Party Tracks of the Week! (FREE DOWNLOADS)

Jay Fay - Dibby Dibby (FREE DOWNLOAD)
#Moombahton #EDM #FreeDownload

A crazy Dillon Francis-esque earthquake of a tune, with the funkiest electronic squelch of a bassline at the drop.




Grandtheft - Hear This (feat. Deejay Theory)
#Rave #Jungle #MajorLazer

From jungle to dancehall to a misleading 90s house breakdown before all hell breaks loose in a way that would make Major Lazer proud.



A.W.E - YYY
#Dubstep #Trap #Synth

Following in the footsteps of Melodic Dubstep and Trap pioneers Rustie and TNGHT comes the most colourful and ambitious Trap-influenced act yet. "YYY" bursts with eurodance synth chords, burbling breakdown arpeggios and vangelis synth leads over a Rustie-esque rough-around-the-edges Trappy beat.

Top 10 Tracks of April 2013. (FREE DOWNLOADS)

10
"Baby" feat. MNEK & Sinead Harnett
Rudimental

Rudimental's colourful debut admirably showcases their many trend-hopping sounds, and "Baby" is a particular highlight, its soulful 90s house twice as addictive for the delicious, flamboyant vocal of teen prodigy MNEK and the sweet, sultry tones of the reliable Sinead Harnett.

9
"That's the Way Love Goes" (Janet Jackson Cover/"MNEK Refix")
MNEK

2013 is surely MNEK's year, featuring multiple times on Rudimental's debut, on two of the record's best tracks, which owe no small debt to his strong presence and shamelessly camp vocal flourishes. Taking on a Janet Jackson track is surely a recipe for disaster for most artists, but MNEK somehow emulates and enhances the effortless groove of the original, replacing the breathless sexiness with an altogether more funky vibe, a heavy rhythm section led by a pounding bassline allowing MNEK to bring his trademark melodrama in full force.

8
"Kurt Cobain"
Amplify Dot

"Live Fast, Die Young like Kurt Cobain" goes the main hook of this slick hip hop number from UK female rapper newcomer Amplify Dot, and her cocky flow combined with a snake charmer synth and crushing kick drum provide a convincing case, as least for a Friday night.
PARTY TRACK OF THE WEEK 19/04/13.

7
"Jet Blue Jet" feat. Leftside, GTA, Razz & Biggy
Major Lazer

The crazy carnival vibe of Major Lazer's entire "Free The Universe" record is easily surmised by this crazy supernova of a tune. On "Jet Blue Jet", chopped up vocals ricochet off the walls, sirens screech and beats pound - as if we even needed reminding of the fact that in a cliquey worldwide underground dance scene, Major Lazer run the show.
PARTY TRACK OF THE WEEK 19/04/13.

6
"What I Like"
Charli XCX

Despite a slightly less immediate debut album than we could've hoped for - (I'm all for artistic integrity, but if Charli XCX wants to be on the same self-expressive, unfriendly-pop level as Grimes she shouldn't have tunes as mindnumbingly addictive as "You (Ha Ha Ha)" or "Nuclear Seasons") - Charli has thrown us another bone with latest single and album highlight "What I Like". More "London-Del-Rey" than ever, this is "Video Games" for the tumblr generation. "Your t-shirts on the floor, yea we're undressing in my house again" Charli carelessly murmers, and when she whispers "this shit is super cool", she's bizarrely convincing.

5
"Aftermath"
SZA

"I am made of bacon" is surely the most "did I just hear that right?" line ever heard in a song this pretty. Despite the smooth, gorgeous cloudlite vibes of the Glo'n'B production, there is a strange melancholy that the tastefully reserved SZA seems to withhold in this strange and beautiful track, which seems to be the polar opposite to the cool, razor sharp eerieness of "Ice Moon". Forceful on "Ice Moon" ("show me the way to your hiding place... go to church if you're scared"), here, SZA is infinitely more vulnerable and open, declaring "I want to be kidnapped". 

