Feeling like summer’s on its way out? Don’t despair yet, the radio’s keeping the dream alive for a month or so longer with lovelies like the new single from Belleruche. Clockwatching is a finger-picking slice of female-fronted tunesmithery from the Brighton three-piece. With a distinctly Roisin Murphy vocal, singer Kathrin DeBoer smooches her way through some delicious sophisti-pop. ‘I’m back in the backseat’, she smoulders, and a nation swoons. Overall lacking in genuine heft, Clockwatching is nevertheless a pleasant distraction from the turning of the leaves and as a forerunner to October’s album release 270 Stories, it’s a pretty promising one.

Cooler than cool is a dead concept, but there’s still an echelon of musicianship which towers above the rest. Such as a DJ duo from Brooklyn signed to DFA? Yes please! Holy Ghost! are a gift for the single reviewer, all hewn from cocky cool and swaggering entitlement. Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser of the now-defunct Automato create a world of retro-tinged dancefloor pleasers on the Static on the Wire EP. The title track maintains the rules of straightforward chord progressions and a funky instrumental break and the whole thing gives dance skills to all who hear it. Or so they like to believe.

Next up, a band who have taken dancing lessons from their dads. Originally released earlier this year, Hurts have such faith in their single Wonderful Life that they’ve gone for a spot of reincarnation. Like Tears For Fears for now, the Manchester two-piece are clear 1980s revivalists, which is fine, but it comes off a little Human League circa Only Human, namely, not at the height of their powers. Still the video’s good for some moody guys’n'gals shots, and lots of po-faced posing against overcast skies. It’s grim up North.

Lucky for them, South Londoners Flash Fiktion have spent a lot of time carving out their look, as well as their sound, which should please muso types. A crashing punch in the face of neo-pop-punkery, there’s a sniff of nosebleeding nights here. Vocalist Matt brings the taint of the Skins generation to Johnny Rotten’s stylings and the end effect is a very stylish, guitar driven romp through glam rock’s back garden, stepping on all the plants.

For an evergreen musical recipe of note, take a little Interpol and mix in some Arcade Fire, and you’re somewhere close to the strains of The Strange Death Of Liberal England’s new track Rising Sea. A pompous raucous escapade with plenty of oomph and a raw intelligence, the Portsmouth five-piece are charismatic to a fault and entirely bats. A live band with a real sense of place and stage presence, there are bright things ahead for their gloomy progressive sounds. If that makes sense.

Wolverhampton wanderers The Lines may be ten years too late with their definite article-touting name, but they’re bang on schedule with their beefy Glorious Aftermath single. A guitar-led track packed with gusto, their instrumentalism brings to mind And So I Watch You From Afar, before a vocal uncannily reminiscent of A-Ha’s Morten Harket peals out of the speakers. ‘Caught in the crossfire, caught in the crossfire’, bellows singer Alex Ohms, and the soaring wonder of the Last Shadow Puppets is anew. Will soundtrack many Freshers’ Week nights out this year with its inclusive anthemic holler.

A song which may soundtrack many Freshers’ Week morning afters is Why Did You Call? Known for being both beardy and chunky, The Magic Numbers nonetheless captivated a nation with some tuneful meanderings a few years ago. So it’s only fitting that for Romeo and his hirsuite bandmates, the comeback single is a humalong favourite that your nan would like. A melancholic edge to a poppy fandango, there’s nothing new added to the Magic Numbers’ canon here, but if you like their brand, you’ll like this.

!!! - most certain sure

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week: ‘The Most Certain Sure’ by !!!

I’m up and down with !!!, some of their songs I really like, some of their songs I’m not particularly interested in. This one does start out in a lovely manner. Love the rhythm section, the drums are just wicked and I can’t keep myself from bobbing along. Just the whole thing seems very rhythmic, designed to make your body move a bit. The vocals aren’t belting it out but they kind of keep restrained, which suits the song pretty well. At one point they kind of go back to basics and just have the rhythm section with some instruments playing over it, after which they kick it back into gear again. This is really something you can go down to on the dance floor, though it does have a bit more of a raw edge than a lot of songs with this dance floor vibe. Hadn’t expected it to be this good to be honest, kudos to the band.

http://hypem.com/track/1182223/+Chk+Chk+Chk++-+The+Most+Certain+Sure

‘Don’t Turn the Lights On’ by Chromeo (Aeroplane remix)

I just love love love the original version of this, and there was a period I had it basically on repeat. This I find a little less appealing, but it is still well stellar and enjoyable. I do love the piano at the end, that is wicked, I can’t remember the original having that. I love the vocals, and I think Aeroplane mixes that with fitting music. It seems that in terms of vibe it is a bit lighter than the more darker Chromeo original, and the latter I like just a bit more, but this is good to have around indeed. And some of the little additions, like a sprinkling of horns here and there, are very expertly done.

http://hypem.com/search/dont%20turn%20the%20lights%20on%20aeroplane/1/

‘Try Me’ by Anoraak

So, the lyrics are kind of horrible. “Try me for one night, you buy me you buy me / Try me for one bite, you have me you have me”, nothing witty or original about that, though the latter sentence is a bit awkward and hamburger like. Luckily the track in itself isn’t all too bad. It is a nice synthy affair you can dance to, and with the running time clocking a mere three and a bit it is basically a nice little sugar rush. It is a nice track, and I do like the rhythm that you can hear in the background which is propelling the track forward. Thinking in terms of the album, string ten of such tracks together and it will be a fun one to put on when you have people over and want something nice and likeable to come out of the speakers, I can definitely see that.

http://hypem.com/track/1187214/anoraak+-+Try+me

‘Lover of Mine’ Beach House (Roman Ruins remix)

On a personal note, I’m wondering when I’ll ever get to see Beach House! The band has always eluded me, and whenever they’re playing here, I’m not in town or have other obligations. And now they’re doing a duo performance with Caribou, but for twenty bucks, which I find kind of steep to dish out. I’m going to have a think about that one. Because I have to admit, and this remix only gives yet another piece of evidence, that her voice is just beautiful. A bit dreamy, and for some reason it sounds very warm. Nice haunty synth line in this as well, I like the vocals echoing each other during what I assume to be the chorus, and the remix is not too clearly a remix as it is not ruining the cohesive feel of this song at all. Especially with slower songs I find that an important quality in a remix. Lovely to listen to.

