With two songs to go, I’ve decided to shut the fuck up for this one. Because, really…how the hell do you describe something that left you speechless on first listen?
Foals are back. And I’m so glad they are
FINAL RATING (/10): 9.5
PLEASE watch this video. It’s insane amounts of goodness.
She's back! It seems with every release,the divine Estelle changes again. Her first album, The 18th Day, was a hip-hop based affair. That was followed by the soul/rnb/pop stylings of Shine, which spawned the Kanye-boasting megasmash American Boy. Where to from there? Simple: go absolutely fucking batshit.
With David Guetta at the production helm, Estelle has delivered a decidedly weird, minimalist dancefloor inferno. Chopped up vocal samples lead the parade before Estelle throws in some smutty sex-raps, breathy speak-singing and a banging chorus that ties the entire bizarre affair together. I'm normally not a fan of Guetta at all (I found One Love to be all style and no substance), but I really appreciate his approach to Freak from a composing perspective. It's much more a focus on Estelle's voice and the beat itself, as opposed to overloading it with cheesy club synths and repetitive chord progressions. It's a very clever way to go about it, and it's especially different for an artist like Estelle. It fits her like a cute Gucci dress, though. Will be interesting to see how the rest of the record pans out.
FINAL RATING (/10): 8
If I've piqued your interest (fingers crossed), check out the song's music video.
Jamie Cullum is back to do the three things he does best: woo the ladies, swing like a beast and go so hard he forgets what the third thing is. Just One of Those Things is the first track from his brand new album, The Pursuit, and it's a cracker of a tune to kick off with.
It begins with a drunken swagger towards the tinkling ivories as he slowly puts together what happened last night, before Cullum snaps his fingers and gets the drums and double bass to come riding in.The second they do, he's right into action. Even so many years after the cutely-titled Twentysomething, he's still got all the whiz-kid energy that he had when he debuted. If anything, he's developed it further. This is catchy, swinging and a top display of his talents. If you liked him before, you'll definitely enjoy this.
FINAL RATING: 7.5
He's back in Australia this April, if you're interested.
These kids kicked of Soundwave over on the joint 5 and 6 stages. There were a couple of troubles with sound, but once they got into the swing of it, they were fucking awesome. See that cute little blonde girl? She can scream better than you and nearly every other throaty dude on the bill. It was terrifying and terrific at the same time.
The French Motel is one of the tracks they played that is going to be on their second album, due out a little later this year. Apparently cats like M.I.A. and Santogold are going to be producing and stuff, which is pretty cool. As per the "norm" with these guys (if there is such a thing), there is a shitload of musical movements and progressions, complete with dual vocals, big guitar and quick flips in tempo that keep everything engaging and exciting. This lot are definitely ones to watch out for this year.
FINAL RATING (/10): 8
The new record should be out within the next quarter.
In this week's installment of "what the fuck just happened", former skirt-twirling indie pop darling Kate Nash has gone all artsy-punk on her new track, I Just Love You More, which is the first track to be lifted from her long-awaited second album called Crayon Full of Colour.
Gone is the summery, cutesy pop that's prevalent on her debut, Made of Bricks. Instead, we get a snarling, single-string riff, a tight drum beat and Nash's creepy speak-sing of the title of the song. She doesn't say a lot more apart from this, except when she starts primal screams and shrills in the vein of Karen O or Yoko Ono. It's completely left of centre, but it's a real treat to watch her trying out something so different. The song is a little hollow overall, though, with the same parts reoccurring continuously. Maybe this is just a taste of what's to come? Oh boy oh boy oh boy, this is going to be awesome. Hopefully.
Here's a few things I didn't know about Sade before today:
1. It's pronounced "shar-day"
2. Sade is actually a band.
3. Sade have sold over fifty million albums worldwide.
4. This song is fucking awesome.
This is the title track from Sade's latest album, and it really is a cracker. A slow-burner, for sure, but one that sticks in your mind for all its darkness, world-weariness and pure intensity. Everything in the arrangement works perfectly - the snare rolls, the synths, the low-key harmonies. It's just purely badass music, smoothly and professionally done. What more can I say? It's the tits.
This track came to my watching very early Saturday morning rage (about 1am, I think), and I can honestly say that I am glad I was sitting down when I heard it. Holy fucking SHIT.
Marina and the Diamonds, aka Marina Diamandis (I think it's Greek), had her video for Mowgli's Road premiere here in Australia on rage. The video itself is fabulous (scroll down), but the music itself is everything I love about pop music in its current shape and form. Mowgli is catchy, outlandish, engaging, gloriously harmonic and just hooky enough to send you insane over how good it is. Marina's voice is sharp yet easily flexible, showing some bizarre accentuation and a strangely thick range. Even when she's making weird noises in the song, like "cuckoo!", it still sounds amazing.
I dunno what else to say. Just fucking listen to it.
A strange inclusion to my list, this track from David Bowie's third album, Hunky Dory, came to my attention via a mixtape made for me thanks to the amazing Last.FM Mixtape Trading group. For the record, that's a wonderful incentive and I strongly recommend those of you with a profile on Last to check it out.
