Fun and edgy pop. Her PR reads, ‘Alice Gold’s journey has been dedicated to music from day one. Her desire for adventure and for living life to the full led her to buy a one-way ticket to America, winning a 1978 Winnebago in a poker game and spending the next six months weaving across the US, just Alice and her guitar!’ Check out here.
Six years after forming in 2003, Dynasty Electric caught the attention of hip-hop mogul Damon Dash who paired them with producer Ski Beatz (Jay-Z, Camp Lo, Curren$y) who then infused his signature beats into their electro-pop tracks. Check out here.
Swedish housey pop- makes me want to be in the middle of a big dancefloor in Stockholm rubbing with hot Swedes. Check out here.
Norwegian trio Ungdomskulen are back with ten free tracks – part of a new campaign they’re calling GIMME TEN, the band are releasing 10 one-minute tracks for free, every Monday and Friday, until June 3rd. From June 6th the tracks will be available as a vinyl mini LP. Each track has a video to accompany it, courtesy of Berlin based arts collective Blank Blank. Watch it all unfold here
A little lesson in Swedish… ‘Snart’ which is the title to this lovely track you hear above, means ‘Soon’. ‘Lilla Sällskapet’, the act that are responsible for it, means ‘small society’- although I could be wrong- I’m still very new to the language. You don’t need to speak Swedish to enjoy it though. It’s the kind of music that lifts you up and takes you somewhere lush. Check out here.
Danish electropop who have been around since 2007- so they’re not really new I guess but better late than never. Their track ‘Fail Forever’ is full of movement, it’s beautiful. Sort of Miike Snow on a comedown. Check out here.
Right, when I first heard this I thought it was rubbish. Then I watched the video and I don’t know, I started liking it. Maybe its seeing the words pop up in a swishy way or something. I’m not sure. They’re getting a lot of buzz in any case, and they look good. Check out here.
Lana del Rey weaves cinematic dark pop music wrapped in smoky, sultry and glamorous overtones. The memory of faded stars like Bette Davis, Kurt Cobain, Nina Simone and Elvis are the chorus line for her music. Check out here.
Danny Saucedo is already huge in Sweden, and recently came second in this year’s Melodifestivalen which I went to see. He’s finally coming to the UK with this single featuring Freja. The video is very filthy! Check out here.
From drum and bass in the previous post to… American rock! This is good rock though. The buzz around them seems to be that they’re really good live, and I can tell the same from listening to their sound. Hope they conquer the UK soon then! Check out here.
Slutty new wave/electro duo Kids Of 88 describe their music as “a cross between a late 80s police drama intro theme and a sophisticated super hussy”. With sleazy basslines and mind-numbingly catchy hooks, Kids Of 88 are all about poking tongues and making sweaty suggestive innuendos. Check out here.
More good music from the UK- this time from Newcastle. ‘Sunshine Eyes’ is a proper summer track- all we need is a pool and champagne. Check out here.
This video stirs so much in me it’s lovely and gross at the same time… Ahem… All I know about Timothy Bloom is that he’s written stuff for Chris Brown’s new F.A.M.E album, but it’s obvious something more will come of this man. Check out here.
This is my favourite band at the moment. Hailing from Manchester, The Kill Van Kulls create a really rich, epic, new sound that’s a bit like Friendly Fires on Vallium. Wooden Heart is beautiful! Check out here.
This is pure British pop- chimes a bit with Lily Allen’s old stuff. It’s catchy, fun. Check out here.
This is excellent rock coming out of LA. There’s a lot of The Police, Jimmy Eat World and Kings of Leon in Dom’s sound- which is a good thing! A few years ago I spent a short time out in California during my summer breaks and memories rushed back a little when I heard ‘We Own The Night’. It’s the sort of music that works well played loud in a car racing down a sunny highway to somewhere exciting. Check out here.
From Norway. “Warm waves of silky spring air evoke that European charm that has flooded the UK of late” – beardedmagazine.com after seeing Team Me @ Hammersmith Apollo. Check out here.
Already picked up on radio plays from indie arbiters of taste Steve Lamacq (who came to see them play in London) and Tom Robinson, who had the band in for interview after their shows on the BBC Introducing stages at Leeds/Reading 2010.
They’ve also had plays from Huw Stephens, Frank Skinner (Absolute Radio), Rory McConnell (Radio 1) and have supported The Naked and Famous, Iliketrains, The Sunshine Underground, The Mystery Jets, Two Door Cinema Club, The Neat and Hockey. Check out here.
