My GangNew New Musical Express - January 2009
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 1 Jan 2009, 17:07
BBC Sound of 2009
1 January 2009
The best new bands and singers have been selected by some of Britain's most influential tastemakers as part of the BBC's Sound of 2009 search.
More than 130 pundits named their favourite three new artists and the tips were counted. A longlist of 15 was published in December and the top five artists will be revealed from Monday.
Before that, a selection of the experts explain why they love the acts they picked. They also reveal the underrated albums they want to break through in 2009, and which established acts we will be enjoying in the next 12 months.
Peter Robinson, Popjustice.com
George Ergatoudis, Radio 1
James Curran, Absolute Radio
Mistajam, BBC 1Xtra
Alex Miller, Vice magazine
Conor McNicholas, NME
Alison Howe, Later... With Jools Holland
Paul Rees, Q magazine
Mike Walsh, Xfm
Mark Adams, Box Television
PETER ROBINSON, POPJUSTICE.COM EDITOR
Favourite new acts
Little Boots
Victoria Hesketh is the perfect pop star. She knocks out great tunes and takes her music seriously while celebrating the giddy heights of pop at its best. As a result, she understands pop in a way that puts her miles ahead of her nearest rivals.
Julian Perretta
Julian's got a brilliantly expressive and quintessentially English songwriting style in the tradition of The Kinks and David Bowie, and since signing to Columbia in 2008 things seem to have been taking shape for a bright 2009. Great hair as well.
Frankmusik
British male singer-songwriters make beige music which can't set pulses racing. Frankmusik is the solution - astonishingly talented, he has teamed up with Madonna and Killers producer Stuart Price for a stylish, modern and human debut album full of potential hits.
Most underrated album of 2008
Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke. Every year there's an artist whose lack of overnight success confuses and upsets me. In 2008, it was Ladyhawke. Her album is a romantic, atmospheric and sometimes lonely-sounding album which deserves a big push.
Best returning artist for 2009
Pet Shop Boys' new album Yes is produced with Xenomania. The duo who defined pop in the 20th Century and the hit-house who redefined it in the 21st. The album is a phenomenal return to form.
Popjustice.com
CONOR MCNICHOLAS, NME EDITOR
Favourite new acts
The Soft Pack (formerly The Muslims)
This tip came through just as a band name from a mate, but hearing the first 20 seconds ofParasites on their MySpace gave me goose bumps. It's alternately perky and dirty and done with a swagger few UK bands ever seem to pull off.
Empire of the Sun
I hated Empire of the Sun at first. It sounded over-played, over-produced and over-thought. But relentless spins on the NME stereo has made me fall for their lush '80s sound. The tracks throb and glow. Will be one of the albums of the year, no doubt.
Florence and The Machine
There's no-one to touch Florence right now. She might be barking but she's more rock 'n' roll than the rest of the scene put together and she's got the tunes and the voice to back it up. An inspiration.
Most underrated album of 2008
Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel. This was one of my albums of the year but it never completely connected. I love the combination of out-there tunes with hard, danceable grooves. They ripped it up at Reading but it's still all waiting to happen.
Best returning artist for 2009
Don't tell me Blur aren't going to start recording new stuff. Damon and Graham just can't stop writing and now they're playing live together again it can't help but happen. Album for Christmas 2009?
NME.com
GEORGE ERGATOUDIS, BBC RADIO 1 HEAD OF MUSIC
Favourite new acts
Dan Black
The minute I heard his track HPNTZ I knew this guy was special. His debut album combines yearning vocals with super melodic pop hooks and exciting, ultra-contemporary production. I love it.
Passion Pit
This band stood out straight away for me. Sonically they fall somewhere between MGMT and Hot Chip - alt rock electronica? And they're writing great songs. Rock fans will love them and dance fans will too. I predict they'll be festival favourites in 2009.
Carolina Liar
Their debut album is packed with strong melodic rock/pop songs with hints of The Fray and The Killers. It boasts fantastic production from Max Martin and lead singer Chad Wolf is blessed with a tremendous emotive voice. This is just waiting to blow up.
Most underrated album of 2008
The King Blues - Save The World, Get The Girl. It was refreshing to find an act with something to say and the ability to write great melodic songs. I don't necessarily agree with their politics, but I admire them. Their time may yet come.
Best returning artist for 2009
There are some serious contenders, but Green Day have to be top of the list.
BBC Radio 1
ALISON HOWE, PRODUCER, LATER... WITH JOOLS HOLLAND
Favourite new acts
Little Boots
Imagine if Debbie Harry had come from Blackpool and played the synthesiser. 2009 looks set to be dominated by the sound of electropop and Ms Boots should be one if its stars with her wonderfully catchy pop songs.
VV Brown
She continues the trend of today's girls, borrowing from the '60s, but VV takes it in a purely pop direction. She's talented, bright, infectious and, refreshingly, she isn't surrounded by teams of producers and writers.
