NEW MUSIC: Marnie - Reckless

Most female solo singers, particularly the British kind, are seemingly afraid of coming across anything less than sultry, mysterious and painfully alternative. And quite honestly they tend to blend together into one self-conscious mess. But then, occasionally, there are singers like London's Marnie who simply command attention and have no desire to fit in with the snooty nosed female crooners of 2014.

Marnie's debut single "Reckless" is an exhilarating drum and bass/pop crossover; her sound is both polished to perfection and simultaneously deliciously rough around the edges. Her young soulful voice both shimmers with emotion and stings like a bee, and the gritty bass drones and breakneck beats add depth what is essentially a perfect rebel-pop song at heart. "I want to run away" she triumphantly and effortlessly declares in the song's chorus, as the song's crushing beats and bass fight mercilessly to keep up.

"Reckless" is available for free download from her SoundCloud page.

FOR FANS OF: Katy B, Ayah Marar



- Joe Copplestone, 19.07.14

GivePopAChance's Summer Playlist 2014!

GivePopAChance is going on a hiatus, but before we go, we'll leave you with our Summer 2014 playlist, featuring our favourite pop and dance tracks of the year so far. 

From balearic nu disco to edgy trap-flecked R&B, glorious summery dancepop to simmering electropop, the playlist showcases what we consider to be the very best summer anthems you'll hear all year, from sunrise to sunset to twilight.

Have a great summer!

- Joe, 17.05.14

NEW MUSIC: The Wild Wild - Alright

Judging by the success of The 1975, us Brits clearly have no problem with 80s pop rock, hair metal or glam rock influences in modern indie, and newcomers The Wild Wild take advantage of this fact wildly. 

"Alright" is an M83 sized chunk of synth-drenched rock melodrama, with sentiment-soaked pads and collosal Killers-sized hooks set to bring a fist pumping singalong to many a student union or drunken festival tent.

The band's eponymous debut EP, The Wild Wild, is out now on iTunes.

FOR FANS OF: The Killers, The 1975, M83

- Joe Copplestone, 7.4.14

NEW MUSIC: Camden Cox - Kinda Like

Since their emergence, AlunaGeorge's silky future garage take on 90s girl group R&B has til now (wisely) not been attempted by any other commercial act. So when the sugary, seductive Aluna-esque vocal of London's Camden Cox purrs out a "You Know You Like It" esque debut single, alarm bells should by all rights be ringing. 

However, Cox pulls it off with a production that is less sheened to perfection than AG, and in a much darker and atmospheric soundspace; a space that features less "na na na"s and more breathless echos and whispered come-ons. For many, myself included, this is the perfect development of AlunaGeorge's sound, and probably a superior take on the genre. 

Cox's Kinda Like EP is out now on iTunes. Dancey b-side "Disguise" is also worth a listen, with it's chopped up vocals and lurching beat impossible not to move to.

FOR FANS OF: AlunaGeorge, BANKS

- Joe Copplestone, 7.5.14

NEW MUSIC: Suvi - Find You

The latest in the long line of impressive female solo artists to hail from Sweden is Stockholm's Suvi, whose debut single "Find You" introduces her fragile but commanding voice. 

Suvi's feathery purrs sail regally over a brass heavy modern trip pop bonanza that her homeland peers MØ and Marlene wouldn't turn their noses up at. With the UK and US success of said singers, surely a 'Diplo x Suvi' collaboration isn't far off?

FOR FANS OF: MØ, Charli XCX, Marlene

- Joe Copplestone, 7.5.14

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: Charlie Barclay Webb - Get To Know Me

With his white boy swagger and Frankmusik-esque melodramatic vocal, Charlie Barclay Webb clearly has commercial success on his mind, but when it drives him to hooks and beats this epic and infectious, it's to be applauded and recognized. A grimey dubstep throb and trappy beat contrast CBW's silky tone and impressive range, and the commanding, almost regal chorus of "get to know me" makes it clear we have no choice in the matter. I expect to hear this guy on Radio 1 alarmingly soon.

FOR FANS OF: Alex Clare, Daley, Frankmusik

- Joe Copplestone, 16.04.14

NEW MUSIC: Autowrong - We Are Decay

Something a little 'odd'ictive for you today. Autowrong are from the midlands and that's all they're letting on, but their debut track "We are Decay" shows us a complex mix of electronica, alternative pop and house. A gritty vocal sample dances over foreboding basslines and a steady house beat, before a feathery female vocalist hiccups her way along a stream-of-consciousness vocal line. Unusual but strangely addictive, it's unsure what to expect next from these guys, but whatever it is is bound to be another riveting hybrid of sounds.

Follow Autowrong on SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Röyksopp, Bonobo 

- Joe Copplestone, 4.4.14

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: 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: Rubee Rayne - Breathe

Rubee Rayne is an anomaly. To look at her tough-nut Brixton image (the girl's from Berkshire btw) you'd picture another Amplify Dot or Ms Dynamite - and there'd be nothing wrong with that. But new single "Breathe" is a pleasant surprise. It's less UK grime, and more US post-R&B, with Rayne's woozy slurred vocals and the lazy ambient synths on "Breathe" (courtesy of quirky UK producer El-Train) coming across like "Take-Care" era Drake. 

Rubee Rayne has 3 hypnotic gems available for free download on her SoundCloud, which you should snap up soon before "Breathe" finds itself A-listed on Radio 1.

