this week's post ...
Burningpilot
Accelerate new single
"You're moving too slow, you're off the pace.." lyrics which set the tone for another unusual record. This is quite dancey at 120bpm's and a spoken word tune which is fairly accesible over a straight guitar based rhythm track. It always sounds appealing to me, there's quite an art to it don't you know. the Pursuit Of Happiness and A House mastered it, Flobots and erm possibly The Beatles on tunes like 'I Am the Walrus' and 'Yellow Submarine' although they had the disadvantage of strong melody too. Nevertheless Burningpilot should pick up some deserved airplay with this, that's a catchy hook that "you're off the pace .. "
Dana Nana Aykroyd
Pink Sabbath new single 6 October
DNA are on tour with Johnny Foreigner and are about to record their debut album in New York City with Machine of Fall Out Boy, Lamb Of God and Every Time I Die credits. 'Pink Sabbath' begins with grungey guitars at a medium 92bpm before ripping into a noisy paced up 190bpm, short sharp and not sweet but loud enough to be noticed. Track two 'Chrome Rainbow' sounds remarkably similar, like Motorhead on speed if that's possible
Detroit Socail Club
Rivers & Rainbows / Silver new single 27 October
A steady, gruesome slab of 90bpm Newcastle "I swear I'll always need you" leads the chorus on Detroit Social Club's debut single 'Rivers & Rainbows'. 'Silver' has a funky dark bass feel again with a very unusual atmosphere complimented by harmonic and a brief repetitious guitar line, vocals spoken as in a church prayer, very bizarre. Written and produced by David Burn at The Garage and mixed by Mike Crossley at Miloco, a stand-out from the pack
David Guetta & Chris Willis
Tomorrow Can Wait new single 27 October
'F**k Me David Guetta's Famous' and more so with the third hit single from his album 'Pop Life' Five mixes here produced by Tocadisco and again featuring the superb vocals of Chris Willis should see The Eggman easily hatch a Top Twenty floorfiller (sic). 'Love Is Gone' has clocked up 20 million views on YouTube so watch ouyt for this, here in five mixes The Tocadisco Evil Mix, The Arias Seat Ibiza Remix, The Sharam DG Edit and the three minute Radio and six minute Club versions. Brilliant
Fall Out Boy
I Don't Care new single 20 October
Yeah another great tune bodes well for their new album. A chunky 135bpm, I can almost hear a little Depeche Mode Personal Jesus Riffing here. It's got great Top Five potential even though after hitting number forty on downloads alone last week it's dropped back a little this week.
Flobots
Fight With Tools new album 29 September
An awesome work of art, a thirteen chaptered book cleverly assembled into thirteen politcal representations. Well these guys are sitting high up another four places to 14 on the top twenty, their debut album released this week. Politics and music, love songs all part of the tapestry of pop, Flobots have just supported Rage Against The Machine at the Democratic National Convention ... aren't Rage signed to Sony? And Flobots are signed to Island. I was just reading some internet gib on Hollywood importing The Beatles to America in the wake of JFK's death to further the work started by Elvis of unravelling America's 'pure' pre-rock n roll lifestyle with some evil ends. As Agatha Christie said "they ever will believe the lie, those who see with not through the eye". 'Fight With Tools' is like a new Rage / Disposable Heroes album, political and very wordy from start to finish. Titles like 'Same Thing', 'Combat', 'We Are Winning', 'Your Mind', 'Stand Up' and title track 'Fight With Tools' .... Take 'Mayday' - "US is not US and US is not we and we are not satisfied, we are tired of the same thing and we're ready to make change ... " The only lyric missing on 'Mayday' is Vote Obama. Then there's UK bonus track 'Iraq' for which perhaps for reasons of space no lyric sheet is provided. This is strong stuff very clever, I hope it's not misguided, and leading up to what would be an enormnous disappointment. If you think McCain's the man for the job you'll probably hate it, but Barack is ahead in the polls and Flobots 'Handlebars' is up another four places to 14 on the top twenty. An essential album
Honey Ryder
Fly Away Remixed new single 6 October
Honey Ryder aka London based Martyn Shone and Lindsay O'Mahoney scored a surprise top thirty success with their debut single 'Numb' a couple of months back and now they're set to release their debut album 'Rising Up' on 13 October. 'Fly Away' comes in eight fine mixes from Papercuts, Fat Buddah, Howlin Wolf, the 132bpm Ortega Gold & Vocal and our favoured mix - The 129bpm MHC Vocal. Top Twenty this time?
