New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'Superlove'

Ohai, remember me? I used to write blog posts on here on da regz. Now it's somewhat less regz, but that's largely down to my feeling uninspired in regards to some of the music I keep coming across.

But come forth Charli XCX - someone who I can generally count on to make me happy again with her glorious dance-pop songs - and it appears she is on top form! After gaining more worldwide press attention thanks to her both writing and featuring on mega-hit of the summer, 'I Love It', by Swedish duo Icona Pop, Charli has (somehow) managed to find time to begin work on her second album whilst touring here, there and everywhere. The first song to be debuted as the follow-up to her first proper album, True Romance, is the delectable 'Superlove'; it is instantly loveable, of similar glittering ilk of 'Take My Hand' but much more accessible and sophisticated - by no means a bad thing! - and will no doubt be played on radio airwaves anytime soon. This is straight up pop at its best - so go get hooked!

http://www.charlixcxmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic
https://twitter.com/charli_xcx

BUZZ Playlists.. 'Summering'

A few weeks ago, when I was rejoicing at the emergence of Brit summer 2013 (3 weeks and possibly counting), so I put together a quick lil playlist of big happy bummer choons! There's quite a big mix in there, including Everything Everything, my fave CHVRCHES song, new CSS and Bloc Party, plus some old faves by Phoenix, The White Stripes, The Police and Grimes :)

Have fun!

Let me know what your favourite songs are!

May BUZZ

Well, didn't this past month just fly by? I seriously don't know where it's gone! Some things have changed for me since we had the first edition of the monthly BUZZ; I can report that I've got a job and that I am now also writing reviews for RenownedForSound.com! Good times! Next week I go on (a UK) holiday, so hopefully summer is here to stay for a while instead of this unpredictable weather we're having.

Anyway, less dillydallying!

Marina And The Diamonds & Charli XCX - 'Just Desserts'

Yes guys, THIS happened. Two of my current favourite female singers joined to collaborate on a Marina penned track; it was heaven. I could barely believe my eyes when this appeared on my Twitter feed (courtesy of Diamandis), and best of all? FREE DOWNLOAD! Wins all round! (Read my full post here)

Superfood - 'TV' (Demo)

Birmingham band Superfood dropped a new demo, therefore there is a grand total of two songs available online for your listening pleasure. This band are certainly growing on me, with their '90's influence and catchy lyrics. Similarly to the song 'Superfood', 'TV' is definitely a grower, and I'm looking forward to hearing a higher quality version and hopefully more demos in the near future.

Bjork - 'Army Of Me'

As I said on the post relating to this article, I find Bjork fascinating. She is truly one of the few individuals whose artistic vision is largely untampered by the barrage of the internet and a world that grows ever smaller, yet she somehow remains innovative (she created the first app album, yes - app!). 'Army Of Me' is easily my favourite Bjork song, the aggressive industrial stomp and her haunting voice are mesmirising.

Laura Marling - 'Once I Was An Eagle'

The standout album for this month has to be Laura Marling's fourth effort, Once I Was An Eagle. If you've not listened to it yet, I can't recommend you do enough; it was stellar, and unexpectedly so on my part. Whilst I was aware of Marling and her brand of folk, I had never seeked out her music however, after reviewing it for RenownedForSound (please read it here) I was blown away by her effort. The video above is from her session on Jools Holland, and is identical to the recorded track.

Savages - 'City's Full'

I recently gained possession of Savages album, Silence Yourself. I fully intended to write a review of it, however I just haven't had the opportunity to give it enough dedicated time and effort to articulate such; I hadn't even managed to listen to it until Wednesday! Savages, however, are a really good band, and definitely one I would love to catch live in the near future. Here's one of my fave's, 'City's Full'.

God Damn - 'God Damn'

I've been listening to a lot of Black Country band God Damn recently. And I mean a. lot. At the moment they encapsulate everything I'm looking for in music: heavy, catchy, interesting, fun! God Damn have it in spades. Above is the song which encapsulates what the band are about, however you should also check out the epic video for their newest release, 'Heavy Money'. My boyfriend also did a review of the Heavy Money EP, which is currently streaming in full on God Damn's Soundcloud.

