#POPDAR - YOUTH, Lulu James, LIZ

YOUTH - LOW

Camouflage Records

In the wake of Lorde's inexplicable but pleasing worldwide success, twee indie acts with a taste for Hip Hop beats is a market suddenly wide open for newcomers. Mysterious London duo YOUTH match a glitchy Trap beat with a powerful vocal that twangs like Paloma Faith's on their debut release "Low", and there's no reason they can't take this market by storm.

YOUTH's sleek collaboration with dreamy garage producer Kilter, "Hold Me", is out on November 8, and their debut EP is forthcoming on Camouflage Records.

FOR FANS OF: Lorde, Elli Ingram, Purity Ring



LIZ - STOP ME COLD

LIZ's logo

90s R&B and Garage is more popular now than it was in the actual 90s, and Mad Decent's unexpected but brilliant signing LIZ is gradually paving her way to the top of the pastiche heap, even if only for unashamed authenticity. The Californian singer's new single "Stop Me Cold" could be a 1999 Destiny's Child or Janet Jackson single, boasting a click and pop garage beat and breathlessly choppy vocal oozing pure sugar.

"Stop Me Cold" is available for free download from LIZ's Facebook page.

FOR FANS OF: TLC, Destiny's Child, Janet Jackson



LULU JAMES - SWEETEST THING

Lulu James

Though it was squelchy house number "Closer" that first broke London singer Lulu James through to radio, Lulu sounds most at home amidst the sultry electro R&B vibes of new single "Sweetest Thing". With the track essentially built around quirky vocal hooks, gorgeously slight underwater pads and a sparse Bondax-esque beat, Lulu vibes out, letting her thick jazzy voice merge subtly with the liquid sounds around it.

The Sweetest Thing EP is out now on iTunes.

FOR FANS OF: Charli XCX, MØ, MS MR

- Joe Copplestone, 7/11/13

@GivePopAChance

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT/INTERVIEW: Bow Promise

Dagenham's Bow Promise believes in pushing the boundaries of R&B, and she has no plan to start pandering to conventions any time soon. Produced by long-time collaborator Lostchild, an atmospheric electronic London producer with a taste for 80s pads, her debut EP Cactus is a thoroughly intelligent, atmospheric, often experimental take on an over-saturated genre.

Take the title track from her debut EP - an aggressive, rough-around-the-edges R&B/Hip Hop crossover based around a complex and unconventional cactus metaphor. Bow informs me "The chorus actually came from a Whatsapp status that read something like "you can't sow your heart with someone who doesn't want to water it and then say "but it's rooted in fertile soil!" - she takes this musing almost word for word in the chorus of "Cactus", and these kind of philosophical complexities are rife in Bow Promise's writing.

"It's about me yearning for someone's love and becoming unapproachable and alone as a result," she clarifies. And it seems like this distrust of men is also rife in her writing: "I've had situations where I've not only doubted that a guy might be able to hold down a relationship with me, but I doubted that they were even interested in me in the first place. This kind of distrust led me to "Cactus", which is kind of saying "see, I told you you'd leave!"

And it's not just her lyrics that are complex. Her vocal melodies are often unexpected and sometimes even brave. Lostchild provides her, rather cruelly, with a icy, sharp hip hop beat on "Cactus", that would quite easily, and more conventionally, suit a rapper. However, Ms Promise rises to the challenge and throws feisty, acrobatic melodies over the top that catch the ear and demand the attention, much like the attention she demands from her lover in the song itself.

Even on the other two considerably tamer tracks on the EP, her melodies can't sit still, and she's not one to repeat a melody twice in the same song. And this isn't some unnecessary melisma - these are meticulous, delicately written melodies that reflect the rollercoaster of ideas inside the mind of Bow Promise.

If the song "Cactus" showcases her fierce and intelligent side, the remaining tracks on the EP showcase a vulnerability in her persona, and a secretly intense desire for a human connection. "I've been using one relationship as a muse and exploring it with my music" Bow reveals, and the smooth, soulful 90s R&B of "More" certainly explores polar emotions to the EP's title track. Over seductive yet organic slow jam beats, Promise laments that she's "more than a touch and more than a body to take" in a vulnerable form that couldn't at all be perceived from her unapproachable and aggressive character on "Cactus".

