My crush on Betty Who has been fast and furious, but I think it will last. She is the cutest, most plausible popstar in ages. Her 4-track EP, The Movement, is literally flawless and you can get it for free on her site (it's self released).  Her latest video is You're In Love, my next-favorite track after High Society on The Movement.

For more on Betty Who, check out Idolator and Popservations (who picked up on her ages ago, in October 2012). Betty - aka Jess Newham -  just graduated from Berklee College of Music. WELL DONE!

Backtracking: Twenty Years of janet.

May 18th, 2013, was the twentieth anniversary of Janet Jackson's expansive - and epic - janet. LP. To celebrate, I talked to the legendary Jimmy Jam who, along with his partner Terry Lewis, produced janet. The piece is up now at Idolator. 

My interview with Jimmy yielded far more fascinating information than I could fit in the piece, so below are his words on a variety of subjects related to America's little sister, Janet.

On the James Brown sample in That's The Way Love Goes 

I’m a huge James Brown fan, so to be able to sample a James Brown song [Papa Don’t Take No Mess] and actually make it into a sensual song for me was a lot of fun, just as a producer. We had to get permission, because he clears all his own samples, right? He wanted to know what the lyrics were. He was cool…. He said, "I liked that, I like that, I just wanna make sure everything is good with the lyrics.” and we’re like "Yeah yeah, it’s nothing risqué or anything like that, Mr. Brown." He ended up liking it - it was real cool.

On Janet’s growth as a songwriter 

The great thing about working with her was the chance to watch her grow up and watch her change and gain more confidence.... She came into her own. When we got to Rhythm Nation, I had done the [instrumental] track to Miss You Much and I just pointed at a note on one of the keyboards and she just walked in and hit the key and that became the string part on the song. She had lyric ideas walking into the studio. Janet was another evolution of that, Velvet Rope was another evolution of that, you know what I mean? She just got more confident and more into it and enjoyed the process of writing. We won a Best Song Grammy for That’s The Way Love Goes and I said [to Janet] “You know what the significance of winning this Grammy is?” and she says, “No, what?” I said, “You won this Grammy as a songwriter. This is a song writing award.” She said, “Wow, that is so cool.”

On why Janet's writing is crucial to the quality of her albums

I love her writing. We’ve done later albums with her that were not as successful and I would say that it was probably equal parts too many cooks in the kitchen and not enough writing by her. Because she wasn’t ready to make a record. When we were going in to start the All For You album, we had some good ideas and she honestly was kind of like, “I don’t really know what I want to talk about, I’m not sure what I want the album to be about. Terry can write the lyrics.” And we were like, “No no no, that’s not right, you gotta figure out something, you’ve got to write the lyrics. We’ll come up with the tracks." And she said, ‘Well, I’m not sure.” So after about a month, we were putting tracks together and she was up for three movies. She really wanted to do a movie... She got Nutty Professor – she was a big Eddie Murphy fan. We moved the album back… we came up with Doesn’t Really Matter for the movie.

[Soon thereafter Doesn't Really Matter became a #1 hit] “Now once again she was focused and ready and excited about making an album... All For You and Someone To Call My Lover and all those songs came off the energy of Doesn’t Really Matter. It’s important for her to be involved in the process, because her energy is such an important part of it. Some of the later albums where, like I said, there were too many cooks in the kitchen or she really wasn’t writing, those records were not as successful. I’m not saying that’s the definitive reason, but in my mind that had a lot to do with it. If you’re a songwriter and you say, “I have nothing to write about," then you need to go live some life and find some stuff to write about.

On recording If

I feel so blessed as a producer to have a muse like that to create stuff with, because there’s no barrier. No "I can’t sing that because it’s too high/too low.” When we did If, I said "Can you sing down low?" and she said "Yeah, I think so.” She said "What kind of melody do you hear?" and I said "I hear a like an Indian chant" and the next thing, she came back with lyrics that followed that rhythm. It’s one thing for me to think wow, it’s be cool if that was the rhythm, but it’s another thing for her to actually do it with words. Part of her genius is her rhythmic sense with lyrics… she sings and it almost becomes another instrument.

Before we started the process of recording, in our time apart we’d play each other songs that we liked in the meantime. I remember playing her a bunch of old Motown stuff... we used a bit of Love Child in You Want This. She would play me things from opera to flamenco. Her musical palate was so wide in the things she liked.

On what I suggested I thought was a key ingredient to Janet's sound, the “harmony stacks”

Janet and Ralph Tresvant of New Edition both have the same discipline, which is the ability hear notes that are next to each other, but still stack them. We always wanted Janet to do her own backgrounds, we wanted her voice to be the dominant voice no matter what. She would have to work really hard. We’d do it so that it would be like a warm up, like, "Let’s do these backgrounds first to warm up your voice for the lead. By the time you get done with the backgrounds, you’ll be so happy to do the lead vocals" I stacked maybe a four or five part harmony and we’d do it four or five times on each note, so we’d end up with twenty tracks of just backgrounds, It could be oohs and ahhs. It’s patience, discipline, but it’s also trust. I would throw a note at her on the keyboard and it would sound like that note’s not gonna work. After maybe the second song we did, she trusted me. When it was done, it would be this great harmony. There would be a few dissonant notes in there, but somehow it would just work. The only other person I’ve worked with who can do this as well as Janet is Ralph Tresvant. A lot of singers they don’t want to do it and we don’t even try it. Those harmonies are something special.

On the genesis of her early hit, Nasty 

Nasty was about these guys that were bothering her at a club and she kept looking over at me and Terry like we were supposed to come over and save her and we just kind of stood there. A bunch of people were standing around us going, “Shouldn't y'all go over? Janet looks like she's being bothered over there.” We're like, “No, we got her, we can see her, she's fine, no problem.” And then she came over and said, “Those guys were so nasty, how come you didn't come over and help me?” We said, “Well, you obviously did fine by yourself since you're standing here with us now.”