FOR FANS OF: Jhene Aiko, Banks, FKA Twigs

- Joe Copplestone, 6.2.14

NEW MUSIC: Marlene - Stay Awake

It's no secret that the Scandinavians produce top notch pop music, but one thing that often eludes them is, alongside all the addictive melodies and sharp synth work, producing anything genuinely vulnerable and emotional. That's often why it's so well constructed - Scandinavian pop prides itself of its musical merit and production above sounding human. 

The voice of Sweden's Marlene however, manages to channel the aches and pains of American popstar JoJo on latest single "Stay Awake". Her voice breaks and hiccups not in a traditionally quirky European pop way, but in a way that suggests that she has listened to a lot of over-emoting US pop singers. With the melodramatic synthpop/R&B hybrid "Stay Awake", Marlene manages to find the happy medium between the perfectly crafted pop songs of her homeland, and a delivery which suggests she has desires to reach a commercially minded audience worldwide, not just a niche European one.

FOR FANS OF: MØ, JoJo, LIZ (Mad Decent)

- Joe Copplestone, 29.01.14

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

NEW MUSIC: Leon Else - Protocol

Lying somewhere between the glitchy post trip hop of James Blake and the majestic nu soul of up and coming young prodigies Sam Smith and John Newman, Leon Else's debut single "Protocol" is a stunning new addition to our impressive UK male vocalist rosta. A warm electro pulse gives plenty of leeway for Leon's spectacular voice to show off its gritty soulful lows and emotionally raw highs.

Thanks to Tasha at House of 27 for introducing us to this guy. No release date as of yet, but expect this to be all over Radio 1 once they finally decide to let 2013 rest.

FOR FANS OF: Sam Smith, James Blake, John Newman



The Orikami remix gives a slightly more ravey interpretation.

- Joe Copplestone, 6/1/14

#Popdar - Dornik, Syron

DORNIK - REBOUND

After Dornik floored us with his slow burning but instantly memorable debut track "Something About You" 5 months ago, the emotive R&B singer, surprisingly from London (his lush Michael Jackson pastiche has LA written all over it), returns with a track at the other end of the emotional spectrum. Whilst "Something About You" wallowed in its own loved-up bliss and infectious joy, "Rebound" is comparatively intense and even neurotic. Dornik's vocal is jittery and breathy, as drums pound and a low bass and simmering pads fill the atmosphere with doubt and dread. But make no bones about it - it's just as gorgeous and instantly loveable as "Something About You". 

If Dornik keeps up this quality, he could well see a rise to fame not dissimilar to that of once fellow bedroom producer The Weeknd. The Weeknd's doing stadium headline shows now, and there's no question that Dornik's music belongs there too.

"Rebound" is forthcoming on PMR Records.

FOR FANS OF: Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Michael Jackson

SYRON - COLOUR ME IN

Yet to make a truly flooring impact with any of her output, Syron has until now opted to ride with vibes at the expense of really making an impression as a solo artist. I say "until now" because new single "Colour Me In" is the first track where the young London singer really sounds like she's putting in the overtime. Having already proved her credentials as a potential dance diva on Tensnake's guilty pleasure 90s-throwback "Mainline" last year, "Colour Me In" lies somewhere between that track and Chris Malinchak's "So Good To Me". It sounds a lot like Katy B, but there's a vulnerability and breathlessness to Syron's vocal on "Colour Me In" that Katy B has never quite managed to exude (quite frankly because we all know you don't fuck with Katy B).

No release date as of yet, but you can follow Syron on SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: Katy B, Bondax, Jessie Ware

- Joe Copplestone, 4/12/13

@GivePopAChance

#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 - Skin Town, Ulla Nova, Disclosure

SKIN TOWN - THE ZONE

For fans of the more emotional and melancholic strands of US R&B, Skin Town's sound, particularly on album highlight "The Zone", pushes sexuality and melancholia together in a way that results in a dramatic but touching clash of conflicting emotions. Whilst The Weeknd (the solo male prototype for this sound) sounds confident and seductive in his creamy melismatics, Skin Town singer Grace Hall's voice sounds fragile, borderline desperate. She sings lines like "get my body on the floor", but you can hear her lip quiver.

Their debut record The Room, is out now.

FOR FANS OF: The Weeknd, Kelly Rowland, JoJo



ULLA NOVA - KID FROM LONDON

What sets Ulla Nova aside from the hordes of European female indielectro singers lies in her fearlessness. Taking the droll hipster edge of Charli XCX, the unusual melodic flair of Purity Ring and the fuzzbox production histronics of Sleigh Bells, Ulla Nova's "Kid From London" is a arrestingly melodramatic and instantly memorable debut, reminiscent of fellow Londoner YADi's rocky debut single "The Blow" out earlier in the year.
No release info as of yet, but you can follow Ulla Nova on SoundCloud below.

FOR FANS OF: YADi, Charli XCX, Sleigh Bells



DISCLOSURE x SAM SMITH x NILE RODGERS x JIMMY NAPES - TOGETHER

The genius in this collaboration is its simplicity. Essentially a 2 minute 22 second exercise in restraint, Disclosure's jittery yet tasteful nu funk beats, Sam Smith's silky, gorgeous falsetto and Nile Rodgers' irresistible guitar licks come together to make something perfectly pitched and funky as hell. Don't expect this to go away in a hurry. 

Hello Summer Festivals 2014? You better keep those headline slots open for Disclosure... looks like they've had a second wave.

FOR FANS OF: Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Daft Punk

- Joe Copplestone, 15/11/13

@GivePopAChance

#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