BASTILLE - OF THE NIGHT (VIDEO)

Not a fan of this polished, re-done version of their mixtape favourite but I bloody love the video. Watching dead people sing is my favourite thing.

This is going to be overplayed and ruined by radio stations, isnt it? DAMN YOU.

Of The Night is out 25th November. Bastille's repackaged album All This Bad Blood is out the same day.

WOLF ALICE - BLUSH

This is so beautiful. Bet it sounds uh-mazing live. Sad we didn't get to catch them at SGP, weep.

EP Blush is out 7th October.

TWENTY ONE PILOTS - GUNS FOR HANDS (DZEKO AND TORRES REMIX)

Recently discovered Twenty One Pilots (aka Columbus duo Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun), then became obsessed with their song Guns For Hands (I'm talking Nike+ power song obsessed) and soon worried that I was overplaying the song. Then lo, the clouds parted and down came a remix sent from on high. Or er, Dzeko and Torres. Whoever they are.

Had to give it a few listens as my brain initially couldn't handle the song being turned into some sort of dancefloor classic. Which obviously on paper sounds TERRIBLE, but weirdly works in real-life. The lyrics are clearer despite the thumping 'chew your face off' beats and I've gotta say, I'm pretty sure the increased tempo helped me hang my wet washing faster. Always a bonus. (I used Persil if you were wondering...Oh you weren't?)

Hoping to catch Twenty One Pilots at Reading at the weekend, plus they're playing their record label's summer party next week so that's two shows in the space of five days. JESUS, I'M KEEN.

Their album Vessel hits the UK on 2nd September.

PHOENIX - TRYING TO BE COOL (R KELLY REMIX)

It's taken me a good few day to get my head round this. One of the most unlikely collaborations in music history, non? For the Coachella goers who saw R (can I call you R, R?) perform onstage with Phoenix, this remix with R Kelly's additional vocals may seem natural. But for the rest of us - WTF. (I love it.)

PANIC! AT THE DISCO - THIS IS GOSPEL (VIDEO)

Say what you like about Panic! At The Disco (praise the Lord they brought that exclamation mark back eh?) but this is such a good video. Real great choreography. In my humble opinion you know. Plus whoever suggested the wind machine during the surgical manhandling deserves a pay rise.

Was a bit concerned after hearing Miss Jackson, their first offering from their fourth studio album - it was a bit new-age Fall Out Boy, non? But this second release has lifted my weary spirits. Dunno about you, but the vocoder heavy verses take me right back to that fraught Imogen Heap soundtracked OC season finale where Marissa, ya know, accidentally chucks a bullet around a motel room. Normal.

The intensity of this song is timed well with the band's recent admission that drummer Spencer has left the current tour to enter rehab for prescription drug and alcohol addiction. From the sounds of it, this may be the most heartfelt, honest album yet. Hopefully the record company pleasing show tunes of the first couple of albums will all have gone, and in their place will lay gems like this.

Either way, take from this what you will but never give up yeah?

The band's album Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die! is out 8th October

SWIM DEEP - KING CITY (II FIGURES REMIX)

Oh holy night, this is the best King City remix I ever did hear.

Definitely, definitely recommend checking out the rest of II Figures' SoundCloud.

SPLASHH - FEELS LIKE YOU (VIDEO)

There's a skateboarding elephant and I don't know about you but that's a huge thumbs up in my eyes. As are karaoke-esque lyrics.

I saw Splashh live at Cargo in London a few weeks ago and enjoyed the trippy visuals, moshing kids (moshing to this, c'mooooooon!?) and lost/drunk/mid-life crisis laden businessmen jumping up onstage and looking waaaaay pleased with themselves. There are a lot of sad-eyed businessmen appearing at gigs who I want to pat on the head and tell them everything will be okay.

Feels Like You is out 8th July.

SWIM DEEP - KING CITY (VIDEO)

Swim Deep have made a brand spanking new video for the re-release of King City, sticking two fingers up to the grim Birmingham of the old vid and cruising into the desert Americana-style for the new, more polished promo. They're basically living the American road trip dream. I'm concerned they don't have enough snacks or water though. Their car should be full to the brim with sour Twizzlers, pickle flavoured potato chips and all the other amazing shit you can only get in America. 

Incidentally, I have the video girl's swimsuit from my stint at American Apparel, still with all the tags on. I was obsessed with it but it but the smaller size wasn't long enough so I had a permanent hunch and the larger size was too baggy. #firstworldproblems. Naturally I kept it to get out and look at every now and then. (Much like the majority of my 6 inch heels.) Might just post my swimmers to her. It would look better where she lives than doing laps in Clissold pool anyway.

p.s. is it me or is drummer Zach turning into the girl we all want to be?

King City is out 29th July.

Debut album Where The Heaven Are We (I've got it and it's got all the amazing summery vibes you'd expect it to) is out 5th August.

GO FORTH AND LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM.

SAY LOU LOU - JULIAN (VIDEO)

Miranda and Elektra Kilbey aka the twins that make up Say Lou Lou (the band formerly known as Saint Lou Lou) were raised between Sydney and Stockholm which might explain why they're so fucking cool. Although the Guardian described them as sounding like 'a depressed tATu'. Which, let's be honest, is still effing cool.

