My Plastic Sun - Caught in a Wave

With each new track they unveil, it's becoming harder and harder to pin My Plastic Sun down. If you thought they were the wistful, melancholic post-Radiohead ponderers as heard on "Give It All Away" and "Falling Awake", you're right. If you thought they were the post-punk, psychadelic rockers of "Silicone Junkie", you're right. If, for whatever reason, you ever had an inkling they'd unveil a sunny Coldplay-sized summer anthem, awash with joyous synths and huge hooks, you can now tell all your friends "I told you so".

Sounding more straight-up audience friendly than ever before, but still with the progressive streak (check the Genesis-happy synth lead in the middle 8) that clinches it as still 'their sound', "Caught in a Wave" is yet another reason to check out My Plastic Sun, and yet another facet to add to their ever growing sound-repertoire.

Best New Music - 4/06

Alexandra Burke - Heartbreak on Hold LP
Despite low expectations due to the cringeworthy sub-eurovision "Elephant", the rest of this album, by today's standards, is a fairly pleasing collection of commercial dance tracks. Highlights for me include the delightfully gay-disco friendly belter of a title track, which reminds us just what a set of pipes Burke has on her, and also funky iTunes bonus track "Devil in Me", which allows Burke to give us a little bit of grit and gurn through the medium of soulful house.




Bright Light Bright Light - Make Me Believe in Hope LP
Well spoken emo-synthpop singer/songwriter/producer Bright Light Bright Light has been releasing one deliciously retro dance single after another over the last 18 months or so, so it's great to hear a full album finally emerge. The great thing about BLx2 (apart from the fact his stage name is easy to abbreviate) is that the music is full on guilty pleasure, but the words are heartfelt. This makes songs like the euphoric "How to Make a Heart" and the 90s-house "Cry at Films" so hard to fault. If you ever thought a cynical Brit could never bring melancholy to the dancefloor, then think again.




Disclosure - The Face EPSuddenly catapaulted to the forefront of the UK bass scene, youthful London duo Disclosure's latest EP is nothing short of magnificent. We've all heard the haunting "Boiling" and the seductive "What's In Your Head", but the manic "Lividup" and the sharp 2 stepping "Control" are hardly b-sides, both living up to the dizzying addictive heights of what Disclosure have already proved they are reliably capable of.



Loui & Scibi - Giving You The Light (feat. Nathalia) (Shane D. Remix)
(Taken from Hed Kandi Beach House 2012)Most of the latest Hed Kandi house compilation is a fairly standard day at the office for the label, but opening Disc 1 with this brilliantly uplifting cut is a smart move.

SUMMER IS HERE.

Catcall - "The World Is Ours" & "That Girl"

As Ladyhawke's new album is promising to be a sad disappointment, lacking in the big tunes and colourful 80s new wave of her debut, it is the perfect time to introduce yourself to CATCALL. The Australian singer, real name Catherine Kelleher, was previously in a band called Kiosk, who supported The Gossip at one point, and is now out on her own as a big, bolshy pop/rock tour de force. Single "The World is Ours" is her "My Delirium" and then some, with a summery, gorgeous chorus, driving guitars and gutsy cheerleader chant vocals. Album track "That Girl" is also a perfect pop gem, with an uptempo 80s new wave drive that Bananarama would've killed for in their heyday.

Her album "The Warmest Place" is out now.

FOR FANS OF: Ladyhawke, Dragonette, Girls Aloud

LIVE REVIEW - Niki and the Dove @ XOYO - 28/05/12

So after postponing their much anticipated gig on the 16th due to illness (and let's face it, most of us were ill around that time anyway), Sweden's new synthpop sensation Niki and the Dove finally make it to the east london stage at XOYO.

Bad news first. The incredible excitement of seeing fellow up and coming swedish indie-girl-ghetto-rap-lectro act Elliphant is shattered when we find out she is no longer performing. I admit, I was looking forward to hearing "TeKKno Scene" live just as much as "DJ, Ease My Mind" or "Tomorrow".

Instead, the opening act is Duologue, a pleasant enough synth-tinged indie band, who sound like Keane on record, but the XOYO sound system, provides some oomph into their languorous indie soundscapes. Epic sounding closer "Push It" manages to get a relatively subdued crowd going with its relentless dance pulse.