"I wrote my first song when I was in year 10 at school" Bow tells me, and the last 12 years of writing and listening about her experiences seem to have all stuck with her. "When I'm going through something that's monumental to me, whether it's good or bad, I have to write about it. Even if I've moved away from that chapter, I can still tap into how I felt at the time to write. That's what happened with more - the chorus and half the verse were 2-3 years old." The manner in which Bow Promise switches effortlessly between vocal deliveries betrays her experience and maturity. Whilst her husky voice barks and bites on "Cactus", her wispy R&B falsetto slides down like vanilla ice cream on "More".

Bow Promise succinctly describes her sound as "atmospheric, experimental R&B", and although that may not give away a hell of a lot, there really is no other way to describe the duet with her producer (and artist in his own right) Lostchild, "Fall To Earth". Lostchild's epic and melancholic chorus is contrasted by an airy, bubbly verse that Promise delivers so effortlessly and lightly it threatens to float away entirely. The track is less chorus driven than the other two, but it's an existential vibe that suggests more experimentation in future material.

And indeed, Bow hints at a more emotional journey ahead of her. "The sounds (of my upcoming material) will be similar to all that you hear with the Cactus EP," she begins, "but some of the tracks will be more sentimental as I begin to step away from the relationship and delve a bit deeper into myself, as I started to do on "Fall To Earth" - There's a lot of expression of faith, hope and facing your fears."

Speaking of faith and hope, I'm told the name Bow Promise refers to "the promise of a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow". Having had many setbacks in her past career, both personal and professional, the quality and emotional depth of the Cactus EP suggests that her pot of gold may be closer than she thinks.

You can download her Cactus EP for free from her Official Website.

Follow her Twitter and Facebook accounts below for the latest details on gigs and new material.

Follow @BowPromise on Twitter.

'Like' Bow Promise on Facebook.

- Joe Copplestone, 12/09/13

MIXTAPE REVIEW - Etta Bond x Raf Riley - Meds

Click the cover above to download Meds for FREE.

Part of Etta Bond and Raf Riley's appeal as a double act lies in their ability to put their own spin on current underground trends. The duo don't so much think outside the box, as think inside the box from the outside.

On their first mixtape, Emergency Room, they took on dubstep. The duo revived the dying genre with Etta's alarmingly blunt songwriting and Raf's brutal yet melodic mix of dubstep with trip-hop and hip hop. Tracks like "Boring Bitches" and "Ask Me To Stay" were instantly timeless, and have outlived the dubstep craze. On follow up mixtape Meds, the two have set their sights on several current crazes, including Deep House, Modern R&B and Trap.

If Emergency Room felt more like Etta's mixtape, Raf makes his presence a lot more known on Meds. Whilst on Emergency Room he largely stuck with a (nevertheless effective) formula of chainsaw synths, colossal kicks and even bigger snares, on Meds he throws caution and commerciality to the wind. With the rise of "weird" producers such as Diplo and Hudson Mohawke, it's a delight that this gives wind for ultra-creative producers such as Raf Riley to let loose with ideas they perhaps couldn't have got away with before.

And let loose he does - Etta even tones down the big hooks in favour of more ponderous melodies to make room for Raf's crazy productions. The result is chicago house pianos over Trap beats and warm pads on the woozy "Fanbabe", a mesh of funky, electro and deep house on the addictive "1 More Time" (surely an underground hit waiting to happen), and schizophrenic 80s synths over a beat straight from Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation on "Big Girl's Vogue".

Not to discredit Etta's contribution to Meds at all. Etta may let Raf show off more this time round, but she's subtely matched his progressive production with a shift in lyrical concept. Whilst Etta's lyrics on Emergency Room were based in gritty reality - relationships falling apart ("Ask Me To Stay"), making out on the tube ("One Way On A Train") and, notoriously, beastly hangovers ("Resolve") - on Meds she delves head first into fantasy. Etta's previously cynical and angry characters are now blinded by their fantasies - the lovesick obsessive uber-fan on "Fanbabe", a girl sharing her wild sexual dreams on "Me First" or the girl in love who thinks she can separate love and sex in "1 More Time".

