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The Hot Five - August #1

The Hot Five – My favourite new tracks of the week, usually rounded off with a classic, obscure or alternate track from my music collection.

Track of the week: Phil Selway – ‘Coming Up For Air’

Radiohead drummer Phil Selway has recently announced his second solo album, entitled Weatherhouse. Along with this announcement, Selway has premiered single ‘Coming Up For Air’ and it’s accompanying video, a fantastic, Hitchcock-inspired piece created by Spanish collective NYSU. The track itself carries on where 2010’s Familial left off; it’s atmospheric, and in typical Selway style has a strong, striking drum beat that helps to create a clever, and well-rounded piece. It’s a strong track that is sending all the right messages to promote the new album, which will be released by independent label Bella Union on October 6.

Escapists – ‘Eyes’

Atmospheric harmonies and huge vocal character – that’s what keeps you hooked in the opening exchanges of this track. ‘Eyes’ showcases “a more delicate relaxed sound to counterpoint the chaos heard in other Escapists songs”. The minimal arrangement gives the track a simplistic beauty that justifies the immediate comparison to Bon Iver. Escapists’ debut album, Only Bodies, was released on Monday (August 4), and the band has announced a show at the Lexington in London on August 25.

Vance Joy – ‘First Time’

Vance Joy has announced details of the lead single to be taken from his forthcoming debut album Dream Your Life Away, which is to be released on September 15. Building on hit single ‘Riptide’, the bittersweet ‘First Time’ has an upbeat shuffle beat and cleverly basic arrangement that accompanies sombre lyrics of heartbreak and sorrow. To celebrate the release of the album, Vance Joy will begin a sold out headline UK tour on September 21, finishing up with two consecutive nights at Shepherd's Bush Empire on October 2 & 3, the second London show being added due to demand.

Ezra Vine – ‘Celeste’

Continuing along folky lines, here we have self-produced, London-based singer-songwriter Ezra Vine. Vine is originally from Auckland, and ‘Celeste’ enjoyed great success in New Zealand last year; the song is set for an official release in the UK in late September. It’s another uplifting track, complete with a driving drum beat and reverberating vocal harmonies that emphasise the already strong vocal melodies. You can catch Ezra Vine on tour, funnily enough, with Vance Joy in September, and he is also set to perform at Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall this coming weekend.

Hidden track of the week: Beth Orton – ‘Daybreaker’

I’ve just been reading some reviews of Daybreaker, the 2002 album from folktronica singer-songwriter Beth Orton. I’d like to take this opportunity to be publically upset at the man who branded Daybreaker “Beth Orton's third in a series of progressively bland and unadventurous releases”. This particular track is an intelligent, trip hop-inspired piece with a vocal strong and characteristic enough to rival any female electronica artist. It also uses the talents of collaborators William Orbit and Ben Watt perfectly to create the atmospheric landscape of sound effects, drum beats, and reverberating vocals. Hardly “bland and unadventurous”, now is it?

You can follow Tom on twitter @tom_fake

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The Weekly Froth - August #1

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘The Way That You Do It’ by Caserta

There’s no mistaking its dancefloor intent with the harsh, sharp beat at the start. Never a big fan of those, but slowly it starts veering away from that, and at about the three quarter minute mark you get into the disco groove with all those characteristic sounds, especially that guitar that is thrown in there. So suddenly we’ve got ourselves a funky little number here, especially when those vocals come in, which assure us that It is not what you do, but it’s just the way that you do it. I love the moment at about 2:45 when the kind of multiple vocal chorus comes in, that’s just so old school right there, and then he slides the track into this all out funk phase before he starts the vocals up again. If, at this point, you’re not dancing yet, you’re probably not in a funky kind of mood. Though, with that beat in the back to hold onto, you don’t necessarily have to be in order to be staying on the dancefloor. But Caserta has got the mood down pat, making this a pleasurable one for some dancing, especially if, like me, you don’t mind a bit of old school popping up every now and again (at about 4:45 that chorus comes in again, and again it’s just bliss). That piano at about 5:45 is another fine example of that.

