Ever since she arrived on the scene in 2006, Cassie Ventura, professionally known as Cassie, has unexpectedly garnered a cult online following. Beside her model looks, her glassy, detached voice is a producer’s dream, as its limit is just ripe for studio tweaking trickery. She’s gained so much goodwill on the strength of her only major hit to date, the stone cold classic “Me & U”, and a string of underperformed subsequent singles and leaks. After numerous delays and setbacks, the R&B ice princess is finally ready for a proper comeback. I hereby present you her new single “King Of Hearts” in its complete, official form.

STREAM: Cassie – King Of Hearts

At first listen, it sounds like a very current “club banger”, albeit with a fresh twist, and unconventional structure. She comes across as cool and edgy without trying too hard, and the frosty, frenzied electro-pop production laid atop just oozes class. “King Of Hearts” surely makes for a blazing reintroduction. Welcome back, Cassie.

The video and the song will be available to buy on Valentine’s Day next week.

Her Soundcloud.
More on Cassie.

What a delightful surprise! Indie-pop legend Saint Etienne premiered their brand new single “Tonight” today, taken from their first full-length album in 7 years, tentatively titled “Words And Music By Saint Etienne”. The effervescent tune is produced by Tim Powell (Xenomania) and mixed by Richard X – two of the best British contemporary electro-pop whizzes. According to Bob Stanley:

“Tonight is about the anticipation of going to see your favourite group. For some reason, I imagine this show is at the Forum in Kentish Town. The whole album is about the power of pop, how it affects and shapes your life.”

Well, that’s your new pre-concert soundtrack sorted out then.

STREAM: Saint Etienne – Tonight

Download the track free for a limited time.

You can also hear a sneak peek of another new track called “I’ve Got The Music” on Soundcloud (skip to the 1.16 mark). The prospect of a new St. Etienne album full of pop magic is rather exciting, isn’t it? Bob, Pete & Sarah, we are so glad to have you back.

Ancient & modern, acoustic & electronic, sacred & sensual, ethereal & worldly… Joshua Penman’s Akara project collapses dualities and guides the listener into a state of aural samadhi with a sonic ceremony called Extradimensional Ethnography. Composing a team of classical musicians, and sweetened by Femke Weidema’s heavenly chanting, this transcendent album is an absolute must-have for fans of globally-flavored grooves with a psychedelic touch. (review by Travis Nobles)

Mystical dancefloor symphonies.
Akara – The Far Shore
Akara – Gelfling
+ Purchase/Visit

That Lana Del Rey songs are quite tricky to remix doesn’t stop everyone from trying. A slew of mixes for her new single “Born To Die” came gatecrashing at once the other day, and I waded through the good and not-so-good to cherry pick a select few. What I like is that every remix from this package tries a different style. DJ Kris De Angelis‘ hard-edged club take is probably the most straightforward of the bunch. Gucci Vump‘s version utilizes the strings and vocal loops with some nice drumwork – it’s all about the 1:06 moment for me. Leo Zero went for an excessive balearic vibe, while Hackman (aka Jack Steadman of Bombay Bicycle Club) opted for a blog-baiting treatment with pitch shifts and those chunky house piano chords that are so in right now.

Lana Del Rey – Born to Die (Kris Di Angelis Remix)

Lana Del Rey – Born to Die (Gucci Vump Remix)

Lana Del Rey – Born to Die (Hackman Remix)

Also available are reworks from Gemini, Lil Silva, Two Armadillos, Marcus Intalex, and we haven’t even heard the mixes from Damon Albarn, Clams Casino, and Woodkid & The Shoes yet. The latter’s preview is up on Amazon and it already sounds potentially amazing.

Since this madness is not likely to end anytime soon, let’s push it further! What sort of novelty genre remix do you want to hear from her? Hmm… I’d love for Quiet Village to get back and give her a luxurious exotica massage. A full-on lounge or David Lynchian one could work, and a trip-hop take can be wonderful if done right. You’ll never know, since my favorite mix of “Video Games” is an actually awesome drum-n-bass mix by Jakwob & Etherwood.

“Born To Die” is also currently iTunes US’ Free Single of the Week. She’s literally inescapable.

Stream all her remixes on Soundcloud.
Buy her music.
More on Lana.

We’ve seen enough fakes but the real thing has dropped with the official Coachella 2012 Lineup! This year will be the first time the event works over two weekends with the identical lineup.

Although not as good as the fantasy lineups and mocks that have dropped recently the festival still revels in its ability to pick up an astounding run of artists.

A breakdown of electronic and dance acts over the dates

Friday April 13 and 20

• Swedish House Mafia
• M83
• Amon Tobin
• Madeon
• SebastiAn
• Datsik
• SebastiAn
• Neon Indian
• Breakbot
• Feed Me
• R3hab
• La Riots

• David Guetta
• Kaskade
• Miike Snow
• Sebastian Ingrosso
• Sub Focus
• Martin Solveig
• SBTRKT
• Flying Lotus
• Jacques Lu Cont
• Borgore
• Destructo

• Justice
• Avicii
• La Roux
• Girl Talk
• DJ Shadow
• Calvin Harris
• Nero
• Modeselektor
• Dada Life
• Porter Robinson
• Santigold
• Flux Pavillion
• AraabMuzik
• Zedd
• Noisia
• Morgan Page
• Gaslamp Killer
• Housse De Racket
• Villa

Nicola Roberts‘ new single “Yo-Yo” is officially out today in the UK, and those who pre-ordered can get their hands on an exclusive b-side – her solo version of Girls Aloud‘s poptastic b-side “Memory Of You”. It’s very nice of her to open up the vault and offer the fans what’s probably the closest thing to a Xenomania-produced Nicola track to date. Admittedly, although I used to expect and hope for this kind of sound for solo Nicola (ethereal, floaty, wistful disco-pop), I wouldn’t change a thing about “Cinderella’s Eyes” album campaign – from the consistently gorgeous artwork to the charmingly shoddy promo videos, and even her newfound fondness for caterwauling as well. It’s a shame the public didn’t quite latch on to her ginger brilliance, but “Cinderella’s Eyes” shall remain one of the most amazing underperformed gems of 2011. Check out the track below, and watch the video for “Yo-Yo” after the jump.