.................................................................................................................................................

And that's it for May BUZZ! I'm really enjoying writing these posts, short, snappy and packed full of good stuff! I'm considering making a monthly playlist to accompany these posts. 

So, tell me, what have you been loving this May?

Flashback Friday - Marina and the Diamonds - 'Mowgli's Road'

Is it that time of week again already? It feels like barely five minutes since I did this post last week. Anyways, here we are and if you're British you'll know that our promising looking summer has dissipated into perpetual GLOOM. Perhaps I cursed us all by posting that summer playlist a tad too early.

This week, I've been listening to a lot of Marina because - let's face it - when is there ever a wrong time to listen to Marina? Those unacquainted with her pre-Electra Heart efforts will find themselves met with a less mainstream sound which, whilst still electronic, is far more piano based, as seen in songs such as 'Obsessions', 'Hermit The Frog', 'Numb' and 'Guilty'. 'Mowgli's Road'  - the first single taken from Marina's 2009 debut, The Family Jewels - is easily one of the singer's most bizarre, seeing her cuckoo (literally) her way through three minutes of cartoonish shtick that is reminiscent of a Noughties Kate Bush. As always, Marina's voice is her best asset which - though no doubt irritating for some - is capable of many feats, her whooping vibrato channeling many a character as she embodies her role as a lost Mowgli, stumbling along the path of life unsure of their aim, with the lyrics 'There's a fork in the road/ I'll do as I'm told/ Well I don't know (don't know, don't know, don't know)/ Who I wanna be' reinforcing this dilemma of being controlled - most likely by her label - in her quest for recognition.

Marina is currently touring the US in support of her second album Electra Heart (which is out now), along with support from  Charli XCX.

Do you like Marina? Which do you prefer - her first album or Electra Heart? What is your favourite Marina song?

http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com/
https://twitter.com/MarinasDiamonds
https://www.facebook.com/marinaandthediamonds
https://soundcloud.com/marina-and-the-diamonds

New Waves.. Marina and the Diamonds & Charli XCX - 'Just Desserts'

I must say that seeing this on my Twitter feed today was rather unexpected, but after I saw Marina (of Diamond ilk) post about getting ready to drop a track that she recorded with Charli XCX, I got more than a tad excited; two of may favourite pop artists collaborating!? What on Earth could be better?

The song - 'Just Desserts' - sounds like a perfect blend of the two singers, combining Marina's dark electronic pop with Charli's quirky delivery. Whilst Marina's voice is unique, Charli's contribution manages to compliment it, whilst many other voices wouldn't have been able to pull it off without it sounding more than a bit awkward; however, that said, at times it get a little difficult to differentiate between the two voices.

As for the song itself, it grows with each listen, however it definitely feels as though it is leaning closer to the Marina side of the fence, and 'Just Desserts' would have been perfectly at home slap bang in the middle of Marina's 2012 concept album, Electra Heart. Lyrically, the content is similar - in this instance, an ode to revenge - with Charli declaring in a sickly sweet manner 'Yeah baby, I know that it hurts when you're about to get your just desserts'. For fans of either or both of the singers, the song is definitely an unexpected treat!

What do you think of 'Just Desserts'? Do you like Marina or Charli XCX? Was it a collaboration worth having?

http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com/
https://twitter.com/MarinasDiamonds
https://www.facebook.com/marinaandthediamonds

http://www.charlixcxmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic
https://twitter.com/charli_xcx

Rapid Review.. Charli XCX - 'True Romance'

It's been a long, long time coming, ladies and gents but it's here and happening; Charli XCX has finally dropped her debut album!

I can't express how frustrating, yet exciting the wait has been for me since she announced the release date a few months ago, I've literally been counting down the days til I got the album in my grubby lil mitts! But now True Romance is here (I ordered a signed copy and it arrived 2 days in advance - woop woop!) - and what a treat it is!

