Lucy Rose – Red Face

Lucy Rose has been on my radar for a while now. She’s got the most beautiful voice, and the knack of writing extremely heartfelt songs. But saying that, I wouldn’t really lump her in to the category of female singer-songwriters who are twee or overly emotional. She’s been on tour quite recently with Bombay Bicycle Club and has performed tracks with them, even when they did their Live Lounge. I think she fits in quite well with them, and hopefully, being associated with such a good band will mean that lots of people will discover her and grow to love her music. If she keeps on banging songs out like this, then we needn’t worry.

Lucy Rose – Red Face

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The Shins – Simple Song

Oh my God! So, The Shins are now streaming the first single to be taken from their much anticipated (by me) new album.

http://simplesong.theshins.com/

The album ‘Port of Morrow’ is to be released on the 30th of March, anyone who pre-orders it gets this new track ‘Simple Song’ for free. Listen to it, it’s actually amazing.

 

Lianne La Havas feat. Willy Mason – No Room For Doubt

This is very, very beautiful. It features two extremely distinct voices that, on paper, I wasn’t sure it’d work – but it really does. I’ve had it on repeat all morning.  I’ve always been a fan of Willy Mason and Lianne La Havas has one of the most beguiling vocals, in this song, that I’ve heard in a while.

No Room For Doubt features on Lianne’s Lost and Found EP. Go buy it.

Lianne La Havas – Gone (Live in LA)

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My Best Fiend – Higher Palms

There’s something quite special about new Warp signing, My Best Fiend. Initially, you think, they don’t really sound like a Warp act. There are no insane soundscapes, or bleeps or buzzes that Warp have become renowned for. But once you delve into them, you can hear why they make a good fit with the famous label. There are layers to this, all slotted together to create something quite beautiful and interesting. The vocals have that lazy, 60s psychedelic quality to them, which has been popular for a while now. But when most bands possess this kind of vocal, they usually drench everything so heavily in reverb that it disguises how little there is going on. Rather refreshingly, and probably why Warp were attracted to them in the first place, My Best Fiend don’t do this. In fact, they do the opposite. Showing off their skills and imagination with melodies that twinkle and whirl around you and guitar parts that go off on tangents in to the unknown.

Their debut album ‘In Ghostlike Fadings’ is out on Warp Records on the 20th February.

You can grab the first track ‘Higher Palms’ for free on their facebook.

 

Clock Opera – Once and For All (2012 album version)

About bloody time. We can now, when we look in to the near future, see the release date of Clock Opera’s debut album. It’s called ‘Ways to Forget’ and will be released (according to iTunes) on the 9th April. Woohoo!

So, to kick off the new year with a healthy big chunk of anticipation, Clock Opera have released a rather good video for the new re-vamped version of ‘Once and For All’.

You can pre-order the album now here, and also have a cheeky sneak at the track listing.

2012 is going to be a good year.

 

Clock Opera – Belongings

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Special mention : Gotye (feat. Kimbra) – Somebody That I Used To Know

So here it is, the obligatory “OH FUCK! I’VE FORGOTTEN ONE”. This song smashed it for me in 2011. Absolutely brilliant.

The one that got away…

 Gotye (feat. Kimbra) – Somebody That I Used To Know

 

Nicki Minaj Number 1 in the Top 40 Best Tracks of 2011

NOW IT’S TIME FOR THE NUMBER ONE

Ooooh, I bet you’re all excited! It’s….

Nicki Minaj – Super Bass

Nicki Minaj has done a clever one. She forged her path as a strong and credible MC and rapper. Her distinctive style was one of the highlights of Kanye West’s ‘Monster’. She has this mad ability of changing characters and styles almost mid-sentence. So, after gaining the respect and support from many successful and credible rappers, she then goes and makes this massive, mental pop album and plastered it in bubble gum pink.

Super Bass made such an impact and had the whole world in pink fever. It’s such a clever pop song. The best ones are the ones that no matter who you are, it acceptable to like. Super Bass is one of those, you can’t escape it either.

Plus, I wish I was this little girl when I was a child:

Instead I used to blast out White Wedding by Billy Idol whilst in a push chair in stately homes and other inappropriate surroundings. Nothing changes.

My obsession with this track has made me become more obsessed with Monster. She proper kills it!

 

Rihanna – Number 2 in the Top 40 Best Tracks of 2011

Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris – We Found Love

Rihanna, the dirty bitch. When filming this video she really pissed off a good Catholic Irish farmer by getting a bit frisky in a field. I wonder if he saw the actual video.

Love is drugged up sex with a chavvy hotty and a hopeless place is a British council estate. What’s not to like. This song has got Mr. Harris’ winning pop formula stamped all over it, but with Rihanna. A force not to be reckoned with. She’s the perfect pop princess for 2011. Beautiful, and seemingly not giving a shit about what people think about her. She’s in a position where she will be thrust in to the position of a role model for young girls – but has rebelled and sold her sex appeal. This is a track that makes you want to smoke your head off and dance around your bedroom in your pants. Perfect.

Emeli Sande – Number 3 in the Top 40 Best Tracks of 2011

Emeli Sande – Heaven

This song has a huge amount of Unfinished Sympathy by Massive Attack about it. The vocals are so strong, the production is big and epic with a really cool string arrangement. Overall it’s anthemic. When I first heard it, I did wonder if it might be too derivative. After living with the track for quite a while, I reckon it might just stand the test of time and put Sande on the perfect path for 2012.

It’s one of those songs that when it comes on your iPod, you can’t help but stomp down the street Shara Nelson style, or if you’re a bloke, Richard Ashcroft style.

It’s a great song to sing when you’re pissed with your mates and is miles better than that Pro Green song that got to number one.

 

 

Wretch 32 feat. Josh Kumra – Number 4 in the Top 40 Best Tracks of 2011

Wretch 32 feat. Josh Kumra – Don’t Go

This song was Wretch 32’s first number one, and the first sight of the very talented Josh Kumra.

It started life as a song penned by Kumra, who was relatively unknown. Wretch got his hands on it, added his own, distinct style and turned it into an absolute smash. The thing that I picked up on with Wretch is that in all his videos, he’s always smiling – up until this one. This song laid bear his emotions (much like lots of his other tracks) and showed the world the more reflective side to him. His lyrics are painfully honest and the public seemed to get that.

Wretch 32 has had a tremendous year and it’s seen him breakthrough in to the mainstream with a number 3 album. I reckon this single had quite a lot to do with that.