On What Have You Done For Me Lately?

Me and Terry were working on an album at the time and we had done that track. John McClain, the A&R person who got us hooked up with Janet, was in the car listening to our album and he said “I need that track! That needs be on the Janet album.” And we’re like, “John, that’s our track!" We hadn’t put any lyrics to it - we just had the track, so I said “Well, I'll put it on and if Janet likes it, it's hers.” So we put it on and she got a big smile on her face and said “Who’s that for?” and we said, “You, if you want it.” And she says “Oh I want it!” and I said, “Okay, cool.”

At the end of the interview, I asked Jimmy about the so-called demise of albums, and how Adele proved this isn't entirely true. His answer was thoughtful...

I think the idea of people appreciating a single song and buying it is good, because that is something that did get lost for awhile, with such an importance on albums.

I just remember for me, I didn't know about albums growing up, but I knew singles that I liked and I'd always beg my mom, "Hey can I get this?" James Brown or Smokey Robinson. Whatever those songs were, I would have to do that. When I got a little older, I probably liked Chicago - they were one of my favorites - so I would go get the new Chicago album and I'd love it and I'd read the liner notes. There was an experience, a kind of maturation process, going from being a singles buyer to an albums buyer. It's almost like a rite of passage. That got lost, because labels kind of de-emphasized singles to make albums, right? They wouldn't even put a single out commercially; they'd say, 'Buy the album."

Now what we have is... people like a single and they can get it. That's fine with me, I like the idea of that. because what happens is, I still think that maturation process can happen... Adele's a perfect example, then you have that phenomenon. If people buy her album and like it, then they won't be totally opposed to buying an album from someone else. If we do Janet and we do the complete album, I'm gonna think of it as an album. We're gonna still put segues between the songs... We should make it like that, but I'm not gonna begrudge people if they just wanna pick and choose and go, "I don't want the whole box of chocolates, but I'll take the ones with the macadamia nuts." That's fine... but at least I'm gonna make a nice box of chocolates.

______________________________

Needless to say, it was a pleasure to talk to an artist as gifted as Jimmy Jam. I hope the fans enjoy his commentary as much as I did. My tumblr today has a tag devoted to images/clips from the janet. album. It'll be expanded upon throughout the day (May 20, 2013). Check it out. You can also follow me on Twitter, where I tweet about pop music old and new.

On Monday afternoon (the 20th, Pacific Time), Idolator will hose a janet. listening session / Twitter discussion (hashtag #IdolatorBacktracking). I'll chime in when I can!

If you'd like to read my other pieces for Idolator, see this label for links.  They include Backtracking pieces on En Vogue, Annie Lennox and Madonna, among others. 

A love letter to London

My favorite place in the world. British film pioneer Claude Frisse-Greene shot this footage of London in the 1920's. He used a color process his father William developed.

One of the things I love about London is the sense that you are a tiny phrase in a very, very grand story. The city and many of its greatest buildings and public spaces will, Godspeed, long outlive us. There's something really poignant about some of these shots. Look (at 4:03) for the mop-headed little girl standing in front of the Peter Pan's statue. Or the glamorous ladies walking the park together in hats and heels at 3:12...

Review: Little Boots' Nocturnes

I reviewed Little Boots' amazing new album, Nocturnes, for Idolator. Here's how it begins...

The media narrative on Victoria “Little Boots” Hesketh’s sophomore album, the one in which an artist gets pushed down by the heavy hand of the modern music industry…that story ends here. Because it doesn’t matter. In a year, no one will remember the delays or the lengths to which Hesketh went to make sure she realized her own vision. What they will remember is simple: Nocturnes is a solid work of cinematic, nighttime disco.

More here 

Frankmusik: I'll take you off my map

Frankmusik captures the magic of his early work on this new acoustic version of Map a track from his forthcoming album Between. This weekend, Vince tweeted that there'll be an all-acoustic version of the album called Between Us (remember the similar - and gorgeous - Completely Me in 2009?).

Note that in February Vince released a video for the Between version of Map. 
 

April 30: Little Boots' streaming Nocturnes

Pitchfork has the Nocturnes stream up now. If you dig upbeat sounds, check out track 5, Beat Beat. FLAWLESS rubbery disco. Disco sadness? My faves are Crescendo and Strangers...

My review will appear on Idolator on Tuesday the 6th.

Too much is never enough for Vinny Vero

My power-pec'd friend Vinny Vero has become a discolette. He's not only writing and remixing music, he's now the vocalist too. Expect his single Be Free With Your Love - recorded with Swedish DJ's Drop Out Orchestra - to be the soundtrack of the summer's pride festivals and disco all nighters.

In the 90's, Vinny was a respected mixer for artists such as Pet Shop Boys and Tori Amos. Now he's come full circle with mixes over the last few years for Penguin Prison, Bright Light Bright Light and new ones for OMD, Saint Etienne and The Brand New Heavies due soon. Since I've known him, he's been the busiet man alive, doing DJ gigs literally around the world (London, Stockholm, Sydney, etc etc).

My fave mix is, as usual, Vinny's own - listen below. I first previewed it in his home office, dancing in his window. I suspect he may hire me to be his house go-go dancer as he hits the circuit this summer. Nine years of blogging may finally pay off. Be freeeeeeeee with your love, indeed.



Follow La Vero on Twitter, Soundcloud and via his music blog, So Hip It Hurts. 

Record Store Day 2013 and the beauty of a vinyl LP

In 2010 I celebrated Record Store Day by posting my fave album covers. That year I bought the vinyl version of Goldfrapp's Head First and I've snagged vinyl a few times a year since (in 2012, it was Pet Shop Boys' Elysium). I'm repeating the post today because there's something so pleasing about the vinyl resurgence. My fondest memory of record stores is the exhilaration of great album sleeves - especially big displays. Anyone who experienced that era might recall how you'd thumb through the racks, looking at artists you already knew/owned, as if one day you'd magically find an album you didn't know existed. In the process, you'd gaze at the covers all over again.