White Lies
In the boys with guitars department, 2008 belonged to the US. White Lies should turn the tide back to the UK in 2009. With their epic and soaring songs, atmospheric shows and nod to the likes of Editors and Joy Division, they should have a successful year.
Most underrated album of 2008
Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires. Brilliant live and with a sound that was fun and refreshing from a UK group, I hope they get a second look in 2009.
Best returning artist for 2009
I am looking forward to the return of Franz Ferdinand and Green Day this year.
Later... with Jools Holland
JAMES CURRAN, ABSOLUTE RADIO HEAD OF MUSIC
Favourite new acts
Jersey Budd
I love Jersey's down-to-earth charm and love of good old-fashioned songwriting. You can hear classic Springsteen and Mellencamp influences all over his music. Kasabian are big fans of this Leicester native, which is a big recommendation indeed.
Florence and The Machine
Our presenter Geoff Lloyd picked Dog Days Are Over as his single of the week and the following week we added it to the playlist. I love the complex song construction and stunning vocals. It is adventurous but it works on radio too.
Nick Harrison
For someone brought up on the 2 tone magic of The Specials, Selecter and The Beat, I love Nick's refreshing approach to ska music. He gives it a contemporary twist - basically because he writes great songs.
Most underrated album of 2008
Panic at the Disco - Pretty Odd. This is an adventurous mix of alternative, country, Americana and vaudeville with Beatle-esque nuances. Their usually loyal fanbase were left bewildered but every time I play it to people, they fall in love with its whimsy.
Best returning artist for 2009
An obvious choice but it would have to be U2. They are still one of the greatest bands in the world and their recorded output has been of a consistently high standard. To have maintained a career at the top, approaching 30 years, is a huge achievement.
Absolute Radio
PAUL REES, Q MAGAZINE EDITOR
Favourite new acts
Broken Records
One of those bands you hear and either don't get or fall in love with completely. I fall very much into the latter camp - they have a sound that's as evocative as a lot of the great new American folksy rock music of the past year or two.
White Lies
Lots of newish bands have tried to take that icy melodic, Joy Division-esque sound and run with it but most of them have forgotten the need for great songs. White Lies haven't, which makes them stand out.
VV Brown
Great voice, great look, ready-made star. Simple as that.
Most underrated album of 2008
The Gaslight Anthem (The '59 Sound) made the best song-for-song record of the year by far, and My Morning Jacket (Evil Urges) served up a modern masterpiece, and both deserve to have been both bought and acclaimed far more widely.
Best returning artist for 2009
That'll be U2 with their No Line On The Horizon album and the attendant tour. I've been fortunate enough to hear a number of the tracks slated for the album, and there's a real sense that this is the best thing they've done since Achtung Baby.
Q magazine
MISTAJAM, BBC 1XTRA DJ
Favourite new acts
Master Shortie
Rather than the typical grime MC you'd expect a 19-year-old black kid from the streets of London to be, he's a little bit indie, a little bit hip-hop, a little bit electro but very relevant, now and damn good! 2009 sees the release of his debut album ADHD.
Soda Boys
A collective of arty creatives from across the world - think Basement Jaxx meets Daft Punk in a London '80's hip-hop, reggae and soul night. They merge the dance and black music worlds perfectly.
Kid Cudi
Has been making waves in the underground hip-hop scene for the past year. His natural sound is quality hip-hop with soulful tendencies and as he's worked with Kanye West on his album. Kanye is returning the favour on Cudi's album and has signed him.
Most underrated album of 2008
Jazmine Sullivan - Fearless. Mixing R&B, dance, reggae, jazz and classical influences with a hefty slab of soul, it was fresh yet familiar - innovative yet unpretentious. The album deserved to be a success both in the UK and US. A brilliant journey album.
Best returning artist for 2009
We've been promised Dr Dre's much fabled Detox album, but ms dynamite is a safer yet still exciting prospect. After disappearing from the public eye to raise her kids, she's back and is starting again with some real hits with great crossover potential.
BBC 1Xtra
MIKE WALSH, XFM HEAD OF MUSIC
Favourite new acts
White Lies
I love bands that create their own world and, although the influences are pretty clear, this album still sounds very fresh. Most importantly, however, the songs already feel stadium-sized.
The Temper Trap
This is a band with a unique and expansive sound that have a singer with a stunning voice and some of the most seductive songs you will hear all year. They also nail it live and will engage both press and radio with equal enthusiasm.
Run Toto Run
Run Toto Run is the band built around Manchester singer-songwriter Rachel Kitchenside. She writes some of the most beautiful and interesting songs - definitely one to keep an eye on.
Most underrated album of 2008
The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound. This has received some good press but that is just the tip of the iceberg. They will be the word-of-mouth success story of 2009.
Best returning artist for 2009
Liam Frost and Sam Isaac are two great British singer-songwriters who will deservedly make 2009 their year.
