Jonas Oakland ~ Who's That Boy? I'll tell you who that boy is. He is the finely cheekboned, perfectly coiffed Jonas Oakland who has never let me down when it comes to serving up dance pop realness with a melodic edge. His latest single is an organic & exciting growth from his zesty Where Were You Last Night cover. Set over some luscious piano and a percolating beat, Jonas' vocal sweetly glides over the music creating an engaging story telling world. It's all quite pure pop until a more trippy, off-kilter beat & electro enhanced chorus provides a juxtaposition of sound that mirrors the intriguing lyrical hook of "who's that boy on the dancefloor". It all conjours up images of a mysterious, almost otherworldly chap strutting his stuff, giving off THE ALLURE, enticing people to him - and the song is just like that. Fascinating, intensive, addictive. More more more please :) (available on iTunes worldwide right now!)
Dragonette ~ Let It Go: Hurrah! It's time for new music from one of my favourite Canadian dance-pop duos, Dragonette. It's all slightly rave-esque and certainly saturated in synthesizers & this is complemented by an effortlessly breezy, atmospheric feel to it - almost like you should be running through daisies in the spring sunshine. It just canters along with a compulsive hook and from first listen sounds already like a) it should be an absolutely massive smash and b) it should be the soundtrack to the early summer months. The lyrics are certainly very freeing and timely - we DO all need a cure from the ways of the world and this track is possibly the very best medicine indeed that you could possibly wish to take. Play twice and call me in the morning! (available on iTunes from April 3rd!)
H and S ~ Wake Up: Wake Up is not the debut single proper I was expecting from new pop duo on the block H & S. It's better. Hakon and Sofie take their love of music by The Grimes and XX & combine with their passion for Robyn and Rihanna. They manage to seamlessly integrate these artists different styles on this easily ingratiating, ever so cool track with it's shuffling beat and stark vocals creating an almost haunting, ethereal atmosphere. It's the evocative individual interpretations of the bittersweet lyrics that give this song real emotion even when singing about the bittersweet, desolate pain of unrequited love. Hakon and Sofie embody the roles they are given in the relationship throughout the song and manage to sound glorious together, even when the song dictates that the relationship is better off apart. It's a fine line between coming off as callous or making you care, and H and S deliver the latter perfectly. An incredible study of love wrapped in an incredible musical composition. Out on April 16th...
Capital Cities ~ Kangaroo Court: The bouncy electro-pop duo better known as Capital Cities just go from strength to strength to strength. Their heart warming debut song Safe and Sound penetrated airwaves and mp3 collections around the world, while their faithful take on Madonna's Holiday certainly made the winter a little less grey. They are back with the next track, the innovative take on 80s pop where you can just tell they live and breathe the opportunity to perform their own music while paying tribute to that which they love. Kangaroo Court lets the vocals lead the melody, yet there is a persistent beat in the background, and vibrant, spiralling synth riffs that complement against those oh so addictive horns. Never has "shut up shut up shut up" as a refrain sounded so energetic & singalong. Hopefully this will continue to raise their profile so they can keep providing the world with flawless tunes like this... (Download for free from the soundcloud above!)
Aaron Delahunty ~ Never Happen Again: Ok ok, I'm a bit late on this track but judging from the video it's just the sort of party you want to be fashionably tardy for. Aaron Delahunty is one of those rapid fire lyricist/rappers who seem to be able to take elements of life experiences and make them musically delicious for everyone to relate to. It's the tale of getting absolutely wasted at a party and waking up not only with a stonking hangover, but having to survey the carnage that the party created. It's both very clever and instantly catchy; set over a slightly dubby (which gives it that sort of hazy hangover feel) acoustic riff, Aaron fires out the lyrics giving the right amount of attitude, recrimination and regret to match. It's a visual feast too as the video attests and works equally well as an acoustic version on it's own (see here). Much has been made of the young fella and rightly so. Get on board now or regret it later...
Little Jackie ~ Cock Block: I marvel daily that Little Jackie isn't a world wide smash with 31 Flavours (one of my favourite songs of the past 6 months) topping charts in multiple countries. Still, those not on the Little Jackie train are completely missing out on sexually provactive, witty, urbane pop music and frankly that's their loss. The second single from their phenomenal Made4TV album is the brilliantly titled Cock Block. It's set over one of the most glorious and sumptuous instrumentals of the year & is layered with Imani's geniusly biting lyrics and stunning vocal delivery. The whole song is about female empowerment yet the need for male satisfaction - the cock block that she refers to as Stockholm Syndrome. It could have come across as really salacious and to an extent it is, but it's so exquisitely delivered that the package is just a treat from start to finish. WORSHIP!
Lawson ~ When She Was Mine: Boybands are all of a sudden very de rigour aren't they? And each time it comes in cycles. You start off with the more traditional boyband - all vocal harmonies & amazing hair. Then comes the more independent boyband - the harmonies and hair is still there, but now they play their own instruments. So in the tradition of Westlife & Blue followed by Busted & McFly comes One Direction & The Wanted followed by Lawson! I've written about them before (their ace cover of Marry The Night) and now their debut single (out May 27th) is available to listen to. It's a fine, jangly rocking affair with confident assured vocals and a real, anthemic, soaring chorus that embeds itself firmly into your brain on first listen. And that can only be a good thing! Could indeed be their time to shine.
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