Jeremy Warmsley
Dancing With The Enemy new single 15 September
Indie Folk Rocker Jeremy will be at Cardiff Barfly Mad4it on Friday 10th October to purvey his eccentric humour and arrangements. 'Dancing With The Enemy' is wonderfully titled and a kind of a plinkety plonk piano rasping up to 128bpm with intimate vocals and arrangement. "The video depicts a love affair between a German soldier and a young English woman on the channel islands during World War II. The song itself was inspired by a history book that depicted such controversial relationships that often arose during this time. Some English families were obliged to accommodate German soldiers in their houses. Whilst shamed by their communities "dancing with the enemy' sets out to celebrate such an affair as a triumph of love over circumstance. The video was also intended to be comedic and to satirise the the lunacy of war (for example the self mockery of the goose stepping), as well as being romantic and touching". Then there's the unusual topics of 'My Void' and the near six minute epic 'My Grandmother'. An aquired taste I imagine Jools Holland will be warming too. A great story song with a great vid for £500, see it here
The Kills
Tape Song / Cheap & Cheerful Remixes
new single 3 November
'Cheap & Chearful' originally released as a single back in March comes in a couple of remixes here. At around 129bpm, the Sebastian Remix is inyaface and well groovy, the Fake Blood mix is not quite as 'pop'. Great duo, The Kills played at one of our nights five years back, these remixes hopefully available commercially soon with their new single 'Tape Song' due on 3 November
Ladyhawke
Ladyhawke new album 22 September
This is a brilliant debut packed with possible singles ... 'Magic', 'Manipulating Woman', 'My Delirium', 'Professional Suicide' ... 'Back Of The Van, ... 'Dusk Til Dawn' I really like this lady, Pip Brown from New Zealand. A great upbeat collection with five of the thirteen songs produced by Pascal Gabriel of S-Express, Kylie, New Order, Bomb The Bass production credit. The excellent single 'Paris Is Burning' is included - it's a four and nine tenths out of five star performance
MIA
Kala album released March 08
Much interest in MIA now Paper Planes has scored such massive success in the USA and now at number 19 in the UK. A strangely favourable result perhaps for a Sri Lankan lady, daughter of a Tamil Tiger who moved to Britian in childhood studied art, returned to Sri Lanka and moved to New York to start a new life and family. At 31 years of age, she's right on the edge mixing political thought with the 'pop' sound. 'Paper Planes' is a strange montage of unease, appealing and appalling at the same time. This is a powerful lady with some powerful ideas ---
Robots In Disguise
The Tears new single 8 September
We love The Robots, they played a great set at Mad4it a little while back. Check www.xplosure.com/robots.shtml to see the pics. This is a fine single, sooner or later they'll be top forty, maybe The Tears will crack it
Sash
The Best Of Sash new album 20 October
Wow it's ten years since 'Encore Une Fois' and 'Equador' and here comes a best of with a difference. These great hits are now followed by updated mixes for 2008 and each one is a gem. For 'Encore' Sash has taken a leaf out of Basshunter's book and the track now chugs along at 140bpm and features a song 'Raindrops' sung by Stunt, a surefire Top Tenner. Then there's a powering 128bpm Javi Mula and Joan Reyes remix of 'Equador', Cedric Gervais (no relation to Ricky) remixes 'Stay' again 128bpm and an absolutely superb 130bpm Static Shokx remix of 'La Prima Vera'. Tina Cousins is again in evidence on the 7th Heaven remix of Mysterious Ways, again a chunky new rhythm track and Tina's voacls make it once again a strong hit contender. Tasty DJ beats from Sash all over again - BIG!
Team Waterpolo Cool
So Called Summer new single 27 October
Preston band Team Waterpolo have plenty of UK tour dates lined up, they play at Cardiff Barfly on Thursday 9 October. An unusual off-beat pop sound to this and a great title. Team Waterpolo with 'So Called Summer' on YoYo Acapulco Records sounds just about right, a stand-out track that could win airplay and become a surprise hit
VV Brown
Crying Blood Remixes new single 3 November
'Crying Blood' is a fine pop song now with four new mixes good to go. Favourite here is the 144bpm Andrew Weatherall mix, he's kind of muddied it up and added a weird bassline. Also included are The Moody Boyz Remix and Dub and a 127bpm mix by Hannah Holland. Great
Young Rival
Your Island new EP
From Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Young Rival have recorded this new six track EP in Haboken, New Jersey once home to Frank Sinatra. With a certain different something in their style, six songs recorded at Dubway Studios include the 150bpm 'Your Island' at 2'10", 'Poisonous Moves' at 136bpm and 2'40". The catchy 140bpm 'Too Hip' with it's lush bassline, finale the 132bpm 'The Haunt' has an intriguing accoustic intro before winding up to 132bpm. This is a good slice of work, some interesting songs and worthy of attention