Top Tunes To Blog About 4

POLYGON PALACE - "WE HAVE A VISUAL"

Right, so this tune has been around for a while, but it needs to be spoken about. Polygon Palace are among an esteemed wave of Australian electro-indie-pop masters infiltrating the blogosphere with compelling songs of their own, as well as excellent remixes by others. To compare them to others is a difficult task as they share tiny portions of an array of other acts out there; The Whip, Little Comets, Hockey, The Wombats, The Teenagers, you get the idea. Polygon Palace are made up of London-born Adam Fern and New Zealander Gabriel Crossan who met in Melbourne and began making promising music for the world to digest and adore.

"We Have A Visual" is very good tune indeed. The sound is very raw; almost so raw it's still bleeding. There is no suave grace here. This song is bold, forbearing and extrovert. The strapping start is succinct, diving straight into heavy bass and clattering cymbals. The disjointed and punchy bass in the background provides a great foundation with which to plonk on some twinkling synths that float zealously between the robotic crunching of guitar strings and intrepidly brash vocals; sweeping between croaky indie squarks to eloquent electro joviality. The eclectic mix pours out red hot indie-electro that flares the senses, stimulating you to tap that lazy foot of yours and pull some garish dancefloor shapes. The energetic prickly vibe from "We Have A Visual" is just the impetus needed to dust off the BBQ, chill the beers, and party in the summer warmth.

Check out below the link to the video for "We Have A Visual", and show this duo some love by going to their Facebook/Myspace/Twitter pages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68TrFXhXRk8

GYPSY AND THE CAT - "THE PIPER'S SONG" (AEROPLANE REMIX)

Another band to plop out of Melbourne, Australia, is the formidable and quirky named Gypsy And The Cat, who now reside in London. Gypsy And The Cat have been around for a while now, and have had a small collection of songs scurrying around Hypemachine and Last.fm, gaining popularity over the last 6-12 months. They have worked with David Fridmann (MGMT) and Rich Costey (Muse) to produce a stunning album together which is a whimsical dream in itself. However, "The Piper's Song" has been around since December 2010 but this blog must give the Aeroplane Remix a mention because it is such a brilliant dose of euphoric and memorable electro-indie-folk-pop.

"The Piper's Song" starts off with clinical drumming, bass precision and characterful jingling cutting vociferously through the sprinkly sweet autotuned vocals. The drunken warpy bass has that typical amorous French vibe as it slivers boisterously between beats and lyrics. Aeroplane's handiwork stabs at this song with excitable synths that are intermittent and cheerful. They gel perfectly together to combine 70's retro disco chic with mellowed 80's electro and contemporary resolute bass. The end product is a cleverly mixed piece of folky-electro at its melodic and euphoric best. There is a distant similarity in the chatty dolphin-esque synthed chorus to the noughties dance classic "I Can't Wait" by Ladies First, but elsewhere from that, this song echoes hints of MGMT, Empire Of The Sun, Metronomy and a toned down Two Door Cinema Club. After a chilly winter, this fuzzy melange of a tune is the perfect antidote to shake off the cold, step into the sunlight and experience the effects of musical induced ecstasy at its remarkable best.

Check out the song from the Youtube link below and as is always the case by now, show Gypsy And The Cat some love by visiting their Facebook/Myspace/Twitter pages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Aycp5DGqUA

MANNEQUIN - "MANNEQUIN"

ManneQuin is the act created by music and entertainment maestro Dan Priddy who hails from the humble town of Bedford (UK). To many, ManneQuin is almost an enigma protected by an encryption, housed by a top secret code. There is so very little information or detail about these guys that it is almost impossible to draw comparisons or form a full review properly, but you heard it here first (more or less), ManneQuin are definitely Pop geniuses at work and people should sit up and take note. The single "ManneQuin" is Priddy's first stab at the music chart armour and it could well deliver a successful fatal blow. With production assistance from J.R. Rotem (Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna), there is a lot of weight behind ManneQuin to ascend the perilous path to musical credibility and stardom by producing top quality, cookie electro-pop.

The single of the same name starts off as a rather theatrical and slightly pompous thoroughfare, reminiscent to a snippet played in Beauty And The Beast if you use your imaginations and relate to that reference. However, this opening is different in a positive way; a subversion of perceived conventions in so many words, and it's pleasant on the ears to hear orchestral prowess at the start of a pop song rather than the sometimes heavy openings we are so accustomed to hearing nowadays. Further into "ManneQuin" and Priddy's feverishly octane, flamboyant vocals step onto centre stage.

Whilst sounding positively squeaky and crisp, the vocals coexist agreeably with the fabulous bass, juicy and fearless synthing and nonstop enthusiastic beats. The overall composition of the song is delightfully scatty and outrageous. It is like a stereotypical Eurovision song pumped full of steroids and throws caution to the wind in how pop music should sound to the majority. As the song powers on through, the accumulation of zany vocals, overjoyous synths and vigorous musicality creates what is ultimately a great track to unleash on your audio senses. So embrace it with both ears.

Check out ManneQuin's Facebook/Myspace/Twitter pages and show the guys some well deserved support. The single (as of this post being published) is free on the awesome Arjanwrites webpage so click on the link below to have a listen.

http://www.arjanwrites.com/arjanwrites/2011/02/ready-to-pop-mannequin-mannequin.html