Another reason Etta and Raf are a genius double act is the way they bounce off each other. Both their presences are always felt equally - Etta never seems like a mere feature singer, and Raf never feels like an anonymous producer. There's a reason the duo haven't thought of a separate name for their collaboration - they want to support each other as solo artists as well. And it's clear they never need to compromise either's vision. This means if Etta wants to conversationally talk-rap loudly one of Raf's sickest basslines, he'll let her. If Raf wants to loop Etta saying "wobbles" whilst throwing a rock'n'roll piano solo over the top, she'll let him (That's from "Big Girl's Vogue" by the way, I'm not making it up.)

Their anything goes approach to making music is what makes them one of the most interesting underground acts in the UK today. Check out their live performance for LiteSwitch TV below to witness the duo's chemistry.

FOR FANS OF: Diplo, Elli Ingram, Katy B

@EttaBond

@TheRealRafRiley

- Joe Copplestone

5/09/13

Jake Emlyn - The Wonka Hath Landed (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Anyone who's familiar with eccentric London rapper Jake Emlyn will know that he's been rapping for several years now. It could be argued that his lack of mainstream attention is down to his androgynous and occasionally effeminate style, and his lack of interest in hip hop trends and standards. But what fans of Jake most love about him is that despite the criticism and confusion surrounding his identity, style and genre, he never changes anything about himself and his music.

"The Wonka Hath Landed", lead track and single off his Scandinavian Alien mixtape, is probably his most outlandish and controversial offering to date. Rapping over a Robyn-esque synthpop pulse, Jake Emlyn on "Wonka..." is self-deprecating, crude, tongue-in-cheek yet a lot more confident than the comparatively subdued and dark "My Name's Jake", his previous calling card track.

He paints a defiantly non-gangster image of himself, drolly referring to himself as "white trash like Kate Nash" wearing "skinny jeans so tight that my penis can't breathe". He also makes his outsider status patently clear, spitting at the climax "my spaceship crashed, I'm stranded, the wonka hath landed." It's an opaque metaphor, one that will continue to confound Jake's growing crowd of picketing nay-sayers. But the apocalyptic Vangelis synth lead and grandiose choirs that follow the statement couldn't make the message clearer - Jake's ambitions are considerable, and he's on a mission that cannot be thwarted. As the man himself says in the second verse: "just when you was about to stop listening to rap, I came back with the wickedest track."

Download Jake's brilliant (and free) Scandinavian Alien mixtape by clicking on the cover above.

FOR FANS OF: Robyn, Brooke Candy

Little Nikki - Where I'm Coming From

Jumping on the garage bandwagon seems like a fairly smart move for a young singer in 2013, and it also seems like a better idea to be a solo artist than a band. Two steps Little Nikki has smartly taken. Given the disintegration of SoundGirl, the last act Little Nikki was (prominently) part of, she brings a little bit of girl band sugar 'n' sheen to an ultra retro garage sound, one that stands out due to its tropical flourishes and unusual melodies. If her debut single "Intro Intro" showcased Nikki going hard, "Where I'm Coming From" shows her more sultry side, and an acrobatic vocal reminiscent of Katy B. The music's not far off either.

FOR FANS OF: Katy B, Rita Ora, Girls Aloud

Hiatus - We Can Be Ghosts Now (feat. Shura)

After their last spellbinding collaboration, the slight but striking "Fortune's Fool", it's a delight to hear London producer Hiatus team up with the haunting voice of Shura again. Whilst "...Fool" was a melancholic, longing track, "We Can Be Ghosts Now" picks up the pace, with an airy vibe and a gorgeous sense of peace and release.

A gently pulsating kick drum, and tinkling arpeggios bring to mind Jamie Woon's "Night Air" from a few years back, but if "Night Air" soundtracked the witching hour, "We Can Be Ghosts Now" is resolutely a dusky winter's afternoon, although it could easily translate to summer. Shura's voice is as fragile and heartbreaking as ever, but there is a certain majesty to her gutsy chorus vocal, which opens up her vocal chords just enough to let the gorgeous melody bounce charmingly against Hiatus' warm, glossy backdrop.