Xfm
ALEX MILLER, VICE MAGAZINE
Favourite new acts
The Big Pink
They're the dark underbelly of the top London scene. There's an obvious Velvet Underground obsession that sounds really cruel and horrible but with a soulful subtlety. They're going to be both the big art-school success of the year and the critics' choice.
Titus Andronicus
They paraphrase WH Auden, mention Brueghel and open their album with quotes from Titus Andronicus, the play. The poetry and romance are coupled with dangerous shambolic rock 'n' roll that reminds me of The Libertines.
Fan Death
They've got a bunch of work to do but no-one's got more hooks. Every song I've heard is potentially massive and it's only going to take two banging remixes and everyone's going to fall in love with them. Plus, lead singer Dandi Wind is a super cool chick.
Most underrated album of 2008
Cass McCombs - Dropping The Writ. I'm normally wary of folk but he's got a great sense of non-conformist songwriting. It's honest, contemporary and still folk. It was a bit of PR away from being every person's favourite "intellectual" album this year.
Best returning artist for 2009
A friend has heard Klaxons' second album and said it's fantastic. They did really exciting things a couple of years ago and more than anyone are poised to make an incredible return. If they do it properly they can prove that pop music isn't necessarily dead.
Vice Magazine UK
MARK ADAMS, BOX TV HEAD OF MUSIC
Favourite new acts
Lady Gaga
Just Dance is a great single but the album is full of hit singles. She is also working with the world's contemporary hitmakers, so the A list surely beckons.
VV Brown
She has a totally fresh approach to pop songs - the commercial appeal of Kate Nash with the credible box still firmly ticked.
All Time Low
American pop punk bands are often overlooked in these polls, but these guys have great songs and a terrific album - expect success similar to Paramore in 2009.
Most underrated album of 2008
Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop Drop and Roll!!! A cracking album that leaves any listener salivating for a whole lot more.
Best returning artist for 2009
I'm an obsessive Green Day fan and frankly new material from these guys gets me very excited. Also it's been nearly five years in the making so it should be an absolute corker.
Box TV
Source: BBC
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 1 Jan 2009, 17:09
Music labels, websites tussle over music videos
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 1 Jan 2009, 17:12
Project Playlist inks Sony deal, gets booted from Facebook
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 1 Jan 2009, 17:15
Last.fm founder's 'reactive music' album a hit on Apple iPhone App Store
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 1 Jan 2009, 17:21
Independent Musician Puts It All Together
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- Orange_Anubis said...
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- User
- 1 Jan 2009, 20:41
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 4 Jan 2009, 00:46
Electric dreams for pop in 2009
1 January 2009
Guitar bands and singer-strummer-songwriters have long been the staple of the British musical diet.
Maybe not in 2009, though.
The soundtrack to the next 12 months will be electronic - at least judging by the new acts picked by tastemakers for the BBC's Sound of 2009.
The list is dominated by artists who have ditched guitars in favour of synthesisers, whose tunes are rooted in the 1980s but with a strong vision of the future.
Ten of the longlist of 15 rising stars primarily use electronic instruments rather than guitars.
They range from shiny electro-pop princesses (Lady Gaga, La Roux, Little Boots) to fantasy synth heroes (Empire of the Sun) to beatific beat boys (Dan Black, Frankmusik) to arty experimentalists (Passion Pit, The Big Pink) and hip-hop hopefuls (Kid Cudi and Master Shortie).
Last year's Sound of 2008 list was led by Adele and Duffy. But the common or garden singer-songwriter is nowhere to be seen this time.
Instead, there are acts like VV Brown, a straight soul singer transformed into an offbeat pop character, and Florence and The Machine, in a world of her own with a wild voice, unbridled stage presence, unconventional song structures and startling storytelling.
Many of the above acts take their inspiration from eccentric '80s pop icons like Madonna, Kate Bush, Prince and David Bowie.
They could loosely be grouped into the "wonky pop" genre - a term coined and owned by Mika's manager to cover anyone playing quirky, catchy and credible pop.
Perfect for Top of the Pops, when it returns.
The final three acts on the longlist are more conventional bands - the gloriously gloomy White Lies, epic Aussies The Temper Trap and folkies Mumford And Sons (who actually only have one guitar as well as one banjo and a double bass).
Is it a coincidence that so many hot new acts prefer lush beats or warm synths to rock riffs and acoustic chords?
Dan Black started as a singer with indie band The Servant (big in Europe, apparently) but the video for his first solo singleYours begins with him jettisoning his guitar.
Empire of the Sun are led by Luke Steele, who has put his rock outfit The Sleepy Jackson on hold to recreate the audacious electro-pop of his childhood.
La Roux started as an acoustic guitar duo, but decided they were fed up of that sound and instead set off on a quest to bring back the 1980s.
In other words, they were bored of guitars and wanted to do something different.
Musical trends move on when artists get sick of the status quo and give music a nudge in a new direction.
But will the electro sound really catch on?
