TOP 10 OF AUGUST (Includes Mixtape)

A distinct lack of real summer anthems this month, and in true spirit of the non-summer which seems to have passed us by, the most impressive music this month seemed keener to advance into the colder, darker months.

Listen to my monthly mix below, and then scroll down to read what I have to say about my favourite tracks of the month.



10. Bebe Black - Deathwish
(Taken from 'The Black Lion Sessions' EP)

You may know her as the voice of Benga's 'Icon', but on "Deathwish", Bebe Black reveals a new side to herself as an artist. Unlike her assured swagger on 'Icon', Black's tone is more emotional and desperate here, her higher range recalling the distinct soft-opera of La Roux. She sings hopelessly, with chorus hook "loving you is turning to a deathwish, and there is no way out but this" flirting tragically with self-destruction and low self-esteem. An organic, Flo&TheMo-lite backing track, driven by an addictive, dancy synth piano hook leaves plenty of space for her fragile voice to breathe.

DOWNLOAD 'THE BLACK LION SESSIONS' EP FOR FREE HERE.

9. Teengirl Fantasy - Efx (feat. Kelela)
(Taken from 'Tracer')

Quirky bass/synth/whateverpop act Teengirl Fantasy, thus far known for icy synth house tracks such as "Motif", have taken a slight detour via the new wave of US dark'n'B ala Drake and The Weeknd, and it's a delightfully weird middle ground between the bajan pop vibes of old Rihanna and difficult but gorgeous swedish pop like The Knife and Niki & The Dove.

8. Ne-Yo - Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)
(Single)

After guesting on Calvin Harris' functional but unambitious "Let's Go" not so long ago, it's predictable that Ne-Yo would continue with this direction in his solo material. However, when a big dance production is paired with the saccharine emotional piano led chord sequence and overwrought melodies that Ne-Yo so often brings to the table in his solo work, "Let Me Love You" ends up being a surprising pop triumph. Melodramatic yes, cheesy yes, but oh so, OH SO catchy and unfairly uplifting. Makes one grin like a buffoon.

7. Noisettes - Winner
(Taken from 'Contact')

After providing two stomping indie dance anthems on their last record, in "Never Forget You" and "Don't Upset The Rhythm", it's good to see them hit right back with a fist-pumping comeback single. Menacing guitars pace the room, the beat stomps aggressively and singer Shingai Shoniwa yells triumphantly "I feel like a winner!", and its an infectious feeling. Effortlessly feel-good and sassy, the Noisettes remind us why there's still a place for them.

6. The 1975 - The City
(Taken from 'Facedown' EP)

When The Big Pink failed to deliver another "Dominos" on their close-but-no-cigar sophomore, it's good to hear the best pop rock anthem that band never wrote, with a gritty heart and emotive delivery. A massive britpop beat meets a truly anthemic wall of distorted bass and waves of guitar, as the singer announces triumphantly in the chorus "if you wanna find out you know where the city is". An uplifting move-to-the-city anthem with an aftertaste of rebellion.

5. Benga - Pour Your Love (feat. Marlene)
(Taken from 'Chapter 2', release date 29/10)

If anyone misses the 2009/10 days of dubstep's real breakthrough to the mainstream, "Pour Your Love" reminds us just how big a role Benga's work with Magnetic Man and Katy B played. In the same vein as a track like "Katy On A Mission", but twice as big, the pulsating basslines and soaring lead melodies courtesy of superlative featured singer Marlene are truly thrilling in a way that no amount of cliched Skrillex bleeps and bloops could achieve, and is a perfect reminder of how melody in dubstep can be crucial to its longevity and commercial stance. In other words, WHAT a tune.


4. Passion Pit - Constant Conversations (St. Lucia Remix)
(Unofficial Remix)

On Gossamer, the original "Constant Conversations" is earthy and gritty, and sad in a mopy way, despite the beauty of its melancholic, self-reflective subject matter. But New York producer St Lucia had bigger ideas for the track. It's new wavey synth chords and vast reverb catapault the track into the stratosphere, and inject the previously depressive track with a heart-leaping sense of hope, especially once the track finally bursts free at 1:50. The vocal sample sounds epic as opposed to quirky, and that 70s keyboard lead is simply perfectly placed.

DOWNLOAD THE TRACK FOR FREE HERE.

3. Aaliyah - Enough Said (feat. Drake)
(Single)
Not quite a hologram, but hearing Aaliyah's silky and insanely sexy voice matched with Drake's producer 40's thick, ambient, bass heavy production in 2012 is something undeniably quite wonderful. It's almost a shame when Drake turns up, Aaliyah's voice is that show stopping, from the irresistible string of "yeah"s that make up the songs focal hook to her heavenly, fragile ad libs. Nevertheless, Drake is full on 'Take Care'-reflective here in his verse, and although he's upstaged by the late diva, they make a strangely apt pairing, the song playing like a hazy dream, in which Aaliyah is still alive and producing beautiful music, and Drake wakes in the morning, rubbing his eyes, trying desperately to recall what he just dreamt.