FOR FANS OF: Daughter, The xx, Jamie Woon

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

Chloe Howl - No Strings

17 year old Chloe Howl is the latest feisty teen girl popstar, with the chirp and adorability of Pixie Lott, but the sharp tongue and dry lyrics of Kate Nash. The warm and fuzzy indie-synthpop of "No Strings" mimics the bassline from "Pumped Up Kicks" but brings it to a teenage house party, where she tells of a typical 17 year old's battle between lust and love. Her voice shimmers with vulnerability but her words hit hard, with lines like "you don't even know if I'm the right sex do you?" and "let's put this to bed without crawling in your bed" taunting and raising many a suggestive eyebrow.

FOR FANS OF:  Pixie Lott, (old) Kate Nash, Foster The People

TOP 10 SONGS OF NOVEMBER.

10

"Holdin' On"

Monsta

Even when a genre is on its way out of fashion, in this case the once colossal dubstep genre, truly great cuts will survive the recession, and Monsta's "Holdin' On" is one such cut. Nodding not-so-slying at Alex Clare's Major Lazer-co-produced "Too Close", "Holdin' On" pairs a thunderous growl of a bassline and a startling chipmunk vocal sample with a ravenous male vocal not dissimilar to Mr Clare. What sets Monsta apart from Alex Clare however, is that whilst Alex Clare pulls off the novelty singer/songwriter-produced-by-in-a-dubstep-style act, Monsta makes it sounds like a new genre entirely.

9

"Sex"
The 1975

Indie rock with added, well, sex. Strangely melancholic yet anthemic in a way that even the Killers only manage from time to time, sung by a horny teenager. "We might as well just fuck, she's got a boyfriend anyway" yelps their gorgeous lead singer, and the whole thing has an embarrassed secret guilty pleasure vibe to it. The brilliant "The City", then this... The 1975 have yet to disappoint.

8

"Jump"
Rihanna

Rihanna's "Unapologetic" is on the whole a half crock of underdeveloped, self-servicing shite, BUT there are a few underground tinged delights to be enjoyed, especially the Chase & Status produced pounding electronic burps and sirens that make up the breakdown of "Jump". But Rihanna is not a filler on her own track, her standard but effective come-ons ("if you want it, let's do it, ride it, my pony, my saddle is waiting..." etc) making an effective build-up to the slimy drop.

7

"Insulin"

Crystal Castles

The stripped back but visceral-as-ever III is a slow burning but valuable addition to the band's back catalogue. Whilst not as youthfully punk-spirited as their debut, or as euphoric as their sophomore, this third album's strength lies in its simplicity. The album was recorded without computers, straight onto tape, so the production tricks used on the album are fewer and more straight forward, but this in no way compromises their ability to startle. "Insulin" is the prime example, the album's "Doe Deer", an overdriven bassline eating the rest of the track whole, including the barely audible vocals, ripped apart by the harsh sidechaining. A delightfully raw track.

6

"She"
Laura Mvula

Like a more ethereal Lianne Le Havas, Laura Mvula's husky voice is less embellished than her peer, and more jazzy and free flowing, and "She" has more in common with the eccentric storytelling singer/songwriter genius of Tori Amos. There is a gap in the female singer/songwriter market with her name written clearly on it .

5

"Evil Coast"

The Mary Onettes

There are swathes of jangly dreampop bands that are so set on creating the mood of summer that they forget to write a song good enough to convince us that it's still the sunny season when it's raining outside. Thank god then for bands like The Mary Onettes, whose bittersweet indie lullaby "Evil Coast" is a heartwrenching and gorgeous songscape that matches a sunflecked tastefully textured production with a soaring lead melody.

4

"Dance 4 U"

Charli XCX

The Super Ultra Mixtape could not be cooler if it tried. Dark electropop that's smothered in underground credibility, and "Dance 4 U", with its ultra-hip Trap beats, sultry, aching vocals, and tongue-in-cheek "Justin... Bieber" closing refrain, is a track that puts Charli XCX in line for the potential status of the UK Lana Del Rey. Suggestive, secretive and thoroughly out there, one hopes that her album can mirror the inventiveness of her mixtapes.

