Remember these two sexy specimens of Aussieland synth-pop goodness? If not, please refer back to their “Introduucing…” post immediately.

Garçon Garçon are finally preparing to launch their much anticipated 2011 debut, beginning with the release of their first official single: “Stay In Touch.”

Yesterday, the bearded boys premiered their brand new song over at one of MuuMuse’s favorite blogs, It’s The Money Shot!, which you can now hear below:

“Stay In Touch” finds the duo grappling with the ceaseless back-and-forth of a relationship on the rocks. “How long can we last before it’s over?” Nathan sadly croons, growing increasingly torn and tortured as the song unfolds.

If that luscious, Cut Copy-like synth beat wasn’t so damn infectious, I might have been writing this one while crumpled up and crying in the corner somewhere. Luckily, all I want to do is DANCE! What relationship problems?! These aren’t tears–just sweat! LAY OFF.

Though they’ve only got one single and two demos under their belt, it sounds as though Garçon Garçon have already hit their stride and established a ‘signature’ sound for themselves: Sweetly sung, slightly sorrowful lyricism fixed atop ’80′s-tinged heartbreak synth-pop. It’s like stretching a Smiths track across a Casio keyboard–sad disco at its finest!

Much like their demos, “Stay In Touch” is required listening. Just don’t forget to pack a Kleenex while you’re out on the dance floor.

Garçon Garçon will release their debut EP later this year. (Official Website)

Ever since their bouncy 2004 debut Bright Like Neon Love, Melbourne-bred electro-pop rockers Cut Copy have always remained faithful to the original, ’80′s-inspired synth-pop sound developed on such songs as “Saturdays” and “Future.”

2008′s follow-up, In Ghost Colours, found the band working to with complex new instrumentation, incorporating angelic choirs, distorted guitar riffs and heaven-sent soundscapes. Crunchier cuts like “Lights & Music” and “Hearts on Fire” demonstrated Cut Copy’s increasing New Wave influence, yet ultimately remained true to their underlying pop penchant.

Zonoscope–the band’s third studio album, to be released on February 8–finds Cut Copy taking their sound to still newer heights. Namely, outer space.

“I know we’re going crazy, but I need you now,” lead singer Dan Whitford sadly croons above a series of signature Cut Copy echoed coos and hazy, ambient electronica on the chorus of the album’s first single and opening track, “Need You Now.”

The song is a solid representation of what lies ahead: Intergalactic bleeps and blips, tribal disco rhythms, bleak lyricism and atmospheric sounds recalling that of French electro-master M83 all come together to texture the space-pop opus that is Zonoscope, Cut Copy’s most seamless and cohesive collection yet.

“Pharoahs & Pyramids,” another highlight on the album, finds the band working on top of a dazzling disco synth pattern, an abundance of hand-claps and bright, light electronica, somewhat reminiscent of Hercules & Love Affair‘s ’90′s House revivalism, while songs like “Take Me Over,” “Corner of the Sky” and the Beach Boys-esque “Where I’m Going” all recall the bouncy pop revelry of the band’s origins.

Aside from the album’s catchier cuts, it’s clear that Cut Copy have also decided to take a few chances and push their musical limits beyond the confines of a typical track on Zonoscope: “Strange Nostalgia for the Future,” for instance, works against a strangely looped string of organic electronica reminiscent of something one might hear on Sigur Rós‘ Takk…, while “Sun God,” the album’s epic 16-minute tribal closer, plays like a 2011 update to Donna Summer‘s iconic disco number, “I Feel Love.”

“Please, please, please, won’t you give your love to me?” Whitford repeats again and again as the track slowly builds on top of grooving synthesizers and a driving percussion (plus cowbell!), ultimately giving way to spine-tingling waves of ambient rhythms and danceable synth grooves. It’s gorgeous, to say the least.

With dreamy electronica production and sublime, hook-filled pop songcraft, it seems the sky is not the limit for Cut Copy–they’re too busy exploring the stars.

“Take Me Over”

“Take Me Over (Thee Loving Hand Remix by Tim Goldsworthy)”

Zonoscope will be released on February 8. (iTunes)

Sounds like: The Presets, Cut Copy, Empire of the Sun
Genre: Synth-pop, dance-pop, electronica

After my post about Jodie Aysha, I was reminded of another act that my buddy JJS of It’s The Money Shot! breathlessly told me about months ago. I’ve waited for far too long to do this Introduucing piece, but the time has finally come!

Garçon Garçon (adorable name!) are Nathan Mahon and Nick Tsirimokos, a synth-pop male duo (gorgeous men!) hailing from Sydney, the land where all good synth-pop acts are born (please see Cut Copy, Sneaky Sound System, Empire Of The Sun, et al.)

While there’s not too much information about these sexy specimens quite yet aside from this extremely likable video introduction, Garçon Garçon have released two demos available for download on their Facebook page thus far: “Take Me Out” and “Maybe Tonight.”

