This week's post ...
Cut Copy
Take Me Over new single to be confirmed
I love these Aussies and 'Take Me Over' offers a new slant from the guys, a semi reggae calypso type thang. A lightweight pop song that should gain plenty of play on Radio 2... good old fashioned pop.. top. Here's the PR... Cut Copy is proud to announce the release of the first official single from their new LP Zonoscope, “Take Me Over.” You can listen to it here http://www.modularpeople.com
In addition, Cut Copy unveil the first leg of the Zonoscope World Tour, which will see the band traversing Europe with more tour dates are due to be announced shortly, stay tuned!
Emin
Just For One Night Remix new single 4 April 2011
I like this straight away... a laid back Enrique breathy 'Hero' type vocal over a laid back house type feel... possibly the songs too weak to cut through but there is a very atmospheric airy feel to it... chart chance
Emma's Imagination
Brighter Greener new single 27 March 2011
All this femme rock is a bit wimpy really isn't.... I really didn't want to like Emma's new song but it's a quaint catchy lil' number just like that skimpy cotton dress in her video... I love those skimpy sexy dresses.. and lush red lipstick in bed.. woh the smudges! Hung on the washing line too dry, clothes pegs in view 'an all "I'm still here.... I need you...". Well Em's already been top ten a couple of times and there's no reason for that to not continue judging by this radio friendly tune.... yep top ten again! Here's the PR... Emma’s Imagination embarks on her debut UK tour this spring. To kick off, Emma’s Imagination will play a Daily Record-sponsored free acoustic show for fans at Glasgow King Tut’s on Thurs 17th February. Entry for this gig is on a first come, first served basis. Then in March Emma will play four Daily Record Live Sessions, solo acoustic shows in Scotland co-promoted by the paper. A tour of the UK with her full live band follows, see below for details.
February
Thu 17th Glasgow, King Tut’s - Daily Record free show
March
Sun 13th Inverness, Mad Hatters – Daily Record Live Sessions
Mon 14th Aberdeen, Café Drummond – Daily Record Live Sessions
Tue 15th Dundee, Dukes Bar – Daily Record Live Sessions
Wed 16th Edinburgh, Caberet Voltaire – Daily Record Live Sessions
Fri 18th Newcastle, O2 Academy 2
Sun 20th Birmingham, Glee Club
Mon 21st Oxford, O2 Academy 2
Wed 23rd Glasgow, ABC 2
Thu 24th Leeds, Cockpit
Fri 25th Liverpool, O2 Academy 2
Sun 27th Bristol, Thekla
Mon 28th Manchester, Academy 3
Tue 29th London, Bush Hall
‘Brighter Greener,’ the new single, is released 6th March on Polydor/Future Records, watch the video here. ‘Brighter Greener’ is taken from Emma’s Imagination’s debut album ‘Stand Still,’ which entered the UK charts at No.14 and includes her two Top 10 singles ‘This Day’ and ‘Focus.’ The winner of Sky’s 1’s Must Be The Music last September, Emma’s Imagination is 27 year old singer-songwriter Emma Gillespie, originally from Dumfries though now based in Glasgow.
Praise for ‘Stand Still’:
“Gillespie has an unerring ear for a pop melody” Evening Standard
“Stand Still stands in danger of giving television talent winners a good name, with ten very decent, warm and emotive songs” Mail on Sunday
“A breeze of girl ‘n’ guitar loveliness” **** Star Magazine
“Gentle, sweetly melodic” Sunday Express
“Gillespie has an agile voice and a winning presence” The Observer
"The arrival of a genuinely gifted writer" The Herald
"Scotland’s next big hope" The List
www.emmas-imagination.co.uk
Gypsy & The Cat
Jona Vark new single 28 March 2011
This is a good song, a light airy feel, a song title pun right out of The Two Ronnies Four Candles... Jona Vark... like it hope it does well...
Australian duo Gypsy & the Cat will release their third single ‘Jona Vark on 28th March.
