Turn It Up

Don’t Miss The Many Beats Of Van Go Lion

June 16, 2011 1 Comment

Portland electro-pop duo Van Go Lion, whose “Body Moves” was featured just a month ago, continue their musical winning streak with this week’s release of the We Don’t Miss A Beat EP.

The title track started out as a theme-song submission to the Electroqueer music blog last year. That effort didn’t pan out for Josh Loerzel and Amy Paige, but their tune — really, just a verse and a chorus at that point — did catch the ear of the UK’s Aztec Records, which wanted to release it as a single. Rounded out and polished up, “We Don’t Miss A Beat” is shimmering bit of pop, with a quite brilliant bridge to boot.

On “We Don’t Miss A Beat,” Van Go Lion have got L-O-V-E on their mind. “The song is about love, but also love for music,” Paige told Auditory Love. She says it’s also their mash-note to music bloggers. “Since this was intended for EQ, the lyrics were inspired by all of the bloggers who’ve helped get our music out there, and get music out there in general. It’s a dedication wrapped up in a pop song.” And a very good one at that — even snaring Song of the Day honors on Popjustice.

But wait, there’s so much more. The We Don’t Miss A Beat EP features two additional tracks, “The Ache” and “Say Goodbye,” either of which could be strong singles in their own right. Listening to “The Ache” for the first time gave me goosebumps. The song is Roxette-level good, with a freestyle-inspired chorus that totally rockets me back to high school.

Purchase Van Go Lion – “We Don’t Miss A Beat” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.

Still with me? Good, because Van Go Lion’s got one more treat in its pocket. “Faces,” the duo’s collaboration with Australian Nudisco producer Ren Riz, is available as a free download. It should go without saying, but it’s also a beat that’s not to be missed.