Music - Singles of the Week - Monday, January 25, 2010
IndieLondon gleefully checks out the cream of the week’s singles. All you have to do is click on the pictures to order them…
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 1: MIIKE SNOW – SILVIA: In case you’re not caught up, Miike Snow is comprised of three members – Swedish duo Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, who have written and produced under the Bloodshy & Avant moniker, delivering hits for Kylie, Madonna, Sugababes and Britney Spears (Toxic), as well as US songwriter Andrew Wyatt, who has his own assist on Daniel Merriweather’s excellent debut album. Their eponymous debut album was one of the better pop LPs of last year. Evidence of this can squarely be found on new single Silvia, one of its undoubted highlights. Unlike previous hit, Animal, the starker piano sound on the track enters ballad territory, moving further away from the Scandinavian reverb of the opening two tracks (think Lykke Li and co), into the type of emotive songwriting of Merriweather and Coldplay. The swirling synths that eventually reverberate around the background are a nice touch, too, ensuring that this doesn’t merely conform to bog-standard ballad format, but does something distinct as well. It’s a terrific choice for a single release.
Released across all formats
Rating: 4 out of 5
Order the album l Album review
SINGLE OF THE WEEK 2: MUSEE MECANIQUE – LIKE HOME: Another in a seemingly endless string of new and unique musical gems spawned amongst the hubbub of Portland, Oregon is Musée Mécanique. Their debut album Hold This Ghost is released on February 15th 2010 through new European label Souterrain Transmissions (formed by staff from legendary labels Touch & Go and City Slang) and, according to its PR, it will lull you gently into the beginning of 2010 with it’s warming, subtle and elegant folk-pop. The first taster of this is enchanting new single, Like Home, which raises the expectation bar very high. Strangely surreal, with the odd orchestral flourish, it’s wistful, folksy and hauntingly romantic. The hushed vocals sit comfortably with the intricately layered music to create an almost dream-like backdrop in which to kick back and enjoy what this new act has to offer. It’s well worth becoming acquainted with!
Released on limited edition 7”
Rating: 4 out of 5
DEADMAU5 – STROBE: deadmau5, the Candian born self-confessed techno geek, drops Strobe as the latest single offering from his long-player, For Lack of a Better Name. One of the better tracks to emerge from it, Strobe is a slick electronic dancefloor filler that drops a cracking central pulse and some snappy synths to get your fingers clicking and toes tapping in tandem with it. As ever, there’s a healthy remix package for this kind of thing, with a breakbeat mix from London-based DJ/producer team Plump DJs (which is slightly monontonous rather than thrilling), and another interpretation courtesy of Brazilian drum ‘n’ bass act DJ Marky and S.P.Y. Neither really improves or enhances the original, though. 2010 promises to be another massive year for deadmau5, especially in light of his forthcoming sold-out Brixton shows, which promise to bring his spectacular live shows to an even wider fanbase.
Released across all formats
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
DJ HELL feat BRYAN FERRY – U CAN DANCE: DJ Hell’s U Can Dance is an interpretation of an unreleased Bryan Ferry song, but one that reflects a meddling of two distinct personalities. The track follows in the wake of Hell’s The DJ feat P Diddy, which has won over dancefloors with its nearly 30-minute Radio Slave remix. Needless to say, this one features a load more remixes from the likes of Carl Craig, Tim Goldsworthy, Simian Mobile Disco and Teufelswerk. Alas, neither the original, nor the remixes, left that much of an impression upon us. The haunted, vaguely house electronics and Ferry’s faint vocals fail to combine to create anything rousing and by the time I reached the conclusion of all remix formats, I felt more comatose than alive. All in all, this is a collaboration that’s deeply disappointing.
Released across all formats
Rating: 2 out of 5
FRASER – LAY IT ON THE LINE: After successfully building a devoted fanbase in and around their hometown of London, Fraser are now releasing their first single to be taken from their forthcoming debut album, A Garden At The Top of The Tree. Completely created, written and fronted by Maltese singer-songwriter Fraser Gregory, Fraser aims to follow in the footsteps of Travis, Keane and The Fray with a set of catchy, radio-friendly pop-rock songs. New single Lay It on The Line even drops a New Order Regret era kind of vibe and suggests that the PR’s claim to possessing catchy hooks and upbeat melodies isn’t far from the truth. He has a good set of vocals, a keen ear for a sharp melody and an upbeat pop sensibility that’s definitely radio friendly. It’s a promising introduction from an artists that’s worth keeping an eye on.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
YOUNG GUNS – WINTER KISS: High Wycombe quintet Winter Kiss unleash their rock anthem Winter Kiss as a follow-up to a successful 12 months that has seen them support the likes of Lostprophets, Taking Back Sunday and Fightstar, as well as attracting the attention of Radio 1’s Zane Lowe. Featuring lyrics such as “this winter kiss has left me poisoned, and I will never be the same again”, the track is a heavy hitting rock anthem that owes much in style to the likes of Lostprophets and even Paramore. Sadly, for that very reason it’s also very generic and best left to die-hard rock aficionados only. That said, it has been made available as a free download as a thank you to the fans. As frontman Gustav Wood explains: “We wanted to release the new track as a free download-only single because we wanted to give something back to those that have given us so much, it’s the least we could do after such a great year.”
Released as a free download
Rating: 2 out of 5
LET’S GO TO WAR – LIFE WE LIVE: In the not too distant past…Peter-John got evicted from his Toronto apartment and landed on the couch of producer DJ Cirkut. Armed with his guitar, backpack and skateboard, it was here that the first chapter of Let’s Go To War was written. After weeks of saying, “we should hook up and work on some tracks”, they finally collaborated and wrote a handful of songs in a matter of days, which resulted in a creative experience sweeter than a mouthful of cotton candy. Life We Live is billed as “the hedonistic club anthem that will bring any party to a climax”. We’re not sure about that – at least our party would probably riot and demand their money back, or the music be turned off! Life We Live is a vocoder laden, electronic dancefloor piledriver that channels the energy and sound of acts like Pendulum and Daft Punk, as well as infusing it with a rap element. It’s nowhere near as accomplished, though, and feels like it was thrown together in a couple of days. Bonus tracks Burn Down The Disco and The Whole City’s Got A Cold do little to enhance their reputation. Is it me, or is the whole vocoder, urban dance synth thing getting kind of stale?!
Released across all formats
Rating: 2 out of 5
DANIELLE SPENCER – ON YOUR SIDE: Australian artist Danielle Spencer writes the sort of chirpy, catchy songs that beg immediate comparisons with the likes of Regina Spektor and which seem destined to grace the soundtrack of leading US TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy or Brothers & Sisters. Taken from her forthcoming debut UK album Calling All Magicians, new single On Your Side boasts some suitably catchy pop hooks, supplied by some bouncing piano chords, set against some honeyed vocals that possess a breezy positivity about them. The layering, midway through, is a nice touch as well that bodes well for the forthcoming LP. Spencer may be following a tried and tested formula… but her music has an upbeat energy to it that’s impossible not to be won over by in even a small way.
Released across all formats
Rating: 3 out of 5
Heard a great single, but yet to buy it? Well, we may have reviewed it. Previous reviews:
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