MIGHTY MADEON

Nothing too complicated here, just a simple, bonafied party anthem.

With Martin Solveig's vocals on the back of Madeon's crisp production it's another electronic song that showcases that there is probably not another country in the world that does big electro-house better than the French (Daft Punk, Justice, M83, SebastiAn, AutoKratz). It's hard to comprehend that Madeon is only 18 (just).

TA!

THEESATISFACTION

It seems like forever and a day since the likes of Jill Scott, Floetry, Lauryn Hill & India.Arie were all at the forefront of afrocentricity and neo-soul. The laid back rhythms and soulful melodies of this pure genre always carried a message and were such a positive response to commercial hip-pop and the R&B of the late 1990s and early 2000s. More importantly it showcased a whole load of good, honest music, but the neo-soul scene has been pretty quiet of late. 

Janelle Monáe has risen as the new soul princess in the last 18 months, while a recent Erykah Badu release showcases she is most definitely still the undisputed queen. Following in the beautiful steps as them are these two ladies from Seattle, THEESatisfaction.

The soulful duo have been making waves with there brand of soulful R&B mixed with conscious hip-hop production. What is for certain is that when listening to their first single "QueenS", it wasn't created for extensive commercial radio play. The natural, organic feel is clear to see straight from the start and it is extremely refreshing. Be sure that Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White and their THEESatisfaction project will be very very popular, whether they like it or not.

You can download "QueenS" for free using the player above :). And their debut album "awE naturalE" is released later this month and is sure to be a bit of cult classic.

Peace.

NAME THE ORIGINAL

Bastille, a south London quartet, have been making waves across the underground indie spectrum over the past 12 months. Their intricate & powerful, yet measured, style has created quite a buzz and although there hasn't been much in the way of releases, their album, due later this year, is sure to attract masses attention from critics.   

In the build to this untitled album, Bastille have recently put out a mixtape called "Other People's Heartache". As the title of this suggests it's a collection of other's tales of unfortunate love. Not only is it a great listen, it also shows the extremely high level of production that Bastille go for as well as showing off the vocal skills of lead singer Dan Smith. I've also heard that these guys are quite something live.

Now, Bastille have created quite a fun game with this mixtape:

Name The Original.

As you listen through the mixtape, you'll find yourself thinking "Oh wow! I haven't heard this song in years!" or "I'm sure I know this song from somewhere". So, whether you are alone or in a small group see if you can name the original song title AND the original artist of each song. You can give yourself 1 point for each piece of information you get right, if you like. In some of the songs on the mixtape Bastille have combined two or more covers together.

Answers are below the player. There are some sneaky covers in there. Enjoy! :)

P.S. Bastille are giving this mixtape away and you can download it for free from here

Answers:

1. What Is Love by Haddaway / We Found Love by Rihanna (4 points)

2. What Would You Do by City High (2 Points)

3. Blue Jeans by Lana Del Ray (2 Points)

4. The Rhythm Of The Night by Corona (2 points)

5. Titanium by David Guetta & Sia (3 points)

6. Love Don't Live Here by Rose Royce / Ms. Jackson by OutKast (4 points)

7. Laura Palmer by Bastille (2 points)

Maximum 19 points! If you got them all then you are awesome!!!!!!!
P.P.S: I more than likely have missed some of them/got some of them wrong so please let me know in the comments if I have made an embarrassing mistake.

Ta muchly!

SWAP SNOW FOR LEAVES

SPRING IS HERE!!!! Well nearly, it's trying its hardest to push winter back into its dark secluded corner. It may still be a little while before we all can sit out on fresh cut grass, in shorts and sunnies but signs are there.

The beautiful Michael Kiwanuka is a sure soundtrack to the future sunny afternoons and late evening barbecues. This track, Lasan, sees him teaming up with the impeccable Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys. A stunning soulful voice with the bluesy production is a match made in summer heaven.

BRING ON THE SUNNY DAYS.




Pe curând!

3 ARTISTS, 1 SONG

Every now and then a unexpected collaboration comes about. Out of nowhere random, distinctive artists come together. And it's awesome!

Thanks to Converse's musical blender project, 3 Artists, 1 Song, we have a stunning trio of Gorillaz, Andre 3000 (OutKast) and James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem). The result is DoYaThing and it works, beautifully! If ever to be a fly on the wall in that studio.

Probably a bit too much to demand a joint album to follow this or even a world tour. There's always hope though. But probably best just to appreciate this one off collaboration in all its glory.



