This week's post ...

Chapel Club
Five Trees - Horrors Remix new single
I'm liking Chapel Club... very useful approach to experimenting ... 'O Maybe I' is a wonderful tune and here's the follow-up 'Five Trees' in a blistering guitar, bass and drum indie form and now in an excellent three minute Horrors electro mode remix... vocoder vocals.. excellent. Deserves Top Ten

Eminem
Not Afraid new single - digital 21 May 2010 : CD 14 June 2010
Eminem blasts back with his new single ‘Not Afraid’ on June 14. The digital single is available from May 21. The single, produced by Boi-1da, sees Eminem back to his lyrical best and shows why he is the most successful rapper of all time. Within hours of the single premiering on radio, the title became a trending topic on Twitter around the world. ‘Not Afraid’ is taken from the forthcoming album ‘Recovery’ due on June 21st. “I had originally planned for ‘Relapse 2’ to come out last year,” remarks Eminem. “But as I kept recording and working with new producers, the idea of a sequel to ‘Relapse’ started to make less and less sense to me, and I wanted to make a completely new album. The music on ‘Recovery’ came out very different from ‘Relapse’ and I think it deserves its own title.”
‘Recovery’, which will be Eminem’s seventh album release, includes an exciting list of first time collaborators, including DJ Khalil, Just Blaze and Jim Jonsin.

 

The Foxes
Depression, Joy & A Moment Of Fame new EP 17 May

I'm not sure these guys have a strong enough presence with and within these songs.... their album was on prominent display last year Tesco, Asda so I bought a copy but I've had not one request for the band... I'm not sure what's with it, perhaps it's just that the material doesn't cut through and make a big impression. Sorry ... UPDATE... whoops sorry again.. this time to The Foxes themselves... band member Nigel dropped us a line to clarify a few things...
"I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you very much for the mention on your website, but also to check you'd not confused us with another band. You said that our album had been on prominent display in Tesco's which confused me as we've not got an album out (we've only released three singles and the EP which is out today - all on our own label), nor have we ever been for sale in Tesco's!"
Hey Nigel, a case of mistaken identity for which I humbly apologise, I've been thinking of Sub Pop's Seattle based Fleet Foxes and their strange accoustic and chanty collection out in 2008... The Foxes offer in someways a similar accoustic mellow approach and we're happy to print their Press Release here...
The Foxes - “Depression, Joy and a Moment of Fame”
Release Date: 17th May 2010
Room 10 Records
The band might have been sleeping on friends’ floors and in their battered old van for the past two years but this EP belies their homelessness.
Having given up everything to get fully behind the band, they started their own record label and have been touring the UK, US and Europe ever since.
Producer John Cornfield (Muse, Razorlight, Supergrass, Oasis) invited them to record their first full-length album with him at the isolated Sawmills Studios in Cornwall, where the last part of the journey has to be completed by boat. These four songs represent a taster of what is to come later in the year.
Although gaining support from Radio One (Zane), Radio Two (Long, Lester) and Absolute, the edgy sound of their previous 3 UK singles (Trauma Town (UK Indie Chart #9), Bill Hicks (UK Indie Chart #6) and Lover, Killer) has developed into a warmer, richer sound with the addition of acoustic guitars, piano, and harmonies from all three singers. A UK tour from the end of April through to early July will see The Foxes hitting the road with what The Red Stripe Music Awards described as “An Awesome Set” – see www.thefoxesband.com for the up-to-date tour schedule.

Groove Armada
Just For Tonight / Look Me In The Eye Sister
new single
More quality tunes from Groove Armada and a brave attempt to gain a bigger slice of the pop pie by releasing a double A side single... however Glee Cast have that covered with two new entries per week lined up forever - and their not even singles... 'Lookm Me In The Eye Sister and it's mellow companion ' Just For Tonight' are among the best from Groove Armada however it's unlikely you'll see them in the top forty. Shame.

Night Bus
I Wanna Be You new single
"This is an emergency..." a swirling menage of lurve... 'I Wanna Be You' is Night Bus's crack at a 125bpm dancefloorfilling pop hit and with a little luck should pick up some important mainstream radio airplay... good tune... hit possibility.

Republica
Ready To Go 2010 new single 7 June 2010
Safron... nice! Republica back in business thirteen years since 'ready To Go' first top tenned. Here's a much beefier remix, enhanced drum sound somewhat chunkier bass.. deserves a top ten re-run. Good tune big remix!