3

"Stars"
Roses Gabor
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.

2

"Play The Game Boy"

A*M*E

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) 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.

1

"Ride"

Lana Del Rey

It's a shame that Lana Del Rey's management thought it would be a good idea to extend Born to Die into a Paradise Edition in time for Christmas, instead of waiting a couple of months for some more songs and making Paradise an album in its own right. Because Paradise, and its greatest song and probably Lana's greatest to date, "Ride" is the sound of Lana Del Rey in her element. Born To Die is excellent, an album of the year, but there is not one song that sounds as carefree and autobiographical as Lana sounds on "Ride". It could be the hype surrounding its 10 minute video, with its escapist, pretentious yet somehow beautiful monologues surrounding the song, that makes it seem all the more majestic, but the chills that run down my spine as she utters the opening phrase "I've been down on that open road..." in the very bottom of her range, seem timeless to me.

GIG REVIEW: Bon Iver @ Wembley Arena, feat. The Staves - 08/11/12

Going to a gig on your own might seem simple enough. You don't have to wait around for anyone, you can stand where you please, and, if it comes to it, leave when you please. However, having to rejoin a cloakroom queue three times due to having only two hands, but a drink, headphones, coat and pound coin to contend with, puts a slightly uncomfortable beginning to my evening. This is closely followed by the realisation that the allegedly Bon Iver-loving crowd consists largely, to my dismay, of either soppy couples, or snobby students in large groups.

The last straw is when a girl with bad teeth and a worse attitude next to me, surrounded by, one assumes, her friends, exclaims loudly "imagine if you came by yourself!" In a moment of what I consider to be calm and casual confrontation, I cheerily inform her that she is in the presence of one such poor sod, to which she gasps and says "I'm going to hell." Hoping she stays put for the moment, I find somewhere else to stand.

But to see a gig like this, to see the band who made the album that soundtracked my 2012, the most beautiful, comforting piece of escapist art I have heard in quite possibly my entire life, I don't want a companion to chit chat with. I want to witness the magic recreated on stage; to witness Justin Vernon utter those words "...at once I knew I was not magnificent" first hand. It might sound pretentious, but tonight was not a social occasion for me; It was only about Bon Iver.


Support act The Staves resemble, typically for an all female folk band, a trio of Karen Carpenters. The band however are as masterful at their craft as if there were indeed three of the late songstress up there. Their pitch perfect harmonies resonate charmingly around the arena, where the band clearly belong. "Bugger me, we're at Wembley!" one of the girls amusingly chirps, to whoops and cheers from an impressed crowd. Hopefully the Watford girls get to return here soon.

It feels like a long wait, longer when you're on your own (last one, promise), but at quarter past 9, the lights go down and to the simmering sounds of windchimes and dusty percussion, The many members of Bon Iver swoop onto a stage with enough equipment to open a store, and a huge, awe-inspired cheer is saved for the man of the moment, Justin Vernon.

The opening three songs from last year's Bon Iver are the opening three here, and it's clear that the band are going to be performing no chillout set. "Perth" is staggering, thanks in part to a wonderful sound in the arena, and totally justifies Vernon's one-time 'heavy metal' description. The pitter patter arpeggios of "Holocene" are met with surprised cheers at the decision to play it so early in the set, and the crowd don't appear to have been emotionally adjusted yet, but it's gorgeous anyway, although its probably the most autopilot performance of the night. Which suggests just how incredible the later highlights are.

As "Perth" hints, the band are ready to rock throughout most of the set, and it's engaging, exciting and gives the tracks new life. EP rarity "Blood Bank" follows "Holocene", and in its live form, it is straight up anthemic, borderline Springsteen even, with an aching, wrenching guitar solo courtesy of Vernon. No one is prepared for it. "Hinnom, TX" even builds to a grandslamming climax, tripling its emotional power, and making the comedown in "Wash" all the more satisfying.

I'm surprised its taken me this long to mention the light show. The stage is scattered with lights that resemble candles in a church, and when combined with the beautiful swathes of green and yellow light that swoop the stage like spotlights, and all the instruments and the many bodies of the band members come in and out of focus, and the whole stage comes off like a musical enchanted forest. It's quite simply breathtaking.

