NEW MUSIC: Camden Cox - Kinda Like

Since their emergence, AlunaGeorge's silky future garage take on 90s girl group R&B has til now (wisely) not been attempted by any other commercial act. So when the sugary, seductive Aluna-esque vocal of London's Camden Cox purrs out a "You Know You Like It" esque debut single, alarm bells should by all rights be ringing. 

However, Cox pulls it off with a production that is less sheened to perfection than AG, and in a much darker and atmospheric soundspace; a space that features less "na na na"s and more breathless echos and whispered come-ons. For many, myself included, this is the perfect development of AlunaGeorge's sound, and probably a superior take on the genre. 

Cox's Kinda Like EP is out now on iTunes. Dancey b-side "Disguise" is also worth a listen, with it's chopped up vocals and lurching beat impossible not to move to.

FOR FANS OF: AlunaGeorge, BANKS

- Joe Copplestone, 7.5.14

Snakehips - On & On

After a string of silky, effortlessly subdued yet irresistibly sexy remixes for the likes of underground cool elite Bondax and Wild Belle, Snakehips drop an absolute stunner of a solo release. The electronica-flecked R&B of "On & On" has the cool demeanor of a Jessie Ware track, with the subtle, addictive funk that London neighbours Bondax have made a name for themselves in. Australian newcomer George Maple brings the achingly perfect vocal, proving herself here and on her gorgeous single "Fixed". as a serious competitor. Expect to see her popping up on a plethora of brilliant feature spots over the summer.

FOR FANS OF: Jessie Ware, Bondax, AlunaGeorge

Party Tracks of the Week! (FREE DOWNLOADS)

MNEK vs Disclosure - White Noise (Full Crate & FS Green Remix)
#House #Garage #DeepHouse #FREEDOWNLOAD

Tearing it up on this infectious 90s-flecked rework/cover of Disclosure & AlunaGeorge's recent hit, teen sensation MNEK soulfully trills his way around this sexy, bright cover as the retro house beats go hard. Shivers moment? 3.44 as MNEK goes all Mariah Carey on the track, to euphoric effect.



Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll (A-Trak vs. Kid Kamillion Remix)
#Trap #Rave 

Every week I say I'm going to quit trap, another big tune comes along. To many this will be murder of a classic remix, but there's a certain gleeful pleasure to be found in the moment an unexpected drop happens in a track you've heard a thousand times. Even as that familiar police siren synth bursts through the speakers, it's still one of those moments.



Cashmere Cat - Mirror Maru (Feadz & Kito Remix)
#2Step #Garage

Feadz & Kito gives the quirky Cashmere Cat a friendlier, more colourful edge, complete with crisp, popping 2 step beats, chirpy dance chords and more chopped up chipmunk voices than you can shake a stick at.

Party Tracks of the Week!

AlunaGeorge - Attracting Flies (Shift K3y Remix)
#2Step #Garage

AlunaGeorge's sultry anthem gets the full on UK garage treatment from Shift K3y, with popping kick drums and jittery synths, and the song seems catchier at this speedy tempo. And it's no secret that Aluna's squeaky clean voice is straight from the 1999-school of garage anyway, so she sounds right at home here.



Goldroom - Only You Can Show Me (feat. Mereki)
#NuDisco #House #Dance #Synthpop

The summery, nu disco that the LA producer brings rises like a midday sun into a ravey piano house number, laced with catchy, giggling synths and a sugar sweet Ibiza vocal courtesy of Mereki.



Justin Timberlake - Suit & Tie (Dillon Francis Remix)
#Trap #HipHop

Token trap track of the week! I may well be beginning to lose interest in the genre, but multi-talented Dillon Francis still brings a magnificent vocal mash-up at the drop of this addictive remix.

TOP 10 TRACKS OF FEBRUARY 2013.

10
"Attracting Flies"
AlunaGeorge

GivePopAChance said...
"AlunaGeorge continue to elude genres whilst sounding effortlessly cool and current, and the crumbling beats and battering ram synths of "Attracting Flies" are no exception." READ MORE...



