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

Anna Calvi – ‘Papi Pacify’

Gaining admirers all the time, Mercury Music Prize judge and nominee Anna Calvi has followed up her 2012 album One Breath with a new EP of covers entitled Strange Weather. This track, the album’s opener, is a spacious version of the FKA Twigs original, which builds throughout in typical Anna Calvi fashion. ‘Papi Pacify’ may not necessarily have some of the intensity heard in her two existing studio albums, but nonetheless Anna Calvi develops and arranges this entire EP of covers very well, impressively showing off her original and distinctive style.

Note: If you can play this song loudly, I’d recommend it.

The Family Rain – ‘We Are In Love’

Following the release of debut album Under The Volcano in January, The Family Rain are set to release of a new EP, Hunger Sauce, at the end of this month on Kobalt Music Group label service AWAL. ‘We Are In Love’ maintains that typical blues-y edge to the Walter brothers’ music; there’s some great, distorted guitar work in this tight arrangement, and Will Walter’s lead vocal always adds plenty of character to The Family Rain’s music. Check out the video below, which oddly features Will and a sex doll named Carla.

Morrissey – ‘World Peace Is None Of Your Business’

Morrissey’s lyrical outlook on life was always bleak, and it seems that in becoming a grumpy old man his controversial and somewhat saddening style has only been encouraged. Exclaiming the lines “World peace is none of your business / So would you kindly keep your nose out / The rich must profit and get richer / And the poor must stay poor”, it’s clear that Morrissey has a bee in his bonnet, but he executes his point in style. The track is well written, well produced, and the album of the same name is receiving consistently good reviews. World Peace Is None Of Your Business is out now.

Lowlakes – ‘Now, She Said’

Australian post-rock outfit Lowlakes are currently spending time writing for their new album in the Austrian Alps, as well as playing a handful of European tour dates this summer. ‘Now, She Said’ is a highly atmospheric piece, heavy on the reverb to create a dense background to a lamenting and unique vocal performance that compliments only too well. It’s certainly fitting of the alpine surrounds that are inspiring the band currently, and the track shows great potential for their debut album Iceberg Nerves, which is released on September 1.

Hidden track of the week: Radiohead – ‘Seperator

Have you heard the news? Radiohead are getting together in September to begin rehearsals for a potential new album after an extended break that has seen the emergence of Thom Yorke’s Atoms For Peace, Jonny Greenwood’s orchestral works and a second solo album from Phil Selway. To celebrate this news, here’s a taste of what I’ve been listening to this week, the final track from 2011’s The King of Limbs.

You can follow Tom on twitter @tom_fake

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: ‘Love Don’t Wait’ by Ron Basejam

That start, just freaking love it. Just starts out with all the funk it can muster, and when the vocals come in after about eighteen seconds so comes the beat. Thirty seconds in you get all those disco funk sounds of the '70s in their full glory. The vocals go “love don’t wait”, and neither does that bass, which together with the drums and that little guitar riff steal the show here. After the little drop at about 1:20 we get the female vocals starting to sing the verse, and she gets some help from those classic horn and string sounds that are just so characteristic to the genre. After the verse she sassily says that love just don’t wait for nobody (so honey, if you want to hop on, hop on, ‘cause I’m leaving thats whut aim sayin’, hmmm-hmmm). There’s a nice drum build-up in the fourth minute of this track, where Basejam just adds all those percussion sounds on top of each other until there’s no more percussion left, after which he adds a bit of piano to balance it out a bit. He rides this full sound out for a long while, though when he nears the very end he kind of tones it down a bit, though he keeps the drums up high in the mix until about 20 seconds before the very very end. It’s got all the goodness of the genre, and he just knows how to get the most out of things like this. Another ace tune here.

‘All For One’ by Bottin feat. Rodion

I like the cheeky way this one starts, with those synths and that talky voice. There’s just something a bit naughty to it, I feel. And spacey, especially when it enters the second minute and it gets that higher spaced out synth sound going. At 1:30 there’s the first real change-up, basically taking the rhythm synth out of there. After that period Bottin throws in a faster paced synth with a bit more of an italo vibe, though despite the change of pace he makes sure that the original sounds and vibes keep oozing out of there. Next time up there’s a bit of a change with a nice little bass, after which he ups the pace again to keep that dancefloor going. Throughout the song you have that mysterious, deep voice whispering in your ear, which I love. Just a really nice track that’s huge in its spaceness.

