A beautiful, warm, stripped-back acoustic sound. Check out here.
New Music: of Verona
New pop. Check out here.
First Listen: Delphic ‘Good Life’
New Music: Maxsta
New Music: Alt-J
New Music: Karima Francis
This is the kind of song that brings a smile to the face. I’m so excited to see where Karima Francis ends up, as this is very promising! Check out here.
It’s been one year…
… since the beautifully talented Ms Winehouse left us. Sometimes it’s still hard to believe. RIP Amy.
New Music: House of Hats
I’m not sure how to describe this sound but it’s just very cute, and it has a matching video to go with it. It’s the sort of thing you want to listen to on a warm beach with friends at night. Anyway, their EP ‘Rivers Will Run’ is released in September. Check out here.
First Watch: Man Like Me ‘London Town VIP’
One big track deserves to get a re-release. Man Like Me will release their new single ‘London Town VIP’ on August 20th The song might be familiar to fans of the band, but it has been given a reboot by Mike Skinner, who is currently working with the band on their new album,The track, which is an anthem lamenting the downfall of a UK garage MC, has been a crowd favourite at Man Like Me’s riotous live shows for years – and is set to become an alternative anthem for London 2012 with this incredible new version.
New Music: Makari
Listening to this band you can hear hints of No Doubt in their sound, which is only a good thing. Check out here.
New Music: Slam Donahue
Yesterday, London saw it’s first bit of summer sun since… last year, probably. I don’t know how today will pan out but I hope it’ll be just as nice, wherever you are in the world. This track is so catchy and happy, but it ends after two and a half minutes, which is just about right. And it’s free to download! Check out here.
One last piece of disco before the weekend ends…
Courtesy of an LA-based DJ/ producer who likes to mix things up with house, electro, trance, tribal, tech and progressive sounds with slight injections of dub step, DJ Motoe.
New Music: Highasakite
Fresh indie pop from Norway. Check out here.
First Listen: Foe ‘Frankenstein’
Foe drops the final single off her debut album ‘Bad Dream Hotline’ this month, called ‘Black Lodge’ (released Monday 23rd). It comes with the previously unheard b side ‘Frankenstein’, which is what you’re listening to right now. She’s also playing the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen on Thursday 26th July.
First Watch: No Doubt ‘Settle Down’
No Doubt played a big part in the soundtrack to my teenage years, and it’s so nice to see them back together. This video’s been out for almost a week and already watched by more than two million, but better late than never. I really like it. I hope you do too.
New Music: Matt Corby
This guy is pretty well known in native Australia and now he’s starting to make an impact in the UK and Europe. If you give that video a watch you’ll feel the full power of this chap, it’s very intense pop but it’s so easy to listen to. It’s the sort of sound you can get lost to, which makes a nice change form the usual. Think a cross between Jeff Buckley, Wild Beasts, Nick Drake and Bon Iver. What’s more, he’s released a free EP (above), which you can download here.
New Music: Catcall
Fresh indie pop for a lazy Sunday. Check out here.
New Music: MC DRS
This comes out on Monday, and to put it simply, it’s brilliant. This is the video for DRS’s new single featuring Enei and is the first single from his forthcoming album on Soul:R which is dropping at the end of August. Check out here.
Just because I love Alfitude readers- win an iPhone dock!
The opportunity has arisen for me to offer you one of these cuties- it’s called a Muse M-105IP. It’s a clock radio that docks to your iPod/iPhone as well as a mini entertainment centre with a composite video output. There’s a few more iPod speakers over at Hifi Tower.
To enter, just email alfitudecomps@gmail.com with TOWER in the subject line, along with your name and address before 12:00 UK time on 25th July 2012.
Your emails won’t be added to any marketing lists or anything, it’s just a competition open to anyone living in mainland UK, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden. Good Luck!
New Music: Loveable Rogues
This group caused some stir at this year’s Britain’s Got Talent. Not sure how far they can go, but there’s definitely some potential there. Check out here.