Free Download: Jamiroquai ‘Smile’


I really like this. It should have been on the album, but I know it doesn’t sound like anything on Rock Dust Light Star. You can download it for free from the Soundcloud!

Free Glastonbury app out now!

If you’re going to Glastonbury this year (I’m not, but if you want to hide me in your rucksack I’ll gladly squeeze) I figured you might find this useful…

This year Orange has created the official Glastonbury Festival app for iPhone, Android and Nokia. The app is free to download here, with features such as a customisable line-up, interactive map, up to the minute festival news and social sharing – so you can let all your mates know what you’re up to!

Features include:

  • Schedule and programmable ‘My Planner’ in association with the Guardian Guide
  • Interactive map with one click ‘now and next’ listings for stages and ‘mood map’
  • News section featuring up to date content from Glastonbury Festival and The Guardian including direct updates from the festival over the weekend
  • Ability to share line-ups via Facebook before and during the festival

This year’s map is the most accurate, useful and interactive yet. Clicking on individual stages will bring up acts playing now and next; clicking on a band currently playing will offer the option to share to Facebook and clicking on a variety of on-site locations will enable you to share how you’re feeling and be a part of a real time ‘mood map’.

Flashback: Plan B and Example (London 2006)

I saw Plan B at London’s Mean Fiddler in July 2006, with Example supporting. The place was packed but at the time neither of these guys were well known- Plan B didn’t release his multi-platinum selling ‘The Defamation of Strickland Banks’ and Example didn’t release ‘Won’t Go Quietly’ til 2010.

At the time, both were promoting their debut records, which sounded completely different to the stuff that made them big in the end, but which I preferred. I know they look like foetuses in these pics – I had a camera which looked amazing but sadly did anything other than take decent pics. But anyway, a couple more pics on my Flickr if you want.

New Music: Niels Nielsen

Swedish solo indie rocker Niels Nielson’s most recent solo album, Cmon Vultures: Part 1 includes folk-inspired pop tracks drawing inspiration from the likes of The Radio Dept. and Modest Mouse. The album also features more upbeat, danceable tracks, such as “Tell Me Now” and “Absolutes,” along the lines of Peter Bjorn and John.

MP3 – Niels Nielsen – Tell Me Now

Listen: Wakey!Wakey! ‘Feral Love’

Wakey!Wakey! is the chamber pop product of Michael Grubbs’ eclectic musical education- formative years spent listening to an improbable mix of Gershwin, Brahms and Zeppelin were followed by a stint in NY in the company of ‘Anti-Folk’ contemporaries including Regina Spektor and The Moldy Peaches.

The most surreal point in Grubbs’ backstory came when cult U.S. show ‘One Tree Hill‘ synced a series finale to a Wakey!Wakey! track (past contributors to the soundtrack include Iron & Wine, Frightened Rabbit and Bon Iver). So enamoured was the show’s producer that he gave Grubbs a recurring acting part as a bartending musician, in a surreal case of life imitating art/art imitating life…

The band will be headlining London Scala on June 14th (having sold out the Garage last year) which follows on from sets at SXSW earlier this year.

The truth about buzzbands…

“The truth is, a buzzband is a lot like a human. A buzzband has hopes. A buzzband has dreams. A buzzband has desires. A buzzband has insecurities. Every buzzband wants to be the best buzzband that they can be, but tons of other buzzbands are standing in the way. Buzzbands want to be friends with other buzzbands. Buzzbands get in fights with other buzzbands. Buzzbands make up. Buzzbands eat, poop, live and die. Buzzbands experience high highs and low lows.”

– via Hipster Runoff

First Watch: Mr Fogg ‘Moving Parts’

I mentioned Mr Fogg on here ages ago for an amazing little videohe made in the middle of London. Last year he released his debut album, also entitled ‘Moving Parts’, and is currently working on new material with Icelandic producer Valgeir Sigurdsson (Bjork and Feist), this video marks a stepping stone between his debut and new music set for release later this year.

The video was directed by American History X director, Tony Kaye and was shot at various locations around Los Angeles, including Walt Disney Concert Hall, and consists entirely of several thousand stop-animated still photographs.

First Watch: Robyn ‘Call Your Girlfriend’

I love Robyn (as you might have guessed if you’re a regular on here). Video’s great, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the song when I first heard it but watching this makes me change my mind. Gonna dance like her next time I’m rockin’ the discotheque.

First Listen: Nicola Roberts ‘Beat Of My Drum’

I know, a lot of people will look down on this single but for what it’s worth, this is about as edgy as mainstream pop is in the UK right now- and it’s actually a lot of fun. Produced by Diplo and Dimitri Tikovoi. She was always the odd one out from Girls Aloud, and this single is pretty left field compared to what the other girls have done with their solo stuff. And dare I say, I see small hints of Robyn in there too. Check out here.

First Listen: The Kill Van Kulls ‘Lost and Found’

I just adore this new single by The Kill Van Kulls, who I’ve featured on here before. Visit the band’s website to hear more, or download a remix of ‘Lost and Found’ right here!

MP3: The Kill Van Kulls – Lost and Found (Swansong Remix)

Flashback: Amy Winehouse (Manchester 2004)

From a gig she played in 2004 at the Manchester Academy while on her first album – Frank, with support from Tyler James. This was the first time I saw her live, and it was the first proper gig I ever brought tickets for.

I nicked a poster for this gig when I was at uni and it’s been on my walls ever since. A few years later, Back to Black was released and well… rest is history!