In Our Heads.

Keeping with the tradition of releasing albums every two years, the boys from Hot Chip return with another quirky, yet deeply profound fifth album.

The band are well known for their catchy melodies, and electronic prowess, and 'In Our Heads' shows the bands progression into even more groundbreaking material, not only lyrically, but sonically. 

Listening to In Our Heads, you can tell that the side projects of various Hot Chip members has liberated them creatively, with influences from Joe Goddard's 'The 2 Bears', especially on the track 'These Chains'. It is what you would come to expect from a Hot Chip album, but with that something extra.

The beats are faced paced, but the overall speed varies throughout the album. One notable change in pace comes from the song 'Look At Where We Are', in which Alexis Turner's recognisable falsetto, sings about an obvious relationship, and reflecting on how far they have come. 'Look at where we are, remember where we started out..' could also not just be about love, but about how far the band has come, in terms of musical substance.

I caught myself having a little groove to the track 'Don't Deny Your Heart', where the infectious electronic beats and bongo drums would be able to get anyone's hips swinging. The numerous layers of sound just go to show how complicated Hot Chip's music is; the key change for the chorus works well, and transforms the song completely. Who doesn't love a good key change though?

'Flutes' slowly unravels during the course of it's seven minutes, kind of like a knitted scarf whose threads are coming undone. The progression of adding layer after layer culminates in a climax, and by then the back burners are on, and it simmers through the rest of the song. It's definitely a clear favourite from the album, and I can only imagine what aural pleasures will be experienced from hearing it live. And it mightn't be too long until we see the boys from Hot Chip in Australia again; they have expressed interest in coming back here to tour in late 2012-early 2013.

In Our Heads is definitely a combination of everything that Hot Chip have learnt since their formation in 2000, and it never fails to make you dance. The infectious pop melodies are ever present, and kudos must be given to their fearlessness in creating an album that again pushes boundaries for Hot Chip.

Check out the dizzy video of 'Flutes' below:



Also check out the very danceable 'Don't Deny Your Heart' below:



You can purchase Hot Chip's new album In Our Heads here:
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/in-our-heads/id516116769

Find out more about Hot Chip here:
http://hotchip.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/hotchip 
https://twitter.com/hot_chip  
http://soundcloud.com/hot_chip

I've also just started doing reviews for Radar Radio's website!
Check it out here: http://www.radarmusic.com.au/artists/reviews/

Young Rapunzel.

Azealia Banks has been making waves in the past 6 months.

Since the release of her debut single, '212 Feat. Lazy Jay', late in 2011, the song has become a hit in clubs with its techno beats and explicit lyrics.

Come 2012, and the song has reached the top 20 in the UK, she is the fashion world's new pin up girl, and has already performed at Coachella, one of, if not the biggest music festivals in the world.

She placed third in the BBC Sound of 2012, which showcases the "most promising new music for the year ahead". Previous winners of the coveted award include Adele, Jessie J and Ellie Goulding.

Azealia's vocals also featured on the Scissor Sisters new single, 'Shady Love', under the moniker 'Krystal Pepsy'.

Having graduated from the same high school as Nicki Minaj, of course there were going to be comparisons. But the 20 year old hailing from the streets of Harlem commented that “I don’t think Nicki necessarily opened the door for anyone else but herself.”

For me, I am captivated by Azealia's apparent ease of transitioning from rapping to singing with still that same, rude bitch attitude.

Other female MC's have already witnessed Azealia's attitude, having publicly dissed Australian born Iggy Azalea, and Kreayshawn via twitter. However, her raw talent proves that she can back this up and hold her own in the competitive rap world.

She confirmed that her new album will be named 'Broke With Expensive Taste', and is expected towards the latter end of 2012.

Her song 'Bambi' featured in the Mugler Men's Fall/Winter 2012 show at Paris Fashion Week, and it's a banger. The song starts with Azealia speaking "Like, you know? [giggles]", followed by a heavy electro beat. In the verse Azealia's lyrics are spoken and she asks quite sultrily 'So, where are you from?' These spoken lyrics combined with the electro beat build the song to the climax, where Azealia then comes in with some heavy rapping and that is coupled with another heavy beat. The song is definitely one I want to hear playing in a club on a night out!

Azealia is performing at the sold out Splendour in the Grass festival in Byron Bay on the 29th of July.

Check out 'Bambi' below:



Also, check out BBC's interview of Azealia Banks for the BBC Sound of 2012.
What a cool bitch.



Unfortunately, you can not buy 212 from the Australian iTunes anymore.
You can however purchase the music video here:
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/music-video/212-feat.-lazy-jay/id518344600

And you can find out more about Azealia Banks here:
http://azealiabanks.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/AzealiaBanks
http://www.facebook.com/azealiabanksmusic

#FallingForAzealiaBanks

xo

Studio Backpack Rap.