The song itself is pretty cheesy and kitsch, as was with most of Bowie's early stuff - especially the singles. That doesn't stop it from being a fun little pop tune, that was apparently written to Bowie's son, Duncan, and was influenced by the immortal Neil Young. It's simply done, but it's still a really cute number that's very catchy. Also, The Kooks named themselves after this song. Kooky!
Man, I haven't listened to British hip-hop in so long. It's amazing to know that the scene is still very much thriving out there. I came across this on a blog called UK All Day, which I'm definitely going to bookmark in order to try and get back into Brit-hop. There's just something so likable and earnest about a lot of the underground stuff - and, in a way, it's understandable when you think how much more they have to prove themselves as opposed to U.S. rappers.
Smiler has a really cool sound to him. He's obviously influenced by some of the more commercial U.S. stuff, but there's enough grit in both his vocals and his delivery to make it a strong number in its own original right. The guest verse, by an MC called Smart, is also worth checking out - it's passionately delivered and quite clever in its flow and lyrics. It's definitely worth checking out for any fan of hip-hop, especially those with an interest with what's happening in the U.K.
Saturday was the Big Day Out time! What a momentous day - it was the one hundredth BDO and even though the lineup was a little disappointing to a lot of people, there was still plenty to enjoy throughout the day. Of particularly good fun was Mr. Dylan Mills - better known as Dizzee Rascal.
It was a set mostly consisting of hits - Dance Wiv Me, Fix Up Look Sharp, Bonkers, etc. This track took my interest, however, as it was one I hadn't previously heard. It's taken from his fourth album, Tongue N' Cheek, of which I have only heard the singles. I'm pretty interested to hear the rest of the record on the back of this one, though. As the title would suggest, the beat is a pure cruise - squealing synthesizer, clicking rhythm and an upbeat, free-spirit vibe. It's one of those beats you'd have to hear to properly "get", but as usual Dizzee kills it up top with a tight flow that never gets aggressive or over-the-top. Classy.
FINAL RATING (/10): 8
Dizzee leaves the country soon, so make sure you get along to see him!
Fucking YES! First it's announced that Gorillaz are still active. Then we hear news of an album in the works. Now, just days after they're confirmed as Coachella headliners, not only is the record confirmed (Plastic Beach, out in March), but we also get the first taste of the new record in its single!
The track is difficult to describe. It's all minor-key and decidedly downbeat, yet the tempo and Damon Albarn's ever-reliable vocals keep things interesting and sprightly. Mos Def appears, distorted and warped in the background (which really isn't the best way to treat one of the world's best MCs), and Bobby Womack rips up the beat with a truckload of soul intermittently throughout the song. It's a difficult one to wrap your head around - but then again, I can remember having a similar experience with a previous Gorillaz song. It was called Feel Good Inc., which then went on to serve its duty of being fucking awesome. Can only hope the very same for this particular track - we're onto a winner, hopefully!
Went to Sydney on Sunday for the second annual Days Like This! festival. Turned out to be a pretty quality day in spite of a pretty odd venue choice (the main stage was practically a car park). Highlights included Amp Fiddler, Cat Power and once again seeing my friends in Micachu and the Shapes. This lot, however, were easily my surprise of the day. Mica would not stop hyping them up in the lead-up to their set, but when it came down to it she could easily validate it.
Let's focus on this track in particular. The fact I had never heard it before and already knew the chorus within the first thirty seconds speaks volumes about how goddamn catchy this one was. Huge booming rhythms, a slinky bass line and even a nod to roller-disco is what makes this one such a treat. Live, it was even more off the chain - the titular "OH!" was practically screamed by Darren, Tom and Dede as they swayed and shook their respective booties in proper accordance with our own. Pure, unadulterated fun. Fuck yeah.
FINAL RATING (/10): 9
Their album drops in April and I'm wetting myself in excitement for it. Let's party.
Okay, let's do this one quickly. Here's a little off-kilter Christmas tune for you from a British band I'm not too familiar with (via The Music Slut). I'm going to ignore the fact the singer reminds me a little of Johnny Borrell and enjoy this tongue-in-cheek tune. "I'm spending Christmas at the scariest bar in my town!", he moans as sleigh bells rattle away underneath some subdued electric guitar work. "Another year, another round".
Oh yes, it's depressing. But the sound! It's just so damn appealing! And who doesn't enjoy a twist in the tale of their Christmas tune?
The British laptop rockers were unepxcted heroes of 2009's Big Day Out, playing just before The Prodigy in the boiler room and causing a massive stir whilst doing so. Nearly a year after these apperances, and fresh from the solo album from frontman Alexis Taylor, material has begun to surface from the band's forthcoming forth (see what I did there?) album, One Life Stand.
On offer for listening today is the title track. After a bit of a build-up, Taylor's vocals kick in...we're in familiar territory momentarily before being catapulted into space. With an army of synths, tripped out backing vocals and even those steel drums you always hear in Jamaican music that change the sound depending on where you hit them. And then, the glorious chorus makes its way in, and any bizarre behaviour is instantly forgiven. Momentarily, at least.
