Oh Land, the name Nanna Øland Fabricius performs under, is a real treat. She reminds me quite a lot of compatriots The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, although she is less influenced by the seventies (not hard, really). 'Wolf & I' is moody, swirling and for some reason it reminds me a Lauryn Hill song I liked when I was about 8. Not sure why! It has also got some proper bass on it. If you've got good headphones/speakers it's great fun. Oh Land - Wolf & I [ Buy [...]
I don't know what it was that made me think of this the other day, but I suddenly had that image from series 2 of I'm Alan Partridge where he's playing the air bass to Gary Numan's 'Music For Chameleons' as the tax people come round. (Watch it here. I'm not doing it any justice!) Anyway, it's a great song. So then I thought, what other songs does Mr Partridge like? He is, after all, a DJ. Here are some of his favourites. How do I know this? A careful mix of enjoying the show, Wikipedia and having [...]
The Antlers // Amanda Mair Good morning. Welcome back to the playlist that just keeps on giving chilled songs! This installment starts with The Antlers and a song off their brand new album, Burst Apart . It's got something of old Phantom Planet about it (yes, they did more than just that one song), not to mention the obvious Radiohead nod. It's moody, atmospheric and fantastically performed. The emotion in singer Peter Silberman's voice is startling, yet the song never overloads you. This really is a cracking good [...]
Another week gone. And it's been a pretty big one too. I quit my job on Friday and I'm off halfway around the world today. So as my final roundup for a while I'm putting up some good songs! First up is hot off the press by the people behind HEARTSREVOLUTION. I remember the first ever Kitsuné compilation I got was number 6, which, for the record, is a bloody good one! They had a song it back then called 'Ultraviolence', which I really enjoyed. So imagine my happy face when this was sent along. It's a fascinating song with [...]
Hello all. Here's a note about a guy called Lewis Floyd Henry and the fact that he's playing a gig for some friends of mine soon. If you've not heard of him, Mr Henry is a busker who's been creating quite the stir with his one-man-band setup and his Hendrix-esque voice. Not to mention the fact that the songs he makes a bloody good! His album, One Man & His 30w Pram , came out in February and he's been 'touring' is since then. Which is to say, he's been finding a spot in a UK city and playing. [...]
Clock Opera are from London. They make what can only really be described as pop music. It is not the kind of pop you're likely to hear on Capital FM, Radio 1 and the legions of other popular stations. This is a band who are making music that deserves to be listened to by people who are into house-y stuff, ballads, electro, indie... The list goes on. Having recently signed to Moshi Moshi they've released the song 'Belongings', which is a slow build to an ending that, frankly, you wished didn't end. Clock Opera - Belongings [...]
Another week's gone. Sadly, so has another weekend. So let's bury our heads in the sand at the prospect of another week of work and listen to some music. Here's what I've been listening to over the last seven days... To start things off, here's a new song from Animal Farm. It's got a great chilled, old school jazzy vibe and a cool bassline. It's pretty conscientious lyrically (well, it's not rapping about guns and dolla) and the chorus is fly. Oh, it also features Talib Kweli. Animal Farm - Test Of [...]
Look at this video... If I wasn't going to India for a month and a half I would be on this like a rash. However, I am going away. You, though, might not be. In which case you should definitely get down to one of these parties. As is the Vice way, they will have good music, booze and lots of pretty people. There's more information on the three dates here , but what you need [...]
I did one of these a couple of weeks ago and it seemed to go down fairly well. So here are another four remixes that have been getting some plays this week. Some of them are spanking new, others aren't so new. Either way, they're worth listening to. This first one is a bit of Nicki Minaj. She is great, no two ways about it. Her flow is awesome and her lyrics leave little to the imagination. Her delivery reminds me of old school Lil' Kim. At times innocent and at time dripping with innuendo. Back to what [...]
The Antlers // Amanda Mair Good morning. Welcome back to the playlist that just keeps on giving chilled songs! This installment starts with The Antlers and a song off their brand new album, Burst Apart . It's got something of old Phantom Planet about it (yes, they did more than just that one song), not to mention the obvious Radiohead nod. It's moody, atmospheric and fantastically performed. The emotion in singer Peter Silberman's voice is startling, yet the song never overloads you. This really is a cracking good [...]