The polished robopop of stars like Madonna, Kylie, Britney and Girls Aloud has enjoyed phenomenal success among young fans who shape the charts.
Those acts have been moulded by the commercial pop machine, with all the meticulous songwriting and styling that involves.
But - unlike in the 1980s - newer, cooler electronic acts often struggle for major success.
And what does the future hold for guitar music?
Bands like Kings of Leon, Coldplay, Oasis, The Killers and Elbow all enjoyed a phenomenal year in 2008.
But others suffered disappointing returns. The Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, The Kooks, Keane, The Fratellis and The Pigeon Detectives all failed to make it into the top 40 albums of the year.
The guitar bands that fared well from last year's Sound of 2008 list were those that did something original - Glasvegas with their brooding take on vintage pop, Vampire Weekend with their clever mix of world influences, and MGMT with their euphoric space-rock.
And then there was Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong. They were feted early on and had good songs, but detractors heard an unadventurous, formulaic, tried-and-tested brand of indie.
The reality did not live up to the hype - the nickname Razorlite was a bit too apt - and their debut album failed to materialise.
This year, there is no shortage of new guitar bands on the scene, if not on the Sound of 2009 list.
The leading contenders are The Airborne Toxic Event, armed with majestic rock anthems-in-waiting, MC Rut - or Middle Class Rut - with pounding tales of suburban suffocation, and The Virgins, who have funky riffs and radio-friendly hooks. They all happen to be American.
Among the major bands returning in 2009, U2, Franz Ferdinand and Green Day will prove that rock still has its place.
Established bands who come up with the goods and newcomers with great tunes and a fresh outlook will never struggle.
Guitar music is not dead. But we may be witnessing the death of the English indie scene that rose out of the embers of Britpop, and has now become tired and cliched.
Source: BBC News - Entertainment
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 4 Jan 2009, 14:48
Music streaming service Spotify wins early fans
January 3, 2009
Move over, Pandora. There's a new music service in town--well, in some towns anyway.
TorrentFreak has an in-depth write-up of a new music streaming service called Spotify, which shows an awful lot of promise--so much so that the music piracy-focused blog sees it as a viable alternative to downloading pirated songs for free.
Spotify is a lean, downloadable application that lets users stream music instantly from its library--a library built with the blessing of EMI Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and some smaller record labels. That, of course, begs the question: how does it make money? Spotify offers two ways to use its service, a free service sponsored by ads, and a paid subscription service.
Once downloaded, the service allows users to search its music catalog by artist, genre, or title, and stream the tracks on-demand any number of times.
One of the cooler features is the ability to create and share playlists (a la the now-defunct Muxtape). And the service recently added the ability to scrobble the songs you listen to through Spotify on Last.fm.
That's the good news. Now for the bad news: It isn't officially available in the U.S. yet (though a Digg commenter did provide a way for people to try it out Stateside, at least temporarily). Right now it can be accessed in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. And the company plans to roll out its service to new markets in 2009, according to its Web site.
Judging from comments on TorrentFreak, Digg, and TechCrunch, the service seems to have impressed people who have tried it with its speed, usability, and depth of songs (though it's taken dings for sound quality, frequency of commercials, and lack of portability). I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but as a music fan who got pretty fed up with the repetition of songs on Pandora's artist radio stations over the holiday break, I think this looks very promising.
As for TorrentFreak's claims that Spotify is so good that it might stop piracy in its tracks, I'm skeptical. This is a streaming service, so the songs are only available to you when you're online and connected to it. It doesn't work with portable music devices, so you can't take the songs with you on the subway or to the gym (or, for me, drop it into the iPod dock hooked up to my stereo). And since the songs aren't downloaded to your hard drive, they're not in your grand collection along with the rest of your music. Spotify might have a decently sized library, but it doesn't have all the songs I've ripped from vinyl, or the latest album from a favorite local band that happens not to have signed with a label yet. Going back and forth between a local library and a centralized library like Spotify would be annoying.
Having everything in one place and being able to take it with you wherever you go is the goal for any music fan. And until Spotify offers that ability, I don't see it magically wiping out music piracy altogether. But it does appear that this group is on the right track, from the perspective of music fans, bands, and music labels.
Has anyone spent a good deal of time with the service yet? If so, what say you? Is Spotify the wave of the future, or another Web 2.0 dud in an already-cluttered arena?
Disclosure: Last.fm is a part of CBS Interactive, which also publishes CNET News.
Source: CNet News
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 4 Jan 2009, 15:04
Facebook sues social-network aggregator Power.com
January 3, 2009
Facebook is suing Power.com, a Brazilian start-up that lets users access a number of social networks through one portal.
Facebook filed a lawsuit on December 30 in United States District Court in San Jose, Calif., for copyright and trademark infringement; unlawful competition; and violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, CAN-SPAM Act, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, among other charges.