Here are some favorite vinyl LP covers from over the years. These used to fight for "display" in my bedroom, versus being filed on the shelf...

I actually have Grace Jones and Missing Persons framed on my wall.

Lexy And The Kill's debut single

Lexy And The Kill are back with their official first single, We Can Dance Alone, and it's a bit of a stomper this time. You might remember that their amazing 2012 ballad Rope Swing. They followed that with another moody gem, Black Dog.

Last November, when I first wrote about the band, I said:

The quintet's sound reminds me of a bit of what the brilliant Rose Elinor Dougall did with her last LP. You never know how a band is going to stretch out after one good song, but all the elements are in place if they really focus on amazing songs. Lexy, who is only 20, has a voice like a smoke ring.

So far, it's sounding really solid. The single is out June 4 with a b-side called The Ballad of Love and Hate. Follow Lexy And The Kill on Twitter, Soundcloud and Facebook

Four flights to the orange side

just sayin'

I'm gonna keep on dancin'

Little Boots... it seems like it will be years until the Nocturnes release (May 4/5). To sum up where I stand: I LOVE the first three singles, Shake, Every Night I Say A Prayer and Motorway, with the latter being one the finest songs this year. New single Broken Record is a bit... makeshift? The chorus is repetitive and Katy B already has a slayer with the same name. In terms of uptempos, Beat Beat sounds better, with its uplifting chorus and bassy, New York indie disco vibe.

Now you can hear different samples (from the iTunes clips) on Pure Connect. My early faves are Crescendo, Strangers and Satellite. There is clearly a subtler sound on this album. Just because it doesn't sound full of bangers doesn't mean it's going to be less than excellent.

Jessie Ware premieres Imagine It Was Us

Jessie Ware's new single is wrecking me. An early contender for the best song of 2013, Imagine It Was Us betters the already near perfect Devotion. The track, produced with collaborator Julio Bashmore, brings a welcome beat and sensuality to the album. She makes it seem so effortless.

The video, like the arrangement, has threads of the early 90's. As Pepper La'Beija once said, “You can become anything and do anything, right here, right now. It won’t be questioned. I came. I saw. I conquered. That’s a ball.”  Jessie Ware isn't in Vogue, she is vogue.

Q1: Slow nights, fast nights

image by santinojrivera

In no order, my Top Songs for the first quarter of 2013. I put on just one song by each artist, which was a serious task in some cases. Still, this has been a slow season. Not a lot of great records out. You can hear/see these tunes by clicking on the title...

Röyksopp (with Susanne Sundfør) Running To The Sea
Like a great novel, the first line draws you in...  "I could hear them howling from afar / I saw them rushing to your car." 

New Order Californian Grass
Everything I wanted from New Order on this EP. Shimmering.

Gold Fields Happy Boy 
A surprise mid tempo twist from their debut LP. I love the mix of resignation and defiance in the lyric - and the violin laced into the end.

Little Boots Motorway 
Literally perfect. Like a sleek bullet. Night driving music.

Young Galaxy Pretty Boy 
This one immediately hits you with that rhythm that loops into your brain. And vocalist Catherine McCandless singing "You're my pretty boy, always" is the sweet spot.

Haim Falling 
The LA hipster sisters do it again. Except for the fact their show fucked up my ear LOL

Tegan and Sara Shock To Your System 
How to choose a song from such a perfect pop album. This slayer gets it for the way the pounding "what you are is lonely" conclusion winds down to a lonesome piano.

Rhye Major Minor Love 
Unknowns deliver fingersnap-beat smooth fuck music.

Johnny Marr New Town Velocity
As a friend said, it's like a lost Electronic song. A captured-in-amber memory of youth.

Fryars In My Arms
Swooning midtempo from an English dude. This song is a total earworm.  Fans of Jamie Woon may dig his sound.

Frida Sundemo Indigo (Strings Version)
Her EP has several new tunes, but I keep sticking on this pure beauty (the studio version was in my Top Songs of 2012).

The Good Natured Lovers 
Produced by Richard X, this is a serious blast of pop. Love the bitchy "shut up and fuck me" lyrics. 

King Need a Woman by Friday (feat. Trombone Shorty) 
Swaggering. Worthy of an 80's Brit group like Blow Monkeys.

Belinda Carlisle Sun
BC's first proper pop single in fifteen years. And it shines. Give her the right song and she knocks it the fuck out. More please.

Jessie Ware Imagine It Was Us
A perfect, seductive dance track. Jessie's imperial moment continues; she never gilds the lily, does she? She just is.

KING In The Meantime
The chorus! It reminds me of the heyday of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Justin Timberlake Strawberry BubblegumThe great songs on 20/20 are sublime, but it's just a bit overindulgent. I had a hard time picking between this, Blue Ocean Floor and Don't Hold The Wall. Ignore these lyrics and just vibe on it.

Slow Knights I Got It That Bad
Del Marquis gathers a collective of vocalists on his new LP, in this case Chrissi Poland on a sleek 80's rock/soul ballad. On the link above, play 1:45 - 2:15.

Active Child Evening Ceremony
Not an official single. The first new music we've heard since his debut doesn't alter the template much, but the result is nonetheless beautiful.

________________________________________ 

Worthy recent albums: Tegan And Sara (perfect), New Order, Slow Knights, Gold Fields, Frida Sundemo, Suede, Rhye

What's coming: Pet Shop Boys, Alison Moyet, AVAN LAVA, St Lucia, Haim, Little Boots, Young Galaxy, Autoheart, OMD

Disappointments: Hurts, Depeche Mode, Hurts. Ra Ra Riot, Hurts, 

Up in '13: KING with In The Meantime

Earlier this month, I posted on a new male solo artist named King. This week I am in deep love with In The Meantime, the debut single from a female trio called KING. Typically, it's the UK that's picked up on this group, perhaps after the wave of smoother female artists creating proper, chilled grooves (see Jessie Ware, among others). 