Sage Francis
Best Of Times / Love The Lie new single
From Providence, Rhode Island, USA... Sage Francis and ... well.. chewing over the words, reflecting on some heart felts from Francis, it's kinda similar to Baz Luhrman's 1999 number one and I don't like to mention it Les Crane's 1972 interpretation of the centuries old 'Desiderata'. Sage certainly has novelty value but I'm not sure it can cut through in this brash new techno world... a maybe? Here's the PR... "The song, entitled “Best Of Times,” features a stark and introspective narrative by FRANCIS which gradually evolves into a potent treatise on individualism and resilience. Sample lyric: ”Don't listen when they tell you that these are your best years/Don't let anybody protect your ears/It's best that you hear what they don't want you to hear/It's better to have pressure from peers than not have peers.” This vivid lyricism has been powerfully enlivened by an evocative musical landscape created by noted French multi instrumentalist and composer Yann Tiersen, known for his post punk influenced avant-garde classical works as well as his many film soundtracks. This surprising yet effective partnership between vanguard rapper and visionary classical composer, while initially unorthodox, seems to have inspired a truly compelling and special work. Check out 'The Best Of The Times', and the superb B-side 'Love The Lie'!"

Tiffany Page
On Your Head new single
Fresh from UK tour support for Courtney Love and Hole here comes raunchy Tiffany Page... nice track, catchy tune, accomplished vocals, neat arrangement... wandering bassline... very nice. Miss Page is signed to Mercury and could become a major artist for them. A strong follow-up to the determined 'Walk Away Slow'... Good record.

Tinie Tempah
Frisky - Remixes new single 7 June 2010
Like it or not, Tinie Tempah, Dizzee, Chippiemunk, Roll Deep, Taio have each helped London's Ghanaian crew take a gigantic leap forward to sieze UK mainstream success. Grime... is usually uncompromising unless there's dosh top be earned by going pop... Tinie avoids that dilemma completely on the 'Fu*k Me' remix of 'Frisky'... hands in knickers 'n all. This surely will be another 'Pass Out' like dancefloor filler and possibly a second chart-topper for the man known to his Ma as Patrick Junior C. Okogwu.

We Are Scientists
Nice Guys new single 7 June 2010
Anothere thumping three minute indie pop rock excursion from the excellent We Are Scientists and ctachy enough to head top twenty.... With "Nice Guys," the second single from their forthcoming album "Barbara", We Are Scientists continue their colonization of sub-three-minute pop rock in 2010. Weighing in at just two minutes fifty-four seconds, "Nice Guys" limbos comfortably under that temporal ceiling that critics call 'The Altitude of Icarus' and fans poo-poo as 'too goddamn long for me, with everything I've got to do before bed.' W.A.S. pull off this smash-and-grab timing by focusing on the basics: guitar, bass, and drums. We will take their cue: The single is due for release on June 7th, preceding the bands third studio album "Barbara", which is out on June 14th.

Wolfmother
Far Away
Here's a new track added to Wolfmother's 'Cosmic Egg' set and released as their new single... "Already shown to be a live favourite, Wolfmother unleash the love ballad from second album Cosmic Egg. With its soaring chorus, introspective lyrics & twinkling keys, Stockdale has created another anthem. Far Away will be released on June 21st through Modular Records. Additionally Andrew Stockdale features on Slash’s new solo album – more specifically, on the first single entitled “By The Sword” – Slash’s album has just been released (May 10th) and is currently #2 on US iTunes!"

This week's Top 40 ...