To anyone who has been following Charli XCX closely for the past year or two, it is immediately apparent that there are very few tracks that are not immediately identifiable. This is not necessarily a bad thing, especially as some of the singles and samples on her mixtapes have been proper bangers, and even the short intro at the beginning of album opener, 'Nuclear Seasons', feels familiar. The latter is still one of Charli's best songs, and has held the test of time for me, especially considering that I first heard it at least 18 months ago, however in comparison to this, I still can't get overly excited by 'You (HA HA HA)', despite really liking the Gold Panda sample and knowing all the lyrics.

The first new song that is thrust upon us is 'Take My Hand'; it's an incredibly fun electro-pop number that will have you dancing around your room singing into a hairbrush (people still do that?) and is a perfect pre-piss up song, with Charli declaring 'Don't go to sleep - let's go out!'. Track 4, and we're back on firm favourites with the addition of 'Stay Away', the song that re-introduced Charli XCX to the world as a more serious artist, in comparison to her older demos. 'Stay Away' is a luxurious gothy number with an industrial edge that hums and purrs it's recount of a past relationship that turned sour, and it is easily the most mature sounding song on the album.

'Set Me Free (Take My Hand)' continues the more mellow mood, whilst 'Grins' gets somewhat trippy and experimental, but the next standout track for me is 'So Far Away' - a song that I raved about previously when it was included in its entirety on the You're The One EP; it's an addictive and moody lament to love and shows a more sultry side to the singer, with Charli half-rapping her way through the verses declaring 'I wasn't looking for a thug, I was looking for a bad boy'. Next is 'Cloud Aura', her duet with rapper Brooke Candy and the highlight of the SUPER ULTRA Mixtape, a song that I initially found somewhat irritating yet, months later, I find myself highly addicted to. Listen to it and channel your inner badass! The party vibe is continued by the chilled out R'n'B of forthcoming single 'What I Like', before we hit 'Black Roses', a song that I'm actually not as fond of, it feels weaker, but then again, given what I've initially written about other Charli XCX songs, this may be subject to change!

Next is the euphoric and catchy 'You're The One', before we're given 'How Can I' - a song first debuted on the HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES Mixtape - and now, hearing it in its finished form, I am left a little befuddled by. It's gloomy and menacing and is easily the darkest track on the album, however the bridge section feels somewhat clunky and slightly out of place, however we are taken full circle with album closer, 'Lock You Up', a poppy number with a rosy - slightly '80's glow that rounds off the album in a satisfying manner.

Overall, True Romance has the feel of an extended mixtape; the songs flow that effortlessly into each other, and it works all the better for this. You'll find yourself thinking, at the end of 'Lock You Up', where on Earth did this entire album whizz by, it's of that much consistency and that much fun. Not a single moment drags.

So, whether you're a Charli XCX addict or waiting to be converted, definitely have a listen of True Romance, I highly doubt that it will be something you regret, and you may just find yourself your new favourite pop starlet in the making! I'm already anticipating album number 2!

Are you a Chalri XCX fan? What are your thoughts on True Romance? 

PS: It wasn't until I was linking to all my other articles that I realised how much I had written on Charli XCX in the past 18 months!

http://www.charlixcxmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic
https://twitter.com/charli_xcx
https://soundcloud.com/charlixcx

New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'What I Like'

Oh yes! - Take a look; it's Charli XCX time again!

The electro-pop starlet is back with the second single from her forthcoming debut album, True Romance (April 16th - not long to wait now, folks!) entitled 'What I Like'. The accompanying video, which was shot of a handheld camera, sees Charli and her friends partying in a hotel, whilst the song, I am glad to report, is in my opinion superior to her previous single, 'You (HA HA HA)', which I found a tad lacklustre lyrically, though I loved the Gold Panda sample. 

'What You Like' starts with a building frenzy of dance beats before climaxing and abating into the uber chilled out chorus, with Charli semi-rapping through the verses in her signiature manner about young love and lazy days (spent smoking who-knows-what, if we're judging from this), stating 'You were like the medicine, the medicine, I wanted more'.