‘Jona Vark’ is the undoubtedly the tune that kickstarted everything for the band - it was picked up by Australia’s alternative radio station Triple J and playlisted while they were still an unsigned band. Its melodic synths and rhythmic guitar escalate into a spine tingling chorus with gorgeous soaring vocals. It has a glorious summer sound with elements of Fleetwood Mac and MGMT, yet still sounding completely unique. It is instantly feel good and is the perfect uplifting summer anthem to day dream the day away to. Remixes come courtesy of Alan Braxe, Starsmith, Van She Tech, and Shazam.
This will be the follow-up to the Young & Lost release and Kitsune Maison 9 featured track, ‘Time to Wander’, and the December release ‘The Piper’s Song’ which reached #1 on Hype Machine with the Aeroplane remix of the track.
Already tipped by NME as one of their 20 artists to watch in 2011, Gypsy & the Cat are 22-year-olds Xavier Bacash & 24-year-old Lionel Towers. Influenced by a mixture of musical legends ranging from Jeff Buckley and modern DJs from Justice to Daft Punk, they only began making music in a garage in Melbourne just over a year ago. Their Myspace enticed the love from Triple J along with support from Mark Ronson on his East Village radio show and Neon Gold’s key blog.
After producing and recording their album in their Melbourne home studio, Gypsy & the Cat lived for a short while in London where they mixed their debut album due out in Summer 2011 with David Fridmann (of Mercury Rev fame and producer of MGMT, Flaming Lips, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah to name a few) and Rich Costey (Producer of amongst others, Muse, Mew, Franz Ferdinand, Glasvegas). They are currently back home in Australia finishing up a host of festival dates (including a highly anticipated slot on Australia’s touring festival Big Day Out) and headline shows.
Gypsy & the Cat performed a host of key shows late last year including a headline slot at London’s Koko and a support slot with Mark Ronson and will be back this Spring for further UK shows and festival appearances before releasing their debut album ‘Gilgamesh’ this Summer.
The Heartbreaks
Jealous new single 18 April 2011
Guitar groups are back... well they've never departed but something has happened to diminish their status... I think it may be due to the Radio One Xtra takeover of Radio One.... anyway here's another charge from the traditional rock pop side of the world and this is a healthy specimen.. some great stereo guitar interplay, nice melody, possibly could be stronger, top vocals and a sound production... the sooner bands like The Heartbrteaks start crashing the top forty again.. the better. Top tune
PR... “Elegantly British seven-inch pop a machete-cut ahead of the pack and they’ve got the tunes in spades” NME
“The finest support band I’ve ever had” Carl Barat
“We wouldn’t bet against The Heartbreaks stamping their West-Coast-via-Morecambe charms all over 2011. Their lovelorn, nostalgia-tinged pop is right on the money” The Fly
“Achingly beautiful” Independent
“Matthew sings like an expelled angel. The one kicked out into the wilderness, unloved but full of emotion” Steve Lamacq
“Our band for 2011” Manchester Evening News
“They’re hot, they’re British and they sound fantastic.” Glamour
“Irresistible. The Heartbreaks are going to be huge.” Notion
Morecambe four-piece The Heartbreaks will release new single ‘Jealous, Don’t You Know’ on April 18th through their own imprint ‘Morecambe Rock’ on Tri-Tone/PIASUK and announce a UK tour for March/April.
This will be the follow up to the singles ‘Liar, My Dear’ and ‘I Didn’t Think It Would Hurt To Think Of You’, both of which served as a staggering first glance at a band destined to be viewed in years to come as the bright and beautiful youth.
‘Jealous, Don’t You Know’ is three and a half minutes of rattling drums, chiming guitar and Motown hooks that tumbles with the knowing swagger and melodic lushness of all great life affirming pop. Soaring and swooning vocals and a shimmer that displays a love of Joe Meek 45s and girl-group soul, the sound is as classic as the idea, but the result is the most vital and arresting British guitar track in almost a decade. The single comes with the Edwyn Collins produced B-side ‘Remorseful’, a tale of love and loss set to blue-eyed Wigan Casino drums, a potent reminder of the quality of material the band reserve for B-sides.
