TOP 10 SONGS OF OCTOBER.

10
"Your Body"
Christina Aguilera

"...Indeed, it's an obnoxious club anthem, with a chorus ripped straight from Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream", but it's jam packed with (other) hooks, has some top notch yelping from Christina, and is no doubt aeons ahead of the dull "Not Myself Tonight"..."

READ MY REVIEW OF "YOUR BODY" HERE.



9
"I Know You Care"
Ellie Goulding

After all the chirpy synthpop anthems on Lights, it was inevitable that Halcyon would be the "difficult" second album. And indeed it is, and it's a hard record to warm to. Despite a misleadingly uplifting and familiar-sounding single, "Anything Could Happen", on Halcyon as a whole, the butterfly-winged voice of Ms Goulding is no longer accompanied by chopped-up folky guitars and crisp poppy beats. Instead we've got dubsteppy beats, thick walls of electronic sound, and reverb heavy soundscapes. It's not a bad record at all, and it fact it does retain just enough personable character and melody to allow for a little maturity and emotional self-indulgence.

However, one song aside from "ACH" is instantly likeable on the album, and that's the piano ballad "I Know You Care". It's new ground for Ellie in many ways. The only other acoustic number of note in her back catalogue is "Your Song", which was twee and light, sickly in a way, like a Britain's Got Talent entry. "I Know You Care" however, with its gentle piano bobbing up and down like a buoy on a calm sea, showcases a surprisingly restrained vocal from Ellie, one that allows meaning behind the words to resonate. For the first time, the fragility in Ellie's lyrics and voice are really allowed to shine.



8
"22"
Taylor Swift

"...closer to Avril Lavigne pop than to the country anthems of yore, but the hooks are irresistible, the chorus is insanely moreish, and Taylor's voice is twangy and gutsy, and it's quite simply the perfect song for her."

READ MY REVIEW OF "22" HERE.



7
"Thinking About You" (feat. Ayah Marar)
Calvin Harris

Fans of older Calvin Harris material frequently turn their noses up at his newer, more profitable, commercial direction. However, the fact is, this transition from solo artist>producer to producer>solo artist makes his tracks much more tuneful and song-focused than his new-found peers Guetta and Swedish House Mafia. On album highlight "Thinking About You". Credible upcoming pop singer Ayah Marar provides a housey vocal that suits Harris' ibiza-friendly chord sequences perfectly, and the whole track is a perfect meeting of 2004 house and 2012 dance. Say what you like about Harris, but to his credit, he never completely abandons his roots.



6
"The Raver"
Ayah Marar

From feature to focus, Ayah Marar has an underground credibility with a voice to conquer the charts. "The Raver" is the best of both worlds. Like DJ Fresh's "Hot Right Now" but much, much later at night after a lot of drinks and whatever else, "The Raver" breakbeats its way into oblivion and Marar's voice is sexy and sultry as it effortlessly rides the raging beat. A truly invigorating crossover track that could well set in motion a real drum & bass revival in the charts, one that DJ Fresh has been very much alone in instigating thus far.



5
"Talk Through The Night"
Dog is Dead

Indiepop is nauseatingly oversaturated in 2012, you can't move without tripping over an Alt-J or an Of Monsters and Men. However, the good thing about an increased output is that the likelihood of coming across a brilliant tune is tenfold. "Talk Through The Night" is everything an indie anthem should be: youthful, exuberant, nostalgic and, above all, irritatingly catchy. Yet Dog is Dead manage all of this and still manage to be endearing and likeable. Maybe there is hope for indie yet.



4
"Oh Yeah"
Bat For Lashes

A lady who can seemingly do know wrong, Bat For Lashes aka singer/songwriter Natasha Khan, takes a more anthemic, 80s-tinged approach to her wistful, haunting pop on long-awaited third record The Haunted Man, and "Oh Yeah" embodies all its best qualities. Khan's voice is delirious and fluttering as ever, almost lustful as she cries "here am I, looking for a lover to climb inside", and the pivotal synth hook is punchy and striking in a bold step into new sound territory. If Khan had only hinted at anthemic before, it's clear she is warming up more and more to the idea.