‘Take Me’ by Buzz Compass

This one starts out nice and deep, and within that deep core he starts to build-up some lighter sounds to get the tune more in balance. The deep rhythm is the heart of the track though, and within those city limits he plays around with some sounds that never veer away too much from that deep center. Just before the second minute mark there’s a nice, slight change, though at 2:30 he really changes it up for a moment. The track instantly steers away a bit from the deep rhythm (to return to that at around 3:20), and starts exploring the jazz clubs a bit with some more experimental sounds. As said, after that Buzz Compass returns to that deep rhythm again, which has been the heart of this track from the start. He then rides that one out until the very end.

‘You’ by Monsoon Season feat. Evelyn Joyce

I love the vocals that come in at about the forty second mark. Just full of strong, sensual femininity. Those vocals sound really full and solid, but still have this womanness that cannot be denied. In the mean time, since the start, there’s this disco loop going on in the background that is catchy and that one cannot sit still too. It is this nice marriage of that disco sound and those strong female vocals that are so very classic. What makes it stand out a bit is that, to me, the vocals aren’t necessarily very disco diva like, but more like someone whose been doing the rounds in Parisian nightclubs. It kind of has that jazz like quality to it, as she croons that she “never ever thought I would have something to lose”. In the mean time, that disco line is being looped silly, and that surely is the way that everyone likes it, with some minor changes on top of the main instrumental sound to keep it all interesting enough until the very end.

 ‘Conscious’ by Soul Clap

Right from the start it is abundantly clear that Soul Clap is aiming for the dancefloor with this one, with that dubby beat getting the full work-out here from the get go. The track really starts at about 35 seconds in, when Soul Clap starts putting the flavour of the original in a bit (mostly thanks to that bass sound, which isn’t really used as rhythm here as it is so low in the mix compared to the beat). They make you very, very aware that this is an edit, as they put the  bass on loop and make it very clear when they add in other sounds (and they sure make you know they don’t put these things in in their natural order). At about 2:50 they smoothen things out a bit, as they loosen the chain on the vocals somewhat. So if the artificiality hadn’t tipped you off enough, yes, this is an edit, and yes, it’s from that Womack & Womack track. I love the middle part of this tune, as Soul Clap has this rhythm thing with the percussion and bass going now, and it lets you enjoy way more of the original at this point in. By now, it has turned into a delicious groover with loads of the original elements to give you the full punch out. So suddenly, now no one is minding its near ten minute running time anymore. Just before the seven minute mark they break up the groove for a minute, coming back with a more looping, modern part to put this one to an end.

‘Consolation’ by The Helen Hollins Singers (Nicolas Jaar edit)

So the World Cup soccer, at the time of writing, is still in full swing, and by now loads of fans have already been in need of some serious consolation. And wunderkind (writing this just minutes after the 7-1 whopping Germany gave the Brasilian side) Nicolas Jaar was so kind to release an old edit of his after his home country was knocked out. There’s something thrilling about the win-or-go-home format, and though sports and disco have sometimes been on opposite sides of each other (who doesn’t remember the burning of disco records during a baseball game, sports fans showing off all of their masculinity and burning the effeminate side of “man” ), it is nice to know that in 2014 we can enjoy sports and, when your team has lost, you can grab this disco tinged edit someone made specifically for this purpose. You get the full 80s soul goodness from the Helen Hollins Singers with some extra rhythm, percussion and haunty synths to make this edit a worthwhile addition to sit next to the original track.

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: Trwbador – ‘Breakthrough’ (feat. ESSA)

Welsh Music Prize-nominees Trwbador always make for interesting listen; their unique brand of “dance floor tinged acoustic electronica” has been making waves since the release of the It Snowed A Lot This Year EP on their own Owlet Music in 2010. ‘Breakthrough’ sees the Welsh duo successfully collaborate with Eton-educated rapper ESSA, who has previously collaborated with Wu-Tang Clan and De La Soul among other artists. The resulting fusion of electronic and hip hop styles creates an eclectic sound, ESSA’s thought-provoking lyrics flow effortlessly over a tranquil harp melody, synthesisers, and processed beats. Trwbador’s new album, Several Animals, will be released on August 11.