If you haven't yet heard of Speech Debelle, here's what you have missed out on.

In 2009, she won The Mercury Prize; one of the most prestigious music awards, for her debut album Speech Therapy - beating the likes of Kasabian, Florence and the Machine, and Friendly Fires. However, since winning the award, album sales of 'Speech Therapy' were not nearly as high as previous winners. Which is a shame really, because the album is truly amazing. Also a little fun fact to share: the album was mostly recorded in our city of Melbourne and produced by Wayne Lotek.

So after two years, Speech is set to release her sophomore album, namely, 'Freedom Of Speech'. After the riots in her hometown of London, Speech leaked a song from her album called 'Blaze Up A Fire' which features Roots Manuva and Realism. The song is mostly about political revolution but also "of the frustration of many young people who took part in the rioting and the consequent looting over London and areas of the UK." With the song, Speech has attempted to create "a voice of understanding," and "acknowledge there must be something wrong with us as a society." In the beginning of the song, I am mesmerised by the subtle piano, and then the heavy beats and electric guitars follow with Speech doing what she does best over the many layers of sound. A nice little taste from the new album.

On Friday, Speech released her first offical single from the new album, a track named 'Studio Backpack Rap', and with a name like that, you know that it is going to be fucking brilliant. Her lyrics are, as usual, catchy, creative, and witty. Speech describes the song as being "all about virtual instrumentation and an ode to Kwes the producer." She also recalls that in the recording process "he would take out his laptop and midi-USB keyboard and that would be it. We’d start working and I couldn’t believe what we could do with so little equipment.”

Speech again captures my attention with the lyrical content of her songs. One line that stood out when I first listened was "He rocking hard, neck breaking to the beat, head phones, head down, like a lesbian." Firstly, my ears pricked up when I heard the word Lesbian, as it is not often a word you would hear in a song, and especially as Speech put particular emphasis on the word. Personally, I don't think Speech is trying to offend; she is merely drawing on the general stereotype of a lesbian, and as she said herself "I thought it was funny...Lesbian's are great, get wid it folks looool."

In 'Studio Backpack Rap', Speech is effectively talking about the "high-tech, low-gloss DIY attitude which has relevance far beyond just creating music," and with these lyrics she has crafted a song that is funny, and one that will have you tapping along to the beat and trying to learn all of the words. A very strong comeback from an amazing artist; I cannot wait to hear more of the album.

Check out 'Studio Backpack Rap' below:




Also, check out 'Blaze Up A Fire Feat. Roots Manuva and Realism' below:

  BLAZE UP A FIRE by Speech Debelle (featuring Roots Manuva and Realism) by Speech Debelle

You can download 'Studio Backpack Rap' for free here:
bigdada.com/speechdebelle

You can also pre-order Speech's new album, 'Freedom of Speech' here:
http://ninjatune.net/release/speech-debelle/freedom-of-speech

And you can find out more about Speech Debelle here:
http://www.speechdebelle.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Speech-Debelle/98757126739
http://twitter.com/speechdebelle

#FALLENFORSPEECH

xo

Vacation.

The first time I witnessed Big Scary perform was back in 2009 at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne. They were supporting British India, and after the gig I just remember thinking, "I actually enjoyed that supporting band better." For a band with only two members, I was surprised by their 'big' sound.

The Melbourne duo, Tom Iansek and Jo Syme, have seen a steady rise in the music scene; from their early beginnings in 2008 with 'The Apple Song', to a four track EP, 'The Mini', where their song 'This Weight' did rounds on Triple J.
In 2010, Big Scary released four seasonal EP's; with it, culminating into a full length LP, namely, 'The Big Scary Four Seasons'. The album is an eclectic mix of sounds and emotions, from distorted guitar jams like 'Tuesday is Rent Day', acoustic tracks like 'Home' and even the melancholy piano of 'The Deep Freeze'.

This year sees Big Scary's release of 'Vacation', and what an amazing debut it is by the band. Tom's dreamy vocals throughout are really a stand out from the album; he hits his falsetto with apparent ease. From seeing them play live, I remember Jo being a ball of energy on the drums, and she has definitely brought this to the album..

Standouts include 'Mixtape', 'Gladiator', a new version of their old track 'Falling Away', and 'Bad Friends'. 'Bad Friends is an acoustic song that says "bad friends are looking for something new, bad friends aren't looking for you." In the song, Tom's vocals are softer and have a more vulnerable tone, which adds to the sombre message of the track. The acoustic picking definitely isn't perfect (their are a few twangs noticeable), but I think it again adds to the effect of the song. And if you have heard any of their older stuff, you'll understand that Big Scary's imperfection is what makes them such an interesting band to listen to.