http://hypem.com/track/1185702/Beach+House+-+Lover+Of+Mine+Roman+Ruins+Remix+

‘Heat’ by Ecce

I must admit that I don’t know this band at all, but sometimes it is fun to get in with a blank slate you know? Because that is perhaps the only way you can let something really surprise you. Love the rhythm section of the bass and the drums, they really give the song its forward motion. The voice has something melancholic and distant, but I like that here. Not sure about the frantic guitar that is added around the two minute mark, kind of found that rather out of place to be honest. To me it didn’t really seem coherent with the vibe the rest of the song has. I do like the handclapping near the end though.

http://hypem.com/track/1182410/Ecce+-+Heat

‘The Drug’ by Royksopp

I’m not as much of a fan as perhaps most people are of Royksopp, but I did like some of their stuff from their last album. They can make lovely, dancey music that is easily enjoyable. For their upcoming album, off of which this is a song, they will go instrumental. So it will be very interesting to see if they can pull that off and if as much fans will like this as they do their “normal” output. The song starts very hypnotic, and I really liked that. After one and a half minute it gets a more straightforward beat, and suddenly this cringe worthy sound is added in which is borderline out of tune, or at least my ear didn’t recognize it as an appealing sound. Maybe this is typically something that should be heard with your headphones on, but the way it plays down now I’m not much of a fan. It doesn’t really hypnotize me as an all instrumental track perhaps should do, but perhaps that is also because I do like myself a bit of vocals. I love instrumental driven songs that hypnotize and captivate, but I love them better when they have some sort of vocal lines in them. So if you don’t have that perhaps you will appreciate this more. Or less, because you’re on the ball with the best of the best in that genre, and I’m just no sure if this would rank among them.

http://hypem.com/track/1185337/Ryksopp+-+The+Drug

Larse - I Got A Feeling

Track of the week: ‘I Got a Feeling’ by Larse

Larse has got a feeling, and he is sharing it with everyone. New German artist, and with this track he really puts himself on the map. At least, for me, because I’m digging this massively. Pretty good house as far as I’m concerned, delightfully catchy, good rhythm (that’s what house is about, innit?) nice female vocals suitable for this sort of house track: so yeah, it ticks quite some boxes for me. Unfortunately I could only find a three minute preview to share, but the original has a running time which is double that, so if this seems to start abrupt and cuts off with a lousy fade-out, that’s probably the reason. Definitely try and hunt this one down. I love the Chicago house vibe that is running through this track’s veins.

http://hypem.com/track/1177110/Larse+-+I+Got+A+Feeling+Original+Mix+

‘Hamilton Road’ by Ducktails

For some reason I didn’t expect this. Silly me. I had connotations with this artist which were more of the noise rock persuasion, and this song is definitely more pop than I would’ve ever assumed prior to listening to this. Vocals are a bit dreamy, and they’re pretty low in the mix and covered with some grain. A song which you could be listening to while walking down the beach in the evening. More surfey than Toro Y Moi and stuff like that, and more pop as well. Just something which happily bobs along. In the right circumstances this might be something enhancing the atmosphere. But living in the city and with me being more likely listening to music on a busy commute… I’m not sure this would work wonders for that.

http://hypem.com/track/1180567/Ducktails+-+Hamilton+Road

‘Little Secrets’ by Passion Pit (Penguin Prison remix)

So if you think Passion Pit is not avant garde enough for you, you might want to shy away from this remix. At least, that is what I was thinking prior to listening to this remix, and sometimes what I think actually happens! Ha! Everything which was ever remotely masculine about Passion Pit (the singer once dislocated his shoulder when jumping off of the drums, you know) is stripped away. It is more toned back, more low key than the original. More smooth as well, but also a bit flat in my opinion. It just sounds so clean, and I love clean, but I wouldn’t have mind it if somewhere along the line someone would’ve kicked this thing in the nuts to get it at least somewhat in overdrive. But you know, that seems to be a constant concerning me and Penguin Prison’s tunes, so if you do like his regular output, this might be up your alley as well. I liked the bit prior to the four minute mark where it is just drums and handclaps. Not a fan of the running time though.

http://hypem.com/track/1174621/Passion+Pit+-+Little+Secrets+Penguin+Prison+Remix+

‘Sleepless’ by Lo-Fi-Fnk

While waiting for forever on the new outing of duo Lo-Fi-Fnk, who have been taking their time (and naturally they have every right to do so, sometimes music fans can be impatient SOBs, ey?), this year we have been able to listen to some previews of the new album. ‘Sleepless’ is the latest and it’s even going to be released as single next month via the lovely label Moshi Moshi. Now, I wouldn’t have expected them to open with those horns. Loving the keys just before it hits the minute mark, and it took me about half the song to get into it, but after that I was thoroughly liking it. It’s a bit more hazy than their debut I guess, and perhaps I’m not liking it as much as that other track that came out earlier this year, but nevertheless it is keeping me confident concerning the album. When the horns return, that is pretty sweet.

http://hypem.com/track/1183563/Lo+Fi+Fnk+-+Sleepless

‘Am I Just a Man’ by Steve Mason (Studio remix)

Now, I might’ve heard the original ages ago, but I really can’t remember it that much. I like the dreamy vocals, but I’m not sure about the rather strange music which to me sounds like being inspired by different continents. Different than Europe and the US in any case. It faintly reminds me of reggae stuff, then again some of the strings sound a bit oriental to me. Anyway, it doesn’t draw on stuff which I would pick as my poison, and to listen to a good six minutes of this is perhaps overdoing it a tad for me personally. If you like your influences overseas and if you like a different sound then this might do it for you.

