HOT NEW MUSIC REVIEW

Mona: Listen To Your Love

2010-10-15T06:02:00.001-07:00

MONA

Listen To Your Love

Single ^DEBUT

Released 13/09/2010

Limited edition 7-inch, 300 pieces^{SOLD OUT}
and download only

Tracklisting:

A / LISTEN TO YOUR LOVE 3:19

B / ALL THIS TIME -:-- (exclusive to vinyl)

"Along the way I saw how a song could enrage, heal, speak love, seduce, calm, provoke, challenge and surrender. All in three minutes. That's what we're all about" ^{Nick Brown, MONA}

Nick Brown is MONA's vocals, guitar and keys man and his reference to a song's emotive capacity strikes a true note with the material the band have released to date. MONA are a four-piece based in Nashville, Tennessee and have upheld something of a non-existence until recently, with just two songs and one demo uploaded on their MySpace page, acquiring a solid fan base and a very agreeable position as support on The Libertines' upcoming tour.

Their limited release of music can be deceiving: the band allege that in the past twelve months they have written somewhere in the region of 750 songs. Nick goes some way to explain, "It was half not being able to trust anyone with our music... and half just not wanting to play any music to anyone until we felt we were absolutely ready for this". This sentiment could be crippling, but the perfectionism results in expertly honed songs that sound confident and established: less like a first attempt at being a band. An inspiring feat.

All of which you can experience with their first release, Listen To Your Love, on their own label Zion Noiz Recordings. Listen To Your Love is an accomplished track and will undoubtedly become their anthemic go-to, all contemplative verse, amplifying hook and impassioned chorus that it is. All members excercise their instruments with such authenticity that the band is united in these three minutes of frustration and angst: it is not frontman and band, but band as one. This alone validates Brown's assertion that the potential of creating tangible emotion in songs is the foundation of their work; however, it is far from their best gear. Shoot The Moon (which can be streamed via their MySpace page) reveals a much more likeable and current sound. It carries both a swagger and a sense of urgency: it is raw, seductive, charismatic. Shoot The Moon makes it easy to compare them to fellow Tennesseans Kings of Leon, whereas Listen To Your Love is more Razorlight with muscles. Listen To Your Love has it's merits technically, but sounds dated. Be sure to check out Shoot The Moon and their demo Lines In The Sand on their MySpace page and expect to hear a lot more about this band by the year's end.

Listen To Your Love is out now. Available as a 7-inch vinyl distributed through Rough Trade shops and other key stores: this is limited to 300 copies and includes an exclusive b-side, All This Time (only available through vinyl). You can also download from iTunes here.

MONA are playing:

Thursday 30th, September 2010
19:00 / IN-STORE PERFORMANCE / ROUGH TRADE EAST, LONDON ^{FREE WITH WRISTBAND}

Friday 1st, October 2010
21:30 / CLUB NME / KOKO, LONDON^£5

Web www.monatheband.com
MySpace www.myspace.com/monatheband
Facebook MONA
Twitter @MONATHEBAND

Marina And The Diamonds - The Family Jewels

2010-02-16T22:49:00.000-08:00

Label: 679 Recordings
Release Date: 22nd February 2010
Format: Album - CD, digital download

