NEW MUSIC: Frankmusik - By Nicole (Highlights)

Frankmusik is some kind of modern pop hero, and quite possibly the UK's guiding light for truly independent music. After a year of using social media to share his every move, emotion and frustration during the process of making this album, it would be a bummer if "By Nicole" was anything less than exceptional. Luckily it's more than exceptional.

I'm not here to review the album in detail, but I will tell you it's his most colourful, organic and human sounding effort yet. Whilst still being essentially electropop, live instruments pop up everywhere, weaving a delicate 3-dimensional tapestry that the "Do It In The A.M." Frank would never have considered. Take the lilting guitars on the verses of "Misdemeanor" and "These Streets" - gorgeous. And the double bass/marimba texture on the verses "Go"? Subtle but somehow breathtaking.

"Misdemeanor", "Go" and first single "These Streets" are my album highlights because they are the sound of an artist simultaneously at his artistic and commercial peak. Their big pop choruses could easily stand out on his exceptional debut Complete Me, with a warmth and maturity that Vince wasn't in touch with back when he recorded it. On "Misdemeanor", Frank talks of conquering his fear of getting older at one point, admitting "the future's a place I feel I don't belong", whilst "Go" could well be about the same girl from "Confusion Girl", but this time Vince is wiser, wryly encouraging Ms Confusion to "go and do what your friends say, they didn't like me anyway."

But best of all is "These Streets". It might not seem like an obvious first single, with its subtle, subdued "Black and Gold"-esque pulse, but placed at the very end of a focused, reflective and forward thinking album, it comes across as the perfect curtain call, or perhaps the perfect 'to be continued'. It's a break-up song, like so many of Vince's are, but when he says "strangers pass by where you were once there by my side", he shrugs it off with a sweet "I've got these streets". 

After 7 years of Vince singing mournful tales of 'what if?', and even one unconvincing (yet beautiful) track named "Final Song (To You)", this finally feels like the end of this chapter and the beginning of a new one for Vince, musically and lyrically. And judging by the raw, idea-crammed By Nicole, there is so much more new inspiration in him, growing by the second and bursting to be expressed.

Below is the one take video of "These Streets". It features nothing more than Vince standing under a bridge somewhere in London (on the route of the 152, if you pay attention), but I dare you not to fall slightly in love with this man whilst watching it.

FOR FANS OF: Sam Sparro, Bastille, The 1975

- Joe Copplestone, 28.04.14

NEW MUSIC: Syron - Three Dreams (feat. Horror Stories)

Syron's new identity as a raver and party girl is one that suits her girlish hiccup down to a T, in a way that Madonna's early 80s output suited her's. "Three Dreams", much like her glorious Tensnake collaboration "Mainline", has 1992 written all over it; a retro breakbeat coaxes out some long lost dance moves, as do the ravey synth stabs and hands-in-the-air vocal hook.

Follow Syron on SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: Katy B, Little Mix

- Joe Copplestone, 25.02.14

NEW MUSIC: Salt Ashes - Somebody

22 year old Salt Ashes from Brighton, UK, manages to walk the fine line between hipster and just-good-fun pop music with ease. Her debut single "Somebody" sounds like Robyn and the Scissor Sisters engaged in a dance off as Goldfrapp sits aloof in the judges' chair. The track has a pulsating synthpop groove and Salt Ashes' vocal floats in a giddy falsetto before diving into sultry lower range, bringing to mind Alison Goldfrapp.

The "Somebody" EP is out now on iTunes.

FOR FANS OF: Goldfrapp, Robyn, Scissor Sisters

- Joe Copplestone, 25.02.14

NEW MUSIC: Clean Bandit - Heart On Fire

If any group of music fans could possibly throw any criticism the way of "Rather Be", the spectacularly uplifting piano pop single by Clean Bandit, now in its fourth consecutive week at #1 in the UK charts, then it's the ravers. It was the chirpy All About She garage mix that made it onto many a pre drinking playlist, whilst the tame original stayed good friends with daytime radio.

The group's speedily delivered new single "Heart On Fire" is quick to meet the demands placed heavily upon them. "Heart on Fire" is a garage-tastic Artful Dodger tribute at a tempo not dissimilar to high energy J-pop. The infectious and unadulterated joy running through the track's veins is fast becoming a Clean Bandit speciality, as are the light as a feather keys and distinctive string quartet flourishes. Elisabeth Troy does an admirable job of living up to Jess Glynne's vocal benchmark, delivering a juggernaut chorus that makes "Rather Be" seem like child's play.

FOR FANS OF: Artful Dodger, All About She, Gorgon City

- Joe Copplestone, 18.02.14

NEW MUSIC: Shura - Touch

After lending her light-as-a-feather whispers to London producer Hiatus's atmospheric post dubstep soundscapes, Shura's emotional identity thus far has been hidden behind cryptic musings on life and love. The South London singer's debut single "Touch" shows an altogether more down to earth and human side of her.

Warm pads and comforting R&B beats carry a gorgeous and affecting vocal, as Shura admits "something's changed and I don't know why". The simplicity of the message in "Touch" is a far cry from Hiatus collaborations such as "We Can Be Ghosts Now". Her musings are now worn on her sleeve, heartfelt and honest; "I wanna touch you but there's history, I can't believe that it's been three years" she later murmurs. Her voice, once mysterious and icy, now betrays a vulnerability and a racing heartbeat.

Follow Shura on SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: BANKS, Haim, Jessie Ware

- Joe Copplestone, 11.04.14

NEW MUSIC: Yasmin Green - All Of You

More love for the 2014 Sade from us. Yasmin Green's new upload "All Of You" is acoustic, stripped back and as fragile as it's love-scared subject matter. It's Yasmin's voice alone that makes the gentle chorus haunting and beautiful, when with many other singers it would coast aimlessly. When the simple becomes spellbinding, you know it won't be long before a singer is skyrocketing to the top.