http://hypem.com/track/1179252/Steve+Mason+-+Am+I+Just+A+Man+Studio+Remix+

‘Thank You for Your Love’ by Antony and the Johnsons

New track by Antony and the Johnsons which fronts an EP that just came out and which will also appear on the upcoming Swanlights, arriving in October. Now, nothing against his voice, because his voice is as great as ever. And the build-up of the music in combination with the vocals gives off an exuberant and enthusiastic vibe. The question is though, how often can you repeat the same sentence without it getting samey? Naturally, with such a voice you have a bit of leeway, but this is really pushing it. Some content would suit him well, I think. This might work in the right situation, if you are really grateful for someone’s help and if you are happy to be with someone. Outside of that it kind of loses its raison d’être in my opinion.

http://hypem.com/track/1182823/Antony+The+Johnsons+-+Thank+You+For+Your+Love

The Bewitched Hands On Top Of Our Heads

A rather peculiar record has recently come to my attention. It is the debut EP of the quirkily titled French outfit The Bewitched Hands On Top Of Our Heads. Following on from a strong showing at this year’s SXSW festival, they have recently been garnering plenty of press attention – including the American blogs Spinner and Nylon.

This eccentric sextet begin their EP with a short blast (coming in at a light 1:25) entitled ‘Out Of Myself’. It is light, accessible and ultimately enjoyable. The track sets a nice tone and marks out the direction for the rest of the EP. Similarly, ‘I’m In Slim’ is a track brimmed with energy and light. This is a record to lift even the darkest mood. Stuffed with harmonies and hooks, it is joyous and uplifting. TBHOTOOH (possibly the longest band acronym this writer has ever penned) are a massive amalgamation of numerous styles, with nods (however only fleeting) to the vocals of the Beach Boys, the joy of early Blur and the melancholy of Ryan Adams (e.g. ‘End Of The Night’).

The EP was made single of the week recently on iTunes – a sure sign of the steady rise to come from this new, original and individual act. We here at Muso’s Towers will be keeping a very close eye on them for sure…

Teengirl Fantasy

Track of the week: ‘Cheaters’ by Teengirl Fantasy

Oh my, I didn’t really know how lovely they were until I listened to this song! They kind of had passed me by up until this point, but I put them on the list for songs for this column, et voila. Just absolutely lovely. These vocals seemingly are old-fashioned disco vocals, but they seem to be a bit lower in the mix so the music isn’t overpowered by them. As if it is caught in a web of slight distortion or something. I love those synths, that danceable beat, and I do believe I hear a cowbell. So many ingredients that I love in songs, and they all come together here. I also like how they sometimes seem to crank it up a notch as the song goes on, which gives the song the occasional oomph to last the six plus minutes running time. Looking forward to the album already, though I think I’ve read that most of it is going to be instrumental. Which is too bad, because I really like those vocals here. But oh well, I’m sure it’ll turn out ace anyway.

http://hypem.com/#/track/1177898/Teengirl+Fantasy+-+Cheaters

‘Memory Serves’ by Interpol

Some might argue that Interpol should’ve stopped after Antics, or that the band is the prime example of a band that peaked with their first album and never really could follow up on that. They have a case I think, because the third album wasn’t a match for the first two, and what I’ve heard of the fourth one doesn’t seem to come close to that either. Which is too bad, because for example something like ‘Pioneer to the Falls’ and that new track they did on Letterman recently are in my opinion ace tracks. This one, it kind of stumbles along in that typical Interpol fashion with that typical atmosphere and those typical Banks vocals. But for me it screams more Interpol album filler than that it says anything original or daring or something that would set it apart from the band’s other tracks.

http://stereogum.com/450652/interpol-memory-serves/mp3s/

‘Too Dramatic’ by Ra Ra Riot

There is something lovely about Ra Ra Riot that they can make everything sound so breezy and so delightful. All those ingredients, it just matches. I have no idea how on earth they were able to all find each other. The drumming, the violin, the vocals: they all add to that fluttering quality this band has. They make everything sound so completely effortless, and when it sounds so effortless it also sounds enjoyable and it makes it easy on the ear. As if nothing, not even death, can keep them from having a bit of fun in the world. And now what is wrong with a little fun in these times, eh? Because these times ARE way too dramatic anyhow.

http://hypem.com/#/track/1175136/Ra+Ra+Riot+-+Too+Dramatic

‘Down in L.A.’ by Munk (Them Jeans remix)

I do like me some Munk. Love the beat, and lovely housy piano vibe in the beginning. The botched up half talky singing normally isn’t my style, but here I don’t mind it that much to be honest. Sometimes it’s just irrational feeling I suppose what dictates whether you like something or not. As said, love the synth/piano thingy that Munk seems to have a knack for, and it is danceable. Not sure about those vocals that sometimes seem to crop up next to the “real” vocals. I’m especially hesitant concerning the male voice, it seems to give off a bit of a porn vibe. Handclaps is always a plus with me, too bad it is accompanied with that lets-mechanically-echo-the-voice thing remixes seem to love so much. The vocal delivery does get a bit samey when nearing the end I must admit.

http://hypem.com/#/track/1172662/Munk+-+Down+in+L+A+Them+Jeans+Remix+

‘Shelter’ by The XX (John Talabot’s Feel it Too remix)

Gosh, going into this I wasn’t sure what to expect at all. I like The XX, but before I had a listen to this I wasn’t really sure if this is something you want to remix. Then again, I’ve seen some crazy remixes, so I shouldn’t have been surprised at all probably. I love how Talabot keeps that dreamy vibe and how he so effortlessly seems to incorporate these vocals. They really sound as if they belong. Love the drums and keys and how suddenly a song like this can become danceable without losing its dreaminess. Personally I think it could’ve done with a minute less remix, but oh well.

http://hypem.com/#/search/the%20xx%20shelter%20talabot/1/

‘Desperate Measures’ by MillionYoung

When I first heard that beat I thought, oh no, and when I first heard the first real sounds I thought, gosh, this sounds brilliant. The beat sounds so crude, but those other sounds and those vocals are so delicate, so in tune with nature. Or at least, that’s the vibe I’m getting, and I’m not a nature man at all! City boy for life. But this I don’t mind. And then out of nowhere, just before the two minute mark, this shift, as if suddenly you are in an evil science fiction film. It’s actually a quite all right sound and not as bad as I just stated, but the different segments of the song just seem so opposed to each other that each shift brings out a different emotion. At least it does so with me. So I’m not sure. I guess what I’m hearing I find quite good for the most part, it is just the song that isn’t really doing it for me.