Both songs are smartly crafted electro-pop concoctions, teeming with ’80′s-inspired synthesizers and romantic, forlorn vocals. Very New Wave, very accessible, and very, very catchy.

I’m especially obsessed with “Maybe Tonight”: “Maybe he’ll be out there tonight, maybe he’ll be somewhere tonight / But if I had a love, he’d never go away from me,” Nathan sings sweetly above a cool stream of dreamy synthesizers and 8-bit electronica. Oh, how my heart melts!

I suggest you snatch both of these up immediately.

DL: Garçon Garçon – Take Me Out

DL: Garçon Garçon – Maybe Tonight

While we wait to hear more, Manhunt Daily posted an in-depth interview with Garçon Garçon recently, outlining their musical interests and influences (Nick listens to LCD Soundsystem and M.I.A.! Nathan listens to The Knife and Sigur Ros!), their thoughts on being out in the music industry, and what we can expect to hear from their upcoming EP.

It’s a must read!

Garçon Garçon’s debut EP, entitled EP, will be released Summer 2011.

As a general rule, we don’t care much for ‘bands’ here at the MuuMuse–too much guitar, not enough choreography. There are a few exceptions however, and Cut Copy is very much one of them.

The Australian synth-pop troupe’s third studio effort, Zonoscope, will be released on February 8, 2011 in North America (Feb. 4 in Australia and Feb. 7 in the UK and Europe). From the press release:

Whitford describes the wonderland which he set out to create with Tim Hoey, Mitchell Scott and Ben Browning, “All the way along we had this weird vision of a tropical, jungle, tribal sound. A place or an idea that we wanted to reach with some of the songwriting; to explore a looping hypnotic trance and revise the whole palette of what Cut Copy was about.”

‘Tropical,’ eh? This could be either (a) v, v good or (b) v, v, not good.

I’m hoping the album goes the way of its cover art, which is covered under neither category A nor B, but rather (c) INCREDIBLE.

And there you have it.

While passing through the PopJustice forums, I stumbled upon a post mentioning the Toronto-based band, Parallels. While I didn’t (and admittedly, still don’t) know much about the group at the time, I now know this: their debut is amazing.

Visionaries, the band’s debut album released on February 6, brings to mind a potpourri of influences: Sally Shapiro, Belinda Carlisle, The Knife, Cat5, New Order and Cut Copy, among others. Not a bad set of sounds to come to mind, is it?

For fans of italo-disco, crystal synthesizers, and chilly grooves inspired by the dance floor sounds of yesterday, I believe you’ll find in Visionaries a truly unexpected delight.

Click here to stream Parallels‘ debut album, Visionaries, in full.

Click here to visit Parallels’ MySpace, and here to check out their music on iTunes.

Goldfrapp‘s upcoming single, “Rocket,” has landed.

The song has already begun taking off on iTunes Australia, which you can now hear right here (or download directly if you’re a lucky Aussie man/lady/man-lady!)

Bright, poppy ’80′s synthesizers a la Cut Copy (and this Sheena Easton song, courtesy of MuuMuse reader David’s ears!), a strong “ooh-oh-oh!” chorus–it sounds like Goldfrapp’s taking us on a trip to the bright side of Supernature on Head First. I’m excited to take the ride!

Special thanks to PopJustice for the single cover and iTunes Aussie tip-off!

And now for something completely Icelandic.

This is the video for “Add This Song,” the lead single off of GusGus‘ upcoming album, 24/7, due for release on September 14.

While I’d never heard anything GusGus produced in their 14 years of being, I now find myself utterly intrigued. “Add This Song,” with its Kleerup-ian sad disco throb, echoey vocals, and Cut Copy-like wisps of electronica, contains all the sure-fire elements of musical magic.

But it was the video that initially got my attention.

In the mood for nudity, necrophilia, and some subtle traces of homo-eroticism? Step right up. Directed by Heimir Sverrisson and Jón Atli Helgasson, the cliip utilizes the unnaturally muted hues behind the excellent 2008 Swedish horror flick Let The Right One In and a few plot-thickening scenarios to create this well-crafted, macabre fantasy.

What does it all mean? I’m not quite sure yet–though I reckon it’d be a great discussion piece for a film class.

Purchase “Add This Song” on iTunes | MySpace | Official Website

God, I love this group.

Today marks the official release of the Sneaky Sound System‘s fourth (and final?) single, “It’s Not My Problem.” The song is but one of the many terrific tracks off of Sneaky’s 2008 album 2, a devastatingly overlooked (referring to America, obviously) collection of dance-pop gems a la Cut Copy and The Presets.

Be sure to watch the video above, created by fan competition winner, Maik Hempel. It’s fun, it’s adorable…and even more impressively, it’s fan-made!

Poor little cartoon man…he’s like the friend that Moby‘s Little Idiot never had.

Purchase “It’s Not My Problem” on iTunes Australia | MySpace | Official Website