4
"White Noise"  (Disclosure Cover/"MNEK Refix") (Full Crate & FS Green Remix)
MNEK

Tearing it up on this infectious 90s-flecked remix of his rework/cover of Disclosure & AlunaGeorge's recent hit (description and a half no?), 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.
PARTY TRACK OF THE WEEK 04/04/13.

3
"Glow"
IYES

GIVEPOPACHANCE SAID... "Taking from their peers The 1975 and Chvrches, the band mix euphoric electronic flourishes with an anthemic indie mindset." READ MORE.

2
"Hypolight"
Mt. Wolf

GIVEPOPACHANCE SAID... "...as pianos and guitars mingle in the background, it's a joy to hear a voice soar above the musical tapestry, rather than be content to be just another instrument. More steps in this direction, and Mt. Wolf are real contenders." READ MORE.

1
"On & On"
Snakehips

GIVEPOPACHANCE SAID... "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." READ MORE.

GivePopAChance's Summer 2013 Playlist.

So the year's first perfect sunny weekend bids a hopeful farewell to a miserable 7 month winter, and as May approaches, festival season begins to rear its defiant head. Visions of cider drenched, Diplo-worshipping, scantily clad music lovers passing out in fields, outside clubs and on stony beaches seem so much closer.

It seems like the perfect time to share a dance-heavy Summer playlist of sure fire hits and lesser known, but equally deserved ones, that you can expect to be on heavy rotation throughout the summer. If GivePopAChance had its own radio station, you would indeed expect these tracks to be A-listed until October.



The return of Daft Punk is perfectly timed, and sets the tone worldwide for a summer of chilling out, partying and getting lucky. In the UK, Duke Dumont led the 2012/13 House revival to the the top of the charts a couple of weeks ago, and Basement Jaxx's crazy comeback tune is a defiant "anything goes" statement.

If anything really does go this year in dance music, hopefully DJ Snake's bizarre tweet-trap (quite literally) number "Bird Machine" will make its way to your confused but welcoming ears, and if that's too way out, Major Lazer is bringing Jamaica back through the medium of crushing dancehall beats and hyperactive synths.

Watch out for Moon Boots, whose soulful, irresistibly funky 80s take on the new wave of House music has sported two of the years most effective, sun-kissed remixes. They morph Singer/songwriter Alison Valentine's "Peanut Butter" into something altogether more blissful and euphoric, and their take on Bondax's "Gold" drags the track back to 1991, where it clearly belongs. Miaoux Miaoux's glorious, synth-laden take on CHVRCHES' "The Mother We Share" occupies similar airspace, so bright and grin-inducing it's almost impossible to look directly at.

After the huge,anthemic electronic dance of Swedish House Mafia and Madeon dominated dancefloors and dance festivals last year, 2013 has its fair share of big dance tunes. After his godly, life-affirming "Language", Porter Robinson teams up with Mat Zo, to bring something just as breathtaking for 2013, in the form of "Easy", Kat Krazy comes down hard on Bastille's hit indie single "Pompeii", transforming it into this year's "Don't You Worry Child", and Russ Chimes' stunning "Turn Me Out" is fist pumping, Balearic heaven.

Also queued up is the D&B anthem of the summer, Drumsound & Bassline Smith's "One in A Million", the dark Gold Panda-produced electro of goth-flecked starlet Charli XCX's "You (Ha Ha Ha)", the similarly quirky and groove-laden vibes of Flume's "Sleepless", the drunken, woozy beats of the UK hip hop tune of the summer, Dream McLean's "Sloe Gin" and perhaps the sunniest of them all, Mausi's carefree piano house ditty "Move", graduating straight from the 2003 school of blissed-out house.

Whatever the weather, dance music in 2013 seems to have one defiant goal, to have fun, not take itself too seriously, and to party harder than ever. And judging by the gradual lean towards dance music that the Top 40 is beginning to show, looks like we're all on the same page.

Party Tracks of the Week!

