Jess Glynne is back with a killer throwback dance track. It falls somewhere between the new wave of Brit dance pop and 90s soul house (with some Disclosure flavor in there). Her vocals are full and powerful, just what’s necessary to carry such a heavy and forward beat. With some playful saxophone, perfectly placed snares, and undeniably danceable bass, Right Here is my new favorite party track.
Basement Jaxx is back with a new track and it’s absolute perfection. The title Unicorn is perplexing, though…is it because a new track from Basement Jaxx has become as elusive as the fictional creature? Is it because a House/Dance track this fresh is as volatile as a horse with a horn? It’s very much in the vein of modern tracks that borrow from 90s dance music (and of course the song that defined a genre, Show Me Love), and on par with modern acts like Disclosure, who follow a similar style signature. If the new album is anything like Scars, then it will borrow from trends in dance and house while elevating the style and establishing new niches (remember how Scars featured Dev Hynes?). It also seems like this outfit strikes gold with fantastic animals- be it djing monkeys or vibing unicorns. Can’t wait for this music video.
Kiesza is already earning all the right press, with an especially encouraging share from Pitchfork among many others. Everything about her debut track Hideaway is pulling influence from 90s dance. The singing (this girl can howl) which is reminiscent of 1993 mega-hit Show Me Love, and the unapologetically indulgent and dance worthy production both push against the boundaries built by acts like Disclosure in which dance and electro-pop cross and marry. It also fills the niche that Azealia Banks rapping-over-90s-dance may have begun to fill, had she ever released any proper LP. Either way, put me on a dance floor and blast this track. I’ll probably be stomping and wailing.
Sam Smith is giving me some of the most painful blue balls of my life. The kind of blue balls only one of the best voices can sustain. He’s really getting cruel now by releasing a tease of a new track ahead of his debut album In the Lonely Hour (out May 24th on Capitol Records). With a slew of ridiculously great collaborations (including two chart topping tracks with Disclosure and Naughty Boy), Sam Smith is bound to be the next great R&B/Pop male vocalist, and his songwriting is pretty fantastic, too. Continue reading
It’s been an amazing year in music, and while so far I snubbed more popularly rotated albums for The 10 Best Underplayed Albums of 2013, here you’ll see an all inclusive list. From Lady Gaga to Chvrches to James Black and Rhye- consider this a year in review, or maybe just a collection of songs you need to hear if you haven’t. So based on a combination of personal opinion (like including a track off Ra Ra Riot’s latest album which was severely critiqued), popularity, and merit, here are the 25 best tracks of 2013. Subscribe to the Spotify Playlist at the bottom of this post!
The internet was all abuzz this week with some fantastic new releases. Chvrches have released another single ahead of their full length debut (due out in September) entitled Gun. This is my favorite track from them so far. It’s more in the vein of The Mother We Share than the Recover EP, and it’s perfect for summertime pop. Continue reading
This selection of internet finds for the week is insanely diverse. A chart-topping Belgian, a few emerging female pop stars, new tracks from Disclosure and TV girl, and some good ‘ole summer dance jams make up the playlist. Check it,
xoxo
UK’s Disclosure has been teasing us with small releases for the better part of two years now, and it just keeps getting better. Hopefully we can all get a reprieve from this case of blue balls with their long awaited debut LP, Settle, out June 3rd. What to expect? Hopefully more 90s dance/rave influenced beats that have been ultramodernized, as well as some more awesome collaborations. Here’s a post of mine from a few months back on their collaboration White Noise with breakout star AlunaGeorge, another contagious dance track. Check out the third track released from their debut-You & Me, featuring Eliza Doolittle on vocals, is just so damn delicious.
UK producer Naughty Boy has released a cut from his upcoming full-length Hotel Cabana. La La La features RnB artist Sam Smith‘s incredible vocal stylings (previously a featured vocalist for Disclosures’ single Latch). Sure, this song is fantastically catchy. The childlike post-chorus, which repeats the songs title, has that cheeky, catchy quality that tends to blow a song up. But really it’s Smith’s incredibly well sung high notes and riffs that make this a hit. Seriously, though…his voice. At minute 1:58 he is singing the house down.
There’s no release date for Hotel Cabana just yet, but keep your ears peeled, and until then let this earworm take you over.
Here’s a trailer for the record, which also features his track with UK star Emeli Sandé, Wonder, of which I’ve included two great remixes:
The union of UK based duos AlunaGeorge and Disclosure, White Noise, is a waist gyrating, fist pumping, foot working electronic hit.
Kaiotic Music 