The group, from LA, are twin sisters Paris and Amber Strother, with Anita Bias. Their music is totally self made - no million dollar producers on board. Still, In The Meantime's smooth chorus reminds me of the heyday of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (see Janet Jackson, Cherelle and a million others). Note that they've caught the ear of Prince recently. Then me. And now you!



  In The Meantime is on iTunes worldwide

It's ELECTRIC

HERE WE GO.

Pet Shop Boys. Electric. June. Produced by Stuart Price.

There is a God(dess).

It's a week for Bloodsports...

Suede is streaming their new album Bloodsports on NPR and The Guardian sites and it's sounding amazing! Varied sounds, meaty playing and proper melodies. Lyrically, Brett is on the mark, especially on the gorgeous album opener, Barriers. First faves are Hit Me, It Starts And Ends With You and For The Strangers. There's been much made of the fact that they're releasing this album at the same time their icon David Bowie is releasing The Next Day, but I actually [whispers] prefer the romanticism of Bloodsports to gritty rock on the Bowie. 

There's been a huge amount of press for the record, including interviews with The Quietus and The Guardian. Poplifer has been doing a brilliant, very personal series on the band (part one here) that includes a track by track.

Bloodsports is out on March 18/19 worldwide.

King: Need A Woman By Friday

King - aka Joe King, the guitarist for The Fray - is the surprise voice/writer behind my fave new pop tune, Need A Woman By Friday. Is this guy British? Amazingly not: he's from Colorado.  The track sounds like a hit to my ears... and we need a trombone solo on radio don't we?



Not sure if anyone will get the reference, but he reminds me a bit of Kubb, who released the perfect Wicked Soul back in 2005.

King is working on a debut album and has a brief tour of Colorado coming:

April 25: Bluebird Theater, Denver
April 26: Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins
April 27: Black Sheep, Colorado Springs
April 28: Fox Theatre, Boulder

Need a Woman By Friday is on iTunes



 

Jessie Ware in performance

The Jessie Ware show that I attended in January was such a revelation. Her voice blows up live. Full on diva. She's releasing her album in America next month with a new track (!) and, one presumes, some of the great bonus material she's already put out. Below is a recent performance of one of those tunes, a cover of Bobby Caldwwell's What You Won't Do For Love. 

Note that if you live in the UK, you can download Jessie's version of another classic, Stephanie Mills' I Never Knew Love Like This Before. It's on the I Give It A Year soundtrack. Look out for it.

Fifteen Years of Ray Of Light

Sunday, March 3rd was the fifteenth anniversary of Madonna's amazing Ray Of Light album. To celebrate, I did a piece for Idolator, which includes some comments from Rick Nowels, the legendary songwriter who co-write nine tracks with Madonna for ROL, three of which made the final cut. Here is a sweet comment Rick made that I did not put in the piece:

Every night I would drive home with a new beautiful Madonna song playing in my car. It was a happy and very fulfilling time. I love all 3 of our songs on Ray Of Light - The Power Of Goodbye, To Have And Not To Hold and Little Star- each one quite different and each one very strong poetically and conceptually.

On Monday afternoon (Pacific Time), Idolator will hose a Ray Of Light listening session / Twitter discussion (hashtag #IdolatorBacktracking). I'll chime in when I can!

Bowie: I hope we live forever...

The new David Bowie video, The Stars (Are Out Tonight), appeared suddenly today.  I love how the idea of "doing a Bowie" - launching something unannounced -  has entered the pop culture lexicon ("The Pope did a Bowie and quit today!").

Back to the song and visuals, The Stars (Are Out Tonight) is a chugging rocker that still has a proper pop melody. The video really sends it over: The inevitable meeting on film of Bowie and his doppelganger Tilda Swinton, along with a host of other Bowie-esque skinny models. It's chic, funny, creepy and Bowie himself looks great! This is how to age.



The new album, The Next Day, is out March 11/12. Read first reviews at The Telegraph and The Guardian (that one written by the sharp Alexis Petridis).

Red alert: Alison Moyet is back!

The ever-great Alison Moyet has just released the first song from the minutes, her collaboration with Guy (Frou Frou) Sigsworth. I've been waiting for this for ages and BAM here it is - a grinding uptempo - on a Monday morning!  Not only can you play it above, but you can download it  for free from alisonmoyet.com.

No other specifics on the album yet, but she says “Guy Sigsworth returns me to a programmer’s world and marries it with perfect musicality.... this has easily been my happiest studio experience.” If you don't follow Alison on Twitter, do it now, she is fearlessly raw and funny.

Spending my Valentine's with HAIM

Tonight I'm seeing HAIM take a break for their stint opening for Mumford to do their own show at
U Hall in DC. It's going to be an EPIC way to spend the [burp] holiday. I heart Este, Alana and Danielle.

Meanwhile, they've released their loverly and very rhythmic new single Falling. It's on iTunes now.

Gold Fields return with Happy Boy

Australia's Gold Fields is one of my favorite new bands for 2013. I saw them do a powerful opening gig for St Lucia in December. They've got dueling drummers, so the sound is very big. At that time they'd just released an absolute pounder of a single, Dark Again (Lights Out). Now they're back with a lush curve into a sort of emotional ambiance, Happy Boy.

I love the bizarro structure of this song - it's like the choruses and the verses have been switched. Or which is which? It's got very few words, but the lyrical hooks seem driven by a dark storyline you're not quite privy to ("If I storm out of here / His face won't change"). And the violin threaded through it is gorgeous, Listen for yourself...



The debut album, Black Sun, is out on February 26 and up for pre-order on iTunes US. If you're into Friendly Fires, St Lucia, Empire Of The Sun, etc, you should pay attention to Gold Fields.