By 9.30, the time N&TD are due on, and the venue is packed. However, it's another half hour or casual sound-checks before the lights dim, spotlights begin to swarm the crowd, and a the intro music begins. As the band move onstage in comedic (I assume) slow motion to this music, which sounds a lot like a butter advert with its contended strings and inoffensive drums.

Gustaf Karlof, "The Dove" begins to play around with synth loops, not recognizable from any of their songs, and the crowd is yet to be convinced. Then Malin Dahlstrom, "Niki", opens her mouth to utter some startling yet beautiful notes, the bassline to "Mother Protect" drops, and suddenly the band have us transfixed for the following 60 minutes. This extended live version of "Mother Protect" is absolutely stunning, the crowd cheering when the triumphant pan-pipe melody finally bursts into life. Following with a COLLOSAL "Drummer", and then ridiculously catchy 80s-friendly album track "Somebody", the band have XOYO in the palm of their hand.

Even unknown track "Taylor", dedicated to Malin's best friend, whom she informs us she has lost, and urges us all to call our best friends, as she is "still waiting to make my call". It's a touching moment, and the performance itself is understated and clearly heartfelt, and a wonderful addition to the show. "Last Night", timid on record, becomes a singalong anthem live, with it's cute refrain of "Last night we got married in a taxi", and closing duo of "DJ, Ease My Mind" and "Tomorrow" could not have been better received.

Yes, there were only 7 songs played. And yes, I feel that tracks such as "The Fox" and "In Our Eyes" would've gone down a treat. But this incredibly quirky, incredibly loveable and incredibly Swedish band turned 7 songs into a musical journey, extended cuts, previously unheard musical interludes, tiger masks (!), light-up rings on their fingers.

Even the massively self-indulgent hyper-rave outro of "Tomorrow", taking up a good quarter of the show, cancelling out the need for an encore, was a delight, with Gustaf chucking rhythm over rhythm and bassline over bassline until the band take their leave and the track is left to swallow itself whole as the audience stands stunned.

If this is what Niki & The Dove are capable of after a single album, there is no doubt that with a bigger catalogue future shows will be even more groundbreaking.

Jessie Ware - What You Won't Do For Love (FREE download)

It's official. Jessie Ware is the new Sade. Such is the feather-light tone to her voice, the way it cracks on the way down from a challenging note, and SBTRKT collaborator Sampha totally gets this... just listen to the soulful, bubbling synth arpeggios of this cover of Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love". Jessie brings 80s soul to the UK bass generation, and there's no one doing it quite like her at the moment.

"Jessie got a thing for you and I can't let go..." The feeling's mutual my dear.

DOWNLOAD "WHAT YOU WON'T DO FOR LOVE" FREE FROM JESSIE WARE'S FACEBOOK PAGE.

Jessie Ware's debut album "Devotion" is released on the 20th August.

Yeasayer - Henrietta

Experimental/dancey indiepoppers Yeasayer describing their upcoming record as "a demented R&B record", which rings true as we hear the first track to be released from it, "Henrietta". Somewhat similar to the psychedelic flurried arpeggios of Animal Collective's "Merriweather Post Pavilion", "Henrietta" starts in one weird place and ends up in an even weirder place, entering more of a dark, schizophrenic sci-fi/Radiohead headspace as the song progresses, but every second of the track is riveting.

Gossip - Get Lost

So Gossip's 3rd album "A Joyful Noise", a disappointment, is not so joyful. The surprisingly underwhelming production by Xenomania exposes the uninteresting melodies and uninspired songs, practically an unrecognizable band from that of "Standing in the Way of Control" and "Heavy Cross". Lead single "Perfect World" was sub-par if still enjoyable, but it still ended up promising more than the album delivers.

BUT.

Bloody hell does track 6, "Get Lost", leap out of the speakers just when you're drifting off, giving up hope on the album. In its joyous (or 'joyful' should I say) chorus, ravey pianos leap out of nowhere and Beth Ditto gives her gutsiest performance on the record. If only Xenomania had thought to make THIS kind of thing the starting point, the joyless "Joyful Noise" might have actually been something quite wonderful.