STREAM: Nicola Roberts – Memory of You

Buy the single.
More on Nicola.

London-based AlunaGeorge is the latest on my list of favorite up-and-coming pop acts. Even though their new single has been knockning about since last summer, I only discovered it recently. “You Know You Like It” is a sexy, slinky piece of post-dubstep R&B, a firecracker loaded with infectious hooks that will get stuck in your head for days. Aluna Francis’ voice is a cool mixture between Santigold and Martina Topley-Bird, and to me they sound like a modern-day Moloko, which is always a good thing in my book. 2012 will see the release of their debut album, so hopefully they’ll have some more ace tunes up their sleeves. I highly recommend them if you like Little Dragon, Katy B… or have a thing for boy/girl electro duos. They’ve also been doing some high-profile remixing work, including one for Lana Del Rey which you can download right below.

MP3: Lana Del Rey – Born To Die (AlunaGeorge Remix)

Watch the video.
Buy the single.
More on AlunaGeorge.

As if the new Little Boots single “Shake” doesn’t sound like Saint Etienne enough, Crazy P has given it another reswizzle that totally reinforces that impression, albeit of their more organic side. If the original aims for the dancefloor, then this mix is for the ride back home, when you heart’s already been broken, but you carry on shaking anyway. Check it out.

MP3: Little Boots – Shake (Crazy P Remix)

I quite enjoy “Shake” in its full length, by the by. It’s no “Stuck On Repeat”, but it’s fairly enjoyable in its bubbly ’90s-house-lite way, with some catchy la-la’s to boot. And it’s not often that a pop single is out for purchase here at the same time as the UK, so props to Victoria for letting it happen.

STREAM: Little Boots – Shake

Grab another free remix by Azari & III at her Soundcloud.
Buy the single.
More on Little Boots.

It’s been quite a busy year for French songstress Émilie Simon. Back in April, the now New-York-based chanteuse finally dropped her most recent album “The Big Machine” in the US after nearly two years of its original release. The album saw her leaving behind trip-hop soundscapes to explore ’80s electro-pop, and spawned two fantastic singles/visuals, namely “Dreamland” and “Rainbow”.
The project goes on as she just released a new US EP, “The Cycle”, featuring the album cut & new remixes. The remix by Midnight Sun (Midnight Magic, Jessica 6, Hercules & Love Affair) is quite something special. They transform the song into a throbbing ’80s disco affair. I rarely say this but I actually prefer it to the original! Download it for free, along with her own remix of “Rainbow”, and her cover of Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy” below.

MP3: Émilie Simon – The Cycle (Midnight Sun Remix) (feat. Hercules & Love Affair)

MP3: Émilie Simon – Rainbow (Émilie Electronic Remix)

MP3: Émilie Simon – Smalltown Boy (Bronski Beat Cover)

But wait! A brand new album is on its way very soon. Entitled “Franky Knight”, it’s the soundtrack to the new Audrey Tautou vehicle “La Delicatesse” (Delicacy). It’s not the first time Émilie does the soundtrack for film either, having scored the March of the Penguins documentary back in 2005. This time, she’s back to singing French on lead single “Mon Chevalier” (My Knight), which is dedicated to her fiance who passed away in September 2009 after catching the H1N1 flu . You can watch its music video right below.

“The Cycle” EP is out now in the US, and “Franky Knight” is out December 5 in France.
Buy “The Cycle” EP / Buy “The Big Machine”.
More on Emilie.

The Good Natured have been on the verge of breaking through for quite some time now, and this week, they are back with not just one, but TWO brand new tunes. After premiering the video their collaboration with Swedish DJ Adrian Lux “Alive” a couple days, the previously Popforwarded band has now unleashed what’s possibly the best thing they’ve put their name to. I assure you that I’m not just tossing out hyperbole when I say that their new single “Video Voyeur” is INSANELY BRILLIANT.
Produced by Patrik Berger (Robyn, Tove Styrke, Those Dancing Days), it is pop at its finest. An adrenaline rush in song form, it embodies a tapestry of vocals and hooks after hooks, and then suddenly breathes out at the middle eight for a cascade of Kraftwerk-ian synths before one last big chorus. Clocking in just 3 minutes and 19 seconds, it is an slightly exhausting but thrilling listen. It’s maximalist pop with an unconventional structure, done properly with sharp energy. I simply can’t get enough of it.
The band has now skillfully carved a trademark sound: dark and intense electro goth pop, with a modern spin on ’80s influences instead of just plain mimicry. Watch the fairly straightforward peformance video below, and see if you agree with me.

To make it even better, the band is giving the track away as a free download! Amazing.

MP3: The Good Natured – Video Voyeur

And here is their dance collab with Adrian Lux, “Alive”. Sarah McIntosh’s voice certainly gives some bite to what might be just another generic rave-pop tune without her.

STREAM: Adrian Lux ft. The Good Natured – Alive

2012 shall be an exciting year for The Good Natured. Watch them closely.

Buy “Alive” on iTunes.
More on The Good Natured.
More on Adrian Lux.