorde - Pure Heroine

If you haven't heard the name Lorde yet, then you must have at least heard the song "Royals". Sixteen-year-old, New Zealand native Ella Yelich-O'Connor has been this year's break through artists. After releasing her first EP over a year ago, Lorde's music has slowly surfaced to the highest rankings of pop. This summer, her single "Royals" went viral, receiving enormous airplay and ultimately leading to sold out shows across the U.S and singing a multi-million dollar publishing deal with Songs Publishing. Lorde has come so far and the persona she emits is so perfect. Lorde has won the gold for 2013! 

Take a listen to our playlist of this years Best of 2013: 

Fire In My Heart

After releasing a true fire hit with Ghost Beach, French Horn Rebellion is back with their latest collaborative track "The Fire". Teaming up with their long time friends, Savoir Adore, French Horn Rebellion has given us another modern disco-pop hit. With Deidre's perfect 60s voice as the main focus on this track, the grooving production of French Horn Rebellion brings the disco feel we have grown to love from them. The groove of the song has remnants of French Horn Rebellion's "Friday Nights", which makes us love it even more; something new with a little bit of the old things we love. French Horn Rebellion head out on tour this Wednesday and will be starting it off with a few shows as co-headliners with Savoir Adore. Be sure to check them out as these two powerhouses bring the party!

Foreigner To You

It's times when we get a double punch when one of our favorites reworks another one of our favorites, creating pure gold, that we love. This time Lovelife has remixed our new favorites We The Wild on their song "Body Electric (Blue)". Taking We The Wild's original X Ambassador, indie rock/pop sound and add their own touch, Lovelife throws in soothing synth feel slowing it down to their signature chilling vibe. Building from the verse, the chorus sends a frozen feeling into your soul, creeping from the inside out, overcoming your entire body by the last few seconds. Lovelife clearly knew what they were doing when they decided to remix We The Wild and we are happy they did so.

Sunk In Oceans Blue

After dropping their debut single Vapour at the beginning of summer, Vancouver Sleep Clinic is back with their latest offering "Collapse". Described as "atmospheric sounds", Vancouver Sleep Clinic clearly depicts floating through the clouds in slow motion. Their music fitting perfectly with the coldness of winter, their lyrics clearly depict words of the heart. This Brisbane-native, Tim Bettinson, is currently prepping for his debut EP release and we couldn't be happy. What amazes us more is that Tim is only 17 years-old, making him fit into the crowd of Lorde of young songwriters doing it write. Expect for Vancouver Sleep Clinic take come for its inevitable take over.

Tripping For So Long

With what started off as walks through New York, a lot of talks, and eating at Bodegas sparked the creation of Made In Heights. Made In Heights' clearly show the deepness and the nostalgia of their music through their vivid lyrics. Starting off with a simple synth infused chorus vocal sounds, their song "Death" throws in a quick 90s dance beat leading to the icing on the cake, Kelsey Bulkin's peaceful vocals. Giving the perfect amount of depth to their music, Kelsey and Alexei Saba have clearly have put in so much effort and heart into their music. It's almost like pages from a diary ripped out and put to music. Listen to "Death", and take a peak into the minds of the creators of Mad In Heights.

Just To Wake Up

New comers The Landing are creating their own genre called "space pop" and theirs good reason that they are calling it this. Their latest work "Anxieties" features is perfectly crafted featuring synths that defy gravity. With an simple beat through the verse, the chorus gets an industrial mix down. There's something similar to SEAWAVES' electronically infused sound, but all together we find that this New York based band has stepped forward and created their own unique sound that works. The feel of infinity while listening is a journey with the vocals that flutter above everything else. There's something to say when a band can go as far as to creating their own genre. Try out this new galaxy-genre by listening to The Landing's newest work below.

Remember Me

After dropping a few demos last year, IYES has finally released their debut single "'Til Infinity", a mystic trip through sound. This Brighton-based band, consisting of Josh Christopher and Melis Soyaslanova, infused banging drums with an eery synth infused track. Think X Ambassadors mixed with the electronic sound of Lovelife topped off with a perfect chorus like a Royal Teeth hit. With pure vocals that shine through all darkness, IYES has definitely on our radar. We are preparing for a major breakthrough from these two as they create darkened pop that reaches levels of perfection.

Heart's Will Follow

Hold everything! Sweden has done it yet again with the electronic-pop trio DNKL, pronounced "dunkel". This Gothenburg band gives us their debut single "Hunt" and its everything we could ask for. Combining a chill beat with haunting synths, DNKL is ready for their breakthrough. Beginning with a simple beat with a simple piano, the tune drops into a humming synth infused hit. The song builds to an uplifting drop towards the end that soars to the skies and floats across mountains. Think Panama, except with  a darkened, European electronic-pop twist. DNKL has surely got us in a state of awe with this one and craving more.

Breakin' My Heart

After dropping to singles that that created a storm and a great run at CMJ this year, COIN is back with a cover of a classic. Taking the old tune "Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkel, COIN adds their own unique touch. Infusing their indie rock sound, COIN adds some light running synths that layer behind the vocals giving for a pleasant listen. COIN has done wonders to this classic, adding a modern indie pop/rock feel while still remaining true to the greatness that is Simon & Garfunkel. COIN is revving up a storm behind them and we can't wait to see what they have in store for 2014!

Baby We're OK

Carousel is back after the release of their first EP this summer with their 80s infused single "Into The Night". This L.A. based duo has proved promising in the return of 80s electronic music. "Into The Night" pushes forward with a dance beat that only fits a late night drive looking up at the stars. Giving us and indie electronic sound similar to Holy! Ghost, these guys have been making some noise. They are set to jump on board with one of our favorites, French Horn Rebellion, to tour Cali this December. Their first EP Palms caused a stir, but their second EP feels like it will put them on the map and send them skyrocketing to success.

Stole a Heart of Gold

Last week duo We The Wild dropped their debut EP and everything about them is the best of the best. Their song "Float" proves to be one of the greatest things we've heard in a while in the indie rock scene. With the essence of pop infused with a classic alternative sound We The Wild bring everything to the table. Think Arthur Beatrice's mellow sound infused KHUSHI's folkish sound.  We The Wild delivered on this EP and are growing their popularity fast. Schedule as openers for Dan Croll on November 26, these guys are getting the exposure they deserve. Can't wait to see where these guys go. Hopefully a Vol. 2 EP in 2014 filled with more sounds we love to hear.

Bygones Be Bygones

Being extremely late on this one, we finally came across Norwegian artist Emilie Nicolas and her cover of the DumDum Boys' "Pstereo", and we are happy that this came across our desk through a recommendation by one of our favorites, Ana Yanez. Emilie Nicolas does wonders on this cover, channeling a classic European 90s-pop sound that shatters walls. With the banging R&B beat that reminds us of the production on Marlene ∞, her voice shines to the sun and enlightens the heart. Everything about Emilie screams super star. Dropping some original songs in the past, she has signed to Sony Music Norway and we can only hope that her full fledged debut will occur in 2014. For now we get this perfect Scandinavian, ABBA-like tune!