 

‘Private Practice’ by Nick Monaco

The start certainly is an attention grabber, with two ways of vocals coming your way (one heavily distorted and seemingly munching). After that you get the drums, and then yet another vocal layer, which I just love. I love vocals, and this certainly has got it in abundance. And it does still have some rhythm, also with the drums. Still needs to be made into a track though, and you get a deep synth sound that for a minute glues the layers together before, at about 1:40, the munchy vocals run away with the track, and its runaway bride is a deep bass sound that gives it some nasty. At 2:20 the nastiness is replaced by higher pitched vocals and a smithering of piano, and about half a minute later these parts get reunited with the drums and the munchy vocal line. At 3:25 though the deep bass returns. So it is a track of layers and of switch-ups, giving it this experimental feel that definitely puts it left field of what you’ll normally be hearing. Not to mention that it ends with a bit of classic house percussion, so it’s all good.

 

‘Aller Vers Le Soleil’ by Sebastien Tellier (Hercules And Love Affair remix)

Last week the Hercules and Love Affair gang had the track of the week slot, and here they come with another remix (also, they came with a new, conceptual clip for the brilliant ‘My Offence’ of off their latest album, so check that out as well). In last week’s write-up I already mentioned that in many of their remixes they tend to veer to the colder beats, and here too that’s certainly how it starts until that bass sound comes in. It’s quite a mid-to-slow paced affair this, and at 1:44 you get some lovely synths in there working against a simple kick drum. Soon the bass makes its entry again, and at this point the track has this kind of lush vibe, to which the vocals of Sebastien Tellier (singing in French) only add to. I love the airy synths that are put behind the vocals, they give it a nice atmosphere. After the four minute mark it goes a bit deeper with that bass sound, which they nicely contrast with a tu-de-du-doo vocal line of Tellier, along with some piano. At the end Andy Butler throws in some tech-y sounds that, personally, I could have done without, but overall a nice, lush, lower paced remix by the talented house performers.

 

‘Enter the Dragon’ by Ooft!

Just love those deep sounds at the start, if that doesn’t tell you that you have arrived at a party where you just need to put your head down and dance I don’t know what does. Also enjoy all the percussion elements they throw in there, and they excellently change that main sound up through the first minute to build some momentum. In the mean time, to keep the variety up, they keep changing and adding to that percussion layer to make sure the track keeps going somewhere. Something which they also achieve by playing around with that synth sound. It’s got a nice immediacy to it I feel, definitely one for the late night crowd this. At about 2:40 it goes a bit arena on you, maybe expanding the sound a bit too much (at least for my personal liking), but especially with the drop they sure cater to the crowd who want to party heartily.

 

‘Return Of The Mac’ by Jesse Rudoy

I just love the title for some reason, it just tells you something I find. Now, if you like dancing, the Let’s Play House label is where it’s at, so no wonder this cheeky little number is released on there. It’s about a fun night out, no question. So you’ve got all those house instrumentals that make you want to dance, and in the mean time you are just thinking No, honey, they wouldn’t, as the Mac in the title is certainly not Mack the Knife or something. In the mean time Jesse Rudoy just keeps on plugging along with all those traditional house elements that keep people dancing and on the dancefloor. All transitions are so smooth, as are all references to the “original”, they are mixed in there surprisingly well, as if they actually belong in a house track. Certainly, by doing this, he shows more guts than I would ever have, and I like to work with some corny stuff, let me tell ya. And, you know, it works, and try repressing a smile during this one (or to not dance as well, by the way).

