Thursday Selection

Pretty much the same dealio as Sunday - there's nothing of particular interest that I wish to share to you. Kanye West makes a fool of himself.. Obama calls Kanye a jackass.. all in a week's work I suppose. Speaking of 'Ye, his new album will be called 'Good Ass Job', and I think he's dropped the autotune! Yay!

So, as I say, not much music news that I'm interested in. Here's some stuff I've been listening to as of late:

Jamie T - Chaka Demus (Toddla T Remix)
Not so much a remix as an edit. Nevertheless, Toddla T (that name is really cringy) delivers a pretty cool edit - keeps that jokey tone captured by the vocals whilst giving it some depth by messing around with the instrumental area.

Sleeping States - Gardens Of The South
So, I don't know much about Sleeping States other than they come from Bristol, and their new album, In The Gardens Of The North (thats right North), has received some critical acclaim worth checking them out over. This is slow, rolling indie folk with vocals smoother than butter.

Modest Mouse - Guilty Cocker Spaniel
Last but not least, I've got a track from Modest Mouse's latest EP: No One's First And Your Next. It's worth a listen, trust me :) This track's got an upbeat, zesty vibe until it progresses into some noisy cacophony near the end, whilst we've got some catchy riffwork the whole way through. A return to form, one might say.

Oh, and there's a song named King Rat that's been around for a while but Modest Mouse have put it on the EP. This video was directed by the late, great Heath Ledger and it's got a clever little message behind it. Check it out below:

That's all for today; hope you have lovely weekends.

Sometimes I Feel Like Throwing My Hands Up In The Air

Let's skip the introduction and get straight to the meat again:

Pixie Lott - Mama Do (Linus Loves Radio Edit)
Soul siren Pixie Lott's hit Mama Do get's a club thump to it thanks to the likes of Linus. Really quite a talented edit - seems like more of an original than a remix. Abundance of catchy vocals and all manners of jittering, burbling electronic synths (this is a good thing).

Crystal Fighters - Xtatic Truth (Xtra Loud Mix)
This one featured on Kitsune 7, which I did a post on a while ago. You'd be hard pressed in an attempt to label this band yet this makes the track that whole lot fresher - it's great to hear something new, isn't it? Featuring jingling strings, crescendoing static synths and near-dark 8-bit-esque bass.

Florence & The Machine - Raise It Up (Jamie T's Lionheart Remix)

Jamie T's take removes some of the grandeur of the original but makes it up with an enchanting little sequence that sounds a little like an antique music box repeating itself. Overall, we've got a tune that's a little more driving than the original; a fairly simple yet effective edit.

Bonus Track:

Florence & The Machine - You Got The Love
If you haven't heart this, you're missing out. Miss Florence Welch's euphoric cover of Candi Station's hit boasts her emotive vocals amongst some great percussion, harp flicks and more. Very uplifting.

And that's a wrap! See you next post.

Open Up The Door

So, tonight I've compiled another few new releases for you. Same as last post, let's get straight to the meaty bits:

Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning
Ooooooh! The new Arctic Monkeys single! The first listen off the upcoming album 'Humbugs' is dark, moody track. Alex Turner's vocal style parallels the sinister bass with some eerie guitar effects floating in and out of the verses. A grower maybe? Perhaps, but it doesn't take long to blossom, least not for me.

Magistrates - Heartbreak

Magistrates make indie pop music of which I could use any combination of the words retro, fresh, groovy, sexual and confident to describe. Heartbreak encompasses a plethora of catchy pop hooks including indie guitar riffs, crooning vocals and old-school keyboard notes.

Miike Snow - Song For No One

Using summery to describe music is an easy way out with one of the swedish pop trio's latest, but you've got an idea of the track already, and you're probably not that far off. We've got a youthful, clinking guitar riff alongside an uplifting drum beat with light-hearted vocals on this one.

Jamie T - On The Green

My personal favourite off Jamie T's 'Sticks & Stones' EP. On The Green pairs up a jangling, bouncy guitar melody with some melancholy lyrics conveying a what-the-hell attitude when synchronised. Surprisingly uplifting and a lot of fun to listen to.

That's all for now, I really enjoyed all these tracks. Oh and these artists will be playing at Reading '09! ..Apart from Miike Snow. You'll have to see them some other time.