Tracklisting:
1. Are You Satisfied? 3:21 2. Shampaign 3:12 3. I Am Not A Robot 3:35 4. Girls 3:29 5. Mowgli's Road 3:13 6. Obsessions 3:30 7. Hollywood 3:26 8. The Outsider 3:17 9. Hermit The Frog 3:36 10. Rootless 3:29 11. Numb 4:17 12. Guilty 3:43 The Family Jewels is essentially Marina's usual unwieldy panache (howls, cackles, and the rest) blended into an altogether more digestable form for the masses. The comparisons to other alternative women in music ("The next Kate Bush"/"2010s Florence") are rife but these really hold little water. As apprehended, The Family Jewels has unquestionably been slaughtered by the popular cookie-cutter. As recently as the beginning of this year the Sugababes and Marina Diamandis would have been polar opposites, yet now they line up rather more closer in respect of changing to fit a mould. Highlights on the album mainly consist of old favourites that Marina's existing fanbase will relish (Mowgli's Road, Obsessions, and Hermit the Frog) but fans will most likely find little other comfort in Marina's offerings, at least on first, second, third (or fourth?..) listen. Numb is an exception, a delicate track that feels susceptible to listen to, it's lyrics betraying a personal vulnerability and wonderful emotion from Marina much akin to what can be found in Obsessions. The popularisation of the new material strikes an off-chord, at least it will to a new listener. The album is an unfortunate clash between trying to be "super pop" and "really indie", as Marina describes the new album, which places it on very unstable ground as far as sales go. Many of the tracks will leave the new listener feeling exhausted having been harangued with Marina's plethora of voices, hoots, laughter and whistles (these happen in quick succession of each other in most tracks). With a certain level of understanding of past releases you can get behind the new popular facade that masks The Family Jewels. On deeper listens, one can uncover lyrical gems that initially charmed me to Marina in the first place - but it remains a question mark. Has it cut the mustard? Perhaps not. But do lend an ear - it is an interesting listen. You can pre-order the album on all major online retailers or via iTunes. Hollywood, the current single, is out now on CD and digital download.

Everything Everything - MY KZ UR BF - Free Remixes

2009-10-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

Label: Young & Lost Club
Release Date: Available Now
Format: Free Digital Download

Tracklisting:
1 My Keys, Your Boyfriend (Delphic Remix) 7:37
2 My Keys, Your Boyfriend (Portmanteau Remix) 5:23

Everything Everything's latest single, My Keys Your Boyfriend (MY KZ UR BF: potato, potata), has been remixed by Delphic and Portmanteau and now both are available to download for free.

Delphic's take on the single deviates most from the original track, creating a strikingly hypnotic, outer-worldly musical experience that seems fit for falling asleep to. I say this because it's a little on the long side for a remix that removes itself from the lyrics of the mother track to this extent, and becomes what I call an 'unconscious' listen. Though if you fight the temptation to skip to the end (or fall asleep) and apply your listening you will get an acknowledgment of the beauty in its construction and falling asleep to it should be a sanctified experience. Delphic are currently on the Kitsune Maison Tour and will be supporting Bloc Party in Japan come November.

Portmanteau's remix is my favourite, perhaps for it's closeness to the mother track lyrically, perhaps for it's 5 minutes 23 seconds: the perfect time lapse. This is an easy listen, it has vocals from both verse and chorus, and isn't too much of the same. I'll leave you to make your minds up on this one: all I'll advise is definitely download them! Everything Everything, Delphic, and Portmanteau are all burgeoning talents in their own rights so catch these free mp3's while you still can. Portmanteau are at present unsigned but have worked with/played alongside some great talent including Metronomy, Kap Bambino, My Tiger My Timing and Kosheen.

Download Everything Everything - My Keys Your Boyfriend (Delphic Remix).
Download Everything Everything - My Keys Your Boyfriend (Portmanteau Remix).

Everything Everything's MY KZ UR BF is out now on 7 inch vinyl and as a digital download from iTunes.
You can order your 7"vinyl via Young & Lost Club's wonderful online shop. Alternatively download from iTunes. The link takes you straight to the single in the iTunes store. Whilst there, for just £1.58 each you can download Everything Everything's previous singles Suffragette Suffragette and Photoshop Handsome, both essential for any music collection with B-sides as good as the A's.

Everything Everything are currently on their UK tour playing some great intimate venues, and will embark on their Germany tour in January 2010:

22nd October: Digital, Newcastle
28th October: Flapper, Birmingham
29th October: Roadmenders, Northampton
30th October: Plug and Play, Reading
31st October: Moles, Bath
3rd November: Jam, Brighton
4th November: ICA, London
6th November: Hamptons, Southampton (rescheduled gig)
7th November: 60 Million Postcards, Bournemouth (rescheduled gig)
9th November: The Cooler, Bristol (rescheduled gig)
16th November: Union Chapel, London (Mencap Little Noise Sessions)

17th January 2010: Studio 672, Cologne

18th January 2010: Prinzenbar, Hamburg

19th January 2010: Bang Bang, Berlin

20th January 2010: Beatpol, Dresden

21st January 2010: Atomic Cafe, Munich

22nd January 2010: Ponyhof, Frankfurt

Duck Sauce - aNYway

2009-10-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Label: Data Records

Release Date: 26th October 2009

Format: CD Single

Tracklisting:
1 aNYway (Radio Edit) 2:38

2 aNYway (Extended Mix) 5:25

It's time. It's time to put the "oogie in your boogie" and the "unky in your funk": DUCK SAUCE are soon to unleash their first single on Data Records.