http://hypem.com/#/track/1167545/Millionyoung+-+Desperate+Measures

Active Child

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week: ‘When Your Love is Safe’ by Active Child (Classixxx remix)

That’s one nice voice Active Child has got there. And the good thing about this Classixxx remix is that the voice comes out perhaps even better than on the original, as he gives it something extra on occasion. And that works pretty well as far as I’m concerned. Classixxx saw the qualities of this song and basically put a bit of eyeliner on that to accentuate the eyes, so the best comes out even better while the rest sensibly stays in the background a bit more. I also love the understated instrumental additions by Classixxx, which makes it a sort of italo like 80s synth track, which is always good in my book. Just a smart remix of this track, not overhauling it like a buffoon, but instead just some changes in the right places without overshadowing the strengths of Active Child. And I will take such an approach over anything that just puts a heavy beat on it and tries to change it by just making it bigger and bolder.

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/Active_Child/track/When_Your_Love_Is_Safe_Classixx_Remix

‘Daughter’ by Yuck

“I have seen my daughter / and the future of the world”. Now, this might be an adoring ballad to some, and I reckon if you have kids this may resonate. It has a nice piano line, the singing is sweet, so there isn’t much wrong with how it sounds. Also like the kick it gets from the drumming in the second half. The thing with ballads I guess is, does it resonate? Does it pull your heart strings? This doesn’t, really. Which isn’t too say that musically it is no good, it is just that I don’t have a daughter, and I don’t care much for children (fancy me being a high school teacher, eh? Which I am, but with children I mean >10). So I rather hear something by The National which does tick my boxes in terms of interest and in terms of where I am now in the world then I hear an ode to someone’s daughter. Either way I probably think it kind of is the easy way out to sing about a subject as mundane as children as those are, I guess, easy kind of emotions.

http://www.myoldkentuckyblog.com/?p=7391

‘Dreaming of Another World’ by Mystery Jets (Lindstrom & Prins Thomas remix)

You know what this is going to sound like, don’t you? Lindstrom + Prins Thomas = Scandinavian disco delight! And you know it’s smooth, you just know it. Lindstrom is probably one of the best, and him teaming up with Prins Thomas on this kind of dancey catchy thingy has never hurt a track I know of. After two minutes the bass takes over in a sick way. A minute later there’s again a change-up, this time on the synth, which is very worthwhile. A minute later (What are they, Swiss clocks?) they bring in the vocals and leave room for the vocals to come on. And the vocals actually work very well with the Lindstrom & Prins Thomas bits, funny to see how they so seamlessly seem to gel. Then again, it is Lindstrom, so I guess being surprised at that is quite the same as being surprised at seeing a bear in a zoo (omg, it’s a bear! A bear, in a zoo! Well I never…) And yeah, I have time to write this, the track is almost ten minutes you know. But deservedly so. That bit where they start working to the end at 8:30 is nifty as well, and that just bass to end it is a DJs dream to mix another song in.

http://soundcloud.com/eskimorecordings/mystery-jets-dreaming-of-another-world-lindstrom-and-prins-thomas-remix

‘Real Love’ by Delorean

I kind of have the same beef with this as I have with some tracks of Caribou, so if you love Caribou, ignore what I’m saying and just have a listen. The thing is, it is a summery, catchy track you can dance to (preferably on a beach party). However, it kind of has the same aesthetics as Caribou. And it kind of has this experimental vibe where they try to do something extra with instruments which makes it sound too busy, too much going, which impedes on me either dancing or sitting back and just enjoying this track. To take a page out of Amadeus, it has too many notes for me. Silly that, isn’t it? But unfortunately silly things can still be true.

http://soundcloud.com/matadorrecs/sets/delorean-real-love

‘Am I Real’ by Nite Jewel

Well, it is easy enough to do this column when you either like or dislike a song, because then you just say so and that’s that. This, I have no idea, honestly. I have no idea whether or not I like it, and I have no idea what it is all about. Sometimes it sounds like those fairly mind-numbing female synth songwriters. Obviously, this track has more going on than I’ve ever heard out of those artists. The other side of the coin is, at times I find this an equally frustrating listen. Sometimes I’m thinking, oh, that’s clever, while at other times I’m thinking, really really? There is something annoying about the drumming and the bass for me, which seem to randomly come and go (which they don’t, there is a pattern, but that pattern isn’t designed to give you something to hold onto in my opinion, it does more to alienate). Perhaps that is it, perhaps it is too alienating, too cold and deliberately strange for me to feel affiliation with it. Kudos for the horns though.

http://blog.22tracks.com/2010/07/20/nite-jewel-mighty-real/

‘Collector’ by Here We Go Magic (PVT remix)

At one point Pivot (or PVT as they are now called) were kind of the heir apparent, weren’t they? Quite the darlings they were. Their re-emergence under the new name doesn’t have quite the impact I think, or perhaps I’m just missing it. This remix is a bit too herky-jerky for my liking. Kind of sounds like a botched up Vampire Weekend track or something. I like the drumming at one point, but the vocals somehow seem off in delivery and pace. Not that it picks up sans the vocals, unfortunately. At times it even seems as they are just free jazzing it. Not the best thing I’ve heard this week.

http://stereogum.com/446172/here-we-go-magic-collector-pvt-remix/mp3s/

Cut Copy

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week: ‘Where I’m Going’ by Cut Copy