Following a critically acclaimed tour supporting Carl Barat last year, alongside headlining their own London shows and performing for Bono in Milan and at the Kitsune party in Paris, their March and April dates are set to take the combustible and frenetic energy of their live show to an even wider audience.
The foursome, originally from Morecambe and now residing in Manchester, formed in May 2009 having bonded over shared passions; Motown, bittersweet romance and the English seaside. Still in their early 20s, it quickly became apparent that they harbour the same dream: to create a band that really means something to people. The Heartbreaks are Matthew Whitehouse (vocals), Joseph Kondras (Drums), Ryan Wallace (Guitar) and Deaks (Bass).
Full tour dates are as follows;
March:
Tues 15th Leicester The Soundhouse
Weds 16th York Fibbers
Thurs 17th Edinburgh Sneaky Pete's
Fri 18th Stockton-on-Tees Ku Bar
Mon 21st Liverpool Mojo
Tues 22nd Oxford Jericho
Thurs 24th London Gibson Guitar Studio's
Fri 25th Truro Bunters
Sat 26th Bristol The Cooler
Weds 30th Bath Moles
Thurs 31st Sowerby Bridge The Puzzle Hall Inn
April:
Sat 2nd Cleethorpes Cleethorpes Pier
Fri 8th Nottingham Spanky Van Dykes
Sat 9th Manchester Deaf Institute
May:
Fri 13th Brighton The Great Escape Festival
Wed 18th Paris Les InRocks Festival
Sun 22nd Manchester Friends of Mine Festival
July:
Fri 15th Southwold Latitude Festival
J Cole
Who Dat new single to be confirmed
25 years old, moved with his parents to North Carolina aged 1 and onto NYC aged 18... here he is on Jay-Z's Roc Nation here comes J.Cole... hey everybody "It's the Nigga we been waiting for..." another one "Who Dat, Who Dat... when you thinking 'bout breakfast I'm eating up my dinner..." Yay man... quite a tussle in the black corner and J.Cole has come up with a semi funk rap with some dirty rock guitar for effect... the rap is fast and furious over a laid back 70bpm Grandmaster style back track... it's got an appeal but I just wish the raps weren't always such self centred selfishness - I suppose some would call it assertiveness - but you wouldn't want to listen to such high and mighty self esteem in conversation for long would you... I know we mere mortals are secondary but hell ... it has to be said the stereo production on the guitar is top!
The Joy Formidable
Whirring new single 4 April 2011
Yep another top indie tunette.... catchy chunky back-beat vulnerable female vocal hmmm irresistable... nice
Here's the PR.... The JoyFormidable follow valedictory reviews for their debut album, ‘The Big Roar’, with a new single on April 4th. ‘Whirring’ is taken from the album and is already a firm favourite with the band’s exponentially growing fanbase.
The rise of The Joy Formidable in the last twelve months has been a triumph for independence of thought and deed. Always clear that they were the pilots of the ship, the trio of Ritzy Bryan, Rhydian Daffyd and Matt Thomas self produced the album before collaborating with Rich Costey on the mix. The result, of which ‘Whirring’ is a potent example, is a sound that balances delicacy with all out attack, music that collides between the sweetest sounds and the most primal rock urges; a new loud / quiet dynamic for a new decade.
With a tour of the UK recently completed, including a London show that saw a breathless NME declare them ‘a shockingly special band’ and all but demand stadium dates. With Q praising ‘The Big Roar’ for being ‘equally ambitious, forceful and joyous’ and The Times declaring Ritzy ‘a star in the making’ it is clear that The Joy Formidable’s time has come.