Power.com signs users into their various social networks and messaging clients and delivers the data from those sites and services to one page. For example, you can see all of your friends, their status updates, visit their profile pages, and even send a message to multiple friends on multiple social networks--all in one place. Last month, Webware editor Rafe Needleman described it as Meebo for social networks, and it's obviously a big convenience for people who have profiles and friends spread across Facebook, MySpace, Orkut, Hi5, and the AOL, Yahoo, and MSN instant messaging clients.
But Facebook would rather users go through them. It has requested that Power.com use Facebook Connect instead of asking users for their log-in information and has been in discussions with the start-up for a month, according to The New York Times. But the Times reports the two failed to come to any resolution, and so Facebook decided to file suit. Power removed access to Facebook after the claim was filed.
It's true that Power.com does its thing without consent from the sites and services it taps into. But a month ago, when the company was making its first big push into the U.S., CEO Steve Vachani told the Times that Power.com was in fine legal standing because it only accesses other sites' content when a user voluntarily logs in. He likened Power.com's actions to the way social networks import contact lists from e-mail services or the way Meebo accesses users' instant message accounts.
Facebook seems to be feeling the pressure from FriendFeed, Twitter, and other social sites du jour--doing its own compiling of third-party sites. In May, it added feeds from Google Reader, Hulu, Last.fm, Pandora, StumbleUpon, and YouTube into its Mini Feed service, which had already included Delicious, Digg, Flickr, Picasa, and Yelp. And in August it launched Live Feed, a real-time stream of everything your Facebook friends are doing on the site, giving users a more centralized way to track their contacts' activity.
A screenshot of Power.com before Facebook was removed from the site's offerings.
(Credit: Rafe Needleman/CNET Networks)
Source: CNet News
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 4 Jan 2009, 19:45
Full Transcript of Last Week's Last.fm Interview
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- Babs_05 said...
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- 5 Jan 2009, 01:08
Music Industry: The 'Long Tail' Effect
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- Babs_05 said...
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- 5 Jan 2009, 12:21
Moris Tepper - Stingray In the Heart
Last.fm
Essential listening from Captain Beefheart guitarist, Moris Tepper, who has also collaborated with Tom Waits, Frank Black, Robyn Hitchcock and PJ Harvey. Stingray In the Heart is his fifth solo album.
Dirty, murky guitars, punk-blues, dirty glam rock. Squally and lovely.
Fully streamable in Last.fm and tagged up for my new 2009 radio.
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 5 Jan 2009, 12:37
J. Tillman - Vacilando Territory Blues
Last.fm
The new record from J. Tillman, Vacilando Territory Blues, is due for release 27 January and is already fully streamable in Last.fm. This is essential listening. If you were one of those who fell for the hype of the invisible music of the invisible man Bon Iver last year, forget that and move on. For beautiful, fragile, soul-felt music of delicacy and depth, J. Tillman is your man.
He drums and provides backing vocals for Fleet Foxes but that is in addition to his prolific output. You know how special his songs are when they are handled by greats such as Damien Jurado. I can't recommend J. Tillman highly enough. Fully tagged up for my 2009 radio.
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 5 Jan 2009, 14:52
Pascal Comelade - The No Dancing
Amazon UK
This Amazon reviewer pretty much sums it up:
When you import this CD into iTunes, the genre comes up as "unclassifiable"- and I think that's a very good description of this CD. Quite simply it's barking mad. Discordant country-folk-indie instrumental music, sudden hints of cover versions of 70s rock tunes in a Ukelele Orchestra style, mixed in with more serious songwriting and guest appearances from people like PJ Harvey and Robert Wyatt.
One moment it sounds like cultured world music, the next moment it sounds like it's taking the mickey out of world music. All very odd, but good fun and pretty enjoyable. Play it to confuse your friends.
French-Catalan musician Pascal Comelade's album, The No Dancing, is a best-of compilation spanning two decades. Jaki Liebezeit of Can also guests. Just to give you an idea of the music, Pascal Comelade also uses toy pianos and plastic guitars.
A few tracks from earlier albums are available in Last.fm, but not this album as yet, although it is in Spotify. I have tagged them all up anyway, should they appear.
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 5 Jan 2009, 15:18
Sunday Times - 10 hot new music acts for 2009
January 4, 2009
With blues-infused folk, some doo-wop soul and electro synth-pop aplenty, there’ll be something for everybody. Dan Cairns picks this year’s next big things
VV Brown
A 24-year-old from Northampton, Vanessa Brown has recovered from a brief and unhappy spell in America, under contract to a label that wanted to position her as a bootylicious R&B star; she is now set to light up 2009 with what she describes as music that is “dramatic, charismatic and, frequently, as mad as a box of frogs” - or, to put it more succinctly, “doo-wop-soul” (albeit at the more bonkers end of the spectrum). A Betty Boo for the Noughties, she has co-written hits or sung backing vocals for Madonna, Pussycat Dolls, Westlife and Sugababes. Now, with tracks as barking but brilliant as Crying Blood and Leave, she is nicely poised to enjoy a few hits of her own. Yes, she raids the retro-soul cupboard, but she adds to her swag bag a liberal dose of up-yours attitude (most of her songs were inspired by an unmourned ex), pop nous and berserk, full-frontal catharsis. And a voice to shatter glass.