The show evolves from joy to joy. Once Vernon starts to engage with the crowd, it's through nonsensical stories about his soggy, cardboard underwear, that are somehow hilarious, and an awkward yet totally endearing mix of crowd-banter and bumbling thanks throughout. His manner is slight, but utterly human and warm, and the perfect antithesis to such epic music. On "Re: Stacks", he brings out his guests The Staves, for a sweet, effortless duet, in which the girls' envelop Vernon's fragile voice with distant wordless harmonies.

It's the show's finale however that really drops jaws. The opening chords of "Calgary" sound spine tingling live, as does the track's emotional climax of clanging guitar and belted vocal, and the burbling soundscape that turns out to be "Lisbon, OH", indicates that "Beth/Rest" is probably coming, and an excited crowd prepare for a send off. But "Beth/Rest" is a revelation that no one could have expected. Everything on paper is cringeworthy. The snare sounds like a building collapsing it's so loud, the notorious Phil Collins electric piano is twangier and more 1980s AOR than ever, and Vernon most noticably sings through a massively compressed autotune device. But it's heartbreakingly perfect. It's melodramatic, but the soul and aggression in Vernon's voice breaks through the autotune, like a battle between Vernon's voice and the machine trying to control it.

UK crowds often give awkward lacklustre pre-encore cheers, heaven forbid it look like we actually want more, but not tonight. The cheers are deafening and enthusiastic for a good 2 minutes until Justin et al reappear. When they do, it's a crowd pleasing closer, with "Skinny Love" prompting the night's only audible singalong, and the venue, no matter how big, suddenly feels intimate and friendly, like a super-sized pub gig. "Wolves" changes that however, with it's cataclysmic outro, encouraging every voice in the place to battle it out with the volume of the music as the entire place yells "what might've been lost" until it's meaning is embedded gloriously into the crowd's subconscious.

"For Emma" completes the circle of Bon Iver 'hits', and as the band take their final bows to the crowd, it feels like no stone has been left unturned; that we have just witnessed something rare, something perfect, something a portion of this occasionally noisy crowd didn't quite deserve, or perhaps expect. One things certain however, there's no one person leaving this venue tonight who isn't flabbergasted by the sheer power of tonight's set. One girl gabs in the cloakroom queue "I feel like I've just been to a rave, I'm on such a high!". And this is exactly what Bon Iver Live equates to: Expectations are exceeded, jaws are dropped, and I leave the venue, surrounded by groups of friends struggling not to lose each other in the mob, actually grateful that I don't have to talk to anyone about what I just experienced. As far as I'm concerned, that was just for me.

SETLIST

Perth
Minnesota, WI
Holocene
Blood Bank
Beach Baby
Hinnom, TX
Wash
Towers
Creature Fear
Re: Stacks
Michicant
Calgary
Lisbon, OH
Beth/Rest
---
Skinny Love
The Wolves (Act I & II)
For Emma

GivePopAChance on Soundcloud!

GivePopAChance now has its own Soundcloud page! Go to www.soundcloud.com/givepopachance to follow my weekly and monthly mixtapes and minimixes, which you can also preview below! ENJOY!

 Latest tracks by GivePopAChance 

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

LIVE REVIEW - Niki and the Dove @ XOYO - 28/05/12

So after postponing their much anticipated gig on the 16th due to illness (and let's face it, most of us were ill around that time anyway), Sweden's new synthpop sensation Niki and the Dove finally make it to the east london stage at XOYO.

Bad news first. The incredible excitement of seeing fellow up and coming swedish indie-girl-ghetto-rap-lectro act Elliphant is shattered when we find out she is no longer performing. I admit, I was looking forward to hearing "TeKKno Scene" live just as much as "DJ, Ease My Mind" or "Tomorrow".

Instead, the opening act is Duologue, a pleasant enough synth-tinged indie band, who sound like Keane on record, but the XOYO sound system, provides some oomph into their languorous indie soundscapes. Epic sounding closer "Push It" manages to get a relatively subdued crowd going with its relentless dance pulse.