 

‘Two For One’ by Will Saul & Komon

Last month Will Saul released a DJ KICKS mix, and as is customary for these things the “curator” himself adds one or two originals from his own back catalogue. Will Saul decided to add one where he worked together with Komon, providing a deep, spacey cut that relies more on atmospherics than pace. There’s a huge dial down followed by a prolonged build-up around the middle of the track, which furthermore reiterates that the focus is on the deep space vibes to groove to (even more so than dance to I’d say). Though at about 2:48 there’s the big bass sound that, when played in a set, will give the crowd enough to be moving to. At first a bit more introverted, but to those deep drums that at one point come in I’m sure some beautiful people can strike some immaculate poses (really like those drums, by the way, gives it some attitude after the atmospherics of the first part).

 

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The Hot Five - July #4

The Hot Five – My favourite new tracks of the week, usually rounded off with a classic, obscure or alternate track from my music collection.

Track of the week: Karen O – ‘Rapt’

It will be interesting to see how Karen O gets on without her fellow Yeah Yeah Yeah’s bandmates as she releases her first ever solo album. The early signs are good, ‘Rapt’ was released on Monday, and the lo-fi, stripped back nature of the song separates it from more recent Yeah Yeah Yeah’s material, giving it a new and unique personality that is perfectly graced with the instantly recognisable vocal of Karen O. Karen O’s debut album, Crush Songs, will be released on September 8 via Julian CasablancasCult Records.

Children – ‘Cut’

“Do you remember when the summer holidays seemed endless? Spending hours by the sea, surrounded by friends, the ice cream in hand...”

This is ‘Cut’, Berlin electro-indie outfit Children’s “ode to all beautiful summers”. Put your headphones on and turn up the volume, you’ll get lost in the beautifully atmospheric nature of the song. Children have developed a very current sound; it’s cleverly minimalistic, with subtle vocal harmonies and rhythmic interest that makes ‘Cut’ a very stimulating listen. Children are currently raising money to release their new album, Leaving Home, which is due to be released on September 5.

 

Gary Numan – ‘I am Dust’

The introspective nature of Gary Numan’s last album, Splinter (Songs from A Broken Mind), made it a challenging yet rewarding listen. ‘I Am Dust’ is the latest single from that album, and it has just been released alongside a new music video directed by IAMX. The industrial, aggressive nature of the song is certainly evocative, and the heavy chordal stabs work well with Numan’s softer vocal presence to create a complex piece that has been cleverly put together. Gary Numan headlines the Hammersmith Apollo on 28 November, where special guests Gang Of Four have just been confirmed as support.

Tiny Ruins – ‘Me At The Museum, You In The Wintergardens’

New Zealand folk act Tiny Ruins was formed as a solo project in 2009 by songwriter Hollie Fullbrook, and was expanded to include bassist Cass Basil and drummer Alexander Freer. The band released their second album, Brightly Painted One, in May 2014, and the video for their latest single was filmed and edited by Neil Finn during the European leg of their world tour this summer. ‘Me At The Museum, You In The Wintergardens’ is a fantastic example of easy listening, with the relaxing, velvety vocal of Hollie Fullbrook floating over the top of plucked acoustic guitar and string parts. Tiny Ruins will return to the UK in September for a number of headline shows and festival dates.

Hidden track of the week: Elbow – ‘Switching Off’

I forget if I’ve featured Elbow’s ‘Switching Off’ as The Hot Five’s hidden track before, but if I have I think it’s worth posting again! News broke on Monday of a solo project by Elbow frontman Guy Garvey, so this is a celebration of that news. Of the solo album, which will start recording at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in the near future, Garvey said: “I fancy being the boss for a bit, so I'm going to do a side-project. It will either be great, and a right laugh, or a disaster, and a right laugh."

 ‘Switching Off’ was released on Elbow’s second album, Cast Of Thousands, in 2003.

You can follow Tom on twitter @tom_fake

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Alternative Three - July

Scientists have determined that the Earth’s surface will not be able to support human life much longer, due to pollution and overpopulation. In 1957, Dr Carl Garstein proposed three alternative solutions. The first was a drastic reduction of the human population on Earth. The second, the construction of vast underground shelters. Alternative three?

