The Weekly Froth – Featuring Holy Ghost, Nicolas Jaar and Toro Y Moi

Oh my, this column has been out of the running for quite some time. The reason is simple, life took over a bit, and this column does take a bit of time. But hey, it’s back again, so hopefully per week this column will be covering six songs again. Songs that are not likely to feature in the Singles Column that is so expertly done by a variety of writers here on this site. Mostly it is a bit more electronic, disco, house type stuff with some remixes thrown in as well.

However, since we’re already two months in, lets just do a bit of a highlight reel of some of the best songs that have come out in 2011! … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth – with Hercules and Love Affair and Teengirl Fantasy

Hercules And Love Affair

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:

‘My House’ by Hercules and Love Affair

I saw Andy Butler and company (now with the fabulous Aerea Negrot and Shaun Wright, the latter providing the vocals for this song) live not too long ago, and they were absolutely fantastic. This is one of the songs they played live and one of the songs that’s going to be on the album, and it’s wicked. I don’t like the glitchy bit at the beginning in this version though, but after that this tune is absolutely massive. The chorus is fab (and with Hercules and Love Affair, I guess that’s a word you can use), and the vocals are fittingly disco-ey. Live it perhaps has a bit more punch, which makes it even better. But perhaps that’s just me idealizing the night. But even in this version it’s just really good and I can listen to it on and on and on and on. I love the vocals before the chorus, where they strip down most instruments, really disco. And then they kick it up for dancing with the chorus. The album is going to be out in January, and honey, I. Can’t. Wait.

http://hypem.com/track/1274633/Hercules+and+Love+Affair+-+My+House … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth – with Wolf Gang, Patrick Wolf and Kim Ann Foxman

Wolf Gang

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:

‘Lions in Cages’ by Wolf Gang (Memory Tapes remix)

I assume the moniker Wolf Gang is a reference to he of operatic and composing fame in fair Vienna way back when. Perhaps that is why the piano takes my immediate attention, that and the background vocal haunts that are quite nice. Not that keen on the choir singing, which doesn’t sound as nice as I would want it to sound. Musically though, this is pretty lovely and sweet to listen to. Naturally, this is a Memory Tapes remix, so you can bank on it flowing superbly and being dreamy and ethereal. I mean, I don’t know how he does it, but Dayve Hawk just has such a keen ear for how sounds should merge and mix to make it pretty and like, well, music to my ears. So lovely to listen to this while looking outside with a warm cup of tea in one hand and a biscuit in the other.

http://hypem.com/track/1257961/Wolf+Gang+-+Lions+In+Cages+Memory+Tapes+Remix+ … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth – with Crystal Castles, Robert Smith and Primary 1

Crystal Castles

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:

‘Not in Love’ by Crystal Castles feat. Robert Smith

Truth be told, I’m not the biggest Crystal Castles fan and I’m not the biggest Robert Smith fan, but you know, this track is getting lots of press, and sometimes it is worth to revisit bands. Especially if they are seemingly doing something new (for them) and different (for them). I like that the electronic sound of Crystal Castles supports the haunt that seems to live in Robert Smith’s vocals. Normally I think Crystal Castles are a bit too hard hitting for my taste, but here they do match Smith and they hit the right buttons as far as I’m concerned. Pretty nifty track this. I do love my unlikely pairings, though often it is as awkward as anything else. This actually seems to work, so kudos to both of them for trying and working it out. With three and a half minutes it doesn’t outstay its welcome either.

http://hypem.com/track/1252350/Crystal+Castles+-+Not+In+Love+ft+Robert+Smith+ … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth! With *NO* tracks of the week (shock, horror)

There were no tracks of the week this week [Ed - BOOOOOM!] so here’s what I found to be hot on the blogs – in no particular order..

‘Follow’ by Crystal Fighters (Diskjokke remix)

There was a time I was lyrical about Crystal Fighters, but after seeing them live a few years ago that has cooled down some. Haven’t listened to many of their songs in the mean time, and I guess a lot of the sound here is thanks to Diskjokke. Love the combination of the beat with the piano at the start. The piano gives it a kind of subtlety which I kind of find lacking a bit in later parts. It is a high energy club track I think, aided by the fury of how it is sung, which are words being said quite fast. In the end I think that the beat is just a bit too monotonous for this to last seven minutes, which it does. I would’ve liked some extra stuff as I’m not a big fan of the singing and the piano alone doesn’t do it for me. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth – we like Uffie?! You heard.

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: ‘Difficult’ by Uffie (Azari & III remix)

I’m not the biggest fan of Uffie, I have to admit, though I know that she has quite the following. I like the drum/bongo/whatever bit that provides the funky rhythm. I guess that’s Azari & III’s doing. The rest I don’t find quite a impressive, but the funk keeps me going and would get me on the dance floor. The more club oriented sounds that are added to the funk I could’ve done without. Sometimes though, if only one part works, then it is all right. I mean, you can’t dance to everything anyway, so just pick the funk out of it and don’t care about the rest. After four minutes the synth line is rather fetching I must say, and after three minutes of those drums the renewed energy from that synth will keep you busy for the rest of this song’s six minute running time. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth – Tensnake, Friendly Fires & Azari III, Holy Ghost! and more

Tensnake

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: ‘Need Your Lovin’ by Tensnake (Dub mix)

I’m kind of bummed out I’m going to miss Tensnake when they play after Hercules and Love Affair in Amsterdam (it’s a train thing, don’t ask). Ever since a friend of mine put this band forward I’ve been liking their output, and this one is no exception. Nice rhythm lines here with the synth (I think, I’m horrible with deducing which instrument is which!), and you can definitely dance to this in a club. I don’t think the vocals are the greatest, and the “I need ya, I want ya, I need ya lovin’” aren’t the most innovative lyrics in the world. I know it’s kind of not the point with this type of music, but how hard can it be to at least not use four of the most used words in the English language as your key lines? However, it is easy to playback along to, though it does get a bit repetitive after a while. It’s still a fun tune to put on though.

http://hypem.com/track/1089581/Tensnake+-+Need+Your+Lovin+Dub+Mix+ … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth – with a new song by The National!

The National

Track of the week: ‘You Were a Kindness’ by The National

I heard this when they played it live for the very very very first time, and it was just as amazing then as it is now when hearing it behind my laptop. Berninger’s baritone is just lovely, so filled with sadness. The slide guitar, when I heard that live, that was brilliant. Stroke of genius. Best thing is, this is nothing like what they did on their High Violet album this year. Not that the album was bad, but somewhere in the back of my mind I was wondering what would happen if they got even more bombastic… would it possible?

But it’s OK: here, they’ve come back with a restrained heartbreaker full of self-doubt. I love the reference to Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire (Berninger sings: “You were a kindness when I was a stranger”, which I think is taken from “I’ve always relied on the kindness of strangers”, otherwise “kindness” in the first sentence is grammatically incorrect). It’s one of the best songs I’ve heard all year. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth: we <3 Active Child…

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. … Continue Reading

The Weekly Froth – new Cut Copy! Sound of the week!

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. … Continue Reading