This is also a free download! Either from the Converse website or by clicking here!

Enjoy!!!!!

MY CROOKED SAINT

Not so long ago you couldn't turn a radio on in the UK without hearing a brand new ukulele/banjo led band, storming mainstream radio shows with their old fashioned styled folk style mixed with new age stories. Although fads come and go from the pop charts, good music never does.

To Kill A King, hailing from Leeds, are a band who would probably fit quite comfortably into that nu-folk category mainly due to the low-pitched, story-telling style of the singer Ralph Pelleymounter. But really though, they are just a good, mellow, rock band with elements of folk, sounding a mixture of Noah and The Whale, Wild Beasts and The National.

Their only EP to date, My Crooked Saint, is a beaut and has built quite a lot of expectation for the full length album due for release later this year. For each of the songs on My Crooked Saint there is a short film that when played consecutively make a longer short film. Below is the whole EP in longer short film form:

I: Bloody Shirt
II: We Used to Protest / Gamble
III: Family
IV: Wrecking Crew

 

Hej då!

POLIÇA'S STAR FANS

"I hope we don't let him down."

This was the reply of POLIÇA's leading lady after hearing that Justin Vernon had recently dubbed her experimental band as the best he had EVER heard. Bon Iver's front man is not the only illustrious fan they have gained, before that Jay-Z posted about them on his own Life+Times blog.

Times must be very exciting for the Minnesota band even when you consider that POLIÇA only started as an experiment to see if two people's individual talents could converge and become successful.

I'm not going to try and pinpoint their sound in fear of sounding a bit wishy-washy but the stand out thing about their song "Lay Your Cards Out" is the haziness of it all. The live drums with the melancholic backing is perfect, and the whole thing complements the heavy use of auto-tune wonderfully (it's a really good, creative auto-tune. Not a crappy, T-Pain-y auto-tune). The song also features Mike Noyce from Bon Iver as a little treat.

Tschüss!!!

SUFFOLK & ALABAMA

Ed Sheeran is a machine. I swear he can't be real. For the last year or so he has been on the move, in different cities, different countries giving breathtaking performances, attending global award ceremonies. The man's work rate is just insane. And yet amongst this he has found time to link up with an emerging US rapper, Yelawolf, a brand new EP while his current LP is arguably in the peak of its success (His album "+" has just sold 1 million copies in the UK).

I don't know too much about Yelawolf himself apart from a track called Pop The Trunk. I know he is from Alabama, he's tatted up and he is signed to Eminem's Shady Records.

As a little Valentines gift the duo have given their Slumdon Bridge EP away for free. The first song, London Bridge, has been on constant repeat today, and will for a while.

Download it HERE!!! Or click the picture below.

Here is a little taster:

Peace Y'all,

A VALENTINE FOR VANESSA

I know that today is St. Val's day but I thought I would go against tradition and the consumerisms and give you a song with a video probably more suited to Halloween than any other western holiday.

Grimes is a creepy one. A Canadian with a dark pop sound, but to call it just that is probably not giving her enough credit. Her song Vanessa sounds like it could be used as promo for a horror film but her latest single Genesis could quite easily sit with the other quirky female acts out there (Lykke Li, Oh Land, Fever Ray). Below is the video for Vanessa, which doesn't quite match the song, it looks more like a video for a heavy metal/gothic song, but that definitely adds to the appeal.

And here is Genesis! (Available for a free download which is lovely)

 

  Grimes - Genesis by FACT magazine

Toodaloo!!

DEFINITION: A FACT OR A SECRET, THAT IS MADE KNOWN

Disclosure.

Here are two South London brothers that make bouncy, fun, electronic music. The key word is FUN. You can't help but dance and smile to either track on Disclosure's latest release. It's something about the looping harmonic vocals and infectious keys which brings a late 90s feel to it but the underlying heavy bass line definitely lets you know that these guys are very much part of the current scene. Both Tenderly and Flow can be added to the list of incredible electronic/dance tracks 2012 has already spat out.

Disclosure are touring the UK with SBTRKT (probably the leader in the re-emergence of the fun garage vibe) this year. That will be a party.

 

  Tenderly/Flow by Disclosure.

Hwyl Fawr!

EMELI SANDÉ + PEDESTRIAN = LOVE

                                                  

Love its infectious watery drums and bouncy tempo. Love Emeli Sandé’s haunting vocals. Love the way it makes me want to dance like no one’s watching AND sit and listen carefully at the same time. Love the dark emotive storytelling lyrics “He’s out your system, yea it took you a while. You got your family back and you got your smile”. Love that it’s a free song by a new exciting producer. 