Leave will be released on Island on March 2; www.myspace.com/vvbrown
(Album: Travelling Like the Light - due 16 Mar 09)
Florence and The Machine
The winner of the 2009 Brits Critics’ Choice award (which last year went to Adele), Florence Welch, 20, may well emulate her predecessor’s success. Melding folk and blues with excursions to wilder musical shores, as previously visited by the likes of Siouxsie Sioux and Bat for Lashes, Welch’s songs - notably her debut single, Kiss With a Fist, and her current release, Dog Days Are Over - showcase a fiery, feral singing style, and lyrics that look both unblinkingly and allusively at love, revenge, death and domestic violence. As charismatic, in her own, utterly distinctive way, as VV Brown, Welch looks and sounds like a star. The revelation that the increasingly reviled Johnny Borrell has been helping with her songwriting may dent her chances momentarily (how nails must have been chewed and heads held in hands when that slipped out), but she is good enough to get over that, as should we.
A new single will be released on Island in March; www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachinemusic
Karima Francis
This 21-year-old from Blackpool first made waves at the In the City music conference in Manchester just over two years ago, and anyone who has witnessed her startlingly raw and intimate live shows will know why. Her debut album, The Author (released on March 9), captures her essence, mixing stripped-bare confessional acoustic songs with more strident and forceful tracks such as her forthcoming single, Again. She is already being compared with Joan Armatrading, Tracy Chapman and KT Tunstall. Francis has more than enough talent of her own - not to mention an extraordinary voice that can switch from a wail to a coo in the space of a single phrase - for us to quickly forget the comparisons and concentrate on this singer and her visceral songs. To watch her on stage and see this diminutive and shy retirer hold back her head and roar is to experience music at its most transformative.
Again will be released on Kitchenware on March 2; www.myspace.com/karimafrancis
Frankmusik
If 2009 is going to be mainly about 1980s-style electro and synth-pop, Vincent Frank will be one of the artists in the vanguard. A male Robyn, the Croydon-raised musician, 22, has made a debut album with the producer Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers) that positively bursts and billows with lethal hooks and washes of synths, and generally parties like it’s 1984. Coming over like a one-man Aha appreciation society, the former fashion student flirts dangerously with Mika-like hyperactivity and look-at-me irksomeness, but pulls back from the brink thanks to a bracing whiff of genuine, rather than artful, eccentricity and some amazing tunes. His next single,Better Off As 2, captures exactly why people are so excited about him: with a giant synth-bass exploding beneath him, Frank carries on as if he is in a completely different song, half Gary Barlow, half Shalamar. It shouldn’t work, but it does - emphatically so.Better Off As 2 will be released on Island on March 9; www.myspace.com/frankmusik
Lady Gaga
Stefani Germanotta, a 22-year-old performance artist from New York, is about to hit Britain (her single,Just Dance, is released on January 12), and it’s likely to get messy. Her provocative techno-disco is brutally effective, with something of her Christian-namesake Gwen’s daffiness to it, and a track record of collaborations with Akon, Britney and Fergie bolster her claims that her own time has come. Her barely-there attire and single-entendre utterances won’t hurt her chances, but where her Ladyship really scores, on her debut album The Fame, is in showing an understanding both of the absolute paramountcy of hooks and of the fact that, for all that you may look like you’re playing at it, behind the costumes and make-up, you have to be deadly serious about what you’re doing. Some call her the new Madonna. In fact, in the sense of Madge’s steadily deteriorating artistic output, she’s the old Madonna: 1983-85, to be precise.
The Fame will be released on Polydor on January 19; www.myspace.com/ladygaga
lele[SPEAKS]
This unsigned teenager from south London has a mouth like a machine gun - and, in an age of tightly controlled, gimlet-eyed young celebrity wannabes, praise be for that. Prolix she may be, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t editing what emerges from that gabby gob, however much the ramshackle, ADHD-like trolley dash through the genres of techno, rap, metal and ska that soundtracks her words may suggest otherwise. Insouciant and lippy, Leanne Jackson’s lyrics - “Eurgh, ain’t you crude/ Don’t you know that I’m a prude/ You got me losing all my food/ Just because of you, you stinking perv” - are the type that strike terror in the play-it-safe, defending-their-patch old guard (and praise be for that, too). She thinks what she does is pop music, and, if you’ve the ears to listen closely, you’ll realise that, beneath the bombast and the short-attention-span versifying, that is exactly what she is doing.