I don't usually post tour dates, but this is a worthy show (and it probably won't break the bank):

2/4: Washington DC@ U Street Music Hall  2/5: Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live 2/6: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom 2/7: Philadelphia, PA @ TLA 2/8: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall 2/9: Providence, RI @ The Met 2/11: Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel 2/12: Detroit, MI @ The Shelter 2/13: Columbus, OH @ The Basement 2/14: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom 2/15: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall 2/17: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 2/19: Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep 2/20: Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge 2/22: Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue 2/23: Missoula, MT @ Elks Live 2/24: Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café 2/25: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom 2/27: San Francisco, CA @ Slims 2/28: Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour 3/2: Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room

The band also released a live clip for their previous single, the brilliant Dark Again

Syron. In my arms you will remain.

Cute new Brit girl Syron - she reminds me of Sarah from Dubstar - has a new single out. It's called Here. Syron - aka Daisy Tullulah Syron-Russell  -is the latest in a group of cool women releasing garage-influenced pop tunes (think Katy B). I always have time for this sound.


Here is released on March 17th. You can hear more of Syron, including earlier singles Waterfall and Breaking, at her Soundcloud.

Review: Tegan And Sara’s Heartthrob

I reviewed Tegan and Sara's Heartthrob, the first great pop album of 2013, for Idolator.

Here's a quote...

Closer, which the sisters say is about the love-struck phase before a crush becomes physical, alternates between sweetness (“I won’t treat you like you’re typical” ) and utter horniness (“All I dream of lately is how to get you underneath me.”). After a few banger choruses, the bridge builds into an explosion of shimmering vocals, simulating the sound of the daydream-filled crushes they’re singing about.

You're my pretty boy, always

Canadian band Young Galaxy takes it to the next level with the unbelievably gorgeous first single from their fourth album, Ultramarine. For me, Pretty Boy is all about three elements: that insistent rhythm, the violin ribboned throughout the song and the vulnerable performance by vocalist Catherine McCandless. Listen for yourself...


Pretty Boy will be available to purchase on February 5th, with the album to follow in late April. Ultramarine was recorded in Sweden with producer/remixer Dan Lissvik.

Stars sing me to sleep

The first Stars song I ever loved was the impossibly beautiful Tonight, from their Nightsongs LP.  It reminded me of a lost Morrissey/Marr composition. So it's only fitting that, 12 years later, Stars gives us a (free) cover of The Smiths' Asleep. The song is federated on a new EP, Far From Home. which also features four "Breakglass" acoustic versions of album tracks. God, this band shimmers and shines.
 




Thanks to Pop Labyrinth for the tip.

OOH! The Return Of Del Marquis

 

Back in 2009, before the last two Scissor Sisters LPs, I interviewed Del Marquis about his solo work, a diverse collection of songs starting at pop and pointing all over the stylistic map. And now he's back!  Idolator launched Del's Princely new track Say Ooh Damn today, recorded with new artist Xavier Smith and Prince's (sometimes) live band, The New Power Generation. Meanwhile, Kick Kick Snare debuted the rubbery Let Me Tickle Your Fancy. Fans of Scissters will dig the fact that these songs are similar in vibe to his "mother band's" grittier disco funk sounds.

Download Del and Xavier's 6-track Tickle mixtape for FREE at delmarquis.com/tickle

No, that's not the cover image for the new mixtape above. I just thought it was a nice way to warm up on a cold winter's day. You can follow Del and Xavier on Twitter to keep up with the new tunes. And follow me too, right?

Suede: "Drama, melody and noise"

The past year has seen 90's acts return with mixed (to no) commercial success, among them Garbage and No Doubt. Now it's Suede's turn. Most love this Britpop-era band for their first two albums of sexually ambiguous, drug-laced, council house rock, but their poppy third album, Coming Up, is one of my favorite albums of the nineties. The lead single Trash captured them at their best - pure romance awash in guitars and gorgeous filth: "We're trash you and me, we're the litter on the breeze, we're the lovers in the streets." 

Last week they release a solid - and free - new track called Barriers, the opener to their album Bloodsports and their first new song in 11 years. Arrangement-wise, it's guitar rock, but lyrically it has the same kind of epic sweep that the best Suede songs have: "Aniseed kisses and lipstick traces / Lemonade sipped in Belgian rooms / Couldn't replace the graceful notions / That clung to me when I clung to you."

The first proper single will be the pleasingly titled It Starts And Ends With You. I'm hopeful for this album because it was produced by Ed Buller, who did the first three Suede albums. Bloodsports is due on March 18, a week after Bowie, who heavily influenced the band, releases his new album. Here is the tracklist:

Barriers
Snowblind
It Starts And Ends With You
Sabotage
For The Strangers
Hit Me
Sometimes I Feel I’ll Float Away
What Are You Not Telling Me?
Always
Faultlines

and here are my Top Ten Suede Songs
Europe Is Our Playgroud
Trash
Beautiful Ones
Filmstar
She's In Fashion
The Chemistry Between Us
The Wild Ones
My Dark Star
Metal Mickey
Animal Nitrate

What are yours?

Tegan and Sara: I Was A Fool

 
Tegan and Sara's latest track from the superb Heartthrob is I Was A Fool, a sweet/sad midtempo. As good as this is, there are even better tracks on the LP, which is due on January 29.

Just to add some confusion, they're also on the GIRLS soundtrack covering the Stones' Fool To Cry. This is one of those old school soundtracks where you cannot buy individual tracks. I call bullshit to that.

You can have me whenever

Still in love with the amazing Sisters by AVAN LAVA - that's pronounced Ahh-von-Lahv-ahh. They're working on their 2013 debut album now. Cahhn't wait.

New Order's dreamy "ghost" record, Lost Sirens

After a year-long delay, New Order's new LP, Lost Sirens, is out next week. These are previously unreleased tracks from the same sessions that resulted in 2005′s Waiting For the Sirens’ Call, the final LP produced by Jim Spencer, John Leckie, Stuart Price and Stephen Street. My favorite from that era is the beautiful Krafty, but the album also included a Stuart Price pop gem, Guilt Is A Useless Emotion. Lost Sirens is along the same lines - the songs stretchy out, most veering into the 5 minute territory with nice instrumental passages.

