Her INSTRUDUCTION EP, slightly mastered by me, but 99% recorded and arranged by Natalie herself, will be available to download in April. BE EXCITED. Because there are bigger things to come.
Everyday You're Hustlin' by natalieferrol
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Popdar #20: Natalie Ferrol.
I have had the pleasure with working with Ms Natalie Ferrol since late 2009. However, when it comes to the raw attitude and self-belief that this girl has, that's got nothing to do with me. Rewriting Rick Ross's "Hustlin'" to fit a female perspective and sliding easily into the role of Female Gangsta without having to play Ms Independent or Doing it Like a Dude.
Her INSTRUDUCTION EP, slightly mastered by me, but 99% recorded and arranged by Natalie herself, will be available to download in April. BE EXCITED. Because there are bigger things to come.
Everyday You're Hustlin' by natalieferrol
Her INSTRUDUCTION EP, slightly mastered by me, but 99% recorded and arranged by Natalie herself, will be available to download in April. BE EXCITED. Because there are bigger things to come.
Everyday You're Hustlin' by natalieferrol
Popdar #19: Friendly Fires.
It's always so refreshing when a great band GENUINELY doesn't disappoint, rather than releasing something half-assed knowing their fans will work as hard as it takes to say "I LOVE their new stuff". The first proper follow up track released since their soaring party crasher of a debut, "Live Those Days Tonight" has much of the subtly hedonistic indie dance of "Jump in the Pool" and "Skeleton Boy", awash with Prince-esque rhythms and unexpected melodies. And praise the lord, it's JUST AS GOOD.
In fact, when listening to "Live Those Days Tonight", with its distinct mix of 90s chicago house and primative early synthpop, and collosal choruses that Duran Duran would have killed for at their prime (and still would, avoid their dire latest effort), you can hear already spark ready to set Summer 2011 alight. With a track that hits peaks as intense, celebratory, and gloriously alive as these in just these 5 minutes, the mind boggles at the peaks these firestarters could potentially reach on album number 2.
"Pala" is released via XL Recordings on May 16th.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Very interesting interview with Royksopp.
Royksopp's somewhat eventless "Senior" is hardly my album of last year, but the band raise some very interesting points in this interview about what it is to be in a band, and more tellingly, about commercial success and making money.
"We want our music to be heard, and be out there, but we don't want to shove it down your throat."
"We cannot get our income from album sales anymore, so we have to find different ways."
"Any success that we have in life is not really measured in terms of cash, it's in how we live."
"We don't sit in the studio trying to come up with a hit."
DROWNED IN SOUND TALK TO ROYKSOPP. <<< Clicky!
"We want our music to be heard, and be out there, but we don't want to shove it down your throat."
"We cannot get our income from album sales anymore, so we have to find different ways."
"Any success that we have in life is not really measured in terms of cash, it's in how we live."
"We don't sit in the studio trying to come up with a hit."
DROWNED IN SOUND TALK TO ROYKSOPP. <<< Clicky!
Saturday, 12 March 2011
JOE COPPLESTONE - PURGATORY EP
And so it arrives! :) A bit moodier this time round, but still no less euphoric ;) Oh, and if you download the whole album at once on bandcamp you get a hidden bonus track... ;)
FANTASTIC Artwork by Luke Abrahams, 2011.
FANTASTIC Artwork by Luke Abrahams, 2011.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Joe Copplestone music update!
Ok, so I'm going to release an EP on Sunday night. It's almost done, and I hope it lives up to Got Through.
Here is a 2 minute preview of the three tracks that the "Purgatory" EP contains.
And if you haven't yet downloaded my first EP "Got Through", then please do (it's free!) on this link:
Joe Copplestone - Got Through EP
Anyway, here's that preview :)
(Artwork by Luke Abrahams, 2011)
Purgatory EP Preview by JoeCopplestone
Here is a 2 minute preview of the three tracks that the "Purgatory" EP contains.
And if you haven't yet downloaded my first EP "Got Through", then please do (it's free!) on this link:
Joe Copplestone - Got Through EP
Anyway, here's that preview :)
(Artwork by Luke Abrahams, 2011)
Purgatory EP Preview by JoeCopplestone
Friday, 4 March 2011
Popdar #18: Natalia Kills.
"...And tonight you all got killed". Apparently. According to horror-obsessed electropop megaforce Natalia Kills, real name Natalia Cappuccini, who is currently supporting Robyn on her US/Europe tour. She is more than a little similar to Lady Gaga, but what with Gaga considering herself to be on a mission from God to empower the gays these days, an up and coming dominating melodramatic queen of pop with massive tunes is quite welcome.