For those of you who have retreated underneath the proverbial rock in the past two months, Duck Sauce are super-duo Armand Van Helden and A-Track (Fool's Gold). As always with such "super groups", fans were posting on forums with fervid anticipation when the rumours of a collab. came about: then, their sweaty brows were satisfied on release of the knowledge that yes, it was happening.

And now, it is exactly a week away from release. I doubt there's a fan out there who has yet to see Duck Sauce's aNYway video, and I also doubt aNYway hasn't hustled on your ear drums yet having been picked up, dropped and pushed by many a mainstream DJ (Pete Tong, Annie Mac, Zane Lowe...), but does it deliver?

Duck Sauce have undoubtedly delivered a disco anthem of 2009 here, one that elicits a sometimes undeniable urge to throw a move or two even in the souls doused in litres of apathy. aNYway is unapologetically 1970's but it is saved from being passé: it feels current and likable. The song does come attached with a heavy burden of 'cheese' and almost too much oogie in your boogie to gulp down, and whilst this is the nature of the genre, it seems somewhat out of place as an October release in the UK. The track is big but not a versatile listen, and now the winds and rain have closed in on the nation I think it's one that should be kept inside the club and out of car sound systems and headphones that leak to the point of not needing your own (a personal itch).

However, you can pre-order the CD Single here at Ministry of Sound and at just £1.99 it is definitely worth adding to your collection: better still, you get free delivery.

Lend a click on the following link to check out their MySpace where you can find video teasers, interviews and a stream of You're Nasty, a track off the upcoming album.

Plugs - All Them Witches

2009-04-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

Label: Kill Em All

Release Date: 18th May 2009

Format: Single – 7” Vinyl & Digital Download

Tracklisting:

1 All Them Witches (Radio Edit) (3:01)

2 All Them Witches (Original) (3:09)

3 She is Unique (3:49)

With artwork portraying a ladette’s worst nightmare and the most danceable 'let’s-write-about-my-ex/yes-I-do-still-think-of-what-you-did-and-hate-you-for-it' title track to have graced your ears since Bon Iver’s "For Emma..." Plugs have made a first-rate follow up to their much lauded 2008 EPs That Number and ‘Imaginary Friend’. The trio were digitally and lovingly caressed by many a radio station, music channel, magazine and blog after their past releases and All Them Witches has the potential to follow suit.

For those of you who haven’t been grabbed (or even lightly scratched) by the far-reaching fingers of this trio yet, the band comprises Morgan Quaintance, Dave Chin and the aptly named drummer Boomer. You’ll know Morgan as the chap who sings vocals and plays guitar in the internationally successful Does It Offend You, Yeah? and through his various performances alongside certain ex and current members of indie “IT” bands. You probably won’t know Dave Chin or Boomer, but not to worry.

Filthy Dukes picked up the band after asking them to play their Kill Em All club night at Fabric and were so impressed by Plugs they signed them up for the debut release on their newborn record label, erm, Kill Em All. Kudos to the Dukes as ‘All Them Witches’ is, in the words of Mr T (the A-Team - or the recent Snickers advert campaign), “pretty good!”.