Here is what band member Stephen Morris said about it:

When we did the first one [Waiting For The Sirens' Call] we had 20 ideas for songs - we were going through a particularly prolific phase – but we couldn’t make a double concept album out of them all, so we thought we’d just do two instead. The intention was always to write four or five more songs and then put it out 18 months or so after the first one. When we unearthed it from the cupboard recently, with the intention of re-editing some of the songs, we all agreed they didn’t actually need it, and it should just be out there.

I'll Stay With You Solid intro track and one of the most concise at 4:20
Sugarcane 80's synths. amazing instrumental bridge from 2:42 to 3:17
Recoil the jazzy one - very organic. literally shimmers
Californian Grass rugged guitar and lush strings. Subtitled "Doomy."
Hellbent a rock track with a great house piano break, this song starts Side B on the vinyl version
Shake It Up a sleek synth intro gives way to an uptempo stormer
I've Got A Feeling my least favorite, kind of meh
I Told You So this one is about drums

Stream Lost Sirens via Rolling Stone

The surprise is that these tracks are as good as much of Sirens' Call. They weren't locked away due to quality, but due to the band bitterly falling apart. Still, you have to wonder why these got knocked off that earlier disc. As usual, I love the Peter Saville cover above - it looks great on this blog!

The Courteeners

The new Courteeners album / single artwork

And the word said "Hey, it's a brand new day."

Happy New Year to everyone. xoxo

Eurythmics Brand New Day, from the Savage long-firm video, directed by Sophie Muller, 1987

Up in '13: Fryars

My first obsession of 2013 is Fryars new track In My Arms, out January 14. What to say. Let it sing for itself...

I know very little about Fryars except that his name is Benjamin Garret, he's a Brit and - this is odd - he wrote and produced three songs for Mika's Origin Of Love album (Celebrate, Lola and Make You Happy). As is usual, Michael Cragg was all over this in November in The Guardian.

Music Wins

2013: Time for a change!

So... blogger ate my template when I made a minor change to it. Years of work down the tubes. My content is still here, but it ate my navigation. Charming. It is time for a change, but I need to think it through carefully. I have been kicked into 2013!  

Happy New Year to all! XO

Favorites 2012: THE LIST

Kicking this shitstorm of a year into the past, one last look at many great songs in 2012...

A Silent Film Anastasia, This Stage Is Your Life
Adele Skyfall
Alpines Empire, Chances, Got Me Wrong
AVAN LAVA Sisters. Merry Xmas To Me
Tori Amos Flavor, Precious Things, Cloud On My Tongue
Thomas Azier Metropolitan Tribe
Autoheart Control
Katy B Aaliyah (with Jessie Ware)
Azealia Banks 212
Sara Barielles Sweet As A Whole, Lie To Me
The Barr Brothers Beggar In The Morning
Bat For Lashes Laura
Tom Baxter Sugarcane
Justin Bieber Catching Feelings, Beauty And A Beat
Bim Scream. Monster
Boy George Video Games
Bright Light Bright Light Feel It, Moves, Waiting For A Feeling (Trouser Enthusiasts Mix), Blueprint, Cry At Films
Gabriel Bruce Perfect Weather
Paul Buchanan I Remember You
Andy Burrows If I Had A Heart, Because I Know That I Can, Company
Reuben Butchart Nameless And Awake
Melanie C Both Sides Now
Mara Carlyle The Devil And Me
Cassie King Of Hearts
Kelly Clarkson Catch My Breath
Chery Cole Telescope
David's Lyre English Roses, Heartbeat
Deacon Blue The Hipsters, Here We Are In London Town
Deadmau5 Telemiscommunication (with Imogen Heap)
Lana Del Rey National Anthem, Radio, This Is What Makes Us Girls, Off To The Races, Video Games, Ride
Donkeyboy Silver Moon
Rose Elinor Dougall Hanging Around
Dragonette Untouchable, Let it Go, My Ghosts, Lay Low, My Legs Go Out Late, Giddy Up, Merry Xmas
Ed Drewett Good Morning (Monsieur Adi Mix)
Mark Eitzel I Love You But You're Dead
Paloma Faith Picking Up The Pieces, Blood Sweat and Tears, 30 Second Love Affair
Skye Ferreira Everything's Embarrassing, Ghost
Fibes, Oh Fibes! Goodbye To Love
Florrie Shot You Down, I'm Gonna Get You Back
Foxes Warrior, Echo
Garbage I Hate Love
Melody Gardot My Heart Won't Have It Any Other Way, So Long
Glee Cast The Scientist 
Girls Aloud On The Metro, Every Now And Then
Gold Fields Dark Again
Goldfrapp Melancholy Sky, Yellow Halo
Gossip Perfect World, Casualties Of War, Get Lost, Move In The Right Direction,
Ellie Goulding My Blood, Without Your Love, I Know You Care, The Ending, Dead In The Water
Vivian Green Anything Out There
HAERTS Wings
HAIM Don't Save Me, Forever, Send Me Down
Ren Harvieu Through The Night, Open Up Your Heart, Summer Romance
Richard Hawley Don't Stare At The Sun
Imogen Heap You Know Where To Find Me
Missy Higgins Unashamed Desire, Set Me On Fire, Everyone's Waiting
Hot Chip Don't Deny Your Heart,
Icona Pop I Love It
The Irrepressibles Two Men In Love
Carly Rae Jepson Call Me Maybe, This Kiss
Elton John vs PNAU Sad
Jillette Johnson Torpedo
Keane Disconnected
Ronan Keating Love You And Leave You 
R Kelly Feelin' Single
Alicia Keys When It's All Over 
The Killers Flesh And Bone, Here With Me
Liane La Havas Lost And Found, Gone, No Room For Doubt
Ladyhawke Black White and Blue, Cellophane
Lexy And The Kill Rope Swing
Amelia Lily You Bring Me Joy
Madonna Love Spent, Falling Free, Beautiful Killer, I Don't Give A, I'm Addicted
Amanda Mair Said And Done, Skinnarviksberget, Leaving Early, You've Been Here Before
Man Without A Country Iceberg
Marina And The Diamonds Hypocrates, Power And Control, Sex Yeah, Valley Of The Dolls, How To Be A Heartbreaker... all of it
George Michael White Light
Miguel Adorn
Mika Origin Of Love
Kylie Minogue Hand On Your Heart, I Believe In You
Alanis Morissette Magical Child, Havoc
Jason Mraz The World As I See It, Who's Thinking About You Now?
Laura Mvula She, Like The Morning Dew
Nashville Cast No One Will Ever Love You 
Ne-Yo Stress Reliever
Niki And The Dove Taylor, Somebody
No Doubt Settle Down, Looking Hot, Push and Shove, Undone, Easy, Dreaming The Same Dream... all of it
Frank Ocean Bad Religion, Sweet Life, Thinking About You
Of Monsters And Men Little Talks
Beth Orton Mystery
Parade Light Me Up
Passion Pit Take A Walk, Love Is Greed, Where We Belong, It's Not My Fault I'm Happy
Perseus Seychelles
Pet Shop Boys Leaving, Face Like That, Winner (Andrew Dawson Happy Sad Mix), Breathing Space
Pink Just Give Me A Reason
Polica Dark Star
Poolside Slow Down
The Presets Promises
Gemma Ray Alright! Alive!, How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?
Dawn Richard Intro (Call To Hearts)
Rihanna Stay, Nobody's Business, Diamonds, Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary, Get It Over With
Royksopp Running To The Sea (with Susanne Sundfor)
Saint Etienne Tonight (Richard X Extended Mix), I've Got Your Music, DJ, Last Days Of Disco, Over The Border.. all of it
Saint Lou Lou Maybe You
Emeli Sande Next To Me, Heaven, Daddy, Lifetime, Mountains,Wonder
Scissor Sisters Let's Have A Kiki, Only The Horses, Baby Come Home, Inevitable
Smash Cast Crazy Dreams
Snow Patrol New York, Garden Rules, This Is Not
Solange Losing You, Lovers In The Parking Lot, Locked In Closets
Jimmy Somerville Taken Away (Fred Falke Mix), Kite
Sam Sparro The Shallow End, I Wish I Never Met You, Hearts Like Us, 
St. Lucia Paper Heart, September
Stars The North, Hold On When You Get Love And Let Go When You Get it,
Summer Camp Better Off Without You 
Frida Sundemo Indigo
Tegan And Sara Closer, I'm Not Your Hero
Tracey Thorn Joy, Snow, Hard Candy Christmas
Kristina Train Dream Of Me, Saturdays Are The Greatest, Dark Black, Stick Together, Lose You Tonight
Two Door Cinema Club The World Is Watching
Usher Climax, Looking 4 Myself, Numb
Van She Jamaica
Rufus Wainwright Out of The Game, Jericho, Barbara, Sometimes You Need
Richard Walters Young Trees, Regretless, Blossom
Jessie Ware Running, Devotion, Wildest Moments, Night Light, No To Love, Something Inside... all of it
War Of Words Battleground
Zak Waters Skinny Dipping In The Deep End
Robbie Williams Be A Boy, Reverse
Yuna Decorate, Lullabies
Zedd (with Foxes) Clarity
Bertine Zetlitz Get Me Out Of Bed

