Category: Music

New Music: La Puma

Swedish rocknroll. ‘Tongues of Fire’ is a particular pleaser. Check out here.

Simply Stunning

I feel like I’ve been hiding under a stone now that I’ve listened to this album. This is just about the best album I’ve heard all year- PERIOD. Seriously, every song… just flawless. Flawless. Going through this album reminded me of how I felt when I listened to Amy Winehouse’ Frank for the first time. Rox is without doubt the British Lauryn Hill. Check out here. Buy it here. This girl deserves points!

And the sexiest album artwork for the month of June goes to…

OK, I know they both look cacky online- but that’s why they’re so great! In the real world where you buy real CD’s from real record shops, both of these albums are so special when you remove the plastic rappers. Uffie’s album comes packed in a denim pocket- with a working button and stitching and her logo screen-printed on and everything.

And Robyn’s new album could pass off as a pirate copy of an original album- yep, she made her own album look like someone copied it and sold it to you at the back-end of a dodgy street at 3am, as you do. The CD itself has Robyn’s logo written in marker pen on a blank CD interface, and the sleeves look like the ones you get when you buy those multipack empty CD’s from PC World. Even the case looks cheap.

Don’t forget to support your record stores folks!

New Music: Eric Solomon

Eric Solomon is a remixer to the stars, and much as I’m not a huge fan or remixes, Eric’s own stuff is pretty good. Antarctica is a great tune. Check out here.

I Heart Jack Johnson

The great thing about Jack Johnson is that you know you’ll get exactly what you were expecting, every time. I like Jack Johnson a lot more than I let people believe, because I get a bit tired of hearing the ‘he’s boring… all his songs sound the same…’ dribble. But there’s no denying that his music can cheer up the grumpiest monkey around.

Looking at ‘To The Sea’s album cover, it took me a while to figure out that what he was building was a big surf (or is it a ship?). And when you open up the sleeve, the first thing you see is a dedication to his dad. So you’re led to think that this will be a sad collection of songs- but they’re the complete opposite. I prefer this album to ‘Sleep Through The Static’ and the one he did for the Curious George movie.

New Music: Jamaica

French electro/ indie from the Ed Banger family. More sensible than Breakbot but a more playful than DJ Mehdi. Will see them in London at Barfly tommorrow. Check out here.

New Music: Love Generation

A new girl band from the RedOne production team (the guy who makes Lady Gaga’s stuff). It’s fresh, makes you want to dance a little. Check out here.

New Music: The Superimposers

The Beach Boys have returned to the 21st century in the form of… The Superimposers. Check out here.

New Music: Gypsy & The Cat

Remember a couple of years ago there was a massive surge of Aussie dance acts invading the UK? What happened to all of those? Some were outstanding. Anyway, this is an Aussie duo who make summery songs that mix a little rock with a little warm electro. Check out here.

New Music: Million Young

Soft electro with some bounce… a little in the league of Washed Out and Active Child. Check out here.

New Music: The Like

The Like have actually been around for ages, but this is the first I’ve heard of them – probably because their new record has been produced by Mark Ronson and it’s my kind of groove. Their new stuff is a bit of a cross between that plastic Motown sound Ronson goes for, but with a bit of a dark indie vibe thrown into the mix. It’s reminds me a bit of poprock from the mid 90’s too… Check out here.

Taeyang wants your wives

I don’t have a clue what Taeyang’s on about but it all looks very slick. I think he wants to steal someone’s wife… Very slick video.

K-Pop to cheer you up!

A couple of recent K-Pop masterpieces by the Wonder Girls. The older I get the more excited I get with K-Pop. The rest of the world is trying so hard to look cool, but K-Pop doesn’t need to- it’s super cool!

Sugarcubes vs Diana Vickers

Sugarcubes (i.e. Baby Bjork) had a little hit called ‘Hit’ back in 1991. That same year, a girl called Diana Vickers was born who ended up being on the UK’s X Factor a couple of years ago. If Norah Jones was a cat, she would sound like Diana Vickers. Diana didn’t win the X Factor, but she ended up making an album anyway that was released earlier this month (which got to number 1, and I must admit, I did buy it… sorry… it was made by Guy Sigsworth and Ellie Goulding and I couldn’t resist). Diana has a cover of ‘Hit’ on her album, which I actually really like. See which one you prefer…

New Music: The Mynabirds

Plastic Motown, but not in an irritating Duffy-I’m a serious artist-Diet Coke way. Check out here.