Yeah, so do we Charli!

The release date for 'What I Like' is as of yet unconfirmed. 

True Romance is released April 16th.

http://www.charlixcxmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic

https://twitter.com/charli_xcx

https://soundcloud.com/charlixcx

New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'You (HA HA HA)

I started writing this a few weeks back when the video first premiered, but alas here it is, late as is so often the case these days! Fortunately, it's not been so delayed as to have been deemed irrelevant - not that that's ever stopped me before.

You should all know by now because I say it so often that I am a mahusive Charli XCX fan! The single, 'You (Ha Ha Ha)', is the first new song to be revealed for her forthcoming, as-of-yet untitled album. The song samples Gold Panda's 'You' which, whilst being a great instrumental in it's own right, gains a new lease of life with the addition of Charli's lyrics. That being said, Charli's 'You' feels a tad repetitive and not as strong as some of her previous singles. I feel like a broken record in that I've said this on my previous few posts - however, both the 'SUPER ULTRA Mixtape' and especially 'Cloud Aura (feat. BROOKE CANDY)' have grown on me immensely, I'll eat my words! I think that for me, having been impressed with the lyrics for her first couple of singles, 'Stay Away' and 'Nuclear Seasons', I am always looking for such standards of brilliance. That being said, it's still a great pop track, and I'm still beyond excited for the album. I genuinely don't recall the last time the prospect of an album release has whet my appetite so much, I seriously can't wait! It will be on repeat for months!

The 'You (Ha Ha Ha)' EP is out on February 10th.

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https://twitter.com/charli_xcx

Rapid Review.. Charli XCX - 'SUPER ULTRA Mixtape'

You've probably gathered by now, if you follow this blog that is, that I am a large fan of Charli XCX. The alt. pop singer has been garnering more and more press coverage recently, and now she has released her second mixtape, SUPER ULTRA, prior to the release of her album early next year.

SUPER ULTRA hits the ground with 'Cloud Aura' (feat. Brooke Candy), which I reviewed previously, and stated that I felt it wasn't one of the strongest songs from Charli as of yet, although in hindsight after listening to this mixtape, it actually adds some well needed "oomph" to the sequence of tracks. The mixtape itself feels somewhat trippy, there are more mid-tempo/slow songs here and strange beats, with only 'Heatwave' really getting the listener excited by being a nice dance track. For me, the highlight of the mixtape has to be 'Forgiveness'; it's the nearest thing to a ballad that Charli has given us yet, and it's simple and personal, although as with any Charli XCX song, the temptation to mix it up is always there, as after the first chorus is done and dusted, the atmosphere turns menacing and dark.

On the newsletter email that delivered the free download, Charli stated that the entirety of the mixtape was written during her two days touring in Poland, and that the songs are all about love and are all sad in some manner.

Go to Charli XCX's website to download the SUPER ULTRA mixtape for FREE.

Read my review of Charli's previous mixtape, HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES HERE.

Charli XCX is also doing a DJ set at The Garage on 21st November (tickets here) with Tom Vek, Brenton and Coves all playing live.

http://charlixcxmusic.com/
http://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic
https://twitter.com/charli_xcx
http://soundcloud.com/charlixcx

New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'Cloud Aura' (feat. BROOKE CANDY)

'Cloud Aura' is that latest track dropped by rising underground pop starlet, Charli XCX. This song features Brooke Candy, an artist probably most known to alt. music fans as the pink haired, metallic alien/anime girl in Grimes' mind boggling video for her track 'Genesis'.

Candy's contribution isn't stunning, but it serves its purpose, name-dropping couple comparisons such as Bonnie and Clyde, Jay - Z and Beyonce, and - annoyingly - a pro Chris Brown reference, that would irk any sane individual with its presence, whether he can claim hit chart dance tunes or not.