Favorites 2012: The Top Albums

A strange year for pop, with very few really stellar albums. So I've become more selective: the albums below were solidly played, with additional great records listed further down. As I said on an earlier list, I wish that many albums this year had been EPs. There's no real need for 11 songs if only 6 are truly worthy.  Of course, it's all subjective: one man's perfect playlist is another man's argument. Several of my reviews below were first published in an alternate form in the American (print) magazine, Instinct. Have at it...

Album Of The Year is a TIE

Jessie Ware Devotion
Play the flawless Devotion for the first time in the dark, with wine. London’s Ware – formerly a backup singer for Paloma Faith - is living proof that less is more: she knows when to hold back and when to give. Devotion’s sleek tunes recall the era of Sade and Lisa Stansfield, with a contemporary edge. The pounding drums on killer single Wildest Moments anchor the story of a love affair that only the lovers understand ("From the outside / Everyone must be wondering why we try"). Night Light’s cellos and cascading electric guitars create a seductive bed from which Ware can cut loose vocally. This is goosebump territory. [full review]

Standout tracks: Not a dud track on Devotion, but I'll choose Night Light and Wildest Moments as my favorites, followed by No To Love, Something Inside and Running.

Marina And The Diamonds Electra Heart
I love that everyone thought this album might be doomed. It's actually perfect. Marina pulls off an amazing trick: carpet-bagging it to her much adored Hollywood to record with chart topping producers. That the final LP still sounds like Marina is not only testament to her X factor, but to the strength of her artistic vision. At the end of the day, Marina Diamandis has something to say. Bonus points for writing several songs with longtime legend Rick (Belinda, Stevie) Nowels. If this were 1984, Electra Heart would have sold 10 million.

Standout tracks: Radioactive, Hypocrates, Power And Control, Starring Role, Sex Yeah and Valley Of The Dolls, but it's all great.

...and more fantastic albums/EPs, in no order:

Bright Light Bright Light Make Me Believe In Hope
Rod Thomas – or BLx2 as I say – was one of a handful of men doing literate pop music in 2012. This is electro with a beating heart. Songs like Disco Moment have an honest emotional core beneath the strobe-lit keyboards. Make Me Believe is stacked with highlights, from the ecstatic Cry At Films, a collaboration with Scissor Sisters' Del Marquis, to the summer jam Feel It. The latter’s wailing diva - actually a man - was the C and C Music Factory moment we didn’t know we craved. “Just open up your lips and say you love me.” We did, Rod.

