Ah Gran Canaria. You are being good to me. Walks along the beach. Tumbles in the sand dunes (oo-er). Long lazy evenings sipping White Russians. It's like a rewritten version (with a happier ending) of Our Last Summer by Abba. Talking of ace pop acts, here are three you need to catch up with - scintillating new tunes to brighten up your day regardless of where you are :) ENJOY!
Velvet Stream ~ Selfish Mind:
Gasp! This track has been online for nearly a year and I'm only just getting around to it now? I'm chagrinned to the nth degree. Velvet Stream are a fabulous new pop act that are made up of mainly foxy looking fellas and one sassy female vocalist. Selfish Mind is a stunning introduction to their work - it's a spritely perky beat that is reliant on the current trend for massive ibiza-esque beats; rather it draws influence from timeless classic acts like The Pretenders, Fuzzbox and I even hear a bit of Beautiful South in there. It's all the better for their love of quality pop - the infectious handclap beat simmers behind a distinctive, compelling vocal performance; both bounce against the deliriously catchy melody, while dreamy doo-wop harmonies weave effortlessly into the chorus (along a swoon-worthy deep male vocal ad-lib of "oh my baby baby" - heaven). The guitar riff in the middle 8 before one final run through the chorus is brilliant - it gives way to an outro that just leaves you gasping for me. Stunning. Cannot wait for more from these guys & gal :)
Cody Draiken ~ Vacuum:
Good Lord - talk about your bracing, hypnotic, compulsive, dark & dirty pop. Cody Draiken is a canny young bloke who has built up quite an internet following (mainly with his "achin for Draiken" hashtags & being an all round saucy chappy with his followers) and caught my attention with his ace Not Too Drunk To Dance single. He's now back with a track called Vacuum, all about a trashy, good for nothing, errant lover who is the titular metaphor of the song - "sucking on your face". It's set out over a thumping, persuasive hypno-beat while Cody quasi-raps the lyrics, creating this quirky, frenetic, don't-fuck-with-me vibe to the track. It's cleverly done and his performance is never less than completely engrossing as the song draws you in with it's repetitive beat & pound-you-into-submission refrain. And who doesn't enjoy a good pounding?! I look forward to his debut album, and look forward to interviewing the creative fella when I'm back from me holidays next week :)
Killian Wells ~ It's Like That (ft Nixon):
Remember Killian, his brillo hair and amaarze track, VIP?? I've been extremely remiss in not keeping up with the progress he's made in the past couple of years, but I'm here to rectify that now. It's Like That positively sizzles over a percolating beat, mixed with sliding synth sides and an extremely likeable vocal performance from Killian. There's a fiercely rapped middle 8 and some punctuated beats dropping before the song relaunches for one more riotous run through. Killian clearly understands the current marketplace and manages to mix pop sensibilities with current club trends - and a healthy dollop of his own personality ensures the song is a real treat. Not only that but he puts Gaga to shame with a fun, creative video that's an absolute hoot to watch. Still VIP then, and deservedly so :)
No comments:
Post a Comment