Alright to be honest, this post was a long time coming. When I first heard that Breakbot mix, I didn’t know what to do. I fell in love. I listened to it on repeat until I memorized the whole thing. You can quite literally start that mix from any part and just set sail on a glorious trip to disco-ville. Anyway, then the Flume mix came out. I mean, this kid has been doing such big things. His debut album (top 3 on our best of 2012) is topping chart after chart around the world. This mix he did for The Fader showcases his wicked awesome style along some of his best productions. Really good stuff to just chill out or drive to. Can’t get enough.

THEN, the other night…our boy Treasure Fingers (interview) dropped his new mix for DJ MAG out of nowhere! Treasure Fingers just so happens to be one of my all-time favorite mixologist. For good reason. He’s a true talent that the everyone can appreciate. Going from being in one of the top drum & bass acts in the world (Evol Intent), to being at the forefront of the disco house movement. This mix isn’t any less dancy than his former releases. Be ready for more cowbell, hi-hats, and booty shakin’ gems for a solid hour.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD BREAKBOT BEATPORT LIVE SET

Fort Lean is five straggly looking dudes from Brooklyn. The frontman is what Taylor Swift would look like on steroids, I think. But I digress. Their music is a truly delightful blend of jangly rock and roll–reminiscent of The Walkmen and Young the Giant–with subtle beach-rock flourishes. I can never get enough of bands like this on my iPod. They’ve released two EPs a single to date. Their most recent release, Change Your Name, was released late last year. Four tracks short, its dreamy and idyllic. It’s sun kissed and yearning and bittersweet, but everso catchy. This is escapist pop-rock, if that’s a thing. Now it is. They’ve clearly mastered a sound, a sunny and feel-good one at that, that is more than likely to garner them some blogosphere attention. Fingers crossed for a full-length album in the next year.

Fort Lean – Beach Holiday
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2012%20albums/FORT%20LEAN/09%20Beach%20Holiday.mp3]
Fort Lean – Dreams (Never Come True)
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2012%20albums/FORT%20LEAN/02%20Dreams%20%28Never%20Come%20True%29.mp3]
Fort Lean – Perfect
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2012%20albums/FORT%20LEAN/04%20Perfect.mp3]

I want to precede this by saying we never do this. It is rare to never that we will post on something we feel negatively about, but in the case of Free Energy’s sophomore album Love Sign, I feel more than obligated to share my honest reaction to an album whose anticipation I have been hyping for several months. Truthfully, I expected much more from the Philadelphia five-piece. Or maybe it would do better to say I expected much less. To put it simply, this album tries way way way way way way too hard. It’s incredibly poppy and obnoxiously polished. It’s so over the top I couldn’t begin to take it seriously, even if it removed about five pounds of makeup and took off its glitter wig. After listening to it all the way through, I feel about eight years younger but not in a good way. With so much “dancing all night” and “waiting around to fall in love,” this album might appeal to you if you’re depressed that the Twilight series is over. No offense. It’s difficult to say what the highs and lows of the album are because every song–more or less–sounds exactly the same. There are definitely moments where I could see how someone with cheap taste in music might say “Oh this is great!” (see: “Dance All Night”) but they are short lived. This is bound to be divisive. Not to be an overly cynical asshole, but this album is, in several ways, a joke to the indie genre. I’d be happy to go back to Stuck On Nothing and pretend Love Sign didn’t happen.

Free Energy – Dance All Night
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2012%20albums/FREE%20ENERGY/Free-Energy-Dance-All-Night.mp3]

Indie pop outfit The Airplanes is actually just one dude, Joshua Vest, churning out carefree jams with a lo-fi edge. He released his debut EP last year and already has more in the works, set to release early this year. Galloping, guitar-driven anthems, this stuff is hard to argue with. He’s on my radar. You should be looking out for him too.

Paper Hearts
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/album%20reviews/foxygen/05%20Paper%20Hearts.mp3]

Copacabana Club Facebook | $3 on iTunes!

It’s nice to see there are still girls out there passionate enough to follow their dreams and embark on a music career. I feel like with the whole DJ movement I haven’t been noticing as many girls taking the stage. Bands like Asteroids Galaxy Tour, CSS, Ladyhawke and, of course, Copacabana Club give me hope! As a followup to their Tropical Splash album, they decided to get together with some of their favorite producers to keep us happy while they work on a new album! My favorite is the Renato Cohen remix, but all are worth the grab.

1. Backyard (Database Remix)
2. Tropical Splash (Renato Cohen Remix)
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/Music/Copacabana%20Club/Tropical%20Splash%20%28Renato%20Cohen%20Remix%29.mp3]
3. Peach (Chernobyl Remix)

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I’m trying to think of a better way to wake up than catching TEED’s first remix of the year…Maybe if the Twelves put out their album? Or Coachella released the damned lineup? Well let’s not let my dreams get the best of us. With this release TEED goes back to a deeper vibe that he tends to frequent on remixes. It slowly builds up with Foals’ dream-like vocals and drops into a funky frenzy of hi-hats and bass. I have to thank TEED for guiding my smooth transition into deep house, because now I can’t get enough! This stuff is the future, people.

No word yet on this release date.

Going to shows has become a therapeutic get away. In a world under constant pressures of turning your past into the future, a concert becomes a very beautiful thing. A time to drop everything else and just focus on the “here” and “now.” What differentiates the following performances from the rest is not solely song selection, nor venue, nor crowd, but all of these combined. It isn’t enough for an artist to play a perfect set if there isn’t a crowd there to appreciate it. All of the following shows not only illustrated near flawless musicianship and delivery, but the crowd made them unforgettable. The artists vibe off the energy of the crowd and they combine to give you the best experience possible. With that, I give you the best performances of 2012:

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