Diplo & GTA - Boy Oh Boy
#Dancehall #Moombahton #HipHop #FREEDOWNLOAD

Typically bonkers electronic dancehall from Diplo and his Mad Decent signing GTA, this Missy Elliott-sampling number begins with thunderous tribal dancehall that M.I.A. wouldn't turn her nose up at, before dissolving into brain-melting moombahton.



Misha B - Here's To Everything (Bimbo Jones Remix)
#Dance #Pop #House

A guilty pleasure party track for once. Misha B's relatively flaccid new single "Here's To Everything" suddenly soars euphorically under Bimbo Jones' watchful euro-dance eye. Best to forget the original and let this one tear up the dancefloors of gay clubs.



Major Lazer - Watch Out For This (Bumaye) (feat. Busy Signal, The Flexican & FS Green)
#Dancehall #Reggae #Moombahton 

It is a joy to have Major Lazer back on the scene, and with their dancehall-reggae-moombahton hybrid sound sounding fresher than ever. Party-loving, tropical and utterly rave-tastic, "Watch Out For This" lives up to its title.

Monsta - Holdin' On

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. The EP of the same name is out now, and is all of a high calibre, so if you want to give yourself one last dip into dub, now's your chance.

FOR FANS OF: Alex Clare, Skrillex, Chase & Status

TOP 10 SONGS OF APRIL.

Some nice little bits and bobs this month, and a few absolute tunes, as you can see below. Enjoy!

10
Joyce
"Keep the Lights On" (Bayou Remix)

A more approachable, uplifting and altogether more addictive version of the synthpop singer's single, thwacking us with a beat as opposed to the original's subtle shuffle.



9
Disclosure
"Boiling" (feat. Sinead Harnett)

Slight, gorgeous ambient 2 step by the rising stars of the genre, with ethereal vocals provided by Sinead Harnett.



8
Yppah
"Soon Enough" (feat. Anomie Bell)

Relatively unknown electronica act pull out this acoustically driven, haunting number from their subtle yet effective "Eighty One" record.



7
Jessie Ware
"110%"

Airy, gentle and hypnotic ambient techno, this is further proof how relevant Jessie Ware is as a solo artist, showcasing her aching, seductive tones as opposed to utilizing those pipes to the full potential we've all heard from her.



6
Major Lazer
"Get Free" (feat. Amber of Dirty Projectors)

Sounding as much like a Dirty Projectors song as a Major Lazer one, this unusual yet compelling reggae number is besmirched with spiralling clean guitars (that would've fit perfectly well on DP's excellent last record "Bitte Orca") and Amber's ever-alarming yelps and hollers.




5
Orbital
"Wonky" (feat. Lady Leshurr)

Absolutely brilliantly bonkers electro-techno-whatever track, totally redefining the band, with a riviting performance by energetic rapper Lady Leshurr. Check out The Knife-esque mid-section. Crazy good.

One of the funniest videos I've seen in a while also. Treat your kitty right.



4
Elliphant
"Techno Scene" (feat. Adam Kanyama)

A knockout Electro-Hop/Dancehall number from none other but the country of weird-out electro itself, Sweden. Elliphant's flourishes in her ghetto persona, with a chorus hook that is impossible to ignore, and those beats and siren synths are spot on.



3
Mister Lies
"Cleam"

Mister Lies resides somewhere between where Burial lays to rest and The Weeknd gets up in the morning. Shimmering ambient R&B beats and gentle pads give way to distant guitar chords and mangled yet lovely vocal samples. Just as gorgeous, if not moreso, than anything The Weeknd has produced thus far.



2
Lotus Plaza
"Strangers"

Whereas Deerhunter's lead singer Bradford Cox's solo outfit Atlas Sound showcases where all the odd and crazy comes from in his main band, the lead guitarist Lockett Pundt's solo outfit Lotus Plaza shows us where beautiful tracks such as "Earthquake" and the unforgettable "Desire Lines". From latest record "Spooky Action at a Distance", "Strangers" follows the dramatic structure of "Desire Lines", but whilst "Desire Lines" plowed mercilessly on until it consumed itself, the lead guitar line of the "Strangers" outro soars freely into the sky, and the track slows down purposely once, then twice, before the track evaporates completely.



