When you spend a lot of your time surfing the unsigned music wave you don’t necessarily see that many potential pop artists. Rightly or wrongly you have this perception they are all created in some Cowell-powered Frankenstien Pop Laboratory. Well RONIKA seems to be the organic homemade anecdote to the genetically modified manufactured pop we’re used to. Great voice, looks good and has some fabulous tunes. The Gospel Disco of ‘Radio Love’ prob my fav so far.
DIZZEE RASCAL has another number one on the way. If it stays as hot as it is now we will be hearing ‘Holiday’ all summer long.
The souful hiphop vibes of B.O.B. sounded fabulous when fate positively conspired to bring them to my ears just as the sun made a not frequent enough appearance over the weekend just gone. If you like the old skool hiphop stuff from peeps like J5 and Arrested Development your ears will enjoy ‘Put Me On’.
Swap soulful for its close cousin chilled and we have a ‘kinda-apt’ description for the new NOAH AND THE WHALE track. ‘Blue Skies’ has a real gruff, chilled groove to it that I like a lot.
Now lets meet another cousin of soulful that being naughty cousin funk. Always loved THE HEAVY on Brand Nu, very excited to hear a new album is on the way and really enjoying the first track ‘Sixteen’, these guys were born to groove.
About ten mins into this weeks Bobby and Nihal show on Radio One is an incredibly unique track, imagine the orchestral vibes of the Proms at the Albert Hall but in Delhi instead performing a track written 24 hours ago not back in 1884. Check out the PATHAAN SPAGHETTI EASTERN Remix of Stereo MC’s ‘Gringo’. Totally unique, thanx 4 the heds up chaps.
Speaking of Radio Discoveries Radio One and Xfm seemed to quite understandably be battling out for the exclusive first play on the new BLOC PARTY track. The BP boys seem to keep changing their mind as to how much they embrace this dance floor (as well as who they wanna give the first plays), well this gives Chicago House a Big Bear Hug, like your piano riffs and you’ll love ‘One More Chance’.
I’m really feeling the gritty take em from behind down a dark alley indie funk vibes of THE ETTES. ‘ No Home’ is the ultimate example of a musical bit of rough. Damn this track makes me feel dirty!
MAYER HAWTHORNE is a new artist to me is he to you? Certainly not to Mark Ronson who’s radio show rip is on Mayer’s myspace. If you can listen to the MySpace blind folded, let that voice on ‘Maybe So, Maybe No’ paint an image in your mind and then see what a square Mayer looks like! This man could do more for the rep of the square than anyone since Lisa Simpson, ahh actually did she do good or bad??
I was sure we’d done a heads up on the Pop-Hop antics of KID BRITISH before but the Brand Nu search feature disagrees, so let me warn thee you’ll be hearing ‘Our House Is Dadless’ all summer long, no seriously you will. Awesome now destined to do our respective heads in come September (and probably their’s too).
KILL IT KID continue the tradition (hinted above) of every new band evolving out of the UK needing to have the word ‘kid’ in it, till recently I hadn’t realised what an inspiring effect young goats had on musicians of our country. Now that ignorance has been addressed that inspiring influence comes through loud and not so clear on the one moment White Stripes-Esque brash, the next Fleet Foxes-Esque vulnerable ‘Burst Its Banks’. This is a top tune!
I love how different the two tracks I most want to share with you from my weekend are. COOLY G’s ‘Love Dub’ is one of the most blissed out, chilled out pieces of New Music I have heard in 2009, factor some sunshine in and you’re in New Music Utopia.
On a totally different vibe but just as special to my ears is the TEDDYBEARS Remix of the Bee Gees (yes you read that right the Bee Gees) and their seminal disco record ‘Stayin Alive’. I know you don’t wanna believe me but it’s awesome! Check it out pronto amigo.
Now please don’t feel like sloppy thirds BENIN CITY. I’m really feeling your beats, particularly this track ‘Work’. I’m just not yet aware of your fabulous facial hair hence the understandable Bee Gees priority, irony being your track is arguably even funkier than that disco classic.