9
"So Close"
Kidnap Kid feat. Sinead Harnett

After a stunning yet mysterious debut on Disclosure's "Boiling", Sinead Harnett returns with a similarly subdued tune. The consistently tasteful Kidnap Kid drops subtle and unusual balearic chords, with just enough ambiance to still please his underground house fans, and Sinead's songwriting takes centre stage. Unlike the distant reverb-laden ad libs of "Boiling", the chorus of "So Close" is full of positive energy, uplifting and warm, and unlike on the Disclosure number, Sinead makes the track her own with her lullaby tones.



8
"XTC"
LIZ

GivePopAChance said...
"This will be, without doubt, a cheesy dated mess to many people, but it's an ultimate retro R&B guilty pleasure for me." READ MORE...



7
"Make A Little Room"
Al Lewis

In the wake of Ben Howard's sweep at the Brit's, it bodes well for a lot of folky British singer songwriters, but there are few as deserving as Welsh sweetheart Al Lewis. There are no awkward metaphors, no pretense, just classic, relate-able songwriting. The flecks of country in the upbeat tempo and cutesy female backing vocal only add to the charm of this modest, clean cut love song.



6
"Falling"
Haim

These girls are so 80s pop/rock that many bands would shy away from their gutsy vocal hooks, shamelessly funky basslines and twinkling synth, but their sheer Fleetwood Mac brand of cheese is to be admired if anything. Even the closing hook of "Never look back, never give up" is forgivable  as these girls stand by every overly confident hook they write and pull them off with panache. And god damn it, "Falling" is catchy.



5
"Sloe Gin"
Dream McClean

GivePopAChance said...
"Over a stumbling, drunken beat and head-swirling synth line, Essex rapper Dream McLean woozily tells partially-blacked out tales of "drinking sloe gin too fast"." READ MORE...



4
"London"
Official-O

So much goes on in the gorgeous yet harsh "London", that it's hard to pinpoint one particular sound Official-O, or "the artist known as Ofe" as his website cryptically states, was aiming for. The vocoders are straight from James Blake's debut, but Ofe's voice is from the Alex Clare school of gritty soul. Every sound, including the optimistic, sunny piano chords and thunderous drums and deafening wall of vocals at the climax, all form a perfect soundtrack to the hectic streets of London. And to anyone who's ever lived there, the sound is crazy but beautiful.



3
"Chocolate"
The 1975

The 1975 simply have to be the next big indie band. There's a level of rebelliousness that a lot of the pretty indie boys of 2012/2013 have eschewed in exchange for a more twee sound, and right from their anthemic lead single "The City", The 1975 have been anything but quaint or twee. These boys tell stories of fumblings in the backs of cars, being young and being stupid. "We're never gonna quit it, never gonna quit it no" yelps their (utterly gorgeous) lead singer, and guitars jump around in a gorgeous tapestry. The pulsing drum machine that is exposed towards the end of the song emphasizes the message even more. There's no point of being a mopey indie band when you can be one that lives for the party.



2
"Retrograde"
James Blake

GivePopAChance said...
"New single "Retrograde" is a total relief, a revelation and a triumphant sign that Blake is no mere BBC Sound-of-year flash in the pan. A seemingly complex acrobatic vocal hook becomes somehow unforgettable by the end of the song, and Blake's voice seems confident and utterly heartwarming." READ MORE...



1
"Metal and Dust"
London Grammar

When a track like London Grammar's (already song-of-the-year standard) "Hey Now" comes along, there's no doubt that there is something really special there. The question is, is it the band that's special or just the song? The Naked and Famous released the epic, heartwrenchingly perfect indie anthem "Young Blood" in 2009, but followed it with an album bogged down with almost exclusively uninspiring synth rock = THE SONG. On the other hand 80s goth-pop revivalists Hurts' released their seminal, timeless song "Wonderful Life" around the same time, and followed it with a benchmark album full of timeless songs; just look at "Stay" or "Blood Tears and Gold" = THE BAND.