All Them Witches is the most brilliant concoction of electro-indie-pop with just a shot of shoegaze for good measure. The first fifteen seconds of the song serves to warm up your ear drums to the soft, infectious electro of the track and will make you do that awful but oh so good 'head bob with shoulders' dance that we all do when we’re on our own (okay, maybe just me). When Quaintance’s warm and lethargic tones cut in, the music immediately switches from sharp, prodding electro to, dare I say the word, ‘groovy’ pop/indie dream. It’s a smooth transition that doesn’t have a millisecond of awkwardness and adds to the excellence of this track. What works to the songs’ advantage most however is the contrast between the happy, perfectly danceable music and vocals with the actual lyrics themselves. It’s akin to the scene in Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, when Alex hits George in the ‘yarbo’s’, kicks him into the Thames and slices Dim’s hand open, all to the jubilance of Rossini’s The Thieving Magpie. It can take half way into the song or multiple listens until you take notice of the lyrics in All Them Witches and realise that the song is actually a fairly deranged and bitter offering to an ex-girlfriend, who I’d suggest best get on the blower for a restraining order ASAP:

"If I see you in the arms of another, I’ll be standing over your shoulder with a gun in my hand, For the good of man."

Another fuelled lyric comes in the infectious chorus: "You’re like a feather/Travelling in the breeze/From partner to partner/I’m gonna make you bleed". However whatever Quaintance’s intentions with this ode to a seemingly fickle ex, this makes for a bloody good tune as these slightly maniacal lyrics layer over the upbeat and highly accessible music Plugs have brought to the table. A hot track that will make an invaluable addition to your music libraries!

It’s a crying shame that in complete contrast She Is Unique is nearly four minutes of anti-All Them Witches. Okay – this might seem harsh, we’ll mitigate and call it nearly four minutes of not-so-good song. It may just be the disappointment of the fantastically composed All Them Witches compared to the not-so-good She Is Unique, but even after only listening to the B-side a few times over I still find it an awful track. It’s try-hard, the vocals are too lazy. The song tries too much to emulate those ‘arty’ bands who layer clashing guitars or sounds with too much shoegaze and a lazy voice, and make something that should sound wrong really good - Metronomy did this well on their first album "Pip Paine...". The problem is that Plugs don’t pull it off and it makes the track hard to listen to the whole way through. You’ll find yourself subconsciously flicking the ‘back’ button of your iPods/hi-fi’s/record players to All Them Witches because She Is Unique is simply... listless.

It sounds just like a first bike ride feels, or watching a very drunk, very legless adult trying to climb a flight of stairs: awkward and uneasy. The reason I bring this B-side to attention and not simply sweep over it is that it’s unexpected of Plugs who usually create fantastic synth-drenched, infectious tunes that are sure-fire hits. Zane Lowe didn’t hand over the Hottest Record in the World nod of approval for no reason. Listening to their discography, when Plugs strip their songs of any synth, electro or pop the songs turn out to be ‘not-so-good’, but when they include them their songs will have everyone singing and dancing in unison, hands in the air – from an intimate gig to a stage at a festival. The fact that the remixes on the Imaginary Friend EP of That Number surpass the original song proves the point.

Despite She Is Unique, it is really worthwhile to have this single, even just for the title track which stands alone. I implore you now to part with whatever pittance they ask for this single on May 18th and buy, buy, buy! Don't just download, grab a 7" too. They also release a free download each month on their Myspace (linked below), which is music to anyone’s ears. They’ve been booked for the famous Camden Crawl this year and are playing a number of dates in the UK starting from last week’s Hoxton gig with We Have Band (which was incredible, by the way). Lend your support and check them out:

17th April: The Freebutt, Brighton
18th April: Play It By Ear @ Monarch, London
25th April: Camden Crawl, London
30th April: Hinterland Festival, Glasgow
1st May: Hinterland Festival, Glasgow

In a recent blog on their Myspace, Morgan tells us: “Trust me we have some loopy shizzle in the nizzle”. We'll take your word for it...

www.myspace.com/plugsmusic

http://www.peopleinthesky.co.uk/ (for previous EPs)

Review / words of wisdom: Rowan (special guest reviewer) Allen

My Tiger My Timing - This Is Not The Fire

2009-03-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

Label: Silver Music Machine

Release Date: 6th April 2009

Format: Single - CD & Digital Download

Tracklisting:

1 This Is Not The Fire (3:39)
2 Sam Wire Dubstep Version (5:10)
3 Tronik Youth’s Flaming Mix (5:21)

A hot new band from London?