3
"The Mother We Share"
CHVRCHES

If Purity Ring cheered up and stopping singing about sternums and teeth clicking they might sound as glorious as scottish electropop act CHVRCHES do on "The Mother We Share". Musically majestic with pop-perfect hooks and a gorgeous melody, this track really shines in its lyrics. Describing a dying relationship, bound together by "the mother we share", the message is gorgeous and poignant. A pop song that can be perfectly pitched lyrically and musically whilst still finding space for creative flair is rare. And judging by the quality of their earlier single "Lies" also, this rare skill is abundant in CHVRCHES.



2
"Mainline" (feat. Syron)
Tensnake

"..."Mainline" itself is out and out 90s, more than a little Inner City with unashamadly hooky and flirtatious brass synths and organ basslines, but its balearic feel is still unmistakably Tensnake. And Syron, for a white girl, she can't half pull off a camp diva growl..."

READ MY REVIEW OF "MAINLINE" HERE.



1
"Tidal Wave" (feat. Alpines)
Sub Focus

"..."Tidal Wave" takes the angelic, La Roux-esque vocals of Alpines, and pairs it with an epic yet jagged edged march that bursts into break-beat just as you get comfy with it, synth fireworks abound..."

READ MY REVIEW OF "TIDAL WAVE" HERE.

Taylor Swift - 22

I'm 24 years old. I've noticed that there are few songs that revel in how great being in your mid twenties is, mainly because people in their mid twenties are often moaning how they would do anything to be a starry eyed teen again. Ladytron once sang "everyone loves you when you're 17, when you're 21, you're no fun". Cheers guys.

But the truth is, partying in your twenties is pretty great. You (should) have a better idea of your alcohol limits, you dance better than you did when you were 18 and you've grown wise to club culture, and most importantly, fitting in seems less important by far than it did when you were an eager, nervous 18 year old.

So here is 22 year old Taylor Swift, singing about how perfect it is to be 22, arguably the age when you truly stop being a teenager. Making fun of hipsters, "ditching the whole scene", finally feeling comfortable to be oneself. Taylor sings about being "happy, free, confused and lonely in the best way"; a pretty accurate description of someone coming of age. And let's face it, that doesn't happen at 18. It happens at 22.

The song itself is, in line with a lot of her "Red" album, closer to Avril Lavigne pop than to the country anthems of yore, but the hooks are irresistible, the chorus is insanely moreish, and Taylor's voice is twangy and gutsy, and it's quite simply the perfect song for her.

MØ - Pilgrim & Maiden

In the sea of wannabe cult-indiepop female singers in 2012, it's rare you find a quality song in the mire of fashionably vague videos and slicks electro-R&B beats. But Danish singer MØ's "Pilgrim" combines jaunty brass hooks with a powerhouse of a chorus and a Purity Ring-esque thud and clatter beat. There's a hint of personality and energy in her vocal when she singer "all the time I just want to fuck it up", and it's refreshing to hear a female indiepop singer do something other than deadpan in 2012. Not that the track will displease any fans of deadpan.

Check out her first single "Maiden" too,  a slightly eerier number that has european singer/songwriter written all over it, and features a gorgeous post-chorus guitar hook and the seductive lyric "my desire is ravaging me..."

FOR FANS OF: Purity Ring, Wild Belle, Charli XCX

Taylor Swift - We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Patrolla Remix)

Making a sugar sweet song even sweeter is an impressive feat, but chuck lace Ms Swift's power-country-pop hit with eurodance chords and jaunty vocal loops, and lo-and-behond... an dancefloor anthem as adorable as it is euphoric. Good job Patrolla.

FOR FANS OF: Madeon, Avicii, Pop remixes in general

Tensnake feat. Syron - Mainline

From playing it cool on "Spoons" to going all out diva on Tensnake's new track "Mainline" shows a surprising diversity from London singer Syron. "Mainline" itself is out and out 90s, more than a little Inner City with unashamadly hooky and flirtatious brass synths and organ basslines, but its balearic feel is still unmistakably Tensnake. And Syron, for a white girl, she can't half pull off a camp diva growl. This is gleefully and joyfully simple and uplifting, the way all Defected House should be. Dancefloors beware.