JUST LOVE IT.

Emeli Sande - Daddy (Pedestrian Remix) by Pedestrian

P.S To download, click the little downward arrow on the player (just above on the right)

TaTa

SPEAKER'S PLAYLIST #2

Speaker's Playlist #2

STS #2 by A.O on Mixcloud

Here it is: #2!

It starts off with a little electro/indie number from Phantogram, a band who I don't think gets anywhere enough exposure in this country, seriously underrated. And once CSS add their blend of electro-pop the dancing begins.

Seems to be a lot of piano-led-dance stuff in here with Toddla T, The 2 Bears and Jamie xx. Star Slinger has created a remix which makes it "OK" to sing along to Rihanna and Michael Kiwanuka brings us in on the smoothest landing you'll ever experience. 

Enjoy!

INTRODUCING: LUCY ROSE...

Isn't she beautiful...

singles by Lucy Rose

This girl is going to be all over 2012!

To be honest, this girl needs no introduction...having already toured extensively, contributed incredible vocals to the wondrous Bombay Bicycle Club and (in the very near future) supporting Noah and his Whale on Mr. Fink's attempt at world domination.

Lucy made me fall in love. As effortless as she is, I'm sure I'm not the first.

xx

BLOC PARTY IS STILL BLOC PARTY!!

Wonderful News!!!!!!

Amidst all the speculation of non-reforming, disagreements between members and auditions for a new front man, Bloc Party put this picture out along a long with a short statement "Bloc Party is still Bloc Party. See you soon."

*PHEW*

What's even more exciting is that lead singer, Kele Okereke, confirmed last week that they are to release a new album this year. Yet another highly anticipated release to look forward to. 2012 is shaping up to be a great year!

Here is Bloc Party through the years. With every album comes a new sound that's always original yet shaded with Bloc. Who knows what the new stuff will sound like....

¡Chao!

LIKE DRAKE BUT WITHOUT LIL’ WAYNE (& GOOD)

The Weeknd. Been pretty slow on this guy. Heard so much positive talk about him but never quite got round to listening to him apart from a fantastic remix of Florence’s Shake It Out. What a little Canadian beauty!

He released his 3^rd free mixtape, Echoes of Silence, at the tail end of last year. His crooning R&B vocals are superbly complemented by his own echoic, off-beat, melancholic production. Chances are you have already heard this guy, either through his own stuff or through his label-mate Drake, for whom he has produced many a track. Unlike his fellow Canadian, he seems not to crave the limelight which in the modern R&B world is certainly refreshing.

Below is his version of Michael Jackson’s awesome Dirty Diana. Not many Michael Jackson covers are even a little bit good, not many people would even dare try. The Weeknd smashes it. If the future of R&B is this guy and Frank Ocean, I’m excited.

Oh, and all 3 mixtapes can be found here for free!

The Weeknd - D.D. by The_Weeknd

Bisous.

MY NAME IS JOHNNY DEPP & I KILL PEOPLE.

I'm not really Mr. Depp. I'm pretty sure that Scroobius Pip isn't either (although that would be a stunning revelation: the world's coolest pirate was actually a long bearded, expert wordsmith from Essex!).

Scroobius Pip is a legend, an underrated one at that. Doctor P just takes Pip's raw and insightful words and adds a bit of boom. Call it dubstep, brostep, bruvstep, mechanical-manufacturing-sounding-step, call it what you want, just make sure it's LOUD.

Scroobius Pip - The Struggle (Doctor P Mix)

Tee-Hee

MISS MISSISSIPPI ISABEL

Here is a man, a man with extraordinary hair. Hair that appears to defy gravity. It really is incredible and certainly compensates for the lack of any kind of crown. King Charles has been responsible for some of the catchiest songs of last year with Love/Lust and Bam Bam and just seems to keep them coming. Mississippi Isabel is the latest one as the fun, summery  indieness continues. His album will be fun!

Don’t be fooled, although it sounds like a happy tune, the lyrics suggest otherwise:

"I rode her on my bicycle, all the way in the rain.

She kissed me once, I took her out for lunch and she never kissed me again.”

It would sound to me as though Miss Mississippi Isabel is a cold hearted, unappreciative little so-and-so. Either that or the lunch was pretty dire.

Ta-RA!