NEW MUSIC: Tanika - Bad 4 U

For anyone looking for a trashy new pop thrill, look no further than Tanika, and her explosive debut single "Bad 4 U". It bears similarities to Rita Ora's breakthrough single "RIP" in a number of ways, except Tanika takes all the risks that Rita should have when she released her lukewarm debut.

"RIP" revealed nothing more about Rita Ora than her sense of superiority over who she used to be (not especially insightful, but when you've got Jay-Z behind you, you're going to be a star). With "Bad 4 U", Tanika wears her shortcomings openly, and proudly, on her sleeve. Unafraid of treading on toes, Tanika yelps "I'm only gonna fuck with your life, I'm bad for you" on the powerhouse chorus, and her delivery turns a potentially dated dubstep throb into something fresh and exhilarating.

Mixing the youthful charm of Rita Ora, the seductive nastiness of Rihanna and the quirky credibility of Natalia Kills, Tanika might be bad for you, but eventually you won't be able to avoid her.

Her debut EP Fucking With My Heart, is out now on iTunes.

FOR FANS OF: Rita Ora, Rihanna, Natalia Kills

- Joe Copplestone, 30.04.14

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 - LIZ - Say U Would

Initially a baffling addition to the Mad Decent rosta when she released the silky but over-produced R&B slow jam "XTC" last year, LIZ is now probably one of the most promising young artists on Diplo's label.

Having made a name for herself by dabbling in an array of 90s R&B stylings, LIZ's "Say U Would" is by far her sexiest and most seductive track since "XTC". Sparse, blissful keys are kept afloat by a jumpy hip hop beat as LIZ speak-sings her way through the 'dear diary' verses, as her harmonious acrobatic voice on the chorus recalls Aaliyah. And to reach this level of comparison so early in her career, when Aaliyah is almost certainly a huge inspiration on LIZ, is quite an achievement.

What's so great about LIZ is that with any other artist, this kind of R&B would sound outright pastiche and the wrong side of novelty in 2014. However, with LIZ, it sounds as fresh as if we were hearing these sounds for the very first time.

You can download "Say U Would", and the rest of her Just Like You EP, for FREE below on SoundCloud. My guess is that this will be her last free release, so snap it up boys and girls.

FOR FANS OF: Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, Mariah Carey

- Joe Copplestone, 4.4.14

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: Peter Thomas ft. Betty Who - All Of You

It's no secret that we love Betty Who here at GivePopAChance. A young woman with 4 solo tracks to her name, 2 of which appearing in our Top 10 of 2013, 1 of which ("Somebody Loves You") hitting our top spot by a country mile. So imagine our delight when as 2014 hits, Betty Who is once again dominating our iPods with the glorious "All Of You", a tale of volatile but passionate young love, on par with both "Somebody Loves You" and "High Society".

Of course, this is not a Betty Who solo gig, so most of the credit must go to LA producer Peter Thomas, whose goliath Madeon-esque production exudes as much effortless joy as Betty's song. It's a match made in EDM heaven. 

You can download a lower quality version of the song for free from SoundCloud below, but for anyone really wanted to appreciate this track the way it was meant to be heard, you can download a high quality version on iTunes now. No brainer.

FOR FANS OF: Madeon, The Knocks, Lenno

- Joe Copplestone, 8/1/14

#EatSleepRaveBlog - Drop Lamond, Eli & Fur x Davidian

DROP LAMOND - FEELING HIGH (FEAT. RUBY WOOD)

Despite the deep house side of the UK dance underground gradually becoming a little stale and over-saturated, it has nevertheless made way for the more joyous pastiche genre of 90s UK garage to make a full-on comeback. The debut EP of London's Drop Lamond, Breaking The Walls, is unashamadly sunny and seductive in a way that brings to mind Artful Dodger and Shanks & Bigfoot, whilst still sporting a future bass sheen. "Feeling High" is the sexiest track of the three, and it's Ruby Wood's blissful vocal that just about trips it into first place.

For a truly blissed out moment, skip to 3.33. Thank you Ruby.

Drop Lamond's Breaking The Walls EP is available to download now on iTunes.

ELI & FUR x DAVIDIAN - LET IT GO

London girl-girl DJ duo Eli & Fur created a minor blog stir with their phenomenal indie rave track "Sea of Stars" last year, and 21 year old Nottingham producer Davidian has been making some minor stirs of his own this year, especially with a deep and dirty house mix of "No Scrubs". The collaboration is slightly unexpected but entirely successful, with Davidian's feisty piano house riffs swimming in the reverb from Eli & Fur's ethereal vocals. A sudden drop into sparse garage bass territory is particularly delicious. Thank you Davidian.

You can download the track for free from Eli & Fur's SoundCloud below.