I’ve just got back in from two weeks walking in the Highlands so I’m approaching some sort of spiritual zenith and have completely run out of time to do this, so this will be slightly shorter than normal. Um, new Sleep track, Damo Suzuki says “Vote Yes” to Scots, and some too-cool-for-yooz indie bandcamp stuff from Betrayers, Dolmenn and Swell. That’s it, can I go sleep? I have to write more? “Contractually obliged” you say? *sigh*

So Sleep are back, after years wandering the desert as part of OM, Al Cisneros has come back to the turn-of-the-millenium San Jose of his youth to garage jam with Matt Pike, late of a Viking holiday spent swinging an axe into the faces of audiences worldwide as part of the brutal and excellent High On Fire to produce the first official Sleep track since the epic ‘Dopesmoker’ (if you haven’t heard ‘Dopesmoker’, fix that) and it’s… different. ‘The Clarity’ opens with an angular electronic fuzz, and generally taking a more chiselled and considered tone compared to their earlier work. As a Sleep megafan, I’m not sure what this latest start means. They’ve been a renewed touring entity for some time (blew my eardrums out in Glasgow a couple of years ago) and I don’t know if I want some middle-aged money grabbing from my all-time-top-fives; that’s one part of Sabbath lore I’d be happy for Sleep to ignore. If you’re still jonesing for more dope-laden riffs thick enough to spread your marmite on, you’d do worse than checking out Wo Fat’s latest The Conjuring as it’s mighty good. Also a little band called DUEL released the promising first single ‘On the Edge’, it’s neat and groovy and pleasingly Melvinsey.

Fans of underproduced ‘black sludge’ metal with grinding buzzsaw guitars and scrofulous arcing vocals (nobody?) are invited to check out the free download of 'Ancient Vessel' by Tar Hag. Barely five minutes of live-sounding South Carolinan gore packed into a download. You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you’re feeling tired and in want of something that caters to your expectations, rather than subverts them, you could do worse than the free download from DOLMENN of their latest; smooth stoner grooves do little more than iterate, but life is too short to continually push the envelope.

Finish yourself off with some thudding psyche courtesy of Canada’s Betrayers. Fluffy but chugging Canadian psyche the indie fopps aren’t rubbing themselves raw over? I know, I can’t believe it either. More inoffensive indie-type stuff can be procured with the re-release (on limited edition artefact vinyl no less) of Swell’s (41 is 20). It isn’t essential, but it’s a beautiful embellishment. I’m most excited by the sounds coming out of newbies Apache Sun, ‘The Rain That Never Came’ is faux Americana psyche down the line, but that doesn’t stop it being catchier than an international angling completion. Serpently seek out these Glasgow boys and keep them dialled, I predict greatness.

Nothing grabbed me much this month, that could be to do with me being in the Highlands for two weeks listening to nothing but the Dead Skeletons' b-sides…

Please indicate to me what I should be listening to by coughing your mucous-y cough through a stencil onto my bedroom window, or just tweet, you pedantic swine you.

Act now, and you too can regret following me on twitter @stevendinnie

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The Weekly Froth - July #4

 

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘Deep Into The Night’ by Ali Love (Hercules & Love Affair remix)

I really loved that Hercules and Love Affair album they put out this year. Just such a sassy record that one is. Haven’t heard the new Ali Love LP though, so curious to see how this is sounding. Now, when Andy Butler does his remixes he tends to veer to the tech-house side a bit, and the start of this track certainly seems to go into that direction. That vocal pom-pom-pom sound, though, is definitely genius, and just the right thing to balance the main vibe of this one out. That synth sound that comes in at about 1:40 also is more house than tech, and those vocals are just brilliantly soulful and remind me of Azari & III a bit. So, all of a sudden, this track has morphed into this soulful tune with, as main instrumental feel, that 90s industrial house sound. Don’t ask how he did that one, but I’m just glad because I was definitely worrying my ass off after that start. Around the four minute mark he starts this huge build-up with the sexy “I want you” line repeated over and over, and exactly at 5:00 he throws some warm beat and bass sounds in there for the clubbers to get down to. So much to love, so much to dance to.