By 9.30, the time N&TD are due on, and the venue is packed. However, it's another half hour or casual sound-checks before the lights dim, spotlights begin to swarm the crowd, and a the intro music begins. As the band move onstage in comedic (I assume) slow motion to this music, which sounds a lot like a butter advert with its contended strings and inoffensive drums.

Gustaf Karlof, "The Dove" begins to play around with synth loops, not recognizable from any of their songs, and the crowd is yet to be convinced. Then Malin Dahlstrom, "Niki", opens her mouth to utter some startling yet beautiful notes, the bassline to "Mother Protect" drops, and suddenly the band have us transfixed for the following 60 minutes. This extended live version of "Mother Protect" is absolutely stunning, the crowd cheering when the triumphant pan-pipe melody finally bursts into life. Following with a COLLOSAL "Drummer", and then ridiculously catchy 80s-friendly album track "Somebody", the band have XOYO in the palm of their hand.

Even unknown track "Taylor", dedicated to Malin's best friend, whom she informs us she has lost, and urges us all to call our best friends, as she is "still waiting to make my call". It's a touching moment, and the performance itself is understated and clearly heartfelt, and a wonderful addition to the show. "Last Night", timid on record, becomes a singalong anthem live, with it's cute refrain of "Last night we got married in a taxi", and closing duo of "DJ, Ease My Mind" and "Tomorrow" could not have been better received.

Yes, there were only 7 songs played. And yes, I feel that tracks such as "The Fox" and "In Our Eyes" would've gone down a treat. But this incredibly quirky, incredibly loveable and incredibly Swedish band turned 7 songs into a musical journey, extended cuts, previously unheard musical interludes, tiger masks (!), light-up rings on their fingers.

Even the massively self-indulgent hyper-rave outro of "Tomorrow", taking up a good quarter of the show, cancelling out the need for an encore, was a delight, with Gustaf chucking rhythm over rhythm and bassline over bassline until the band take their leave and the track is left to swallow itself whole as the audience stands stunned.

If this is what Niki & The Dove are capable of after a single album, there is no doubt that with a bigger catalogue future shows will be even more groundbreaking.

Jessie Ware - What You Won't Do For Love (FREE download)

It's official. Jessie Ware is the new Sade. Such is the feather-light tone to her voice, the way it cracks on the way down from a challenging note, and SBTRKT collaborator Sampha totally gets this... just listen to the soulful, bubbling synth arpeggios of this cover of Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love". Jessie brings 80s soul to the UK bass generation, and there's no one doing it quite like her at the moment.

"Jessie got a thing for you and I can't let go..." The feeling's mutual my dear.

DOWNLOAD "WHAT YOU WON'T DO FOR LOVE" FREE FROM JESSIE WARE'S FACEBOOK PAGE.

Jessie Ware's debut album "Devotion" is released on the 20th August.

Eli & Fur - Sea Of Stars (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Synthpop often settles for being twee, rarely wanting to enter anthemic territory, yet London/Surrey based synth-duo Eli & Fur's "Sea of Stars" is nothing less than huge. Female shoegazer vocals float over an almighty eurodance backing track that takes influence from 90s dance and techno, whilst still sounding timeless. Genuinely moreish. Keep an eye out for further tracks by these guys.

Download the track for FREE below, via the SoundCloud link.

FOR FANS OF: Grimes, Niki & The Dove, Chicane

Lisa Lewis - Bullet & Alive (NEW LONDON SINGER)

London-based singer Lisa Lewis has a husky, silky voice that aches with a maturity beyond her 21 years and a subdued delivery that suggests a depth to her songs, and every word lingers on the end of her tongue.  On her two soulful UK 2 step influenced tracks, the magnificent "Alive" soars with an effortless joy as beats shuffle and synths tingle,  and "Bullet's" jazzy garage is propelled by the irresistable "every little thing I do..." hook and collision-happy beats.

FOR FANS OF: Jessie Ware, Etta Bond, Burial

BULLET (Demo)


ALIVE (Demo)

Popdar! - 14/01/12

#42
"Get On It"
Ruby Goe


The first real party anthem of 2012 has arrived. All kinds of wrong and dirty, but hell, that beat makes you want to get on it too, and BAD. Especially if you live and London and have to take the 149 into town. Listen out for Ruby Goe this year.