When Natalia Kills is at her most delicious however, is when she reveals her gothic side. "Zombie" is as creepy as Kanye West's "Monster", with a schlock horror 80s synth hook and ghostly voices swimming around the dirty, jittery beat. Natalia sneers through a harsh autotune "do you want me for my body, or do you want me for my brain/brain/brain/brain" and brings to mind Crystal Castles' quieter moments as much as Lady Gaga.
Slightly more Gaga is first major label single "Mirrors", which is as powerful an electropop anthem as "Dance in the Dark", but with a terrific hammer horror video that sets Natalia in a league of her own. And a hook that refuses to leave you alone.
Slightly more upbeat is upcoming 2011 single "Wonderland" which seems deceptively sweet at first, but when you get to the colossal chorus it sounds like the spirit of Gaga pummeling the naivety of Owl City into the ground, smirking "I don't believe in fairy tales, but I believe in you and me". The gun shots certainly kill any fairytale atmosphere at any rate.
Album "Perfectionist" is out on the 22nd April, let's hope she lives up to the title.
When Natalia Kills is at her most delicious however, is when she reveals her gothic side. "Zombie" is as creepy as Kanye West's "Monster", with a schlock horror 80s synth hook and ghostly voices swimming around the dirty, jittery beat. Natalia sneers through a harsh autotune "do you want me for my body, or do you want me for my brain/brain/brain/brain" and brings to mind Crystal Castles' quieter moments as much as Lady Gaga.
Slightly more Gaga is first major label single "Mirrors", which is as powerful an electropop anthem as "Dance in the Dark", but with a terrific hammer horror video that sets Natalia in a league of her own. And a hook that refuses to leave you alone.
Slightly more upbeat is upcoming 2011 single "Wonderland" which seems deceptively sweet at first, but when you get to the colossal chorus it sounds like the spirit of Gaga pummeling the naivety of Owl City into the ground, smirking "I don't believe in fairy tales, but I believe in you and me". The gun shots certainly kill any fairytale atmosphere at any rate.
Album "Perfectionist" is out on the 22nd April, let's hope she lives up to the title.
Sunday, 27 February 2011
Top 10 of February 2011.
This is where the fun starts. We're firmly in 2011, and potential songs of the year are already rearing their heads. More truly great albums appeared as well, Cut Copy didn't disappoint and James Blake surpassed expectation for some, whilst bitterly disappointing others (generally those who thought the singing bits in Feist cover "Limit to Your Love" were pretty).
And behold! Radiohead come along, with their usual cheek and casually drop a record with less than a week's notice. And whilst some of us think "wait, this can't be it?! There must be more!" as those who are disappointed by afraid to say often get, others of us, myself included, see a modest little release, half full of gorgeous, instant Radiohead classics, and the other half requiring us to work a bit to find the beauty. But my friends, it's there.
Otherwise, my top 10 tracks of the month come from a variety of different musical sources. From obscure gems to, quite frankly, the guiltiest of pleasures. It's all good though, I promise you.
Gaga does not feature, so you know.
10. Glee Cast - Thriller/Heads Will Roll
Despite being a distinctly lacklustre and inconsistent show since its opening episodes, the musical side to Glee still occasionally manages to hit a streak of brilliance. Mashing up an arrangement of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" that is most certainly influenced by the thunderous A-Trak remix, with what could've been a standard Glee performance of "Thriller", makes it anything by standard. It goes to show that when it wants to be, Ryan Murphy's high school geek fest can be much more musically current and exciting than its dreary plotlines.
9. Toro Y Moi - New Beat
Toro Y Moi's sophomore record "Underneath the Pine" has yet to grow on me. After the lustrous glowing lo fi "Off the Wall" pastiche of "Causers of This", "Underneath the Pine" is a much more difficult listen to those, such as myself, listening out for the same gorgeous ear candy of their 2010 gem. However, first single "New Beat" manages to be right on the money from the first listen. In the same way that Ariel Pink's "Round and Round" managed to be both gloriously era-authentic and melodically hypnotic, "New Beat" entrances us with its clumsy disco beats and greasy 70s squelch-synths.
8. Ke$ha - Blow
Bad taste alert! Ke$ha's "Cannibal" EP offers nothing that we didn't hear on her ALMOST impressive out-of-hand-party of a debut, but that doesn't mean that her dirty club anthems are any less addictive. As with her collosal "We R Who We R", "Blow" employs a cut and paste vocal on the chorus, one that shields us from the blast of what would've been an immense vocal attack, but we're still showered with the debris of beats and electronics colliding. And as with any Ke$ha track you'd care to mention, it doesn't relent.