GOAT – ‘Hide From The Sun’

Do you ever have one of those days where you feel that you aren’t quite getting enough Swedish psychedelia? If that’s the case, then this is the song for you. Released as the first single from the band’s second album, Commune, ‘Hide From The Sun’ marries distorted guitars with sitar and table to create something refreshingly different. GOAT have a great reputation for their intense live shows, and will be performing at festivals throughout the summer before embarking on their first full European tour, which includes the Liverpool International Festival Of Psychedelia in September finishes at the Camden Roundhouse on October 3. Commune will be released on September 22.

The Gaslight Anthem – ‘Get Hurt’

Having spent time recording with Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, Jake Bugg) at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, The Gaslight Anthem are back with their impressive new single, ‘Get Hurt’. There’s a subtly to the track’s arrangement; Brian Fallow’s vocal provides great character in the opening exchanges before the track expands into a well-worked chorus and beyond. August 11 sees the release of the band’s fifth studio album, also titled Get Hurt, which will be followed by five UK tour dates this November.

Zola Blood – ‘Grace’

Little is known about the mysterious Zola Blood, recently signed to long-dormant record label Pond Life. The ambience of their first release, ‘Grace’, only encourages the shadowy image of the London-based band, and the down-tempo electronica on show is complimented by a strong, reverberating vocal performance. Unfortunately not much else is known about Zola Blood, but it is clear that ‘Grace’ demonstrates the potential for more track of this high quality in the near future.

Hidden track of the week: The Libertines – ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’

On the last weekend of June, The Libertines returned with their first gig in four years. Since then they’ve followed it up with a set at British Summer Time, which sparked safety concerns due to the enthusiasm of the 60,000 strong crowd in London’s Hyde Park. Their live shows have been receiving great reviews, and it appears that their long-awaited comeback is a success, so here’s my contribution the Libertines hype: 2004’s ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’, a classic.

You can follow Tom on twitter @tom_fake

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: ‘Playground’ by Starving Yet Full

Starving Yet Full was one of the two vocalists with the house unit Azari & III, which unfortunately has ceased to be. SYF is not done housing though, and he’s readying a solo album which, from the sounds of it, will include at least one out-and-out house cut. So you’ve got the cymbals, the beat, the bass, all those rhythm elements you need to get jacking too old school. SYF has a lovely voice, which is plenty of soulful and which balances the deeper rhythmic elements. Around the 2:30 mark there’s a break where they lose the rhythm sounds and let the synth play out a bit, a sound he continues even when the beat and all that gets back in. In the mean time SYF is singing that gravity “brings him right down”, so I’m assuming it isn’t all going smooth and easy for the narrator. At about the four minute mark he throws in a slightly deeper beat to really get into underground dance mode, and truly this is the kind of house track I love to hear in the club. It’s got a deepness to it, it’s easy to dance to, and the vocals on there are great. What’s more to want, really?

‘Mighty Bloody Real’ Joey Negro’s special dub mix

Joey Negro always knows what to do with disco, and here he takes the classic high energy track ‘You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)’ by the symbol of the gay disco movement Sylvester, and he makes it into a dub. As in, from the start, this one gets its high energy restrained a bit by the beat and the other percussion elements, which provide you with the dancing opportunity, as opposed to the original. That original bass sound comes in at about 45 seconds though, with the high synths shortly following as well. It’s definitely not an unrecognizable affair, though especially the percussion causes this one to still sound plenty of different (and how that bass is used as well). Probably, whatever you are going to do with this one, it’s going to set disco dancefloors alight (unless you really botch it up, that is), it’s just that kind of a track, really. Leave it in the hands of a master like Joey Negro, and it’s dancing until you drop. The more original elements come in, the more high energy it starts to feel, though he always returns to the bass and the percussion to keep this thing grounded just a tad. In the mean time we are halfway, and it still is primarily that bass and those very recognizable sounds of the original that we hear, and we’ve yet to be treated to those trademark vocals, which he is saving up probably. And yessir, at 4:30, there they are, to just provide that dancefloor with that extra punch of recognition. The original is one of those tracks which is just going to make any disco dancefloor happy in whichever form it is presented to them, and this one is a good addition to that whole bag of Sylvester sounds and edits.