FOR FANS OF: Inner City, Disclosure, Krystal Klear

GIG REVIEW: SBTRKT @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London, feat. Kwes & Oneman - 5/10/12

I had a brief preview of SBTRKT's live act at Bestival 2012, and I have to say my enthusiasm for this later London show subsequently began to waver. SBTRKT's live drumming and Sampha-vocal-heavy set seemed to overshadow a quiet and strangely unimpactful mix. But a 9pm festival slot is different from a London venue headline slot, so I turned up as if this was my first SBTRKT- Live experience.

Shepherds Bush Empire looks like it should have a better sound than it does, and if you are anywhere apart from the centre of the dancefloor, the speakers can sound oddly muted. Warm-up DJ Oneman plays some great tunes as the venue slowly fills, but even as the night advances past 8.30, his sets beg to be turned up. Otherwise why put him on the line-up at all?

Although sad at missing a support slot from Disclosure the night before, I was still interested to see the main support act Kwes, a producer and singer/songwriter whose latest EP Meantime was a cute little oddity, a messy yet engaging mix of Frank Ocean-esque R&B and fuzzy electronica not a million miles from the likes of Flying Lotus. Performing with a drummer and keyboardist, Kwes himself plays the heavily distorted bass that is his latest EP's calling card. Yet live, Kwes' act was less engaging, and more messy, much too messy in fact, the overly stripped down arrangements sounding unrehearsed and muddy. It could've been down to neglectful sound engineers or a stingy soundcheck, but nevertheless, the magic-on-record of numbers such as "Honey" and "Igoyh" did not translate tonight. Yet the band themselves chat lazily and casually with the crowd, and with each other, and don't seem to notice.

Luckily Oneman has some big bassy tunes up his sleeve that keep an impatient crowd dancing as the stage is prepared for SBTRKT. Although running about 15 minutes late, a curtain with the unmistakable SBTRKT owl hat finally drops in front of the stage, and SBTRKT, with Sampha and, surprisingly, a mask-donning string quartet make a magnificent entrance as light illuminates them through the curtain. "Never Never" is almost completely performed live, the strings giving the track a warm tapestry for SBTRKT's own live drumming to paint over. Sampha sounds great too, and luckily, the bad sound that plagued Kwes has alleviated. Funny that.

"SBTRKT - Live" as it's donned by the man himself is indeed a very different concept to the quirky, dark productions of SBTRKT on record. There are a lot of idea flying around, most of them great. The somewhat limiting sound of the live drumming I witnessed at Bestival is non-existent here, the drums provided just as much power and impact as the drum machines. "Heatwave" comes next and SBTRKT and Sampha's love of crazy sounds becomes apparent as said track is an onslaught of tribal drumming and flittering synths and vocal samples. The gig quickly escalates into something approaching a celebratory carnival, limbs flailing everywhere.

At times however, the gig seems a little too eager to try everything. Whilst "Hold On" and "Something Goes Right" are crowd pleasing singalongs, some instrumental numbers seem indulgent and overlong in comparison, despite all the creative flairs. SBTRKT - Live isn't sure whether it's a pop concert or a rave, and whilst the two can be easily combined, the duo haven't quite nailed down the perfect formula yet. The mix of live performance and recorded sound is a double edged sword; whilst live drumming stunts a disappointing "Pharoahs", the majestic "Go Bang" is enhanced by the warmth of the string quartet, one of the best instrumental numbers of the night.

On the whole however, when a high is reached, it hits it out of the ballpark. Closer "Wildfire" is simply exquisite, and its bass-heavy breakdowns and vocal mash-ups simply set the dancefloor alight. It is followed by a rave-heavy encore, ending with the pulsating 2 step of "Right Thing To Do", which despite no appearance from Jessie Ware, ends the gig on a high, almost half an hour after the stated finishing time, 2 minutes shy of the venue's curfew.

Credit must be given to SBTRKT, for turning one 40 minute album and a handful of EPs ("Living Like I Do" makes a welcome appearance, although "Nervous" would've been more welcome) into an 90 minute set. Another album down the line, there is no doubt that SBTRKT will be able to fill 90 minutes with ease and with no, absolutely no down time.

