Splash of 80′s grandeur are sprinkled through out, and reminiscent of bands such as the Sparks.  Excellent combination of electronic pop and rock.

School is Cool – Warpaint

Soundcloud

Wonderful use of samples and excellent manipulation of sonic elements make this track unique. Skylar’s voice is the reason I’ve liked the very top 40 collaborations (e.g., Love the Way You Lie by Eminem) she’s done in the past. This track is taken from her forthcoming album, “Invinsible”.

Skylar Grey — Dance Without You

Slightly punk, slightly LCD Soundsystem, slightly Human League-esque vocals but oh so hypnotic is this track by Diamond Rings (aka John O’Reagan).

Diamond Rings – Something Else

bio from The Line of Best Fit

Diamond Rings is the musical alter-ego of Toronto-based multiplatform artist John O, first conceived in the summer of 2009. A 7″ and home-made video for his first bedroom-recorded single “All Yr Songs” helped to propel Diamond Rings into the spotlight, first garnering attention from Canadian blogs like Chromewaves, and then eventually a “Best New Music” honors from Pitchfork. The 7″ was issued as split with fellow Ontario musicians PS I Love You on O’Regan’s own boutique label, Hype Lighter.

Directed by Colin Medley and Jared Raab.
Make-Up by Lisa Howard.

With a strong Talking Heads vibe, Datarock creates one catchy rock song that has been stuck in my head all weekend long.

Datarock – Catcher In Rye

This track has really grown on me, as I quite like lead singer Tanya Tucker’s vocals on it.  Return to Mono is a San Francisco based band that has just released their full length, “Framebreaker” from which we have the title track for your listening enjoyment.   They have an intresting mix of electronic elements, modern rock sounds, and Tanya’s rich voice.

Return To Mono – Framebreaker

Twisted string arrangements and haunting melodies adorn this track which reminds me of a cross between Depeche Mode’s Music for The Masses and Duran Duran’s classic track, The Chauffeur. This track is from their 2011 full length release titled, “All You Need Is Now”.

Duran Duran – Before The Rain

80′s nostalgic sound on “Bigger Than Us” with triumphant chorus.  White Lies sophomore album, Ritual, will be released on Jan 18th on Geffen/Fiction records.

White Lies  - Bigger Than Us

Duran Duran is in studio with mega producer Mark Ronson who is determind to get the boys back to their original sound that made them world famous.   Mark has stated that he was focused on getting Duran Duran back to their “Rio” sound.   I for one am anxiously awaiting this return to form from Duran Duran.

Duran Duran – All You Need Is Now

You can also check out a 30 second sneak peek at another track called Blame the Machines here.

Lifting the very famous bass riff from Peter Gunn theme, Tricky is back with an all new album called, “Mixed Race”.   This particular track is a cover version of a dance hall hit from Echo Minnott.

Tricky – Murder Weapon (ft. Franky Riley)

Original Track from Echo Minott:

Echo Minott – Murder Weapon

Just felt like some Trent today…

NIN – Closer

From the short lived band Clor, is a track taken from their one and only self titled album, “Clor”.  Has a slight Duran Duran feel guitar wise on the track.  Clor were a five-piece post-punk/electropop band from Brixton, England. (taken from wiki)

Clor – Danger Zone

Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse’s producer for “Back to Black”) is currently in studio producing Duran Duran’s forth coming album.  Mark Ronson debuted 30 seconds of a new track called Blame the Machines on his East Village Radio Show.  Sounds like Mark has got Duran Duran back to their showcase form, so enjoy the 30 second preview.  Also note, this a radio rip, so it’s not the greatest quality.

Duran Duran – Blame The Machines (30 second sneak peak)

Full length out titled, “No Problem” is out August 23rd.

Jamaica – I Think I Like U 2

The Amplifetes are a sort 4 piece super collective from Sweden — yes, as in the same place that has already produced Miike Snow, Peter Bjorn and John, and The Hives — the Swedes are killing it as of late.  The Amplifetes are about to release their first full length album at the end of the month.   Taken from it are the following tracks that are full of dance energy and enough pop sparkle to shine any Friday right up.

The Amplifetes – Somebody New

The Amplifetes – It’s My Life

Can’t not wait for Coco Sumner (aka I Blame Coco) to drop her full length album, “The Constant”, this September.   Coco Sumner is the daughter of rock legend Sting, so there is an inherited grit to her vocals that is such a stark contrast to the electronic backing tracks.

She has been quite busy as of late:

1 Teaming up with  Drum and Bass producer Sub Focus to lend her vox on the track, “Splash”.

Sub Focus –  Splash (ft. Coco – Rusko Remix)

2 Then her first single, “Caesar ft. Robyn”, got the remix treatment from non other than Miike Snow’s.

I Blame Coco – Caesar (Ft. Robyn – Miike Snow Remix)

3 And now her latest single, “Self Machine” also gets an equally energetic remix from Chew Fu.  And it’s the best one yet.   To coincide with her full length release she will also be releasing a third single called

I Blame Coco – Self Machine (Chew Fu Robotix Fix)

And here’s an unreleased track called, “Never Be”.

I Blame Coco – Never Be

The Good Natured – Your Body is a Machine (removed per request)

The Good Natured is a dark and left of center pop experience.  Mixing subtle electronic elements and piano with Sarah’s vocals who remind me of a darker Lily Allen.

Bio:
Having salvaged her grandmother’s 1980s Yamaha keyboard, Home Counties girl Sarah McIntosh – aka The Good Natured – self-produced her debut EP, ‘Warriors’ (2009). A year later, McIntosh sat her A-levels and split up with her boyfriend. With these changes she found a whole new inspiration to write, the fruits of which, ‘Your Body Is A Machine’, will be released on 5 July.
‘Your Body Is A Machine’ is a driving, dark and subtly dramatic left-field pop song: musically atmospheric – inspired by the likes of Japan and David Sylvian – and lyrically intense (“We are influenced by our self love and benevolence”). And then there is her voice: a strange, steely thing, simultaneously emotionally involving and quietly repressed, calling to mind the clipped tones of Ladytron and Neil Tennant in equal measure. Throughout, McIntosh displays a maturity beyond her teenage years. She may be called The Good Natured, but you wouldn’t want to cross her.
‘Your Body Is A Machine’ was written by McIntosh and produced by Dan Foat and Nathan Boddy (Delphic, I Blame Coco).  The single feature remixes by Zebra & Snake, Body Language, Aspirins for My Children, Radioproof and Baby Monster. The Zebra & Snake remix is featured on the Kitsune Maison compilation released 26 April, having picked up radio support from Huw Stephens, Nick Grimshaw, Steve Lamacq and Kissy Sell Out.

A nice blend of melancholic pop and brooding rock and with the help of The Hood Internet, it gets a driving beat and a slaps of Lil Wayne.

Bio:

Ramona Falls is an indie rock project founded by Brent Knopf and based in Portland, Oregon. Brent Knopf is also one-third of the band Menomena.

Ramona Falls – Russia (ft. Lil Wayne) (The Hood Internet Remix)

Video for the original track:

This track has strong vocals, is rock inspired, and accentuated with electronic elements.  It’s also very  catchy and well produced.   Word has it that they will soon have a full length out soon.

Hurts – Better Than Love

Band Site | Myspace

Bio (from wiki):

Hurts are an English electronic duo from Manchester composed of singer Theo Hutchcraft and synthesiser Adam Anderson both of whom used to be in an outfit called Daggers.^[1]

Can’t find much on 835, but I’m digging this Ramones cover.

835 – Judy Is A Punk (Ramones Cover)

Soundcloud page for 835

835-Slapdash by 835×835