Hell. Yeah. First time I saw these guys live was just after their second album in a club in Brooklyn (a gig put on tape by Pitchfork and a venue which I believe since then has shut down). These guys, they can make you dance. Had to miss them just a few days ago, which I’m still bummed out about, but it was too expensive to get there, and in my hometown Dum Dum Girls were playing. Can’t have it all I suppose. Hope they come back soon though, because this is stellar. Naw, strike that, this is just immensely fun! Handclaps, but more camp than their earlier work it seems to me, and this is just a party from the get go. I mean, can anyone not dance to this? Surely. This has dance floor written all over it. They go a bit dreamy in the middle, and then they go back to the dancing again. And those “yeah, yeah, yeah” bits are a sure invite for everyone to pump their fists in the air and sing along. Perhaps the lads have been a bit cheeky and took some elements which are shoe-ins for a certain reaction. But to then execute it so finely, only a few can do that.

http://hypem.com/track/1168739/Cut+Copy+-+Where+I+m+Going

‘OOOO’ by Fishing

And now here’s a track title which basically nullifies any chance on a proper conversation about the song. It’s sort of an avant-garde experimental Jamaican sound, and chopped up at that. For me it’s too off-putting to get into it, these strange sounds, so seemingly off-beat. Sure, that is the nature of experimental music I guess, and with the African sounding singing and the handclapping it really goes I-belong-in-a-museum. But if I go to a museum I’ll be heading for the Longo’s and the Dali’s, not to this. It does bring across the vibe that you would think it would aim for if you look at the band’s name, but it does take all the soothing qualities out of fishing (not that I fish, mind you, so I wouldn’t really know).

http://hypem.com/track/1162435/FISHING+-+OOOO

‘Jump Up’ by Major Lazer (Thom Yorke remix)

I don’t like rap generally. So that probably disqualifies me from saying anything decent about this track. But I guess everyone has genres they fancy and everyone has genres they, well, typically avoid. But since Thom Yorke did this remix I thought I would take a listen anyway. However, I can tell you, if you don’t like hip-hop, you’re not going to like this despite the Yorke influences. I guess that the noise on the background is Yorke’s doing, as well as the ethereal voices that suddenly come up. But as it is now it is sort of Fever Ray meets NY rap scene (though I wouldn’t know how that is sounding nowadays, but I would imagine it sounding like this), which isn’t my cup of tea to be honest. Because even if I do like this kind of background stuff (in which case, lose the children’s voices at the end), I would simply put on Fever Ray or something like that, as that would eliminate the thing I personally do not like. So not sure to whom this caters, I guess to people who like both genres, but they are so wide apart I’m wondering how many people will actually have this on repeat (but feel free to enlighten me on that in the comment section below).

http://hypem.com/track/1167418/Major+Lazer+-+Jump+Up+Thom+Yorke+Remix+

‘While We’re Young’ by Department of Eagles

Oh, this is perfectly listenable actually. The drums propel this forward, and the voice is very nice. Can’t really see many people take offense to this voice to be honest (whether you go mad for it is another matter, obviously). Sure, it does sound like your typical folk stuff on occasion, especially with the background  vocals and the strings. Is that a trombone though like 2:30 in with the heavy, deep sound? I kind of dig that. Because of the fairly up-tempo pace it stays interesting for its entire running time, and I like the ending with them repeating the line “who are you trying to prove” (”it to” follows at the end, not that you’re thinking, gosh, is that grammatically correct, like I was doing when hearing it for the first time). It’s not groundbreaking, but it is enjoyable and easy on the ear and I don’t think anyone would mind if you put this on at work.

http://hypem.com/track/1166207/Department+of+Eagles+-+While+We+re+Young

‘Hang With Me’ by Robyn

I’m always up and down with Robyn, some stuff I thoroughly enjoy, some stuff just makes me yearn for Roisin Murphy’s newest. This I like though, nice pop song this is. Fairly straightforward, but Robyn has so much talent and charisma that she can put a song like this ahead of its competition, who often miss the oomph to really make it interesting. In that sense women like Robyn and the earlier mentioned Murphy, people should really put on a clinic centred around those two, because I find that a lot of women from the “new” generation don’t interest me nearly as much. I went to a festival recently where I saw a fair share of female performers, but somehow they seemed a bit colourless, a bit gray. Not a tag that fits Robyn, that’s for sure. And at least the gig tickets here are surprisingly affordable for her show, so for that money do check it out, if only to see her strutting her stuff.

http://hypem.com/track/1166973/Robyn+-+Hang+with+Me+radio+rip+

‘I Was Sad & You Were Lonely’ by Bodebrixen (Dreamtrak Diamond Sound)

This sounds cheery actually, although the kids voices are perhaps too much of a give away for that. But even sans those, this sounds quite happy. All this despite the title, obviously, because if you would go from there you would half expect some sort of depressing sounding track. But no, upbeat and dreamy, the instrumentals at least. The lyrics are about a relationship that has gone awry I believe, but at least now we can all dance to it. I especially like the instrumentals accompanying the kids choir, that is made to get some people moving. Can see this doing well in the open air, at night, still summer temperature, and then people just happily and innocently shuffling to this. Not sure about the original, but I guess a lot of the added instrumentals are courtesy of Dreamtrak (feel free to correct me if I’m wrongly assuming here), in which case, well done.

http://hypem.com/track/1157815/Bodebrixen+-+I+Was+Sad+You+Were+Lonely+DREAMTRAK+DIAMOND+SOUND+

Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move

Dirty Projectors, “Stillness Is the Move”

It’s a sign of the times (mid-July, I mean, not 2010) that the hippest names around are on their third single of the year, making it fairly redundant to review them. Kode 9… These New Puritans… and so on. Dirty Projectors combine melismatic warbling, sparse but tonally rich instrumentation, gibberish lyrics that make the criticism levelled at Vampire Weekend seem rabid (Dave Longstreth’s words may sound like an Ivy Leaguer’s marginalia, but it’s still just marginalia). All things forgiven, this was the best R&B single of 2009, and it’s good enough to be the best of 2010.

Betty & the Werewolves, “Paper Thin”

Possibly coming late to the party for ampersand bands, Betty & Her Chums have at least come early to the party for names derived from all the Paranormal Romance the kids love right now (Vampire porn is so-o-o-o 2009; werewolves are where we’re at…), without actually being remotely goth / emo / new wave. Actually, teen trends be damned, because this is delightfully lo-fi retro-pop, like Vivian Girls using practice amps; the rhythm has an endearing jerkiness as the guitarist fumbles a key change, and Betty does indeed sound paper thin.