1
Jessie Ware
"Running"

Embodying the essence of the best songs Sade has created in her lifetime, Jessie Ware's voice ranges from a murmur to a triumphant, desperate cry of "It keeps happening", as the lush, soulful backing irresistibly serenades her in return and challenges her remarkable voice to better things. The songwriting is complex yet head and shoulders above anything in the charts for years. This girl deserves to be as big as her voice.

TOP 50 OF 2011: #50 - #41

2011 on the whole felt distinctly good rather than great. For me, the UK dance music scene was the only really interesting musical movement, with Dubstep taking off in a spectacular way, making its way defiantly into the charts. Easy to forget now, but the emergence of Katy B had an early role to play in this, her incredible 2010 single "Katy On A Mission" paving the way for underground artists to have a pop at the mainstream in 2011. Even Britney Spears had a faux-dubstep interlude in her track, and manufactured groups like The Wanted, Sugababes and The Saturdays had a go at it. Although hardly a musical tour de force, it was refreshing to hear harder sounds become more popular in pop. Although taking a look at the UK top 10 at any point this year, and all you'd see is Eurodance trash, so its influence wasn't entirely successful yet. The line between Urban and Europop is now so blurred now that the term "Chart" is all that is needed.

I'd like to see Moombahton, a fusion of Electro House and Reggaeton, really take off in 2012, but when dubstep DJ Skrillex is nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2012 poll, maybe we're in for another year of the same sounds. Saying that, a lot of Urban acts are nominated this year, such as the recently skyrocketed-to-notoriety 19 year old NYC rapper Azealia Banks and the edgy soul'n'B Frank Ocean, so maybe it's the year of MOBO? I personally wouldn't have a problem with that.

A lot of my favourite songs of this year are from the dance music scene. As always, anything 80s or 90s tinged has tickled my music taste buds, and the summer was quite good for indie bands going all out party-party, Friendly Fires and Foster The People to name but two. Lo-fi Chillwave is still happening and is still a wonderful genre, though much less prominent this year, despite our sweltering extended summer practically craving this kind of music. Thanks to rise of the sensitive black male artist, like The Weeknd and Drake, Rap become a much more melancholic place, and these artists have provided us with some surprisingly beautiful music also.

But as always, no matter what the charts dictate as the nation's "taste" and no matter what genres come and go, the best songs of any year are always those that bear no relation to any scene, and couldn't care less, because it's simply about the song-writing. A certain big boned, big hearted and big mouthed London girl made this apparent this year, and it's no surprise she is this year's runaway star. More about her later.

So on with this list... let's do 10 at a time shall we?

#50
"Original Don" (feat. The Partysquad)
Major Lazer

A fine example of what is so great about underground dance music: no boundaries. Quirk-loving DJ duo Diplo and Switch's Major Lazer project has always been a weird and wonderful one, taking bits and bobs from Dancehall, Hip Hop, Dubstep, Eurodance and, as of this skullcrushing single, Hard House. It's clear that Major Lazer has no intention of following any dance blueprint at all here, not that they ever did, and "Original Don" hints that it will break into dubstep for its first 60 seconds before a cry of "Run the track!", when a thunderous Hardcore kick takes over, and a bizarre yet hypnotic medley of synths follow.



#49
"Halogen (I Could Be A Shadow)"
Neon Indian

Anyone familiar to synthpop artist Neon Indian's first EP will have been blown away by the x10 approach taken on their debut full-length "Era Extrana", especially album highlight "Halogen", which could not sound bigger if it tried. The whole onslaught of choir synths, massive beats and that eerie lead synth sounds and feels like being beamed up by a UFO. And it's so damn catchy and euphoric.



#48
"Jealousy"
Will Young

Despite a disappointing record, first single "Jealousy" is Will Young's "Dancing on My Own", and the softly pulsing eurodance and honest, stripped down lyrical delivery, with knowing homosexual undertones (mainly thanks to the video), suits him down to a tee. No drama, no pretense, just pure, simple emotion that sounds very personal.