FOR FANS OF: Sade, Jessie Ware



And for those of you wanting diversity, check out Yasmin's powerhouse vocal on last year's cover of Florence's "Spectrum". Dare I say it - much more affecting than the original.

- Joe Copplestone, 27.01.14

OUT AND ABOUT: Leon Else/Claire LIVE @ Gold Dust, Hoxton Bar & Grill, 22/01/14

For those always on the look out for potential Next-Big-Things, Hoxton Bar & Grill's Gold Dust club night if ideal - a night designed for trend-obsessed hipsters, good-time students and music geeks - in short, London's music buying public. So when two of GivePopAChance's most hotly tipped new acts for 2014 (namely Leon Else and Claire) popped up on the line-up for the first Gold Dust of the year, there was no doubt it was a great opportunity to gauge just how good our judge of musical character was.

Arriving just after 9 to the packed out/blacked out back-room of HB&G, we were just in time to catch a suave Leon Else take to the stage. Dressed all in black and humbly inching his way past an inconveniently placed keyboard to the stage, Else opens with "Protocol", his simmering James Blake-alike single, and his voice is as electrifying as on record.

However, just when you think you've got him pegged as the tortured artist type, the Londoner launches into "Us Against The World", an uptempo Script-esque anthem with flecks of "Get Lucky" disco sheen, complete with arm stretching choreographed moves and foot stomping. He surprises us further with set highlight "Refund", a steamy, soulful slow jam that first really demonstrates his sizzling falsetto. It goes down a treat and from that moment on, we begin to see Else's inner freak emerge.

Turns out this guy isn't James Blake, he's more Robin Thicke, a black man not-so-trapped inside a 24 year old white boy's body. He oozes sex, thrusting his hips during numbers such as "Purple Stars" and "Heart Beat", the subtley of "Protocol" nowhere in sight. As the set goes on and an enthusiastic crowd clearly gives him confidence, he exercises his falsetto muscle to ridiculous extremes. Whilst he may have a slight case of multiple musical personalities, there's no denying that when the showman in Leon is released, there's no getting him back in his "Protocol" cage.

Up next are Claire, who, contrary to the initial impression, is not the name of the stylishly top-ponytailed Pagan-looking woman centre stage, but the whole band, an indie-minded synthpop 5 piece hailing from Germany. However, until singer Josie Burkle drops the "we" bomb when addressing the audience, you might well be forgiven for thinking this is a solo act. Beaming from ear to ear, belting every gutsy note and bashing her electronic sample kit with gusto, it is impossible to take your eyes of Burkle as she contorts herself and flings her ponytail through a spectacular set of european electropop and nu disco.

Opening with the Niki And The Dove-esque duo of "Broken Promise Land" and single "Games", the band establish a definite and infectious sound, a much cleaner and European sound than that of Else before them. That's not to say that Claire's set isn't also full of surprises. There is a glorious 180 in genre when one jaw dropping number features a majestic post-hip hop shudder and a surprisingly awesome rap courtesy of Burkle. Later numbers also bring to mind Santigold. Closing with a ravey, burbling techno number, Claire have won over even the most anti-Europop of the hipsters here.

The two acts seemed to be testing the waters with genre and direction tonight, but considering we may have witnessed some songs and even personalities both acts may ditch at a later stage, there's no doubt that tonight showcased both Leon Else and Claire at the most exciting stage of their early careers - and perhaps the most dangerous too. Listen out for them both in 2014, and if all goes well, we could have a couple of BBC Sound of 2015 finalists here.

Listen to "Protocol" by Leon Else and "Games" by Claire below:

- Joe Copplestone, 27.01.14

NEW MUSIC: Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne - Rather Be

Clean Bandit are what I call a truly great pop act. They manage to appeal to the trendy crowd with their deep house credibility (the Gorgon City collaboration in particular helped them there) whilst still managing to avoid genres and maintain a level of musical freshness and creativity that lacks in so many modern acts.

"Rather Be" isn't chart-oriented enough to be considered straight up pop and isn't deep and dancey enough to be considered house. If anything it recalls a time in the early 00s, when disco-meets-ibiza chillout was the dancefloor filling sound du jour, and easy going house-lite tunes like Milky's "Just The Way You Are" and DB Boulevard's "Point Of View" were crossing over from the underground to the charts.  However, whilst these decade-old songs lack 'edge' compared to the sharp bass-heavy crossover tunes we hear on the radio in 2014, Clean Bandit manage to bring some energy and back bone to the sound they throw back to. In the process they succeed in combining the best of house in 2004 with the best of house in 2014. 

Their trademark string quartet intro gives way to perky raindrop synths and a life affirming piano house chorus, sung with gusto by Jess Glynne. No doubt it's the remixes that will make it to the clubs (particularly the ultra cool garage take from All About She), but the emotional peak that the original version reaches is definitely the place I'd rather be.

FOR FANS OF: Mausi, Disclosure, Tensnake

NEW MUSIC: Andy Lovelee - Love You Today

The UK and indeed the international music scene is missing an androgynous alt-pop star, and the spine-tinglingly voiced Aussie Andy Lovelee could be the one to hold that tragic flame. Gothic-tinged debut single "Love You Today" for any other male singer would be the wrong side of depressing, but Lovelee's irresistibly sexy croon floats suggestively between full voice and falsetto over shimmering guitars and shuddering beats that Hurts would jump upon, injecting the epic melody with a convincing and striking performance.

Lovelee is very much up and coming, so make sure you support him by following his SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: Hurts, MS MR, Active Child

- Joe Copplestone, 13.1.14