I’d been meaning to post about NYC’s Holy Ghost! for some time now but for some reason never got around to it. Allow me to correct that error now since this band is so good and deservedly is making waves outside of the metropolitan area. Their recent remix of Monarchy’s Love Get Out Of My Way was mega and their upcoming tour with Chromeo should definitely turn the party out. A band with a rhythm section this tight should not be kept under wraps, it would simply be criminal. Taken from their just released EP Static On The Wire, this banger called I Know I Hear should be played and replayed often in your playback device of choice right about now. I can’t say enough about the bass-line. Never mind about the rest of the song, it’s the Chic-like bassline that does the deed for me. Bernard Edwards would surely be proud, I would think!
Do the deed and cop the EP here then make sure you see the band live Thursday night at the Bowery Ballroom.
Like a warm summer breeze, Los Angeles’ Kisses are the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon laying around soaking up the rays without a single care in the world. The indie duo’s new single People Can Do The Amazing Things comes off as so effortless a listen that it’s easy to completely miss the subtle hooks that make this track a winner. To my ears, I hear a tinge of the softer moments from The Wake, the criminally underrated Factory band. A definite band on the rise.
Three all-stars from the dance music world come together to form like Voltron and become the Swedish House Mafia. Axwell. Steve Angello. Sebastian Ingrosso. Three top notch producers in their own right come forth with their first official single One (Your Name) featuring Pharrell. This trio’s sole objective is to get your arse on the floor and moving in ways that would be considered illegal in most cities. One listen to this joint and it certainly looks as if the trio hit the mark with plenty of room to spare. The beat pumps hard. The synth stabs are so fierce that even the most disillusioned hipster can’t help but grab a set, grab a girl and get sweaty. This is aural crack right here. It begs to heard at maximum volume where your body feels as if it’s about to spontaneously combust as a result of all the bass, drums and synths hitting you all at once. Clocking in at just under three and half minutes, the song comes and goes leaving you a hot mess in its wake. This is hardcore.
Dave Sitek. That name may not roll off the tongue of the average music listener. If you’re not aware of who he is, shame on you. The man has only been a major driving force in the New York sound in the last decade. Beginning with his own band, a little known outfit named TV On The Radio, then take a quick look at the work he’s done in the producer’s chair and you can see the man has done a little bit of work over the last ten years. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs… Liars…Telepathe…Scarlett Johansson (Let’s forgive him for that one. The man has to eat too…)… Celebration… Foals. Helping to save indie music from itself is a tough job but even he needs a break so here comes Sitek going solo under the name Maximum Balloon.
Sitek’s solo debut record is due to arrive on the 24th of August via DGC/Interscope and will feature some noteworthy guest appearances tagging along for the ride. Names such as David Byrne, Karen O, Tunde and Kyp from TV On The Radio can be expected to be heard and enjoyed on this set. First things first, we have the first single called Tiger up at the plate to lead off. This is what you call a banger. This track features Aku from Dragons of Zynth on the mike who sounds an awful lot like Tunde from TVOTR. One can’t help but fall for the rhythmic charm as the bass whip-cracks you out onto the dance floor. Hips start to sway. Sweat explodes from the pores. You simply have no control or any idea of what to do with yourself. That’s what one play of Tiger will do to you so be careful who you play this to or you may be held responsible for whatever may ensue next. On second thought, play it and then play it again.
It’s the video for Crossfire, the debut solo single from Brandon Flowers, the lead single of the Fillers. Sorry. That should be the Killers although based on the band’s musical output, the former is more than apt. The song is decent enough and while it’s pretty much been covered in the past here in this space that I am not a Fillers fan, the only reason worth posting this vid is we get to see one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood doing her best impression of another beautiful Hollywood actress. Charlize Theron… Charlize…Charlize doing her best Angelina Jolie playing Lara Croft impression. I reckon there won’t be another video released this year that will grab my attention quite like this. What’s also pretty hilarious is that throughout this film, Charlize has to rescue Brandon three or four times as he looks helpless, defenseless and pretty sorry each time.