As you might have already guessed by my placement of London Grammar at the top of both my January and February lists, you would be very accurate in guessing that London Grammar, two songs in, look like they belong to the latter category  "Metal and Dust" has all the sparkle that made "Hey Now" so spellbinding, the mesmerizing vocal, the sparse, perfect guitar parts, but whilst "Hey Now" was infused with a longing and melancholy, "Metal and Dust" replaces that with a fire and a passion. "We argue we don't fight, stay awake till the middle of the night" chants singer Hannah Reid, and the youth in the band shines through more here than on the drifting loneliness of "Hey Now".

Similarities between "Metal and Dust" and "Unfinished Sympathy" by Massive Attack can be made, but that is no mean feat, and by all means a huge compliment: the busy breakbeat that the track rides on, the majestic strings that envelop it, and not to mention the epic cut and paste vocal loop that cries out towards the end of the track. But once again, as with London Grammar's own "Hey Now", Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy" was a sad song, one that had a lot of emotion wearing it down, whilst "Metal and Dust" soars, totally reinterpreting the sounds it has been influenced by. If London Grammar can demonstrate such maturity, such range and such depth and range of emotion, skill and meaning in just two songs, there can be no other prediction to be made: London Grammar's debut simply must be the album of the year.

AlunaGeorge - Attracting Flies

AlunaGeorge continue to elude genres whilst sounding effortlessly cool and current, and the crumbling beats and battering ram synths of "Attracting Flies" are no exception. Finding a comfortable middle ground between the silky sweet Post R&B of Purity Ring and the schizophrenic hip hop beats of Hudson Mohawke, this is their most confident offering since the goliath "You Know You Like It".

Their debut record Body Music is out on July 1st.

FOR FANS OF: Purity Ring, Hudson Mohawke, Niki & The Dove

Party Tracks of the Week!

> Disclosure feat. AlunaGeorge - White Noise (Hudson Mohawke Remix)

#Trap #Bass

Taking that thunderous chord onslaught HudMo is gleefully infamous for, and matching it to Disclosure's fidgity house bassline makes for a crazy tune with an orgasmic payoff.

> EX$ - Dream Last Night

#House #Dance

The dark south london atmospherics of Burial in the context of a 90s house rave, building slowly before a delicious organ bassline drop.

> Shadow Child - 23

#Garage #2Step #Bass #House

The simplest of 2 step bassline murmers over an old school beat, with a relentless, hypnotic groove that refuses to relinquish its hold.

Charli XCX - You (Ha Ha Ha)

After a strong, yet overtly weird mixtape, Charli XCX's new single retains her mixtape's creepy underworld charm. Taking on a quirky yet more-ish Gold Panda beat, Charli XCX does very little over the top, but it ends up working perfectly. A drawling chorus of "you, you lied, ha ha ha, I was right" comes across as wry and smug as Charli ever has, with an effortlessly commanding vocal, further proof that she is London's answer to Lana Del Rey.

FOR FANS OF: Marina and the Diamonds, Alunageorge, Lana Del Rey

AlunaGeorge - Your Drums, Your Love

As AlunaGeorge climb their way out of blogosphere up onto the ledge where the Jessie Wares and Delilahs of the UK sit comfortably, it would seem that itsy bitsy voiced Aluna Francis and her meticulous producer George Reid walk the line between the bassy and soulful as good as any of their peers. Whilst she may not have the effortless vocal of a singer like Jessie Ware or the instantly recognizable and arresting tone of Delilah, Francis' voice is light enough to ride Reid's deliciously seductive R&B grooves. "Your Drums Your Love" has a hook as strong and a lumbering bass as addictive as "You Know You Like It" before, and this can only raise expectations for their debut album, due 2013, even higher.

 Your Drums, Your Love by AlunaGeorge