Charli's own verse reminds me of Tinie Tempah in its delivery, and as always, the chorus is undeniably catchy. It's not one of the strongest songs that she's given us so far, but it seems to hint at a bit of musical experimentation and genre blending which is always interesting. The track sounds more electro hip hip that Charli's perceived industrial goth poppiness. It is also frustratingly short, but seeing as it's practically a teaser from her upcoming mixtape SUPER ULTRA, which is due next week.

http://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic
http://charlixcxmusic.com/
https://twitter.com/charli_xcx

UPDATE: Here's the music vid :)

New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'So Far Away'

At last, I can post this! I first wrote it when Charli XCX's You're the One EP came out in the UK last month and contained the full version of 'So Far Away'. It's been on loop on my iPod since, and now it's got it's own video (after waiting a feed that I could link in this post'.

'So Far Away' made its debut on the Charli XCX mixtape, 'HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES', and was easily one of the standout tracks for me! It's a moody lament to love and it ebbs and flows darkly. It was highly addictive and Charli's spoken word/semi-rapping segments have a greater outing here, taking up the verses - and it's a rather unique quality that I've not found under her contemporaries.

The track made a full length appearance on the You're the One EP, and judging from her posts on he Facebook profile, will be accompanied by a music video in the upcoming months!

Charli XCX is still on tour, currently with Coldplay (!) and will then undertake her first UK headline solo tour in November! Another outing I need to be at!

With Coldplay – 19/09 - Warsaw

With Coldplay – 22/09 - Hannover

Parklife – 29/09 – Brisbane

Parklife – 30/09 - Sydney

Parklife – 01/10 - Perth

Parklife – 06/10 - Melbourne

Parklife – 07/10 – Adelaide

- - -

UK Tour

- - -

Headline Tour - 05/11 - Nation of Shopkeepers, Leeds

Headline Tour - 06/11 - Stereo, Glasgow

Headline Tour - 08/11 - HMV Institute, Birmingham

Headline Tour - 09/11 - Shipping Forecast, Liverpool

Headline Tour - 10/11 - Bodega, Nottingham

Headline Tour - 11/11 - Deaf Institute, Manchester

Headline Tour - 13/11 - In:Motion, Bristol

Headline Tour - 14/11 - Green Door Store, Brighton

Headline Tour - 15/11 - XOYO, London

https://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic

https://twitter.com/charli_xcx

http://charlixcxmusic.com/

New Waves.. Sky Ferreira - 'Everything is Embarrassing'

This track from Sky Ferreira reminds me of upcoming UK singer, Charli XCX, and as the two share the skills of producer Ariel Reichtshaid and Blood Orange's Dev Hynes in their recent output, it is hardly surprising.

The addition of the production duo gives the track a chilled out electronic vibe that I'd previously thought Ferreira was straying away from with her previous rockier single, 'Red Lips', however I'm pleased that she has embraced electronic sounds once again, as in my opinion her voice suits such music far, far more! Her sullen vocal suits the understated vintage electro-pop of the song, and brings to mind a wistful insight into young love.

I can already tell that I will become addicted to this song! I was largely indifferent towards her debut single 'One' back in 2010, I didn't investigate further into her music, although I will definitely be paying more attention this time around!

Her Ghost EP is due for October 2nd.

https://twitter.com/skyferreira
http://www.skyferreira.com/
http://www.facebook.com/skyferreira

New Waves.. Josh Kumra - 'Helicopters and Planes'

Apologies for the lack of, well, anything of substance for the past week! Once again, I've had other things to do and I've not really got around to writing stuff on here.

But last week, on a whim, I downloaded some new music to revitalise my ears whilst at work, namely:

• Purity Ring - Shrines
• Delilah - From The Roots Up
• Lawson - Taking Over Me EP (cheesy, I know, I don't care! It's fun and makes me happy and reminds me of my bessie :)
• Josh Kumra - Helicopters and Planes EP
• Turbowolf - Selftitled

SO expect some reviews soon!