Check out 'Bad Friends' below:



You can purchase 'Vacation' on iTunes here:
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/vacation/id466411464

Or if you a little short on coin, you can stream the album in full on Big Scary's Soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/bigscary

You can also find out more about Big Scary here:
http://www.bigscary.net/
http://www.facebook.com/bigscaryband
http://twitter.com/#!/bigscarymusic

#FALLENFORBIGSCARY

xo

Gotye is Making Mirrors.

Wally De Backer, or better known by his stage name, Gotye, is in my opinion, one of the best singer-songwriters to ever come out of this country.

His 2006 sophomore album 'Like Drawing Blood' has earnt him an ARIA award for best Independent release in 06, and for best male artist in 2007. The album re-entered the charts in 2011, having now being certified platinum and reaching as high as #13 on the ARIA albums chart.

The release of the single 'Somebody That I Used To Know' featuring none other than New Zealand beauty, Kimbra Johnson, has been a commercial success here in Australia.
The single is now at the #1 spot for the second week in a row.

And last Friday saw the release of his highly anticipated third album 'Making Mirrors'. It was recorded in a barn on his parents block of land on the Mornington Peninsula.

The album is an eclectic mix of acoustic instruments all performed and recorded by Gotye himself; the bass guitar was however performed by Gotye's old band mate, Lucas Taranto.

The first time I listened to the album, I lost myself in the melodies and layers of sound that Gotye is so good at creating...it really is worth a listen.

Probably my favourite song on the album is little number called 'Save Me'. It includes an acoustic auto-harp that has been recorded one note at a time, stored into a computer, and played back from a Midi keyboard. The overall effect combined with Gotye's elegant vocals is utterly beautiful.

Check out 'Save Me' below:




 Also if you're interested in the recording process of Gotye's new album check this video out:




You can purchase Making Mirrors on iTunes here:
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/making-mirrors/id449134521
Or the deluxe version:
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/making-mirrors-deluxe-version/id449901963

#FALLENFORGOTYE

xo

Holy Moses.

In the space of a few short years, Megan Washington has gone from musicial obscurity, to an ARIA award winner.

Another artist to garner the attention of youth radio station Triple J, Megan and her band Washington went on to perform at the 2009 Big Day Out, having won Triple J's Unearthed competition. Since then, she released a string of successful EP's and last year saw the release of her debut studio album, 'I Believe You Liar', which went to #3 in Australia.

Three songs from 'I Believe You Liar' made it into Triple J's Hottest 100 countdown, with 'Sunday Best' coming in at #20.

August 2011, sees the release of Washington's new song, 'Holy Moses', and on the first listen, Megan again branches out with her musical style.
The kazoo is notable in the introduction (it even gets a solo!), and the floor drums give the song a very tribal feel; especially combined with the visuals from the music video.

For me, I just love her voice. I could basically listen to any song of hers even it the overall song was not very good.

Check out 'Holy Moses' below:



You can buy 'Holy Moses' on iTunes here:
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/holy-moses/id452520943?i=452520944&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

And if you want to find out more about Megan Washington:

http://www.washingtonmusic.com.au
http://www.facebook.com/washingtonmusic
http://www.myspace.com/meganwashington
http://www.twitter.com/washingtonx
http://www.youtube.com/onepeachtwopeach

#FALLENFORMEGANWASHINGTON

xo

Beat Of My Drum.

If you are a keen follower of Pop music, then this one is for you.
Now don't get me wrong, there is alot of music that is just utter rubbish out there in the Top 40; and personally, the only thing that makes me like a pop song from the beginning is, if it has a catchy beat.

And here is no exception, with the release of Nicola Robert's single 'Beat Of My Drum'; notably, her first solo effort after being apart of the British girl band, Girls Aloud.

If you have a vague idea of who Girls Aloud are, then you might know they are probably one of the most successful girls bands to come out of Britain; well apart from the Spice Girls.
And with over 20 singles reaching the Top 10 in Britain, including four #1's, the singers have established themselves as credible pop stars with actual real, un-autotuned voices.

So, the first time I heard 'Beat of My Drum', there were definately some 'what the hell is this?!' type moments. But after listening to the song a few more times, I cannot get the song out of my head. Even with it being the second song in as many months sampling Major Lazer's 'Pon De Floor', the beat differs to that of Beyonce's 'Run The World', which makes the beat a major part of the song.

The chant like chorus of 'L.O.V.E' is the main thing that gets you in this song; but the marching band beat in the bridge is just as amazing.

Check out 'Beat of My Drum' below:



You can find also out more about Nicola Roberts here:
http://www.nicolarobertsmusic.com/
http://www.facebook.com/nicolarobertsmusic
http://twitter.com/#!/nicolaroberts
http://www.myspace.com/nicolarobertsmusic

#FallingForNicolaRoberts

xo