#47
"Heavy Metal Lover"
Lady Gaga

On an album full of huge heavy metal sized dance tunes, it's surprising that the one track that mentions the genre specifically is actually one the most stripped down tracks on the record. It's also a refreshingly low key, hypnotic and perversely beautiful addition to the absurdly overblown affair that is "Born This Way" the album. Featuring hands down the catchiest vocal hook on the album also helps. Alongside "So Happy I Could Die" from "Fame Monster", "Heavy Metal Lover" shows the real dark, 3 dimensional side to Gaga's music.



#46
"How Beautiful It Could Be"
Toddla T

A skinny white boy doing a genre as black-oriented as Dancehall was always going to be eventful, but Toddla T proves to be adept at making the genre sound fresh and interesting with every track on his brilliant debut. "How Beautiful It Could Be" is just life-affirmingly good, feeling like a track truly bringing the world's music fans together, with 90s house chords providing a warm, fuzzy backing for his thunderous Caribbean beats and the joyous dancehall vocals.

LISTEN HERE.

#45
"Honey Mine" (feat. Victoria Bergsman)
Korallreven

Featuring the keyboardist from my beloved Radio Dept., Daniel Tjader, the lazy dub rhythms of "Honey Mine" by Korallreven usher in the same ethereal dancing melodies and distant guitar licks of The Radio Dept. themselves, but with the soft murmers of Taken by Trees vocalist Victoria Bergsman to serenade us. Essentially a balearic outtake from "Clinging to a Scheme", that would've stood out as one of that record's best tracks had it been included. "Shine on... shine on..." sings Bergsman in a rare moment of letting her voice soar, and if we close our eyes, the sun is still shining, and this is the soundtrack.





#44
"Shell Suite"
Chad Valley


Showing how timeless the genre of Chillwave truly is, Chad Valley's "Equatorial Ultravox" was so much more than a sun-washed guilty 80s pleasure. Full of heartbreakingly beautiful emotional climaxes, humongous atmospheric dance beats and wonderfully ethereal vocal tapestries, "Shell Suite" is simply the emotional climax of the record. Seemingly structureless, this song brings to mind walking aimlessly into the distance, and could happily go on for hours, so uplifting is its refrain.





#43
"Love On Top"
Beyonce


Guilty pleasure alert. "4" isn't an astounding album, but with Beyonce, the astonishment comes when she pulls out of the bag a handful of classic singles from each record. "Girls", "End of Time" and "Countdown" are all standard Beyonce single-material; bossy, camp R&B stompers; and "1+1", although damp on record, is breathtaking live. But "Love On Top", with its 80s urban vibes, camp as Christmas chorus hook, ridiculous multiple key changes, pompous beat and sugary sweet lyrics is all so, so wrong, yet, as one wishes it didn't have to said, so, so right.





#42
"Hurting"
Friendly Fires


From one guilty pleasure to another, Friendly Fires were never exactly cheese averse, but "Hurting" is all out Stilton onslaught. Once again, 80s funk tinged, nay, drenched (seeing a pattern here?), and featuring quite simply Friendly Fires' campest chorus ever, it never ceases to bring a goofy grin to the face, and an uncontrollable urge to the feet. "Can't keep feeling the pain of your touch, your touch keeps on hurting"... how do they get away with a lyric like that? They're Friendly Fires, they just do.

And the video is just so gloriously silly, you have to watch it.

#41
"What You Need"
The Weeknd

The Weeknd brings The-Dream's lush, silky, porny R&B sound to a whole new level, putting said producer to shame with his dark, eerie, breathless come-ons and woozy, drunken beats. "What You Need" is just one of many perfect tracks, but the simplicity of the phrase "He's what you want, I'm what you need" sums up what The Weeknd's music is all about: seduction. And quite frankly, it's the sexiest song of 2012. Have sex to it. Now.



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TOMORROW, #40-#31, see you then.