In other news, I'll most likely be getting the new Spector album, Enjoy It While It Lasts; as one of the main buzz bands this year (a la the annual 'BBC Sound of 20blah' poll), they're really one of the only acts, other than Charli XCX that I've gotten excited about!

ANYWAY this post was originally about up and coming singer-songwriter, Josh Kumra!

If he looks and sounds vaguely familiar to you, you'll be forgiven for thinking twice, as he was the guy who deelivered the vocal hook (probably the only thing that makes me like the song) in Wretch 32's UK number 1, 'Don't Go', 'don't leave, please stay, with me..!'. My current obsession with him began when I went to T4 on the Beach a month or so ago, and saw him perform with Wretch 32. His vocal was spot on and I ended up converting to liking the song, which I originally hated!

Moving on, this is his debut solo single, 'Helicopters and Planes'. At first it didn't strike me as anything too individual, but after a while I really got hooked on it! For £1.99 off iTunes (and 99p for the single on its own), it's worth buying the whole EP, and there are surprisingly good remixes on it!

http://www.facebook.com/joshkumra
http://www.joshkumra.com
https://twitter.com/JoshKumra

'Don't Go' acoustic

New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'You're The One' (Odd Future's The Internet feat. Mike G Remix)

This first appeared on her mixtape HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES (review here!), as a mini contribution and the very very end, and here is the full version, unveiled as a birthday gift early on Aug 2nd and a treat for the fans on which appears to be Charli's birthday (Happy birthday!).

Many fans have stated on Youtube that they prefer this remix by Odd Future's The Internet and Mike G to the original single. I don't really have a preference in this instance, as I tend to love the different interpretations of remixes and covers anyway, and this one is above average.

Check it out!

http://charlixcxmusic.com/

http://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic

http://soundcloud.com/charlixcx

Rapid Review.. Charli XCX - HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES Mixtape

As you should all know (or soon shall!) I love Charli XCX! In fact, I <3 her! She is a cool, quirky, pop powerhouse, and she is going to be big, be it in indie cyberspace or above the water.

She released her mixtape HEARTBREAKS AND EARTHQUAKES approximately a month ago now, and whilst I've been listening to it non-stop and have been planning to review it, I just never really got around to it.

But I shall now! The mixtape is split into arcs named after famous and cult films (namely Beyond the Black Rainbow, The Craft, Kill Bill, Cruel Intentions, American Beauty), incorporating soundbites to show the transitions. Similarly, the arcs shift between moods, altering between sultry seductress, self hate and love, largely discussing relationships and doubts.

Charli has a penchant for spoken word/semi-rapping segments, and this gets a lot of air time here, similarly to when used on 'Stay Away'. But the balance is right, it works and makes the songs more interesting (Charli recently stated in an interview that she used to have pipedreams of being a rapper in her early days, so it is most likely channelled here!). 

Apart from that, the mixtape contains samples and remixes of Blood Orange, Blood Diamonds, Drake, Rudimental, plus others, as well as a very short remix of her recent (US)/ soon to be (UK) single, 'You're The One' by Odd Future's The Internet and Mike G.

So anyway, apart from the delay, a very good mixtape to whet our appetites for the album later in the year!

Enjoy :)

http://charlixcxmusic.com/

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http://soundcloud.com/charlixcx

New Waves.. Charli XCX - 'You're The One'

You're The One

New song by up and coming UK pop starlet, Charli XCX!

I seriously love this girl! She writes catchy songs that veer between slightly moody ('Stay Away') to channeling young love in 'Valentine' and a retro '80's feel in 'Nuclear Seasons'.

'You're the One' contains elements of all of the aforementioned tracks; slightly throbbing, haunting yet still very catchy, you'll no doubt be humming it for days. This is sophisticated electro-pop and this girl has a talented way with words. I look forward to every song I hear from her!

Her US EP is released 12th June!
Unconfirmed release date for UK as of yet.

https://www.facebook.com/charlixcxmusic
https://twitter.com/#!/charli_xcx
http://charlixcxmusic.com/