The Rebecca & Fiona invasion continues. This is the new video for Adrian Lux featuring the girls and lots of… boys. I guess there’s nothing edgy here, but enjoy it for the camp factor.
New Music: Icona Pop
Icona Pop has been causing a bit of a fuss on the web for a while yet I never featured them on here. Edgy Swedish pop. “The two DJ’s decided one neon lit night to write songs about dark feelings and happy moments. The heartbroken soul and the frustrated mind combined their efforts and Icona Pop was born. These girls speak their minds and want everybody to sing along.” Check out here.
New Music: Talking Pictures
BENI- It’s a Bubble
New Music: Chet Faker
File this under Active Child, Washed Out and Million Young– well crafted, downtempo music. I love his version of ‘No Diggity’. Hot. Check out here.
New Music: Set Fire Run
This is so new it’s not even ready… Swedish trio that makes some very good, very catchy powerpop. Check out here.
New Music: Graffiti 6
First Watch: Penguin Prison ‘Fair Warning’
Booming, shimmering synths from the fantastic new Penguin Prison single. Mixed by Chris Glover (Penguin Prison) and Dan Grech-Marguerat (Radiohead, Scissor Sisters). A download bundle of selected remixes will be released on August 22, two weeks before the album finally drops. Follow Alfitude on Facebook and Twitter!
First Listen: Blink-182 ‘Up All Night’
They’re back! A darker sound to their usual stuff- it’s been eight years since Blink-182 released a single and this is a welcome return!
New Music: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
I love this. This is The Pains of Being Pure at Heart’s new single. “A daydream like childhood memory soundtracked by a blissful sound wall of jaded guitars and jewel-like synths.” Check out here.
Listen to Get People’s EP in full here!
Get People are one of my favourite bands this year. “Picking up where last year’s Careless/Odyssey double A-side left off, Get People’s sophomore EP release Rain Tears is another slice of infectious, intelligent pop music. Rain Tears will be released on Friends vs Records on July 11th 2011.”
Live: Waylayers at Macbeth
I mentioned Waylayers last month on here, although I had seen them once before in a line-up supporting Yelle at Electrowerkz back in March. I like their indie/electro/pop fusion thing they’ve got going on- and it works well live too. Considering they haven’t been around for long they look to be very promising.
And apologies about the pictures. I brought a new camera but it’s turned out worse than the older one. But on the bright side it looks a lot sexier. I think I’m doomed with cameras…
New single from Left Step Band
Previously mentioned back in March, Left Step Band are back with a fresh new single. It sort of sounds like a grown up Gym Glass Heroes. Check out their Bandcamp.
Live: The Kill Van Kulls at Social
First featured on here back in May, I saw Kill Van Kulls tonight in London’s tiny Social, off Oxford Street. They had such a big sound for a venue so small which was fun to see. Their sound is sort of epic, anthemic British indie, but in my view it really kicks off when they experiment with their beats and percussions. Sort of ‘The Hurts‘ but with balls. Highlights were their new single, ‘Lost and Found’, as well as ‘Wooden Heart’ and ‘Impossible Man’. Try to see them if you can- they’re good.
First Listen: Will Young ‘Jealousy’
Excellent come back from the original Mr Pop Idol. He’s come such a long way since that awful ‘Evergreen’ song! The new single from Will Young‘s forthcoming album, “Echoes”. Single released Aug 21st, album released Aug 22nd. Check out the video here.
New Music: Willy Moon
Live: Professor Green at Somerset House
Just back from seeing Professor Green (with support from Ed Drewett) at Somerset House in London. It’s a bit of an unusual place to have a gig like this, but that made it all the more fun. Was very good. Previews of Green’s new material were really very good- I have a feeling his next album (out in October) will be tons better than the first one (although that was pretty good too). He played my favourite track on the album, the hugely ‘Goodnight‘, which was awesome. Another highlight was an appearance of Emeli Sandé. Can’t wait to see more of this girl!
Make Believe
Three of Sony Music’s most exciting rising stars (and personal favourites)- Oh Land, Mads Langer and Loick Essien, talk about how their lives have been shaped by music and how they have turned their dreams into reality with the help of Sony. Bit of a shameless plug but it’s a fun clip to watch that makes you get up and do something for yourself. There’s also a competition by Sony where you have to create a remix using Bob Dylan & Ting Tings samples. Check out here.
New Music: The Chakras
Epic Irish indie with a bit of a raw edge. ‘Raised on a diet of Soul In Heaven era Verve self-belief, and Jesus and Mary Chain’s wanton fuzz, the band took an early hazy blueprint of how they wanted to sound and immediately removed anything that might interfere with their creating of it. They killed off long-standing relationships, resigned from the day-jobs and cut local ties, moved to London and have here made a record that took those noisy, hissing 8-track bedroom demos and transformed the very same songs into swirling, guitar-heavy anthems.’ Check out here.
First Watch: Erik Hassle ‘Stay Away’
Weirdly I mentioned Erik last week, and today he’s put up his latest video up. Featuring lots of little Erik doing Swedish things that ginger kids do.