7. Cut Copy - Pharaohs and Pyramids
It is such a relief to find that "Zonoscope" is as good as its first two magnificent, genre-defining singles, and "Pharoahs and Pyramids" almost approaches the dizzying heights of those tracks, starting off, as so many tracks on "Zonoscope", with restraint and subtlety, before well and truly unleashing its glorious climax upon the unsuspecting listener. In this case it's a chaotic wall of synth chords that pummels the beats into the background, but its a battle that results in nothing short of sheer euphoria.
6. The New Division - No Health
And now a pupil from the Cut Copy school of indie dance music, outimpressing their teachers in this case. From their above average EP "The Rookie" (very aptly named), "No Health" would sound very bedroom-indiepop if it weren't for its undeniably beautiful hooks and a syncopated bass donk taken straight from the late 90s. The New Division certainly couldn't sound in better health here.
5. Jessie J - Abracadabra
There's not much I need to say about this album highlight that I haven't already raved about in Popdar #16, (see here: http://givepopachance.blogspot.com/2011/02/popdar-16-jessie-j-you-win.html) so I'll just repost the video and leave Jessie to cast her perfect pop spell upon you once more. Sadly, it's the only time on the album that I personally was bewitched by her, but one blissful pop song is better than a mediocre record without exception.
4. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers
Terrifying as always, but this time Tyler has a record deal and means business. You can read what I had to say about "Yonkers" here: http://givepopachance.blogspot.com/2011/02/unpopdar-1-im-fucking-walking-paradox.html
3. Radiohead - Give Up The Ghost
One listen to the introspective and fragile "King of Limbs" and you can feel yourself growing old with Radiohead. On "Give Up The Ghost", a gathering of background Thoms weakly emplore "don't hurt me" on a loop throughout, and his falsetto has rarely sounded more fearful. But there's no sign of angsty, panicky tenor here, ala "Wolf at the Door", this is resigned fear and gentle pleading, and quite honestly, Radiohead has never sounded more beautiful.
2. James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream
"Limit To Your Love" was nothing compared to this. How anyone who loved Blake's quirky cover of "Limit" could be disappointed with a self-destruction anthem this heartbreaking is beyond me. "I don't know about my loving anymore" sings a resigned and defeated Blake over a gorgeous chord sequence, that is gradually enveloped by glass shatteringly loud percussion and a crescendo that leads a cacophony of feedback. The track sounds like its drowning slowly, and Blake tries to resist at first, but eventually concedes: "might as well fall in". A strong contender for track of the year already.
1. Radiohead - Codex
...Well, "Wilhelm Scream" is certainly a strong contender until one first hears the opening notes of Radiohead's latest perfect piece of music, entitled "Codex", then its entirely possible that you will reconsider. There's actually quite a lot of Radiohead influence to be heard in James Blake's remarkable lonely soundscapes. But whilst Blake, in his youth, seems unwilling to emotionally commit to his listener, hiding behind big, confusing vocal arrangements and sharp clicks and beeps, Radiohead left that behind many years ago.
As with "Nude", "Sail to the Moon" and "Pyramid Song", no one does a surreal power ballad like Radiohead. But this time round, we're hearing the message clearer than ever. "Jump off the edge, into a clear lake" Thom peacefully murmers to us, and so enchanting is the shimmering piano that we could well be enticed in ourselves without realising. As with all of Radiohead's thoughtful suicide ballads (or what we assume to be), there is a level of innocence and even optimism that makes it even more beautiful and poignant. Thom rhymes "dragonflies" with "fantasise", and all of a sudden we enter the fantasy world that only Radiohead can open up to us.
And with every record, although it seems we are let further and further into the mindset of Mr Yorke, it's my bet that we will probably never understand quite what these beautiful words mean. But isn't that where the magic lies?
And behold! Radiohead come along, with their usual cheek and casually drop a record with less than a week's notice. And whilst some of us think "wait, this can't be it?! There must be more!" as those who are disappointed by afraid to say often get, others of us, myself included, see a modest little release, half full of gorgeous, instant Radiohead classics, and the other half requiring us to work a bit to find the beauty. But my friends, it's there.
Otherwise, my top 10 tracks of the month come from a variety of different musical sources. From obscure gems to, quite frankly, the guiltiest of pleasures. It's all good though, I promise you.
Gaga does not feature, so you know.
10. Glee Cast - Thriller/Heads Will Roll
Despite being a distinctly lacklustre and inconsistent show since its opening episodes, the musical side to Glee still occasionally manages to hit a streak of brilliance. Mashing up an arrangement of Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Heads Will Roll" that is most certainly influenced by the thunderous A-Trak remix, with what could've been a standard Glee performance of "Thriller", makes it anything by standard. It goes to show that when it wants to be, Ryan Murphy's high school geek fest can be much more musically current and exciting than its dreary plotlines.