RPA & The United Nations of Sound, “Born Again”

“Cancel my subscription / to the resurrection…” growls Richard Ashcroft with characteristically Mancunian hubris. Like Ian Brown before him, and the Brothers Gallagher after, Messianic allusions aren’t worn lightly. Quite why someone would have a subscription to the Second Coming… who knows? Still, it all sounds terribly postmodern, Richard Percival Ashcroft must have thought, the idea that the Resurrection will be RSS-fed to us… and therein lies the problem. Throwing together a stodgy blues riff, a loop bleating something about “soul / body / mind”, a near subliminal Public Enemy siren , and a middle-8 cribbed from “Hey Jude” as if sung by drunks, he seems to have convinced himself he’s united the world through cultural syncretism; that enough half-ideas would add up to a really clever one.

SVIIB, “Windstorm”

A singer-friend once explained why I really shouldn’t sing when other people are around: “hearing atonal singing grates on my nerves the way bad English grates on yours”. Approaching the new single by SVIIB, it occurs to me that the Dehaza twins’ clumsy way with words never bothered me much before – seeing as how they had such a deft way with interlocking vocals and post-shoegaze swooshiness, it was easy to overlook ‘Cabal’ being pronounced ‘cable’; the prepositions in “Iamundernodisguise”; questions about what a “White Elephant Coat” might be; and so on. Coming after the wince-inducing “Babelonia”, though, the tautologous “Windstorm” is especially unfortunate. With no particularly interesting hook to distract you (and nothing offensive enough to turn it off), you’ll spend most of its duration imagining the creative process: ‘“Sandstorm”?’ – ‘Nah, been done too often.’ – ‘“Thunderstorm”?’ – ‘Too many syllables.’ – ‘“Bloodstorm”?’ – “Too goth.” – “Beestorm”?’ – ‘Huh? Too weird.’ Oh… it’s finished.

Dangermouse & Sparklehorse (feat. Wayne Coyne), “Revenge”

It’s the obvious single, given that the opening track of Brian & Mark’s all-star album features the artist with the highest profile (currently). Unfortunately, given that Wayne Coyne has a painfully thin voice – best juxtaposed with the F.Lips squelchy basslines and/or massive drums – pairing it (as here) with slow, rickety music is liable to expose the weaknesses of vocals & music alike. How to describe this? Slow-to-mid-tempo drum programming plus inoffensive melody plus mildly distorted vocal line; none of it “slick”, per se, but certainly not lo-fi enough to defamiliarize any of its constituent-parts, as Brian & Mark separately earned their rep for doing. The parent album’s been receiving kind critical notices, in part due to the loss of Mark Linkous and Vic Chestnutt, but the best way you can commemorate either of them is to listen to anything but this.

Seth Lakeman, “Hearts & Minds”

Not to be confused with Jens Lekman. Absolutely NOT to be confused with Jens Lekman, EVER. This has gruesome fiddles, and even more gruesome vocals; oddly reminiscent of Levellers crossed with Candlebox. In other words, it’s the sound of 1994, coming at you from both sides of the Atlantic at once, before Britpop came along to save the day (or, at least, present a lesser evil).

MIA, “XXXO”

For a while now, I’ve been considering a re-evaluation of MIA, following the recent discovery of Bow Wow Wow (Malcolm MacLaren’s post-Pistols project, bringing together African high-life and post-punk playing, courtesy of Adam’s former backing band, The Ants, paired instead with the controversial-but-actually-quite-talented Annabella Lwin). As a result, I’m well disposed towards MIA as an actual do-believe-the-hype artist for the age of accelerated globalization, at the very moment every other critic seems to be turning on her. Basically, “XXXO” is as progressive as pop music ever gets; crunchy, but not abrasive; danceable, but un-embarrassing. If there’s anything remotely subversive about this particular song, it’s in the way that you’re baffled by its trite, apolitical lyrics, that happen to be indistinguishable from 90% of all chart-music. ‘Hang on…’ you might think, ‘Isn’t Ms. MIA supposed to have a message?’ It’s almost as if the emperor in his new clothes, and the child pointing out what he’s really wearing, are the same person.

Adam Lambert , “Whataya Want From Me”

Stitched together from three different songs, this punctuation-free monster is, at least, honest about its cynicism, judging by the title. D’you want Strokes-y guitars (the scratchy intro), Evanescence-style bombast (the crunch-pedal chorus), or synth-pop (the middle-8)? Also, d’you want a boy, a girl, or undecided? No wonder Adam Lambert won American Idol! Adam looks like Kelly Osbourne with a double mastectomy, or Brian Molko, before he started balding (Oh – the curse of the androgyne rockstar! Mind it doesn’t happen to you with all that stress, Adam…).

Joking apart, this is painfully catchy, and it would be churlish to deny the twenty-strong production team their credits (that’s: ‘Greg Wells, Ryan Tedder, Max Martin, Sam Sparro, RedOne, Dr. Luke, and Linda Perry, among others’; Lady Gaga also co-writes). Even Adam’s name seems focus-group approved to appeal to rightwing America (he’s the First Man, and the Son of God in one: Adam the Lamb!) in case haters & homophobes worry he might tempt them down Satan’s path with those smouldering eyes. America’s been patting itself on the back for electing an openly gay idol… which might mean something if this weren’t a shamelessly commercial exercise. Good for them, by their own feeble-minded standards, but until the USA votes for Jamie Stewart (from Xiu Xiu), and puts Chuck D in the White House, it’s going to remain the cultural backwater it always was.

Dave Sitek

Our weekly look into the blogosphere where we talk about six tracks we found out about in the previous Wednesday-to-Wednesday seven-day period.