The coming months see the band tour throughout Europe before a return to the USA for South By South West and a coast to coast jaunt ending in an already ferverishly discussed New York finale at the Webster Hall on April 29th following Rolling Stone’s positioning them as Ones To Watch for 2011 Stateside. The next chance for UK audiences to see the band will be in May when they return for two very special shows as follows:
Tuesday 10th May - London, Koko
Thursday 12th May - Hector’s House, Brighton @ The Great Escape Festival
‘Whirring’ is released on digital download on 4th April, 2010 - www.thejoyformidable.com
Milk & Sugar vs Vaya Con Dios
Hey Nah Neh Nah new single
The duo that gave us the superb 'Let The Sun Shine' in 2003 return with a sampling looping of Belgian stars Vaya Con Dios...
Irresistable... knees up knees up knees up... possible number one 'Americanos' style. Toppo
Morning Parade
A & E new single 28 February 2011
Another interesting new take on the traditional rock song with an electro sounding intro before power pop guitar and pounding drums hammer home the 'A&E' song. Good tune near anthemic stadium rock.
PR... Morning Parade are; Steve Sparrow (vocals/guitar), Chad Thomas (guitar), Phil Titus (bass), Ben Giddings (keys), Andy Hayes (drums).
Morning Parade hail from the Essex satellite town of Harlow, and they know the pleasures and frustrations of towns like that better than most. As Steve explains of the town, which is still struggling to adjust to the decline of its manufacturing base: “Harlow’s like a weird bubble where no-one really enters and no-one really leaves.” Harlow isn’t quite Royston Vasey from The League Of Gentlemen, but the point still stands “It feels like there is no creativity, no sense of community, people just do what they want.” Solace of sorts came in the town’s one live music venue, The Square where Steve and Phil, gradually joined by three friends, who would become their bandmates in a nascent band scene. But even there they felt like outsiders. Like any youth movement through the ages, the kids of Harlow fell into two camps, the mainstream ‘townies’ and the skate-punk ‘grebos’, with little room for anyone inbetween. And of course, inbetween was exactly where they found themselves. What followed was years in identikit rock bands and years of thankless day jobs ensued. But it was what they did with their weekends, during the overspill from the nineties rave era, that would point them in the direction that would lead them to where they are now. Chad remembers ‘Round here there was a new thing to do. Playing guitar was fun but on a Saturday you wanna go and get smashed and that is where the music imprinted itself on our souls. It was a different kind of euphoria.’ So acts like Daft Punk and Aphex twin were to make a profound impression on the fivesome. The live instrumentation of guitar music and the escapism and euphoria of dance were to combine to define Morning Parade’s sound. It’s safe to say they got there in spectacular fashion. ‘A&E’ is the first song where they cracked it so it stands to reason that this will be the song that launches them onto the national stage. Yet while it’s powered energetically along by 4/4 dynamics, this is no ‘new rave’ fantasia. Lyrically, like all their songs it’s rooted in the world they know, about everyday scenarios and the people around them with a quest to elevate the normal to the fantastical. Even their band name was inspired by their surroundings. On returning bleary-eyed from the forest raves of their teens, they would be struck hard, possibly giggling, by the contrast between those party hordes returning by tube in the opposite direction of those on the commuter belt. Chad remembers: “Whether it’s the people on the way to work or the social aftermath, you’re always in this morning parade.” Morning Parade are set to be one of the most exciting breakout guitar bands of 2011. Tipped across the board in the polls for 2011, the band are about to embark on their first ever headline tour.
'They have a knack for writing big radio-friendly rock songs' Music Week
'These guys are going to be huge' The Fly
' If 2011 is set to see a brand new wave of British guitar bands, then Essex quintet Morning Parade stand a good chance of riding the crest' The Metro
'One band who look certain to succeed' The Sun
What do you get when you fuse anthemic indie rock with contemporary, electronic, dance elements? The answer, one of the most exciting sounds of 2011.
i - D Online
Sky-scraping melodies, flitting electronics and ocean-sized guitar riffs and with what's apparently one of the best live shows in the game, we expect Morning Parade to rock a lot of faces off in the months to come. Neon Gold Blog
T4 Rising Stars of 2011 and XFM Band for 2011
The Sounds
Better Off Dead new single to be confirmed
Hmm nice intro and just when you're ready for guitar... in comes a poundimng electro bassline. Superb stereo effect, not sure about the down-beat hook "I'm better off dead... " it's not something you cvan sing out loud really but if Eminem can burn Rihannas bush down who knows? Top record deserves to make an impression.