- Joe Copplestone, 29/11/13

@GivePopAChance

#Popdar - Sid Batham, Yasmin Green

SID BATHAM - ALL LIES
At the close of a year where soulful male vocalists finally got the UK's attention through some high profile, and at-the-time ambitious dance collaborations from Disclosure & Sam Smith, and Rudimental & John Newman, there is an inundation of impressive male vocal talent emerging, and about time. London's Sid Batham needs no feature spot to ease him in, as "All Lies" is a magnificent and melodramatic balls-to-the-wall debut effort, that has 90s Soul/R&B searing through it's veins.

"All Lies" is out now on iTunes.

FOR FANS OF: Maverick Sabre, John Newman, Sam Smith



YASMIN GREEN - INTO THE NIGHT
Whilst male vocalists are becoming more histronic and melodramatic in their quest for chart success, it seems that a subtle female vocal has more pull than a belty one as 2013 closes. London's husky voiced Yasmin Green's debut track "Into The Night" has the primitive drum machine and synth bass of Sade's "No Ordinary Love", but with the sexy, calming delivery that Jessie Ware brought to the style. The track passes by in a daze, and unlike Ware, Yasmin Green seems unaware of her own brilliance, and the vocal is delivered with refreshingly little pretense or melodrama. In an era where vocalists use melismatics rather than tone to express emotion, Yasmin's vocal style is simple, honest and effective. And rather fearless as a result.

You can download "Into The Night" for free from HERE.

FOR FANS OF: Jessie Ware, Sade

#EatSleepRaveBlog - MDNGHT, Fire The Mob, H.O.T. Box

MDNGHT - INTO THE NIGHT
Finding the perfect middle ground between deep house and atmospheric R&B, two of the biggest sounds of the year, Manchester based act MDNGHT's "Into The Night" has enough passion and groove to appeal to fans of multiple trends and genres. And what a vocal. Weeknd eat your broken heart out.

The equally impressive debut EP, Into The Night, is out now on MUK Records.



FIRE THE MOB - CALM ME DOWN
Breathing a little life into the second of Katy B's disappointingly average 2013 singles, London's Fire The Mob, signed to Downing Street Records, take the vocal of "5AM" and drags it further down into a more realistic 5am post-clubbing state, with eerie samples fluttering around a menacing deep house bassline.

The single is available as a free download from Fire The Mob's Soundcloud below.



H.O.T.BOX - TIL I GET MY WAY
Something a bit less 5am and more 11pm here, Downing Street Records' H.O.T.BOX's funky future garage anthem "Til I Get My Way" has a touch of Zinc and Rinse fm about it, and has "summer of 2014" written all over it. Make it happen.

There's no release information yet, but you can follow H.O.T.BOX on Twitter @IAmHotBOX and Soundcloud below.

Party Tracks of the Week! (FREE DOWNLOADS)

MKS - Flatline (MNEK Remix)

#Garage #House

It's a capital letter collaboration, and one that deserves 3 more capital letters - WOW. Bafflingly busy teen prodigy MNEK is known for his soulful 90s touch, and on his remix of MKS's "Flatline" his production is anything but flatlining. The track's pretty melody is placed into a fiery garage party-scape, and out of a humble original song, MNEK manages to cut and paste his way to about 20 more vocal hooks.

lostchild. - Private Party

#House #Garage #FreeDownload

Taking on Baltimore synthpoppers Dungeonesse's "Private Party", London producer lostchild. brings the track forward from big 80s electro to loungey 90s house. Much like the MNEK track above, lostchild flogs the wordy chorus for every potential cut'n'paste hook he can find. You can download it for FREE from the SoundCloud link below.

Mike Mago - The Show

#ChicagoHouse #Funky #DeepHouse

Managing to combine 3 different eras of house music into one seriously addictive track, Mike Mago brings 90s Chicago House piano, and a delicious Funky House vocal sample to a slick Deep House beat and bass. Sometimes you can please everyone all of the time it would seem.

EXS feat. Cassie Graves - In Motion [FREE DOWNLOAD]

After channelling Rudimental during a supernova on debut single "Sunshine", electronic duo EXS return with a similarly sunny disposition, but this time replacing euphoric drum & bass with 90s liquid garage vibes for second single, and free download no less, "In Motion".

Singer Cassie Graves is a million miles from her jazzy comfort zone on "In Motion", but her soulful, biting voice takes to its spiralling melody like an Eliza Doolittle-esque duck to Disclosure-esque waters.

Available for free download below via Soundcloud.

FOR FANS OF: Disclosure, Katy B, Jessie Ware

Dear Prudence - Coming Apart Again (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Following in the footsteps of Charli XCX and Haim, Dear Prudence takes the baton for gothic, female fronted pop and takes it to a heavy, epic place. Lead singer, the glamorously named Madeleine Poncia, has a Kate Nash twang to her voice, but this is no punk rock wannabe. On the triumphantly bittersweet chorus, her voice soars as a wall of guitar attempts to pound the track into the ground. It's full of melancholic cliches ("is this the end of always and forever?") but when its delivered with such finesse and glorious melodrama, Dear Prudence have a hall pass to milk melancholia for all its worth.

Download the track for free HERE.

For fans of: Charli XCX, Haim, The Horrors