9. Toro Y Moi - New Beat
Toro Y Moi's sophomore record "Underneath the Pine" has yet to grow on me. After the lustrous glowing lo fi "Off the Wall" pastiche of "Causers of This", "Underneath the Pine" is a much more difficult listen to those, such as myself, listening out for the same gorgeous ear candy of their 2010 gem. However, first single "New Beat" manages to be right on the money from the first listen. In the same way that Ariel Pink's "Round and Round" managed to be both gloriously era-authentic and melodically hypnotic, "New Beat" entrances us with its clumsy disco beats and greasy 70s squelch-synths.
8. Ke$ha - Blow
Bad taste alert! Ke$ha's "Cannibal" EP offers nothing that we didn't hear on her ALMOST impressive out-of-hand-party of a debut, but that doesn't mean that her dirty club anthems are any less addictive. As with her collosal "We R Who We R", "Blow" employs a cut and paste vocal on the chorus, one that shields us from the blast of what would've been an immense vocal attack, but we're still showered with the debris of beats and electronics colliding. And as with any Ke$ha track you'd care to mention, it doesn't relent.
7. Cut Copy - Pharaohs and Pyramids
It is such a relief to find that "Zonoscope" is as good as its first two magnificent, genre-defining singles, and "Pharoahs and Pyramids" almost approaches the dizzying heights of those tracks, starting off, as so many tracks on "Zonoscope", with restraint and subtlety, before well and truly unleashing its glorious climax upon the unsuspecting listener. In this case it's a chaotic wall of synth chords that pummels the beats into the background, but its a battle that results in nothing short of sheer euphoria.
6. The New Division - No Health
And now a pupil from the Cut Copy school of indie dance music, outimpressing their teachers in this case. From their above average EP "The Rookie" (very aptly named), "No Health" would sound very bedroom-indiepop if it weren't for its undeniably beautiful hooks and a syncopated bass donk taken straight from the late 90s. The New Division certainly couldn't sound in better health here.
5. Jessie J - Abracadabra
There's not much I need to say about this album highlight that I haven't already raved about in Popdar #16, (see here: http://givepopachance.blogspot.com/2011/02/popdar-16-jessie-j-you-win.html) so I'll just repost the video and leave Jessie to cast her perfect pop spell upon you once more. Sadly, it's the only time on the album that I personally was bewitched by her, but one blissful pop song is better than a mediocre record without exception.
4. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers
Terrifying as always, but this time Tyler has a record deal and means business. You can read what I had to say about "Yonkers" here: http://givepopachance.blogspot.com/2011/02/unpopdar-1-im-fucking-walking-paradox.html
3. Radiohead - Give Up The Ghost
One listen to the introspective and fragile "King of Limbs" and you can feel yourself growing old with Radiohead. On "Give Up The Ghost", a gathering of background Thoms weakly emplore "don't hurt me" on a loop throughout, and his falsetto has rarely sounded more fearful. But there's no sign of angsty, panicky tenor here, ala "Wolf at the Door", this is resigned fear and gentle pleading, and quite honestly, Radiohead has never sounded more beautiful.
2. James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream
"Limit To Your Love" was nothing compared to this. How anyone who loved Blake's quirky cover of "Limit" could be disappointed with a self-destruction anthem this heartbreaking is beyond me. "I don't know about my loving anymore" sings a resigned and defeated Blake over a gorgeous chord sequence, that is gradually enveloped by glass shatteringly loud percussion and a crescendo that leads a cacophony of feedback. The track sounds like its drowning slowly, and Blake tries to resist at first, but eventually concedes: "might as well fall in". A strong contender for track of the year already.
1. Radiohead - Codex
...Well, "Wilhelm Scream" is certainly a strong contender until one first hears the opening notes of Radiohead's latest perfect piece of music, entitled "Codex", then its entirely possible that you will reconsider. There's actually quite a lot of Radiohead influence to be heard in James Blake's remarkable lonely soundscapes. But whilst Blake, in his youth, seems unwilling to emotionally commit to his listener, hiding behind big, confusing vocal arrangements and sharp clicks and beeps, Radiohead left that behind many years ago.
As with "Nude", "Sail to the Moon" and "Pyramid Song", no one does a surreal power ballad like Radiohead. But this time round, we're hearing the message clearer than ever. "Jump off the edge, into a clear lake" Thom peacefully murmers to us, and so enchanting is the shimmering piano that we could well be enticed in ourselves without realising. As with all of Radiohead's thoughtful suicide ballads (or what we assume to be), there is a level of innocence and even optimism that makes it even more beautiful and poignant. Thom rhymes "dragonflies" with "fantasise", and all of a sudden we enter the fantasy world that only Radiohead can open up to us.
And with every record, although it seems we are let further and further into the mindset of Mr Yorke, it's my bet that we will probably never understand quite what these beautiful words mean. But isn't that where the magic lies?
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