Willow
21st Century Girl new single 6 March 2011
Judging by the ecstatic reception 'Whip My Hair' got from some I would predict '21st Century Girl' will for Willow storm the top ten again... however all this big headed stuff wears thin pretty quickly... she's definately gonna knock guys off their feet with all the one-liners her Dad will have given her... not bad not most excellent. Here's some of the PR... “21st Century Girl” was produced by Twin & Alke for RedFly and written by Joacim Persson, Niclas Molinder, Johan Alkenas, Drew Ryan Scott, and Omarr Rambert. The upcoming music video was directed by Rich Lee. Already a global hit maker, Willow is currently preparing for her international tour with the chart topping sensation Justin Bieber...." Says it all really.
Yasmin
Finish Line new single 8 May 2011
Is that the bloke from Tempah's 'Frisky' with a new deadpan 'Finish Line' (Labrinth) ... it does rather stand out but it seems like many artists may follow with the new voiceover man... Ministry Of Sound new recruit Yasmin's a top talent and this is a fine follow-up which should improve upon her last top forty showing... a good remix package with Freemasons Pegasus choice as usual... sexy video bra... Hit
PR... Yasmin made her mark on the scene last year featuring on the Top 15 Devlin track ‘Runaway’, she went on to support Example on his UK tour and following her own intimate gigs released her debut single ‘On My Own’ in January, a Top 30 hit. She now prepares to release her new single she made with one of the UK’s hottest producers Labrinth - ‘Finish Line’ available through Levels Entertainment and Ministry of Sound on 8th May.
One of the most hotly tipped British female solo artists to emerge this year, ‘Finish Line’ nods to the cooler, beat-driven pop of the 1990s mixed with a contemporary sound that’s all Yasmin’s own evoking memories of early British trip-hop pioneers Massive Attack & Portishead; her fragility and imagination combine with lyrical wit and candid choruses that reflect her independence and genuine song-writing ability.
Yasmin became one of the hottest names on the scene at just 21 years old when she was spotted by no other than Pharell Williams during one of her DJ sets that soon led to studio sessions with Labrinth (Tinie Tempah), Future Cut (Lily Allen, Devlin) and Shy FX (Dizzee Rascal), who she has collaborated with on her debut album due in summer 2011.
This year Yasmin has been in the studio with Jamie Smith – producer and remixer of groundbreaking and Mercury music prize winning band The XX. She DJ’ed back to back with Jamie at the underground Young Turks night at The Boiler Room last month where they performed a version of a track they had worked on together, a cover of the massive dance classic ‘Touch Me’ by Riu De Silva. The metallic beat remix of the track coupled with Yasmin’s ethereal vocals have made it a massive hit on Hype Machine. Yasmin has also been working with some of the biggest names in music production in the US including Diplo (MIA, Kanye West) and The Smeezingtons (B.o.B, Kid Cudi, Bruno Mars).
Receiving support from industry tastemakers as well as her peers, Radio 1 have already been on the track with specialist plays from Annie Mac and Pete Tong, she is one of 1Xtra’s Ones To Watch this year, and she will be supporting Chase & Status on their UK tour next month. Last month Yasmin featured on the cover of the Brits issue of ES Magazine alongside other hotly tipped British females Claire McGuire, Katy B and Sunday Girl and the likes of i-D, Wonderland and Grazia have all pitched her as one to watch this year.