- Joe Copplestone, 06/10/12

Syron - Breaking

Syron's guest spot on Rudimental's excellent "Spoons" was somewhat underwhelming. Whilst the soulful melody was perfect for MNEK's husky, warm voice, but singing much of the same melody, Syron seemed short-changed, whispering a melody too low for her, making her voice seem thin. "Breaking" is another matter however, a silky, funky garage number sprinkled with her delicate, pretty upper range. With more material like this, Syron could easily be the next Katy B.

FOR FANS OF: Katy B, Delilah, Jess Mills

Roses Gabor - Stars

After her sleek guest spot on SBTRKT's album highlight "Pharoahs", Roses Gabor's latest single, produced by UK dance producer Redlight is much darker, and she takes centre stage despite the punishing, gritty production. Redlight cuts and pastes her voice over a gravelly bass synth and industrial sized beat, but Roses has no problem commanding the track when she steps forward.

FOR FANS OF: Jessie Ware, SBTRKT, Delilah

A*M*E - Play The Game Boy

It's tracks like this that are really what this blog are about. Pop songs that don't try to avoid being 'cringeworthy' or 'cheesy' (both words are are cheesier to apply in description than to hear examples of, at any rate), and as a result bring the most out of the pop music genre. Specifically, the hooks, the energy and, above all, the sense of fun.

A*M*E is a 17 year old UK pop singer, and the song is somewhat brattish, but innocently charming, tongue-in-cheek... everything that resembles a 17 year old girl. It's K-Pop/electropop mould is cutesy, sugary but full of attack, and it's clumsy 'play the game boy' wordplay is endearing, and I'm damned if I'm calling this a 'guilty pleasure'. I don't feel guilty in the slightest.

The colourful video brought to mind the debut efforts of Little Mix. Of course, Little Mix seem a little bit too mature to pull off a song like "Play The Game Boy", but maybe that's because they've been marketed to sing about believing in themselves and potential ("Wings") and gimmicky takes on love songs ("DNA"). And yet there's more of a marketable prospect in A*M*E then there is in Little Mix.

There's a lot to be said for not taking yourselves seriously after all.

FOR FANS OF: Annie, Robyn, Alphabeat

TOP 10 SONGS OF SEPTEMBER 2012.

10

"Default"
Atoms for Peace

The first single proper from the unexpected supergroup that includes Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Flea of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. At first listen it's hard to hear anyone apart from Thom Yorke on this jittery, quirky electronica track, but "Default"'s wistful melodies and restrained, tasteful beats are in fact much easier on the ear than Thom Yorke's introverted, difficult solo material. Much like his excellent collaborations with Modeselektor last year, Thom doesn't mumble through the words as if he wishes the listener would leave him alone, instead his voice is beautiful, gliding along in spectral falsetto. If this track is the default setting for Atoms for Peace's debut record, allegedly due early 2013, then it's a promising benchmark.

9
"Feeling's Gone"
Beacon

I've come across a lot of atmospheric post-James Blake pop bands over the last year popping up on blogs, but few have quite created something as haunting as Brooklyn-based Beacon's debut single "Feeling's Gone". A wonderful, beautifully tragic lyrical refrain, "Feeling's gone, we waited for too long, but if you stay the night, we can find some more", opens the track, and the muffled synths, initially shrouded in misty pads, hint at a climax to come, but it isn't until the track's final minute that it triumphantly breaks out into an xx-esque dance beat. It's brief, but expertly done. The band's debut EP is out on October 2nd, called For Now.

8

"Ache"

Twigs

Twigs' "Ache" appeared online a couple of months ago, out of the blue with no clue as to the identity of this mystery singer. It arrived with an arresting, somewhat unsettling video, a slow motion clip of a masked dancer contorting his body in a rhythmical rage. It was a bizarre pairing with this sensual, intensely sexual art'n'B track, yet somehow a perfect fit. Twigs' gentle voice can be compared to the sugary tones of AlunaGeorge or even Aaliyah on a good note, but there's no denying that this is a track that suggests Twigs has a lot more to express and to offer. 