‘Ain’t No Way’ by Opal (Horse Meat Disco edit)

The new Horse Meat Disco compilation is out (Volume IV y’all!), and that’s the best that queer disco has to offer. And yes, maybe disco is a bit gay by default, though the “gayness” part of it sure gets amplified with the lads from Horse Meat Disco behind the decks. So you’ve got all that sass and camp that you want to play it all up, and this is another example of that. It already starts with just vocals, with Brenda Watts yelling out that you need to get “your hands off of my man” as there is “no way I’m gonna give you up”. Add that disco bass in there, those trademark disco sounds, and you’re off rolling. Those vocals are so lovely 45” disco single, they’ve just got that whole old school '70s vibe in them. So you’ve got the bass to dance to, the synth to keep it all sounding light and fresh, and then the lads change it up after the two minute mark. They dial down everything except the vocals, and after that they get some deeper, faster synths in to ramp up the pace and the dancing a bit, and they throw in a bit of guitar for good measure. So they show they can even keep the crowd dancing and the disco vibe up without the vocals (and they also show they can play a bit with pace and slide into different disco modes in one track, which with a running time of 8+ minutes is a huge plus). Obviously the vocals come back for another go around, as you just need the girl telling these skanks to keep away from her man, whilst also telling her boy that there’s no way he’s going anywhere. Those boys just really know how to put the fun back on the dancefloor.

‘Be Brave, Clench Fists’ by Leon Vynehall

To start this one off you get some percussion sounds, though from underneath all that you already get some deep moodiness, which is quickly balanced out by a higher pitched sound. It definitely goes for mood at the start, with this slow piano coming in just before the minute mark. And, just before the beat, which starts to play at about one minute in and which cranks the pace up a bit. That beat is definitely in the realm of deep house, and that beat is not the thing that makes this one special (though it is necessary to keep this one moving forward, and we’ve all learned from Woody Allen that has to happen otherwise the thing dies). It’s definitely not an all out party track this one, as what makes you want to listen to this are the atmospheric elements that keep on appearing right on top of the beat. So it’s all about mood and doing a little dance with your eyes closed, though when the second rhythm element comes in to bolster that beat a bit there’s definitely a tick upwards in the danceability department. I really like the vibe and richness of this one, definitely one I’d be happy to be listening to on my headphones as well. That very very last part I could’ve done without, I have to admit.

‘Girls on Film’ by Duran Duran (Luxxury edit)

Luxxury prides themselves in the write-up that in this edit they’ve almost exclusively used bits from the original multitrack stems, though listening to the original you can already spot a few immediate problems for the disco/house dancefloor (and the cowbell like percussion isn’t one of them, obviously). So, first thing to do is slow the fucker down, and Luxxury does that right from the start, with the percussion and drums leading the way and keeping things more danceable and rhythmic than the original ever was. Still plenty of Duran Duran 80s vibes there though, with that guitar still in there, and the overall synth new wave vibe pretty much represented. With that, this edit revolves around the bass sound most of all probably, which for a dancefloor edit is the thing to do really. Maybe I would say at times it’s a bit too crowded with all kinds of sounds thrown in there, but with the bass doing its thing and with plenty of Duran Duran still blasting out of the speakers, it’s an enjoyable entree in a series of edits from these boys.

‘Sensify Me’ by Zimmer feat. KLP

I like how this starts, especially with the finger snapping in there. Lovely vibe they throw out there, and plenty of room for the female vocals to set the tone. After the beginnings you do get the bass in, though it stays a relatively low paced affair. In the mean time there’s plenty of richness going on in the background, from atmospheric synths to what seem like bongo’s to a more poppy synth line. The rhythmic layer is there with the bass, and on top of it all are the vocals. These two instruments get plenty of room, and then what gives this track its own flavour and its tone are all the things that happen in between those two main elements. It is tagged on Soundcloud as “horizontal disco” and “slow house”, and I’m not even sure what that means, though it’s definitely got slices of synth and pop in there as well, and a bit of sensuality with the way those vocals deliver the lines.