Top 40 Sun 9 May10 Roll Deep hold on to UK Number One while the UK's runner-up Usher's 'Oh My Gosh' complete with it's soccer chant chorale ready for the South African World Cup goes top Stateside. Singles chart-topper and X-Factor semi-finalist Diana Vickers goes straight to the top of the UK Album Chart with her 'Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree'. 7 new entries - 6 up, 22 down, 5 non-movers This Week ... Last Wk ... Wks In ... Artist ... Title ... Origin 1 1 2 ROLL DEEP Good Times UK 2 2 7 USHER & WILL I AM OMG US 3 4 6 PLAN B She Said UK 4 new PENDULUM Watercolour Aus 5 new AGGROS SANTOS & KIMBERLY WYATT Candy US 6 10 5 TAIO CRUZ & KE$HA Dirty Picture UK / US 7 5 3 CHIPMUNK & ESMEE DENTERS Until You Were Gone UK 8 4 3 DIANA VICKERS Once UK 9 6 4 PROFESSOR GREEN Need You Tonight UK 10 9 4 KELIS Accapella US   11 7 7 SCOUTING FOR GIRLS This Ain't A Love Song UK 12 38 2 JASON DeRULO Ridin' Solo US 13 8 7 TIMBALAND & JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Carry Out US 14 new FYFE DANGERFIELD She's Always A Woman UK 15 11 14 LADY GAGA & BEYONCE Telephone US 16 34 2 ALEXANDRA BURKE&PITBULL All Night Long UK / US 17 13 10 TINIE TEMPAH Pass Out UK 18 18 9 JUSTIN BIEBER & LUDACRIS Baby US 19 15 7 DAVID GUETTA & KID CUDI Memories France / US 20 12 4 SELENA GOMEZ & THE SCENE Naturally US   21 28 2 LADY ANTEBELLUM Need You Now US 22 36 2 TRAIN Hey Soul Sister US 23 31 2 ALICIA KEYS Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart US 24 19 15 RIHANNA Rude Boy US 25 new SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR Bittersweet UK 26 17 8 INNA Hot Rumania 27 24 11 FLORENCE & THE MACHINE Dog Days Are Over UK 28 21 11 ELLIE GOULDING Starry Eyed UK 29 22 15 YOUNG MONEY & LLOYD Bedrock US 30 new RIHANNA Te Amo US   31 20 6 N-DUBZ Say It's Over UK 32 30 18 ALICIA KEYS Empire State Of Mind (Part 2) US 33 26 2 MARINA & THE DIAMONDS I Am Not A Robot UK 34 23 11 JASON DeRULO In My Head US 35 33 16 OWL CITY Fireflies US 36 16 2 GLEE CAST Like A Prayer US 37 new KEVIN RUDOLPH, BIRDMAN & JAY SEAN I Made It US 38 25 13 CHERYL COLE Parachute UK 39 39 2 ADAM LAMBERT For Your Entertainment US 40 new BIFFY CLYRO Bubbles UK

How Gordon... Posted Tuesday 11th May 2010 - Source BBC News Is it 'Sustainable' that minorities seem to have perfected to a fine art the habit of bullying the majority? Our forthcoming 'Double Dip' must be thinking of recession accelerating... As we wait to learn just how low the Liberal Democrat national leadership will stoop on their Proportional Representation self interest first manoeuvres... it all seems too familiarly tacky here... so similar to their Cardiff City Council Branch (sorry County Council) and their 'holy' union with the Party of Wales - Plaid Cymru - the party in the Welsh Assembly Coalition Government that last week was backed by an almighty 10% of Welsh voters... ... and "How Gordon Brown..." as the BBC's Politics honcho Laura Kuenssberg said of our international hero Prime Minister when he finally announced his resignation... for September! At this rate he could still be PM after the next election... a second 2010 election appearing ever more likely... British Constitution experts seem to be suggesting the Queen does not have to accept Brown's advice on who to appoint PM... as The Specials said of Mrs Thatchers policies all those years ago (29) "People getting angry". The 2010 Election Top Ten Position - Party - Number of Votes 1 Tories 10,683,787 2 Labour 8,604,358 3 Liberal Democrats 6,827,938 4 UK Independence Party 917,832 5 British National Party 563,743 6 Scottish National Party 491,386 7 Green Party 285,616 8 Sinn Fein 171,942 9 Democratic Unionist 168,216 10 Plaid Cymru 165,394 America's Hot 100 This Week ... Last Week ... Weeks In ... Artist ... Title 1 6 5 USHER & WILL I AM OMG 2 1 14 B.o.B. & BRUNO MARS Nothin' On You 3 2 12 RIHANNA Rude Boy 4 3 10 TAIO CRUZ Break Your Heart 5 4 38 LADY ANTEBELLEM Need You Now 6 5 31 TRAIN Hey, Soul Sister 7 9 3 B.o.B. & HAYLEY WILLIAMS of PARAMORE Airplanes 8 8 12 KE$HA Your Love Is My Drug 9 7 21 JASON DERULO In My Head 10 12 16 JAY-Z & Mr HUDSON Young Forever Pop Rocks RnB Posted Thursday 6th May 2010 - Source BBC News Lady GaGa, Cheryl Cole and La Roux have helped pop overtake rock as the best-selling music genre in the UK. Some 33.5% of singles sold in 2009 were classed as pop by the Official Charts Company (OCC) - up from 28% in 2008. A further 18.9% were R&B, including JLS, Beyonce, Dizzee Rascal under the OCC's guidelines. Almost 9% came from hip-hop acts like the Black Eyed Peas. But rock's share slumped from 31% to 24.5% - led by Rage Against the Machine, Kings of Leon and Kasabian.