7

"Fall"
Presets

"For a band who focus so intently on their less melodic, minimalistic rave numbers, I personally wonder why The Presets don't just stick to melodic dancepop numbers like "Fall"...

Read my review of "Fall" here.

6

"Suicide Mission"

Groundislava feat. Baths

On the outskirts of the flourishing underground bass scene lies Groundislava, who are fond of their subby hip hop beats, but are also very fond of rubbing shoulders with the likes of Boards of Canada and Four Tet. As a result, Groundislava's Feel Me record mixes gorgeous electronica with a gritty, modern bass edge. "Suicide Mission" stands out on the record for its enchanting, eerie vocal and baroque-tronic synth arpeggios, like the long lost, missing cousin of SBTRKT's "Wildfire".

5

"Latch"

Disclosure feat. Sam Smith

"Latch" is the first single that really sets Disclosure apart from just another UK underground dance act, mainly because it takes risks. Looking at the more popular numbers of Disclosure's output so far, "Boiling" brings ethereal female vocals to the table, and "Tenderly" showed us the duo's ear for perfect vocal sampling, but not only does "Latch" bounce rather than pound, the camp, falsetto-heavy vocals of Sam Smith are totally out of the bass ball-park. Not a million miles from the soulful croon of Sam Sparro, the slamming climax when his falsetto hits in the chorus is the most exciting moment in any Disclosure track thus far. A track this daring makes Disclosure seem more than just another craze, this gives more than just a hint the duo could be in it for the long run.

4

"Swept Away"
The xx

The elevated presence of Jamie on Coexist is most apparent on the tribal, subtly ravey "Swept Away". For all the criticism directed at the band's sophomore effort, its lack of creativity and progression, "Swept Away" certainly sounds like the band taking a step in a new direction. Jamie's 90s dance beat is simple, tom heavy and does nothing if not intensify the breathless emotion of the band's trademark reverb heavy soundscape. The track pulses like a heartbeat, yet still manages to float.

3

"Little Talks"
Of Monsters and Men

Although the track might be unabashedly chirpy in its main hook, the band's charm and the male/female vocal chemistry end up justifying the sheer joy that this song exudes. However, the song is allegedly a conversation between a dead man and the wife he left behind, and the bittersweet nature of one-two lines such as "there's an old voice in my head that's holding me back - well tell her that I miss our little talks" are all the more poignant when sung over such an uplifting brass-laden indiepop backing. A track that on first listen seems to reveal all it's ever going to, but on repeat listens, it dawns on you that you may never completely understand everything it has to say. Heartbreaking, beautiful and quite clever really. 

2

"Need U"
Unicorn Kid

After last year's phenomenal rave revival of Unicorn Kid's Tidal Rave EP, "Need U" strides even more confidentally down the 90s rave route. Somewhere between rave classics "Let Me Be Your Fantasy" and "Set You Free", and leaving even more of his 16-bit roots behind, "Need U" is Unicorn Kid's crowing glory, and the most euphoric, stargazing dance track of the year by far thus far.

1

"Everything is Embarrassing"
Sky Ferreira

The Robyn-esque robot-pop of Sky's early singles "One" and "Obsession" were mildly distracting, but ultimately uninteresting in the long term. Her music smarted with a 'manufactured and lifeless' stamp, that sadly a lot of female singers cannot help by be branded with; one popular single, then oblivion and obscurity. But Sky Ferreira's "Everything is Embarrassing" is phenomenal. You can not only hear a real girl, her emotion, her words, but you cannot pin down what exactly the track is trying to prove, and this mystery is the beauty of it. 

Co-produced by Blood Orange's Dev Hynes, the track has the same warm, enveloping sound that gives life to that band's music, and Sky's voice is virtually untouched and airy, what sounds like a girl with nothing left to prove. She sings, defeatedly, cynically, yet beautifully "maybe if you let me be your lover, maybe if you tried, then I would not bother". A poignant, soft, yet hard hitting lyric, one that defines Sky Ferreira's character more than any other lyric she has sung before.

Play "Obsession" straight after listening to this. You'll want to turn it off within seconds in, well, embarrassment. Good luck to the new Sky.