 

‘It’s All Over’ by Pional (John Talabot remix)

I like Pional, I like John Talabot, so you know, how the heck can this go wrong, eh? There are some deep drums in the background that kind of create the canvas, and then you’ve got the synths, the bass, and the secondary percussion floating around to create the right rhythm and vibe. Love that almost trombone like synth sound that comes in at about 1:10, though it really are the fab deep rhythm sounds that run away with this one. Talabot just sneaks them in there so that you’re like “fuck yeah” as it gives another oomph to dance to. You get the vocals in there along with some lighter snare sounds, which are soon ditched for a sort of break with just the vocals and a deep main sound. Slowly you get some woodwork percussion in the background as it builds up to the break-and-release that happens at about 3:15. It’s just what you expect from a Talabot remix, really. Skilled, layered, and smooth deep house with plenty of atmosphere in there for people also to just enjoy aside from the dancefloor. He does know how to create that dance momentum though, it works on all kinds of levels really. At about 4:30 you get another break as the music almost goes church on you with that organ-ish sound, and I would lie if I’d say that I think the part after that is as impressive as the first 2/3rds of the whole thing. Then again, that wasn’t really possible with the first part being just that good,  now was it? I do like the very, very end of this thing though.

 

‘Drop the Top’ by NSFW

Let me go a bit patriotic on you with this one, as NSFW is from my home country. About ten seconds in you get the drums for the dancing, and about 30 seconds in you get the synths which almost seem to transport you into an '80s edit (especially with that little guitar riff and that dash of piano he throws in there as well). Next to the beat there’s also the bass for the rhythm and the moving of it, and you already hear the vocals coming, as NSFW introduces them slowly to the masses. Just after the two minute mark (and the first kind of break) those vocals truly come out, and instead of some '80s soul&funk track (where I honestly thought this one was going) you get this hipperdy-hopperdy MC style vocals that he curveballs its way towards you. Rest of the track (luckily) doesn’t adapt too much of that style though (though that piano sound in the fifth minute sure sounds '90s-kitsch all of a sudden), and it’s all just merry dancing on that catchy, funky sound. Free download people, by the way.

 

‘Let’s Stay Together’ (Jean Claude Gavri soulful relief re-edit)

You know it’s Jean Claude Gavri if it starts out with those rhythmic bongo’s right there. And if it is that man, you better ready yourself for another funky edit of some old track or another. This one is ‘Let’s Stay Together’ by, well, a female vocalist, singing that you need to stay together with her, Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad. A line which is followed by a mega saxophone, which I love. There’s just so much old school soul and funk in this track, but also with plenty of rhythm for you to do some dancing to. But the auxiliary sounds really give you the right vibe, and those female vocals are really going all out, and they’re giving plenty of room (and are actually helped by all those original instrumentals) to put her heart out there. And she’s got the girls with the mics behind her to back her up. Vocals galore, and you have the horns, the organ, the bass, the whole lot really, and this one is there to sing along to on the dancefloor.

 

‘Lux’ by Ballet School

Some dreamy synth-pop from Berlin now, with Ballet School coming with a new track called ‘Lux’. You’ve got the light, tingling sounds which balance the percussion sounds, which are (of course) deeper. The vocals, courtesy of singer Rosie Blair, are an intriguing mixture of Bjork like yelping and a much deeper singing voice (though her range is, like, all over). When she goes high it sounds really atmospheric and dreamy, and when she goes lower it immediately veers a bit into '80s synth territory. I totally see her swaying around like Kate Bush in that one clip everyone knows the sight. Lovely sounding dream-pop, with the doubling of the vocal lines being perhaps the thing that attracts me to this one the most.