There’s really nothing much to add here except did I mention that Charlize Theron is in this video?
Ahh yes. Another day, another supremely talented band coming out of London Town. Today it’s Chapel Club. With their late 80’s Creation Records era sound permeating through my senses, it’s easy to say that this quintet had me at hello. Up on first listen to Five Trees, I found the band’s melancholic yet spirited vibe to be something indie music lovers everywhere should hear. They’re a band that demands your attention and by golly, I’m going to help to make sure they get it! Today’s featured song by the band is a new tune I got today called The Shore. Six minutes of swoon-worthy tuneage that will have you swaying and hooked within seconds. I’m quickly falling in love with this band. I hope you feel the same way.
It’s always nice to receive submissions from earnest indie bands who simply want you to know that they plan on ruling the world one blog at a time. When it comes in the form of cheery no-frills electronic pop, it’s even better. It’s always the quiet ones that you have to watch for! Coming from South London, we have a wonderful trio called Arp Attack. Theirs is a sound that blends the joys of indie rock and throws in some Fisher-Price synths for good measure that add up to songs that are pure saccharine to the ears. Stylistically the band reminds me a bit of another too-cute for words electronic pop band that went by the wayside in Bis. These are the kinds of band that indie kids simply can’t help but love because of their “blink and you’ll miss it” hooks that once enjoyed, you really can’t help but fall in love. Give these four a long listen and see what I mean.
“i wish you missed that shooting star
took your dreams back from the well,
’cause it made you break your heart
i’d give back everything i’ve made
to take your heartache take your pain
tell me where and when to start”
Are you noticing a trend yet? Though I took a brief left turn yesterday to bring you news on Interpol, I must continue on my series on 2010: Boys And Their Synths. Today let’s take a look at the noises created by two chaps from London who go by the name of Diagram Of The Heart. Their debut single Dead Famous is a wonderful racket the features a nifty buildup to what I like to call the Big Chorus Payoff. The song is a bit of a fist-pumper for those of you who must have your anthems. The promotional film is a bit of a hoot as well though aside from the eye-candy that is the lovely woman dancing on the pole, there is very little the video does to enhance your enjoyment of the song at all. No matter. When you have a strong single such as this, there are really no need for frills. Keep an eye out on these guys. I’m liking what I’m hearing thus far.
Toni Halliday. An all too familiar name which evokes many wonderful memories centered around some of the finest electronic rock music I’ve had the fortune of hearing. For those not in the know, Ms. Halliday was the lead singer of the seminal band, Curve. A blitzkrieg of noise with a voice that could caress and scare the living daylights out of you in the same song. While Halliday and her partner-in-crime, Dean Garcia, went their seperate ways not long ago. I, along with many fans feared this was the last we might hear of her. Enter Chatelaine! Toni Halliday is back with a brand new edition. Chatelaine presents a kinder and somewhat gentler version of the Toni we know and love. The noise and feedback is gone to reveal a more stripped down, more melodic vibe courtesy of Toni and her songwriting partner, Louise Dowd. The loud guitars have been replaced by flourishes of strings and pads. The angst overtaken with kindness. Think the softer moments of Curve 2001’s record Gift (Perish).
The debut offering from Chatelaine, Take A Line For A Walk, is available now. Do yourself a favour and pick this up.
So if 2009 was ostensibly the year celebrating girls with synths dominated by the likes of La Roux (#8 in the US, yay!) and Little Boots, it could be surmised that 2010 is the boys’ turn. We have the pristine pop of Hurts on one side. We have to a lesser degree, the silliness of an Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and now comes the Bang Bang Club. Coming to us from across the pond, this duo has nothing but pure pop on their minds and they have no qualms about sharing their hopes and dreams with all of us.
The debut single Chemistry is a wonderful little package that reminds us why we love electronic pop so much. The style. The glamour. Those wonderful little bleeps, bloops and blurps that come together to form pure pop brilliance. One look at the video and I really thought I was watching a young Robbie Williams singing to a Vince Clarke produced track and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that in my book! Simply put, the Bang Bang Club have all the makings of a band that has the top of the pops in their sights.
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