Track of the week: ‘If You Return’ by Maximum Tiger feat. Little Dragon

Now this, this I am looking forward to. Maximum Balloon, aka Dave Sitek, is going to blow everyone out of the water with this album, that’s a guarantee! Well, not really, I’m not the man of bold predictions, but that first track ‘Tiger’ was wicked. Not to mention that fabulous clip with the balloons and the Chinese tiger and the fact that at the beginning all the balloons are red with only a dash of yellow (Chinese flag, anyone?). Oh yeah, this track, it is not as catchy or rock as ‘Tiger’. In terms of pace it is a bit slower, but it is definitely engaging. Again, this is the right voice for it. That is always the danger of an album with so many guest vocalists, you can pick the wrong ones, but Little Dragon definitely fits the bill here. Love the continuous guitar sound in the back ground as well. It’s been a long while since I’ve anticipated an album to the extent I do this one.

http://hypem.com/track/1160309/Maximum+Balloon+-+If+You+Return+Feat+Little+Dragon+

‘The Truest Faith’ by Korallreven (CFCF remix)

Oh this is sick. CFCF, you know, I’ve been down on him for the last few months because I liked some of his stuff so much and his more recent things just didn’t click with me to such an extent as earlier remixes did. But this is lovely. Slow paced, hypnotizing close-your-eyes-and-dream-away stuff to a plus/minus 105 bpm slight disco beat thingy (at least, that’s what my little BPM software machine tells me). Love the piano coming through as well after the three minute mark. I’m always a big fan of that. The vocals are right for this kind of stuff. They’re pretty deep, and the music fits the vocals and the other way around, so together they create a pretty good atmosphere. Lovely for the night critters amongst us, something you can put on after midnight and get hypnotized by. And on a personal note I’m just happy I’m connecting again to CFCF stuff, because that guy is talented.

http://hypem.com/track/1161369/Korallreven+-+The+Truest+Faith+CFCF+Remix+

‘A Piece of String’ by Clock Opera (Mickey Moonlight remix)

Clock Opera and Mickey Moonlight, now those are quite the names. I’m not sure I’m happy about them, but names they are. I’m not feeling this one. It just feels so odd to me, as something isn’t synchronized or something. I get this itchy feeling from it as the music and the beat just feel like this avant-garde thing to me no one in the world can dance to. Then again, I’m not really sure anyone is supposed to. Let me just tell you, with a name like Mickey Moonlight I was expecting something glitz and catchy, but this is exactly the opposite. The vocals also have some weird tremble in them it seems sometimes, but there aren’t much vocals in here to be honest. Too bad, because I liked that icy sound they brought to the mix. This perhaps is a bit more for the experimental kids amongst us.

http://hypem.com/track/1154117/Clock+Opera+-+A+Piece+Of+String+Mickey+Moonlight+Remix+

‘Singular’ by Discodeine feat. Matias Aguayo

I guess some people are wetting their pants over this one, as Pilooski had a pretty good year I think and Aguayo made one of the albums of the year last year (according to some, and others agreed). Plus they got Jarvis to contribute to one track, which instantly bumped this one up the chart of albums I’m looking forward to. Loving the sexy whispery French vocals, which just goes to show that if you don’t understand what is being said something sounds so much more sexier than when you do. The bass is lovely, gotta get your hips swaying on that. The synth comes and goes to help the bass with chugging this one forward. It is catchy, and it is sexy. Not going to make you wanna party the house down, but it is going to make you want to get one of your legs between that of your girl/boyfriend and boogie down (and with leg I mean leg people, come on now).

http://hypem.com/track/1159132/Discodeine+-+Singular

‘Tomboy’ by Panda Bear

I’m not a big fan of Animal Collective. I thought I should say that straight up because Panda Bear is of course a member of Animal Collective, and then you already might get an idea of “okay, I do like Animal Collective, so chances are I’m going to have the reverse opinion of this guy”. Which is going to be troublesome, because I’m actually undecided on this, so then you still don’t know anything. I like the atmosphere this evokes, especially music wise it really seems to have a plan and it really seems to know where it is going. The vocals are more in the middle of the mix then that they are in front of the music. They are basically a part of it. Which is a good thing because I can’t make out a thing he is saying anyway, so now it still has a function without enlightening me about a narrative. With that said (and I hate to use this because I have the feeling I use it so often and after you’ve seen Annie Hall and Woody Allen bashing the guy behind him for saying this about a Fellini pic you really can’t use it anymore like you used to), it doesn’t hit me on a gut level. And yes, linguistically speaking that might be a phrase devoid of all meaning, but since the Fifties everything has lost meaning anyway, so moving on.

http://hypem.com/track/1158424/Panda+Bear+-+Tomboy

‘Eyesore’ by Women

Six and a half minutes? Really? I thought that was just electronic music that went on so long, or are we back to prog rock again? Actually, we might, because as soon as the vocals step in I do feel like I’m in the Seventies again. Or at least, what I think the Seventies would’ve sounded like, because I’m a child of the Eighties (who all have severely outgrown the moniker “child” already). The vocals are a bit piercing, and I don’t find that particularly appealing, so for me that’s a turn off. The song doesn’t really draw me in as well, and with a running time like this it definitely should keep me focused on the music. And I’ve got no idea what they’re going on about! What is that with the tracks this week, audibility is a rare treat these days. Maybe I should just wait and listen to the Interpol album when it comes out, at least he knows how to enunciate. I even had less trouble deciphering that new The National track they debuted live last week with a mumbling Berninger.

http://hypem.com/track/1161308/Women+-+Eyesore

Panda Bear

As you read this, Spain will still be celebrating their World Cup victory; Paul Gasgoine will be solemnly dismantiling his fishing rod; Paul the Octopus will be eating from a solitaty feeding bowl and you will be wondering why this sentence insists on being so fucking long when I could be spending words discussing one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year…

PANDA BEAR – Tomboy

As Animal Collective moves further and further into the realm of purely electronic music, ‘Tomboy’ indicates that Panda Bear might be using his upcoming solo album to experiment with live instrumentation again. That’s not to say that ‘Tomboy’ could ever be mistaken for a live performance: there are still plenty of samples and the song is anchored by a reverb-soaked programmed beat but – being firmly led by guitar – this feels more organic than anything on Person Pitch.