Standout tracks: Feel It, Disco Moment, Cry At Films, Debris, Waiting For The Feeling

No Doubt Push And Shove
Gwen Stefani is the Great American Girl, isn’t she? She's still got her SoCal style and accent and her red, red lips; the only roots she’s ever denied are in her hair. Amazingly, Push And Shove is the band’s first album since 2001. “Everything’s changed, I’ve changed a lot,” she sings on Heaven, but this band still has the tunes. Gwen, Tony, Tom and Adrian deliver eleven near-perfect songs adding up to what may be the most listenable, kick-ass pop record of 2012. For more, see my full review on Idolator.

Standout tracks: Dreaming The Same Dream, Looking Hot, Push And Shove, Easy, Settle Down, Undone.

Gossip A Joyful Noise
When the iconic Beth Ditto released her 2011 dance EP, there was a collective wail of "more please." She and her band come through with the aptly titled A Joyful Noise. Producer Brian Higgins (of Girls Aloud fame) takes the trio's melodic rock and sprays it with a sleek disco sheen. The dark Perfect World literally glistens with twilight synths, while Casualties Of Love is a rare Gossip ballad, with Ditto turning down the volume for a tune documenting quiet heartbreak ("I'm fighting tears, you couldn't tell. I'm not as strong as you thought I was."). Get A Job is built on a slayer hook: "I’d love to stay and party, but I gotta go to work!" This is the sound of a band letting its pop heart shine through. [full track by track]

Standout tracks: Perfect World, Move In The Right Direction, Casualties Of War, Get A Job and Love In A Foreign Place

David's Lyre Picture Of Our Youth
David's Lyre - now defunct - was the professional moniker of Paul Dixon from Manchester, UK. After a long gestation, he independently released this sublime debut in February. Vocally, he reminds me a bit of  Dr Robert from Blow Monkeys, but the sound fits right in with Patrick Wolf and even, at times, groups likes Camera Obscura. Some of the tracks have an 80's Scottish pop feel (English Roses), while others (Heartbeat) are totally in the now. This is not the indie bedsit fuckery that sometimes pops up on bandcamp (where you can buy it); it's an accomplished - and very British - gem of an album.

Standout Tracks: English Roses, Heartbeat, Only Love

Tracey Thorn Tinsel And Lights
In the heap of plasticine Christmas albums, Tracey Thorn's holiday offering was a crisp, silvery bauble. Her song choices range from country-hip gems like Dolly Parton's Hard Candy Christmas to lesser knowns, like Sufjan Stevens' gorgeous Sister Winter. The presence of Scritti Politti's Green Gartside (whose voice has miraculously not aged) on Low's Taking Down The Tree is a particular gift to longtime fans. Occasionally, as on Like A Snowman or the self penned title track, the arrangements take you - thrillingly - back to the pre-electronic era of her group, Everything But The Girl. With a voice as comforting as any fireside Christmas classic, Tracey Thorn remains a gift to the wise men and women who love her.

Standout tracks: Joy, Tinsel And Lights, Hard Candy Christmas, Snow

Solange True EP
Hey, don't call her basement baby, m'kay? #rude Our beloved boho goddess Solange hooked up with Dev Hynes to produce a Brooklyn hipster chick manifesto. I'm excited to hear how she translates this to a full length album in 2013. This is fucking cool... be there or be square.

Standout tracks: Losing You, Lovers In The Parking Lot, Locked In Closets

Saint Etienne Words And Music By Saint Etienne
Flat out stunning. A band that hits full stride on its eighth studio album, a concept record about loving music. With shimmery disco pop (DJ), wistful spoken word (Over The Border) and rubbery 90's jams (I've Got Your Music), this trio finds the sweet spot in their 40's.

Standout Tracks: DJ, Last Days Of Disco, I've Got Your Music, Over The Border, Popular, Tonight

 
Pet Shop Boys Elysium
Elysium makes it to this list with a serious technical note: It is a very flawed long player. The album is an uneasy mix of stunning tracks and weak tracks (including a failed experiment or two). What would have been ideal is if the Boys had released an EP including some of the extended versions (think Introspective), highlighting the more pastoral sound of the record. To that end, this is the playlist I'd create for it, which is close to a full-length in running time: 

Elysium (XO's version): Leaving (I Believe In PSB mix), Invisible, Winner (Andrew Dawson Extended HappySad Mix), Face Like That, Breathing Space, Memory Of The Future (Ulrich Schnauss Mix), Requiem in Denim And Leopardskin.

Rufus Wainwright Out Of The Game
Although it was recorded in New York, Rufus Wainwright’s smooth seventh studio album sounds like it was rolled in the haze of the LA canyons. Working with producer Mark Ronson, he created a low-key 70’s style singer/songwriter pop gem. The title track, like a Honky Chateau leftover, seems to be sung to his younger self with trademark wit: “You’re only a young thing, about to sleep with a sea of men. Just hanging around, wearing something from God knows where. Just having a ball.” Another highlight, Jericho, ambles along like he recorded it with The Band. "The openhearted have nothing to fear" he sings on a middle eight punctuated by swooning strings. Out Of The Game is a sweet return from one of today's best songwriters.

Standout Tracks: Out Of The Game, Jericho, Montauk, Respectable Dive, Sometimes You Need

More solid records this year:

Dragonette Bodyparts
Madonna MDNA (another that would make a better long EP)
Stars The North
Missy Higgins The Ol' Razzle Dazzle (best album title)
Andy Burrows Company
Deacon Blue The Hipsters
Lianne La Havas Is Your Love Big Enough?
Kristina Train Dark Black
Rihanna Unapologetic
St Lucia St Lucia EP
Amanda Mair Amanda Mair
Passion Pit Gossamer

What did I forget? Please comment or bellow at me/kiss me on Tumblr, lastFM, This Is My Jam and Twitter.  

top photo by Hedi Slimane