A new single will be released in March; www.myspace.com/leleisbanging
Terry Lynn
Terry Lynn Williams’s first album, Kingstonlogic 2.0, is one of the most exciting debuts I’ve heard in ages. A passionate, furious, playful, snarling polemic from the tough Waterhouse (“a place well known as a slaughterhouse”) neighbourhood of the Jamaican capital, it throws reggae, dub, techno, electro, rap and pop into the blender, wields its pen and thunderous ricochet rhythms against injustice, corruption, hypocrisy and violence, and introduces a genuinely innovative and thrillingly multifaceted new talent to music in 2009. There is a sharp sense of menace behind these songs, as if the gun with which Williams poses on the sleeve is constantly in danger of being used to settle matters - an appropriate undertone, given the culture in which she grew up, and which she excoriates on the album. Everything MIA should be, but isn’t (there’s not a hint of catwalk chic here), Terry Lynn is a real find.
Kingstonlogic 2.0 will be released on Phree on March 2; www.myspace.com/terrylynnkingstonlogic
Lisa Mitchell
A runner-up on Australian Idol when she was just 15, the British-born, Oz-raised Mitchell, now 18, presents an intriguing prospect: her forthcoming single,Neopolitan Dreams, both bears flowers and bares its teeth, and demos for her debut album suggest her songwriting could go either way. She is currently at work in London with writers who have collaborated with Amy Winehouse and Adele, among others, as well as Ed Harcourt, whose influence can clearly be heard in the more noirishly romantic elements of her music. The single is at once fey and slightly fierce (commenting on her heartache, Mitchell sings: “It sure takes its precious time/ But it’s got rights, and so have I”), while Love Letter conjures up a carousel revolving slowly and pointlessly in an abandoned ghost-town fairground. So, she’s going to turn out kooky and cute or weird and alternative. With luck, it will be a bit of both.Neopolitan Dreams will be released on Sony BMG in March; www.myspace.com/lisalisamitchell
Passion Pit
In the absence of a second album from the Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie) electro side project The Postal Service, here is a new Boston five-piece with a debut EP, Chunk of Change, that glories in many of the same cadences, synth-driven chord sequences, melodic hooks and propulsive drum-machine beats that made Give Up so indispensable. The brainchild of Michael Angelakos, Passion Pit are all unhinged falsetto vocals, shiny candy-coating and, beneath the punching-the-air euphoria, lurking misery. When, onCuddle Fuddle, Angelakos screams over the tinny, nursery-rhyme-like piano: “Let down your hair /Let down your hair/Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!”, you realise you’re in the presence of a properly odd, and possibly slightly deranged, madcap musical genius. In other circumstances, you might run a mile, but Angelakos’s songs are so addictive and sugar-rich that you stick around. Any fan of The Postal Service, Cut Copy, Hot Chip or LCD Soundsystem will love this. Chunk of Change will be released on Columbia in February; www.myspace.com/passionpitjams
thecocknbullkid
Anita Blay, a 23-year-old musician based in east London, is a real electro-pop star, described last year as the UK’s “answer to Kelis” and a hit with audiences at Camden Crawl and Latitude, among other festivals. Her slightly larger-than-life image and wardrobe make it easy to miss the pop-savvy skill with which she fastens onto the listener’s ears and memory banks, then pummels away till resistance is futile. Currently holed up in the studio, putting the finishing touches to her debut album, Blay is offering a hint of what’s to come with her new single, I’m Not Sorry, and the minimal, wonderfully weird and definitely Kelis- and Neneh Cherry-recallingBoys and Girls. “As long as there are boys,” she sings on the latter, a song with the sharpest whip-crack beats since the heyday of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, “there will always be girls/And as long as there are girls, there will always be trouble.” To which the best response is probably: “Well, you’d know.”
I’m Not Sorry will be released on Moshi Moshi on March 2; www.myspace.com/thecocknbullkid
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 5 Jan 2009, 18:09
Various Artists - After Dark
Last.fm
After Dark
Last year, with the arrival of Hercules And Love Affair, they called that style of 70s/80s/90s/dark electronic dance music morbid disco. Now they're calling it disco nouveau.
This great little compilation album pulls a few of the best tracks together. It has been badly uploaded in Last.fm. It should be Various Artists, not Chromatics. See the album page in Amazon UK.
Featured artists: Glass Candy, Chromatics, Indeep, Mirage, Professor Genius and Farah.
Fully streamable and lovingly tagged up for my 2009 radio!
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 5 Jan 2009, 19:01
Exposure: Alessi's Ark
From Last.fm:
Alessi is a magical creature that lives in West London. I think of her as this unique eighteen-year-old girl who is very excited, very alert, and very open to the world of imagination. The imagination is often associated with those strange dimensions created in childhood. For a young child, fantasy and reality seem to co-exist without contradiction, and shed light on each other. As we grew up we seem to leave this world behind, only to revisit it occasionally in song. Alessi’s songs like “Constellations” and “The Horse” open up the door again to this beautiful world. Her songs are a new take on psychedelic folk music, very british, and a little like Syd Barett, who was very child-like in his own way.
www.myspace.com/alessisark
Alessi's Ark - The Horse EP, released 8 Dec 08 is available in Last.fm and tagged for the 09 radio.