So you might have heard about The Very Best putting out a new mixtape to celebrate mums. Or moms. Anyway, they did and it's pretty good. At heart it's still a mixtape, so there are hits and there are misses, but on the whole it is good. And there are a couple of reyt good 'uns on it. To celebrate the release they're putting on a party in London tomorrow night. Oh yeah, and it's free. And if you're one of the first 40 people to turn up you'll get a free T-shirt. The only catch is that the whole [...]
Well, it is. And it has been for rather a long time. While it makes me wonder what on earth is going on with the seasons, ultimately it works out pretty nicely for me. Here are some songs that should be listened to while drinking a (fancy) cider in one of the Queen's Parks with your friends. Maybe even in one of the sun loungers, if you're prepared to get fleeced. Toots & The Maytals - Take Me Home Country Road [ Buy ] [...]
Chairlift // Feist It has been a really long time since we've done an update on this playlist. Been slacking lately with my chilled music listening, largely because things haven't really been chilled. Then I was listening to my iPod on shuffle and this song came on. Yes, it may be three years old now, but who cares?! With a vocal that pretty and a bassline that fun it is a cracker. And you can just close your eyes and imagine you're somewhere so much nicer [...]
They've got a new album due out in just over a week and, judging by these two songs, it's going to be every bit as dancy and high tempo as their first eponymous release was. The first of these two songs is 'Live Those Days Tonight', an ambitious, wild-sounding song that makes great use of the urgent percussion that I enjoyed so much on Friendly Fires . Sadly it's only a radio rip, but it does give you a good idea of what to expect. The second song is called 'Hawaiian Air' [...]
Here's a little selection of what I've been listening to over the past week. It's a combination of my last.fm plays, online streams and the odd song I've heard on the radio. So, in no particular order, let's have a look. First up is a 502s/rockabilly girl-folk group called Louise & The Pins , hailing from London. They happen to be rather good friends with Laura Marling, in case you need any extra incentive to check them out. The music consists of simple guitars behind lovely vocal melodies. And they have [...]
Those guys are Spector. And among them is front-man and chief song writer Fred Macpherson. His voice has got an 802s elegance about it that matches the grandiose production on their newest release, 'Never Fade Away'. It's due to be released in about a month on Luv Luv Luv Records , who look after Florence + The Machine and Coco + Fyfe, among others. Anyway, the song underneath is something of a lesson on how to write a pop song that references a period very obviously, while maintaining the breezy coolness [...]
No, that's not me shouting. It's how they spell it. Although, you should listen to them. So maybe you should imagine me raising me voice a little while I'm talking about them. YΔCHT are Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans, with Robert “Bobby Birdman” Kieswetter and Jeffrey “Jerusalem” Brodsky joining them for the live shows. They make pretty cool electronic-based music that fits in rather wonderfully with the output of all their DFA labelmates. But they definitely don't blend into the crowd; Claire's vocals have yet to disappoint and some of the production quality on their output is really impressive. [...]
Well these guys are obviously having a shit time. Oh no, wait. What I meant to say is "how much do you want to be on that goddamn boat". In the Bahamas, with the booze, the bikinis, the people (read: laydeez) and the music . Because, in spite of all the fun in video, it's a really good song. As a way of celebrating all things that are awesome about Black Lips, here are a couple of remixes. One's a golden oldie from Diplo back in 2009 and another is a spanking new(ish) song by WIN WIN [...]
Actually, it's Charlie Blacksmoke and The Swamp Energy Mass Choir, but that looked a bit messy as a title. It's the latest project of Memphis-ian Mr Blacksmoke and the single he's put out off his soon-to-arrive EP is a cracker. It's called Hippy Glue and it's a great song that's got a lot of Jamie Lidell about it; soulful and funky while playing with electronic sounds in a way that messes with genres. All in all, it makes it very difficult to pigeonhole. The vocals are a real treat, too. He's got a quality that is easily recognisable and it [...]
Here are a few of my favourite remixes that have been sent my way / I've hunted down over the past couple of weeks. First up is a sick mix of Toddla T's recent single 'Take It Back'. It takes a sample of the vocal (provided by Shola Ama) that's got a great 902s groove to it and adds it to a great new backing track. The song veers from the uncharacteristically poppy (but very likeable) original when it drops into a proper bassy, dancehall mix around 1:40. I would be very surprised if this didn't get some [...]
Safety, Fun & Learning
Listen to the Japanese Song that Grimes is Obsessed With
Stream: Disclosure – When A Fire Starts To Burn
Deadmau5 Returns With Techno Track "Monophobia" After Being Absent For Months
Stream: Disclosure | When A Fire Starts To Burn (Original Mix)