2. Jessie Ware - Wildest Moments

(Taken from 'Devotion')

On first listen, with its gently distorted heavy handed drum beat, it would be easy to dismiss "Wildest Moments" as a power ballad, but it's much simpler and more elegant than that. There is no musical climax, not much range for Ware to enjoy, but it her effortless, unaffected and beautiful delivery that really allow the words of this understated, yet incredible ballad to resonate and emotionally connect with her listener. She sings calmly of the bittersweet turmoil in her relationship, and despite this calm, her voice shimmers as she sings "we could be the greatest... we could be the worst of all", and what is left unsaid, is said here without words.  When Jessie Ware demonstrates such a powerhouse voice on other tracks, a song like this being a highlight on her incredible debut is nothing short of remarkable.

1. Wild Nothing - Paradise
(Taken from 'Nocturne')

After the shoegazery new wave of their debut Gemini, Wild Nothing's sophomore full length Nocturne is certainly the stronger, more confident record, and "Paradise" is its restless, romantic heartbeat. Five and a half minutes pass without much changing, but each melody that introduces itself is a beautiful revelation. A jangly lead guitar and feathery flute melody provide enough musical joy between them than was heard on the entire of (the still quite enjoyable) Gemini, and the brief vocal refrain is subtle but effortlessly grand. It is however the two and a half minute breakdown, carried on three gorgeous chords, that truly makes the track, giving it its warm, welcoming heart. When the whole band kicks back in for the final minute, it is one of the most joyous moments in pop music this year.

- Joe Copplestone, 30/08/12

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Give Pop A Chance's Best Of July Round-Up: INCLUDING 15-TRACK MIX!

ENJOY THE GIVE-POP-A-CHANCE JULY 2012 MIX BELOW!



Azealia Banks finally dropped her mixtape Fantasea this month, to a gleeful response from this blogger. A mix of bass-heavy hip hop, underground dance and house, working with a plethora of brilliant underground producers, highlights including the camp, high fashion house anthem "Fierce" (0:00 in the mix), and brilliantly explicit moombahton flirtation "Esta Noche" (42:41), penned by Munchi.


Bat For Lashes also finally released a new single, a simple piano and voice lament, the heartbreaking "Laura" (28:42).


If you've not heard Grimes latest work with producers Blood Diamonds, the track "Phone Sex" is as balearic and blissful as it is dark and disturbing, sweetened considerably by some pretty steel drums and poppy beat. Whilst you're checking this out, the Unicorn Kid remix (45:52) is also worth a listen or 10; the kid only goes from strength to strength, his production values having never sounded more chart friendly, whilst never losing the 90s rave vibe that gives everything he touches such a joyously euphoric sound.


Anyone missing their indiepop need look no further than The Crookes, whose debut record Hold Fast is pumped with youthful energy and earworm hooks. Particularly exciting is single "Maybe in the Dark" (26:14), oozing the same desperate teenage woes of their equally likeable peers The Heartbreaks.


After opening many a recent set with the track, Crystal Castles (10:46) finally shared a studio version of the dark, difficult and foreboding "Plague", sounding like a rave caught in a tornado, with Alice Glass crying "I am the plague!" with trademark alarming gusto in the chorus.


Etta Bond's free EP Emergency Room, produced at the dirty dubstep hands of 22 year old London producer Raf Riley, made early preview "Ask Me To Stay", seem like the weak pleas of an innocent girl in comparison to aggressive anthems about vomiting, fake tan and kissing on the tube. "Boring Bitches" (3:06) is a clear standout, with Etta's enraged party girl rant at said bitches and a drop to make you bleed from the eyes.


Pnau getting access to some of Elton John's back catalogue was a bizarre project, but a successful, lush sounding one, with Pnau merging slick 70s disco sounds with a gorgeous 80s warmpad sheen, particularly on the heartbreakingly beautiful tragic disco anthem "Sad" (23:00).


My favourite remix of the month has got to go to the Krystal Klear mix of the latest Marina & The Diamonds single "Power & Control" (32:58). The Manc producer takes the initially plodding track and turns it into a 1992 house banger, complete with token bubbling organ basslines and bright piano hits.


Passion Pit returned to their early bubblegum hyperpop tendencies of early tracks like "Smile Upon Me" for a brief moment on their sophomore effort Gossamer, for the cut and paste joy of "I'll Be Alright" (18:39), which stands out like a blinding ray of sunshine on a generally emotionally heavy album. Although lyrically its just as paranoid as the rest of the record, you wouldn't guess by all the cheery melodies flying around.


The debut album by electronic bass band Purity Ring however had no shortage of highlights, with the gory words and meatgrinder bassline of "Fineshrine" (7:19) and hypnotic middle eastern bells and sugar sweet melodies of "Amenamy" (36:21) proving to be amoungst the best.


Just when you thought M83's "Midnight City" (14:59) had done its fair share of rounds, eerie electropop act Saint Saviour posts a cover so good that it will undoubtedly do its own fair share. But with haunting synth pads, distant cooing vocals and an addictive rework of the already addictive main refrain, it almost deserves to stand on its own as an original work, such is the creativity on show here.


Bass producers Lunice and Hudson Mohawke's duo project TNGHT also had released its first EP, and the dance world is already trembling under the weight of the brass bass line in "Higher Ground" (39:44).


But the real event of July was The xx finally releasing their comeback single, "Angels" (50:09). Read my review of it here.