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 7 Jan 2009, 18:35
The Stooges: Why they mattered
Wednesday, 7 January
The Stooges: Ron Asheton, Iggy Pop and Scott Asheton
The abiding image of garage-punk rockers The Stooges may be that of Iggy Pop's sinewy body curling out of his low-slung jeans, or the crowd chaos which inevitably accompanied them.
But it was guitarist and bassist Ron Asheton - discovered dead at his home in Ann Arbor, America on 6 January - who defined their sound.
His sad departure looks to spell the end for what is a truly legendary band.
The 60-year-old was - without any hint of overstatement - one of the founding fathers of punk rock guitar playing - his raw style going on to inspire so many artists since.
The way he handled his instrument was individual and pioneering.
A mix of scrawling feedback, rugged speed and hapless fingerwork that characterises the Detroit band's scratchy garage rock 'n' roll sound.
Asheton's wonderful overuse of wah wah and fuzz-tone was enthrallingly impolite, recognisably minimal and gleefully unrehearsed.
And in 1968 - with the Bee Gees and The Beach Boys enjoying notoriety it sounded like little before.
It prompted headaches, but also some of the biggest bands of all time.
Sonic Youth, The Sex Pistols, The Ramones and Rage Against the Machine [listen toT.V. Eye] and The Cribs to name just a handful, borrowing The Stooges' sound.
Founding member
Ron Asheton was one of one of four founding members of the Michigan foursome alongside drummer [and brother] Scott, bassist Dave Alexander and, of course, Iggy Pop.
For those not familiar, they arrived like a rudderless punk rock speedboat in 1967, a thrashy jigsaw of MC5 and The Rolling Stones, their chaotic live reputation proceeding them.
Three albums followed: debut The Stooges [1969], Raw Power [1973 - on which James Williamson played guitar, Asheton bass] and 1970's seminal clatter classic Fun House.
The band combusted in the early seventies - The Stooges it seemed had strummed their last de-tuned note.
Asheton himself remained prolific with a number projects including The New Order and Destroy Monsters.
After that extended hiatus they patched their differences and returned in 2003 after a gap of 34 years and released The Weirdness.
Their final recorded output wasn't their best but that wasn't the point - their live shows remained as exhilarating as ever.
An appearance at Glastonbury in 2007 where a field of people stormed the stage one of the most eventful in recent memory.
The memories that will linger, and continue to inspire, will be of The Stooges' carnage.
A statement from the remainder of the band described Asheton as "a kind-hearted, genuine, warm person" and "The Guitar God, idol to follow and inspire others."
His legacy will undoubtedly prolong.
Source: BBC News
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 7 Jan 2009, 18:37
Apple to end music restrictions
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 7 Jan 2009, 18:42
Downloads boost 2008 single sales
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 7 Jan 2009, 18:50
RI judge hears arguments in music downloading case
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 7 Jan 2009, 18:53
Christmas music sales boost
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- Babs_05 said...
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- Forum Moderator
- 7 Jan 2009, 20:41
Hype Machine: Music Blog Zeitgeist 2008
7 January
Music Blog Zeitgeist 2008 is LIVE: http://hypem.com/zeitgeist?e=0106
We won't let you miss out on any good music, so here's what we made:
# 50 Best Albums of 2008: http://hypem.com/zeitgeist/2008/albums?e=0106
We gathered and analyzed bloggers' year-end lists to find the best records of 2008!
Listen to entire albums in the list with 10 added each day:
http://hypem.com/zeitgeist/2008/albums?e=0106
# Zeitgeist 2008 Radio show: http://hypem.com/zeitgeist/2008/albums?e=0106
We teamed up with Blog Fresh Radio to create a 5-episode radio show with
prominent blogger interviews and the best music of 2008!
Listen & download the show here: http://hypem.com/zeitgeist/2008/albums?e=0106
# 50 Best Artists of 2008: http://hypem.com/zeitgeist/2008/artists?e=0106
# 50 Best Tracks of 2008: http://hypem.com/zeitgeist/2008/songs?e=0106
# HOT MUSIC: Hottest 3 artists right now
1. Mgmt: http://hypem.com/artist/mgmt/?e=0106
2. Death Cab for Cutie: http://hypem.com/artist/death+cab+for+cutie/?e=0106
3. Animal Collective: http://hypem.com/artist/animal+collective/?e=0106
# HOT BLOGS: Hottest 3 music blogs right now
1. Deckhead: http://hypem.com/list/6131/?e=0106
2. First up!: http://hypem.com/list/3226/?e=0106
3. The Passion of the Weiss: http://hypem.com/list/2006/?e=0106
More: http://hypem.com?e=0106 (as usual!)
--
Thanks for reading!
<3 The Hype Machine Team
Source: Hype Machine e-letter
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New New Musical Express - January 2009