Yes that is correct, from London. Forget the ‘scummy’ 4-pieces for a minute as there is something GOOD tearing up the capital…

James & Anna Vincent teamed up with Jamie Harrison & Gary Drain just over a year ago to form My Tiger My Timing and with a little help from “hearts, buildings, black holes and space” they’ve managed the almost unthinkable of today’s music scene…

Hot new music, which layers vocals within dark, often moody, yet extremely danceable three and a half minute pop songs.If they were around before you were born, they’d be somewhere between Orange Juice and Talking Heads (go ask your Dad)

After only a year it is now time for their official debut release, This Is Not The Fire. A truly awesome piece of hypnotic, melodic pop. The first listen you won’t even know you’ve taken it all in, but later you’ll be itching for a repeat performance.

With Andy Spence of New Young Pony Club fame at the controls, this debut is sure to fire them into the music scene with a BANG!

No B side, but instead, two very unique remixes. Personally I cannot see any reason for including the Sam Wire Dubstep Version as it offers the listen nothing in the way of bettering the original. Tronik Youth’s reworking is something to put on your ipods though. Over five minutes of pure late ‘80’s ‘summer of love’ industrial techno that somehow manages to sound fresher than ever. Not much is taken from the original, but for some this will prove to be the stand-out track.

Don’t take my word for it, Post War Years and We Have Band think My Tiger My Timing are up there with the best of them.

Want to hear more? You lucky people. Joe Goddard of Hot Chip is in the studio with My Tiger My Timing as you’re reading this. It won’t be long until these guys have a truly amazing set list to die for!

Go and see for yourselves…

4th April: Big In Japan @ Dusk Til Dawn, Bournemouth
11th April: Be @ Proud, London
17th April: Blow Up, Manchester
30th April: Hinterland Festival, Glasgow
15th May: The Great Escape Festival, Brighton
28th May: Broken Yolk @ Barden's Boudoir, London

If you don’t live near any of those cities?

Fine, My Tiger My Timing will be touring the whole of the UK VERY soon so sign up to their myspace and they’ll keep you informed…

www.myspace.com/mytigermytiming

They also have a new, slinky website...

http://www.mytigermytiming.com/

Review / words of wisdom: Robbie Romero

The Shoes vs Primary 1 - Ho Lord / People Movin'

2009-03-16T13:56:00.001-07:00

Label: 50 Bones

Release Date: 20th April 2009

Format: Single - 7" Vinyl & Digital Download

Tracklisting: A Ho Lord B/W AA People Movin'

If you've heard of The Shoes I doubt you need to read this, simply because you already know just how good these French remixers-turned-band really are!

After a string of notable remixes for a who's who of acts (Late Of The Pier, Santogold, Esser, Ladyhawke and Mystery Jets) The Shoes have made the inevitable jump to band extraordinaire. Everyone is leaping on their bandwagon, so don't miss out.

After debut releases from Little Boots and The Virgins, the already legendary 50 Bones is set to release its best find yet...

Ho Lord is the Ed Banger style treble heavy piano anthem for this summer. The French accented, softly spoken verses are reminiscent of The Teenagers, only better. Heavy bass with a piano led tune and melody will even have the coolest of cats gyrating to its groove. Its hard to stop this funk train of a track, although a mid song name check to (Sir) Elton does precisely that, for a second, before this runaway train instantly gathers steam and mooches into its timeless chorus, "Oh Lord, I would surrender to me...".

"The AA side is better than the A side"

That is a statement NOT a question! Yep, Erol Alkan's boys Primary 1 somehow manage to add cool to the newest cool cats on the block. When you hear People Movin' you'll think Gnarls Barkley and Danger Mouse have unleashed another perfect hit. The sweeping beats, trumpet and flute all combine with the sweetest soul voice to create a true sense of tropical paradise. There is even a stylophone for good measure. Don't take my word for it, let the chorus do the talking, "... Take the best and make it good for you".

Without around the clock radio play this won't become the summer anthem it rightfully deserves, but thats exactly what you want! Two super cool tracks back to back for all those cool cats.

Even the cover is awesome! Buy the 7" and you'll see what I mean.

Review / words of wisdom: Robbie Romero

Hot New Music Review

2009-03-09T04:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the HOT NEW MUSIC REVIEW

Managed by Robbie Romero and co-edited by Rowan Allen

This Blog will review ANY new music that we think is HOT