There are some redeeming qualities, but a lot more surrounding the track is in the realm of puzzling. The question that lingers is just where the band can possibly go with this sound. If this turns out to be a grower, then it looks like we'll have to quote the classic disco hit - "the only way is up". For now, though, I'm still not entirely sure.
FINAL RATING (/10): 6
One Life Stand is available now on iTunes, with the album arriving in early February. You can stream the song from YouTube below, and see what you think:
In today's effort to check out some music I'd never listened to before, I sussed out the first half of Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2009. In typical Pitchfork style, I'd heard maybe one out of every ten songs listed. What a great opportunity, I thought! So I decided then and there to start at the very beginning (which, if I remember my Julie Andrews, is a very good place to start).
Track #100 on their list was a very upbeat dubstep number entitled Aidy's Girl's a Computer (yeah, I thought it was a touch creepy, too); by a producer known as Darkstar, one of the recent signings to the very popular Hyperdub label in the UK. The song itself is glitchy and somewhat of a Crystal Castles-meets-Burial pastiche. Its next-level experimentation and surprisingly addictive melody - which features 8-bit and xylophone, together at last! - will at first polarise and confuse you as a listener. You can take either of two routes from here - try and forget Aidy's Girl never happened, or throw yourself into another overwhelming listen. Hopefully, you'll make the right choice.
FINAL RATING (/10): 8
Maybe if I'd gotten to it a little earlier in the year, it might have made my top 100? Who knows.
Enjoy the track through the joys of YouTube below:
The rest of Pitchfork's end-of-year lists are out over the course of this working week, for those of you playing at home. Will be interesting to see what takes out the top spots!
Having just blogged about 30 Seconds to Mars' comeback, we may as well discuss another return to the fold - Britain's fearless leaders of trip-hop, Massive Attack.
It's been nearly seven years since their last record, the coldly received 100th Window. After time in hibernation, the duo have re-emerged with talk of a new record, Heligoland, and a fucking cool guestlist scrawled onto a page next to it.
Amongst the guests are TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Elbow's Guy Garvey, Damon Albarn and, on here, Mazzy Star singer Hope Sandoval. By the way, Hope hasn't lost an inch of quality - she really is fantastic here. The beat is slow and sensual, like something Beth Gibbons forgot to put on Dummy, complete with syncopated handclaps, echoing glockenspiel and a walking bassline that smooths over the ambience. This all but leaves Sandoval to play seductress in a dirty-sex playground (fitting as hell, given the video), breathily working her way across the beat itself by a crawl. It's slow-paced, but it's one of the most engaging tracks the band have put their name to this side of Mezzanine.
FINAL RATING (/10): 8.5
If the rest of the album continues like this, we're going to have something pretty awesome on our hands. I LOVE new music!
So there I was, watching late night television with my girlfriend, worrying about how I hadn't yet heard a song that I'd never heard before that day. Thankfully, we were tuned into Later... With Jools Holland, who always has an array of brilliant guests on his show. Tonight was no exception, with Mr. Joe Brown taking to the stage (or, at least, the corner of it) with about four other guys to perform a song called Long Gone.
I'm going to be perfectly honest - maybe it was half-past-midnight talking, but this song hit me as a stroke of brilliance. It's bluegrass music in its truest form, played with precise skill and stunning five-part harmonies. The song's a simple my-woman-done-me-wrong number, but it's all done so effectively that you're just in awe of the skill all five of these musicians have.
Interestingly enough, I'd never heard of Joe Brown before this performance, either. Apparently, the guy's an MBE, was the best man at George Harrison's wedding and has worked in music, film and radio. All over a 51-year career! Fuck me, I've got some work to do.
FINAL RATING (/10): 9
This was a real treat to listen to. If you'd like to experience it the way I did, have a look-see on YouTube.
So this blog has seeming taken off already - and on an international basis, bizarrely enough. On Thursday afternoon, I received an email from a guy called Joe - who happens to play in a band called Billy Vincent.
As much as we'd like to kid ourselves otherwise, I doubt you'll have heard of us. We hope that will soon change though, and in an effort to help things on their way, we'll use many an excuse to point people in our direction. Hence me, here & now, suggesting you take one of our tracks as part of the project.
Proposition accepted; which lead me to the track Roses on MySpace.
The song has a sea-shanty sway with obvious folk and country influences, making for an interesting listen. The song waxes lyrical on melancholy and lonesome questioning such as "Where do you run to escape from your mind?", all the while keeping up a strangely upbeat catchiness. It's not overtly original sounding - Badly Drawn Boy, The Veils and even The View all come to mind. Even still, for fans of the alt-country movement, there's plenty to like about Roses.
FINAL RATING (/10):7.5
If you like what you hear, the band have put their debut album Stay On Course, No Remorse up on their website for freeeeeeeee! I know there's nothing you like more than free shit, so here you go. Take it. Go on!What have you got to lose?
Hi there! I'm David, a nineteen-year-old aspiring writer. I'm taking on the challenge of Josie Long's 100 Days project by listening to one song a day that I've never listened to before in my life. If you have any suggestions, feel free to email me: valkyriefasterlouder@gmail.com
Thanks for checking it all out!
