Thursday, 11 August 2011

Wednesday, 10 August 2011

Shufflin'


BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB returned last month with their exciting new single 'Shuffle' from their upcoming third album 'A Different Kind Of Fix'.

People didn't know which direction they'd take next since the first album 'I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose' was purely electric, pumping out tune after tune from popularly loved 'Always Like This' to my personal favourite 'What If'. Following up from their debut was 'Flaws', taken in the opposite direction being completely acoustic. Jack Steadman continued to still write beautiful lyrics and put together with the music, the tracks on there are so wonderful to listen to over and over again.

Where could they possibly go next? Electronic and dancey? Oh no no. 'Shuffle' may make you want to dance, but the only electronic element is the keyboard used mainly at the beginning and continuing in the background throughout. There's something so subtly summer-y and something so catchy about this track. The rhythms are upbeat and the melodies are exciting and vibrant. Lucy Rose provides a beautiful accompaniment to Jack Steadmans vocals, making 'Shuffle' sound even more marvelous. This is such a wonderful insight into where Bombay are heading with this album and what to look forward to when it comes out August 29th.

Feast your eyes and ears on this:


Monday, 1 August 2011

WEIRD things


LONE, recently known for his remix of Friendly Fires first single 'Live Those Days Tonight' from their new album Pala and his remix of Radiohead track 'Feral', has become a new favourite artist of mine. Hailing from Nottingham and having launched his own label 'Magic Wire', he consistantly creates a fresh post-hip hop, sun-kissed, chilled disco vibe like shown from his Echolocations EP and, my favourite album lately, Emerald Fantasy Tracks. I just can't get enough.

Even better when you find out about fresh new track 'All Those Weird Things'. Starting off as some crazy playful disco with some lush abstract melodies, Lone adds an average pulsating beat in the background, creating something vibrant and musically abstract with the conventions of a stereotypical beat driven dance track. Upbeat and uplifting, fresh and different. It has repetitive elements which are subtly catchy. A cowbell in the background starts off more new sounds that are being added as the song goes on. The beat momentarily leaves and a vocal sample comes in, something quite unexpected. Once the beat kicks back in, the song itself gets exciting, as if it's building up and it is. The melody fades out and just leaves the cowbell and beat to end the song which is something I most definitely adore about this since the melody it started with is the first thing to fade out.

LONE plays around with rich melodies and rhythms, making such an exciting, energetic and bubbly disco/dance track.






Lone "All those weird things" (clip)

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

BIG


So everyone who's anyone knows how crazily catching and marvelous FRIENDLY FIRES first track that leaked back in March from their eagarly anticipated album 'Pala' is. 'Live Those Days Tonight' is fresh and the Lone remix of it is even fresher. Such a strong track that brings in even more of a laidback disco feel to it sounding like the perfect remix of a perfect song to hear out and about.

You can listen to it on Hype Machine here:
Friendly Fires - Live Those Days Tonight (Lone Remix)

Sunday, 27 March 2011

double day post


THOSE DANCING DAYS. No wrong word to say about them. Their first album 'In Our Space Suits' was spectacular and their recently released follow up album 'Daydreams & Nightmares' is beyond that. I never knew there could be a band where every song on every album I adore. 'I know where you live pt 2' is definitely the strongest track on 'Daydreams & Nightmares', with some insanely speedy hi-hat and plenty of infectious drum beats throughout the song. Their singing in unison tops it off perfectly for me. Their second album is definitely my favourite of 2011 so far.
I long to be in a band like Those Dancing Days:

look look



Lovin' the seagulls on dodgem's. Want the keyboard Joseph Mount is playing. Well nice.

Friday, 25 March 2011

friendly obsession


I think I may be in love with FRIENDLY FIRES. They've gotten me into disco house, their live shows are the best I've ever witnessed and they put a cheesy smile on my face. They've influenced my life (extreme I know) and I think music would definitely not be the same without some friendly fresh summer vibes and some firey samba creeping about.

They've finally dropped a track-listing and a release date for new album 'Pala' which sports a wonderful multi-coloured parrot on, with it, of course, relating to the 1962 book 'Island' by Aldous Huxley, which feature parrots that give uplifting messages like 'live for the here and now'. Of course I heard this in an interview with Ed that I happened to read, but it sounds like a thrilling novel. This longly anticipated album is out May 16th with it already up for pre-order for the eager beavers out there. It consists of 11 songs with super summer vibes I can imagine:

1. Live Those Days Tonight
2. Blue Cassette
3. Running Away
4. Hawaiian Air
5. Hurting
6. Pala
7. Show Me Lights
8. True Love
9. Pull Me Back To Earth
10. Chimes
11. Helpless

Their new single 'Live Those Days Tonight' has already had first play on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show as 'hottest single in the world right now' and got many loyal fans (who remember Friendly Fires do exist after a year or two out of the lime-light) to sit there, glued to the radio, filled with such excitement and curiosity. It starts. The opening brings in a faint piano followed by those quiet but recognisable samba tambourines in the background (that are also featured in previous single from back in 2009, 'Kiss Of Life'). It then just jumps straight into what we've all been waiting for. Those sweet, subtly romantic lyrics that Ed Macfarlane always seems to succeed at writing. This time telling 'don't hold back' and basically saying live in the moment and 'live those days tonight'. The guitar, melodies and rhythms together create such a kick, such a sensation running through to your hips that you just cannot resist moving about. Friendly Fires have definitely matured, you can tell that in the music and the lyrics. The vocals are strong and work perfectly together with the song itself. Everything about this 5 minute track makes me want more, makes me want Pala right now.

When Friendly Fires are back, we know summer's here.