 

‘Do U Wanna Get Down’ (LNTG rework)

The antidote to any rough week you might have had is walking into the discotheque and hearing some big ass edit of any disco queen of your choosing (male or female, I don’t discriminate here). So leave it to Late Nite Tuff Guy to bring some joy back into your life and that warm, loving feeling back into your body. Here he takes on Donna Summer, taking the “Do u wanna get down” lyric from her ‘Bad Girls’ and riding that with all the disco sounds he’s got in his bag. So expect a little guitar riff in there, a beautiful bass that will help your hips move, and a beat for anyone that wants to be safe on the dancefloor. And, of course, horns and whistles, because, you know, it’s Saturday night in the discotheque after all. At about 2:50 he throws in all of Donna Summer, with the chorus and the verse of that aforementioned track of hers. So yeah, bad girls, talking about the sad girls, and the other way around, and they’re all so naughty, and what would your mother think? Thing is, even your mother can dance to this (whether you want to be watching that is another matter entirely), because this is just another smooth edit with all that disco stuff from the '70s. Though, luckily, with the beat, the bass, and the naughtiness for a lively night out on the town with all the young, scantily clad dames of all sorts.

 

 

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The Hot Five - July #3

 

The Hot Five – My favourite new tracks of the week, usually rounded off with a classic, obscure or alternate track from my music collection.

Track of the week: VOLCANOES – ‘Up In Smoke’

VOLCANOES’ brand of indie folk is both refreshing and authentic, qualities that are summed up in their latest single, ‘Up In Smoke’. With two lead vocal lines whose harmonies naturally compliment each other, the track is a stimulating listen complete with chiming guitars and elegant bowed cello. Fans of Fleet Foxes need to take a listen to this, there’s plenty of vocal harmony and a combination of electric and acoustic guitar parts that work together only too well; all in all, a great track here.

 

Benjamin Booker – ‘Have You Seen My Son?’

New Orleans’ Benjamin Booker was recently hand picked to support Jack White in a series of shows, and it’s clear to see why. The energetic garage sound of this track is made more interesting by the evident blues influences in Booker’s songwriting. ‘Have You Seen My Son?’ is the second single from Benjamin Booker’s self-titled debut album, which will be released on August 18 via Rough Trade.

The Weeknd – ‘King of the Fall’

After a small break, The Weeknd has announced his musical return with two free download tracks. Recent release ‘Often’ has been followed by ‘King Of The Fall’, a darkly heavy piece of R'n'B with fantastic production and vocal hooks. ‘King of the Fall’ shares it’s name with The Weeknd’s latest US tour, which starts in September and will feature Jhene Aiko and Schoolboy-Q. This might not be the type of song I’d normally go for, but the vocal work of The Weeknd is definitely something to appreciate in amongst the track’s clever arrangement.

Weezer – ‘Back To The Shack’

When I think of Weezer, I think of early noughties tracks like ‘Beverly Hills’, or ‘Island In The Sun’, so it was a pleasant surprise to be impressed by the band’s comeback single ‘Back To The Shack’. Chosen as the lead single from new album Everything Will Be Alright In The End, ‘Back To The Shack’ is a classic bit of American rock music that encompasses the traditional crunching guitar and “nerdy swagger” that Weezer are known for. The track was premiered on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show on Monday, and Everything Will Be Alright In The End will be released on September 30.

Hidden track of the week: Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’

It’s been a bit of an eclectic mix this week, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with putting something completely different in this spot either. Having purchased Sheer Heart Attack on vinyl last weekend, an album regarded by many as the best album that Queen released, ‘Brighton Rock’ really was an obvious choice for hidden track. It’s a classic song, and there really is nothing quite like hearing Freddie Mercury sing “It’s so good to know there’s still a little magic in the air”.

You can follow Tom on twitter @tom_fake

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