‘Finish Line’ is released through Levels Entertainment / Ministry of Sound on 8th May 2011 featuring remixes from the Freemasons, Delinquent and Shy FX
UK Top 40 Sun 6 Mar 11
In America Lady GaGa's 'Born This Way' and Mumford & Sons 'Sigh No More' are still topping the Hot 100 Singles & Albums while Adele holds on to the UK's Number One Single for a third week and Album position for a sixth week with 'Someone Like You' and '21' respectively.
Hype Squad's karaoke version sorry opportunistic rip-off version of Wizz Khalifa's 'Black & Yellow' US Number One (black & yellow are official colours of Pitsburgh) is in at 35 while the Foo Fighters 'Rope' is highest new tune at 22. Breakage aka new British dance star James Boyle's new tune 'Fighting Fire' arrives at 35 while Jessie J gets a third single hit at 40 with 'Who Are You', the title of her new album which also debuts in the album chart this week.
4 new – 10 up, 22 down, 4 non-movers Top Ten… 5 USA… 5 UK... 1 Australia… 1 Barbados
This Week ... Last Wk ... Wks In ... Artist ... Title ... Origin
1 1 5 ADELE Someone Like You UK
2 2 5 JESSIE J & B.o.B. Price Tag UK
3 3 5 RIHANNA S&M (Come On) Barbados
4 8 4 LADY GAGA Born This Way USA
5 4 7 ADELE Rollin' In The Deep UK
6 5 4 CHIPMUNK & CHRIS BROWN Champion UK & USA
7 6 2 ALEXIS JORDAN Good Girl USA
8 9 6 CHRIS BROWN Year 3x USA
9 7 8 BRUNO MARS Grenade USA
10 13 15 JESSIE J Do It Like A Dude UK
11 10 6 P!NK Perfect USA
12 12 7 TAIO CRUZ, KYLIE & TRAVIE McCOY Higher UK, Australia & USA
13 36 2 DIPLO v TIESTO C'mon (Catch ‘Em By Surprise) USA & Holland
14 15 14 DAVID GUETTA & RIHANNA Who's That Chick France & Bahamas
15 24 5 Dr DRE I Need A Doctor USA
16 17 5 TINIE TEMPAH & ELLIE GOULDING Wonderman UK
17 11 8 JLS & TINIE TEMPAH Eyes Wide Shut UK
18 14 22 CEE LO GREEN Forget You USA
19 16 6 KE$HA We R Who We R USA
20 18 7 DIDDY Dirty Money USA
21 19 5 ENRIQUE & PITBULL Tonight I'm Lovin' You Spain & USA
22 new 1 FOO FIGHTERS Rope USA
23 27 9 MARTIN SOLVEIG & DRAGONETTE Hello France & Canada
24 23 2 CLARE MAGUIRE The Last Dance UK
25 29 6 AVRIL LAVIGNE What The Hell Canada
26 20 16 RIHANNA & DRAKE What's My Name Barbados & Canada
27 25 24 ADELE Make You Feel My Love UK
28 21 3 FAR EAST MOVEMENT Rocketeer USA
29 32 24 BRUNO MARS Just The Way You Are (Amazing) USA
30 28 3 TAKE THAT Kidz UK
31 39 6 NOAH & THE WHALE L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N. UK
32 26 18 RIHANNA Only Girl In The World Barbados
33 30 4 NICKI MINAJ & DRAKE Moment 4 Life USA & Canada
34 new 1 BREAKAGE & JESS MILLS Fighting Fire UK
35 new 1 HYPE SQUAD Black & Yellow USA
36 38 7 BRITNEY SPEARS Hold It Against Me USA
37 33 20 KATY PERRY Firework USA
38 34 2 JUSTIN BIEBER Never Say Never USA
39 22 2 GLEE CAST Singing In The Rain / Umbrella USA
40 new 1 JESSIE J Who Are You UK |
America's Hot 100
This Week ... Last Week ... Weeks In ... Artist ... Title
1 1 3 LADY GAGA Born This Way
2 2 27 CEE LO GREEN Forget You
3 3 22 BRUNO MARS Grenade | |