In terms of similarities to his previous solo work, Noah still piles layers and layers of identical vocal takes upon one another to provide his voice with the distinctive hazy glow that enriches his music so much. Also, as with Person Pitch, ‘Tomboy’ is more an atmospheric mood piece than it is an example of Panda Bear’s song writing prowess: the vocal line hugs tightly to the erratic chord progression in a drone that recalls the sound collages of Animal Collective’s earlier material rather than the structured focus of their newer albums.

All in all, this is intriguing and promising stuff. As with anything Panda Bear touches, ‘Tomboy’ manages to sound completely fresh whilst being unmistakably him. And do you want to know the best news of all? The B-side is even more tantalising.

KATE NASH – Kiss That Grrrl

If you felt an urge for sixties girl group music, you probably wouldn’t naturally gravitate towards a new Kate Nash single to scratch that itch. Unexpectedly, however, ‘Kiss That Grrrl’ saunters along on a cleanly toned guitar lick vividly recalling the sound of that era. Leaving her trademark piano entirely abandoned, Nash creates a relatively authentic sounding throwback whilst her chatty, faux-Cockney vocal delivery ensures that this is still unmistakably A Kate Nash Song.

Sixties echoes also reverberate through the lyrics with lines like “baby, please don’t break my heart because you’re the only one I love” being exactly the sort of thing you might hear in an old Lesley Gore number. By and large, however, Nash’s lyrics are far more fiercely jealous than anything you would have heard in ‘It’s My Party’. Lesley Gore rather innocently wondered where her Johnny had gone, and why Judy left the same time. Kate Nash, infinitely more bitterly, tries to think of a thousand ways to hurt Johnny and speculates that Judy might be anorexic. She must eat so many lemons.

KATIE PRICE – Free To Love Again

Erase from your memory (if you haven’t already) the Katie Price who embarrassingly warbled her way through a strained version of ‘A Whole New World’ with then-husband Peter Andre. Nobody saw this coming. This – her debut single proper – is as life affirming as dance music comes and it’s a downright tragedy that it will be dismissed by so many people before it’s even heard. For Price to release an opus of this magnitude so early in her career is nothing short of staggering. ‘Free to Love Again’ is a powerful assertion of independence and empowerment set to this year’s most vibrant and intelligent dance beat – music for the brain, the soul and the feet. Expect this – if there is any justice in the world – to dominate the second half of 2010.

</joke>

FIRST AID KIT – Sailor Song

First Aid Kit simultaneously invited and nullified comparisons to the Fleet Foxes when they rose to prominence by posting a video on YouTube of themselves covering a song from that band’s debut album – a performance which arguably surpassed the original’s rich and towering harmonies despite the band being only two in number.

New single ‘Sailor Song’ keeps the skeletal basics of acoustic guitars and warm harmonies but moves into a jauntier, more up-tempo mode than the Fleet Foxes are known for. The sisters are Swedish, and this song is very much out-on-the-porch-with-a-banjo Americana folk. As the drums kick in following a sparsely strummed opening, the music begins to swing with toe tapping pace but grates slightly by being a little too kitsch. As a showcase of the girls’ ability to endear us to their gorgeous, harmonising voices it works well enough, but it’s one of the least affecting cuts from the recent album.

PARAMORE – Careful

After confusing “My Twitter account was hacked” with “I took a topless photo of myself and accidentally posted it on the internet”, Hayley Williams and her band now seem to have confused “releasing a new single” with “re-releasing ‘Ignorance’ sans chorus”. Its harmonic riffs, crunchy palm muting and over-earnest vocal delivery leave it entirely indistinguishable from everything else you have ever heard from this sort of band – a song destined to be enthusiastically endorsed by Fearne Cotton as exciting new music in five weeks time.

To be fair to the band, ‘Careful’ manages to steer clear of any refrain as annoying as “ig-nur-ence is yah new best friend” (doesn’t it feel like that song has been around forever, by the way?); it instead features a subtler (read: more bearable) yet characteristically anthemic chorus. Ultimately, however, this is Paramore exactly as we know them and ‘Careful’ isn’t going to change anybody’s mind about the band one way or the other. If you can look at a present-day photo of Billie Joe Armstrong without slamming your face onto the desk, this might be for you.

THE PIPETTES – Call Me

Forgive me, but I must admit that I’ve pretty much lost track of the Pipettes. Back in the day, there were three of them, wearing matching polka dot dresses and singing doo wop girl group music. Between then and now, we’ve apparently lost all of the original members (there’s just two of them now by the looks of things); they’ve relinquished the right to describe themselves as the prettiest girls we’ve ever met (if, indeed, they ever had it) and, with songs like ‘Call Me’, they’re peddling a sound more accurately described as a blend of seventies disco and eighties electro.

Critics seem eager to abuse the band for the change in sound but surely the Pipettes deserve credit for not rocking up five years after their slew of brilliant sixties throwbacks and trying to make the soufflé rise twice. There is a problem, however, and it is that this simply is not as catchy as any of their old stuff let alone their pinnacle ‘Pull Shapes’. ‘Call Me’ is an upbeat, sugary, loved-up delight, to be sure – but essentially lacks the sparkle of the band’s first run.

PROFESSOR GREEN ft. LILY ALLEN – Just Be Good To Green

Whilst ‘Just Be Good to Green’ is nowhere near as poisonous as the misogynistic garbage festering within quotes from interviews with Prof. Green, one still wonders why female collaborators continue to affiliate themselves with lyrical rackets like this. If I were a woman, I would be reluctant (at best) to provide a chorus to a song by a guy who self-admittedly “ain’t good to girls” (Eazy-E will be rolling in his grave at the pussy-ass faggot’s lack of conviction: just admit that you nut in bitches’ eyes, motherfucker).

Putting all this to one side, the thing thumps and grinds between its two chords effectively enough to achieve what it presumably sets out to do: make drunken people dance in clubs. Add to this a coolly aloof and hooky chorus from Lily (who brings to the mix her trademark backbeat guitar stokes) and you have – presuming that you’ve consumed enough alcohol – a tolerable enough dance record, in spite of a terrible vocal from Professor Green himself.