Pic stolen from Interview

They recently released the video for Julian, their follow up to Maybe You. More upbeat, less dark but with the same emotional appeal of their previous offering. It's an absolute beaut of a track.



Julian is out now on iTunes.

SIR SLY - FOUND YOU OUT

Got taken to see Wardell at the Queen of Hoxton last Tuesday and was pleasantly surprised to discover via my pre-gig research (i.e. stage times so I know how long I have to eat my dinner) that they were supporting Sir Sly. Have loved these guys since I first heard Ghost earlier this year, so was pretty excited to see them live. On a Tuesday, the most rubbish day of the week.

After one ludicrously overpriced bottle of Becks, one lap of the Queen of Hoxton's roof garden and one sa-weeeeeeeeet Wardell set, the Cali-forn-i-a boys came on and proved they're even better live than via my laptop speakers. They also confirmed that their name is pronounced 'Sir Sly' and not some douchey way of saying 'seriously'. Juuuuuuust checking.

Latest track Found You Out is much poppier than their previous releases, and it took me a few post-gig listens for it to grow on me, but grow it did. Having said that, it'll never replace Ghost in my heart. That tune is an absolute beaut and a half.



Can't wait for a full length album. Definitely recommend seeing these guys live when they're next in your ends.

Get more here.
Soundcloud to your heart's content here.

BEST FESTIVAL AD EVER

Dogs dressed as Justice. I think they just made my day. 

HARD Summer Music Festival 2013
AUG 3+4 | 12PM-12AM | Los Angeles, CA
Tickets here.

SWISS LIPS - U GOT THE POWER (BASTILLE REMIX)

Everything Bastille touch turns to gold, not that Swiss Lips don't make precious metal to start with, but Dan Smith's additional vocals really transform this mellowed out rework of the Manchester boys' U Got The Power.

I spoke to Swiss Lips frontman Sam for my day job last week and he was a right hoot, which makes sense seeing as he's in a band which whisks up what can only be described as jolly-guitar-dance-pop-magic (personal favourite Danz right here). Catch the chat in next month's BLISS (what do you mean you're too old?) but for now, enjoy U Got The Power. I certainly don't have any power 'cos I'm about to nod off. Already excited about me breakfast. Crumpeeeeeeeeets!

U Got The Power is out 29th April.

DAUGHTER - HUMAN

"And despite everything I'm still human."

Have wanted to blog this since Zane Lowe played it a month ago as his fave track off Daughter's album but it was nowhere to be found on the world wide web. Until now as they've announced they're releasing it as a single - hooooooooo-rah!

I first heard this song when I was cooking my dinner, listening to Zane Lowe, as I so often do. (He provides the best soundtrack to throwing vegetables in a pan, I tell ya.) I remember this song got me dancing around the kitchen doing some sort of faux ballet, and when I finished my housemate commented that if I was a singer this would be the sort of music I'd write. I wish I had the talent to do so.



Their album is all sorts of beautiful. Touch and Amsterdam are two other standout tracks. Well worth your pennies.

Human and the album If You Leave are out now.

HERE IS YOUR TEMPLE - SO HIGH

'I'm never quite happy 'cos I'm not that kind.'

This band had me at 'dreamy Swedish quintet'. I'm off to listen to them with a Sunday night hot cross bun and a cup of tea.

Alsations are great. So is this song.

So High is out now and they have an EP out on 15th April.

Find out more here.
Stalk them on Twitter here.

ATOMS FOR PEACE - DEFAULT

Yeah yeah yeah, I know everyone's banging on about Judge Jury and Executioner which got its first play this week, but all I've been listening to is Default. Yes it might have been released four months ago and yes, I might be really late to the Atoms For Peace party but the important thing is I got there in the end. Better late than never. A mantra I live my life by. Hoping that others do too.



Cannot get enough of this track, and really looking forward to the supergroup's album Amok which is due out next month. Although it just makes me think of this type of amok...So hungry.

Oh and here's a dull story but a story I'll tell nonetheless - I once served Thom Yorke food at Big Chill. I couldn't tell you what he had, my memory doesn't stretch that far, but as the food choices at the hospitality deli were pretty limited, and he's vegan, it was most likely the Thai green curry. 'COS GOD KNOWS THAT'S ALL I ATE FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK. Hashtag vegetarian festival food problems.

Get more on the band here.

M83 - WAIT

This track on Hurry Up, We're Dreaming is weird because much of the album makes me feel so euphoric, like I might burst before I'm able to go out and do all the 101 amazing things it makes me feel I can do, but this one makes me sit down on the end of my bed and feel desperately, desperately hollow and sad, like nothing's quite right with the world and nothing ever will be. EMO, RIGHT? And this video kind of portrays that. Make of it what you will, you've got a brain, you've got emotions to project, they're  in there. Somewhere.

The end of the video is much like the transition on the album though, there's some hope that the little boy has crashed into some kind of good place, and thankfully Wait flows into the jolly Raconte-Moi Une Histoire (won't lie, had no idea it was called that, I just know it as 'the one with the kids and the frogs') rather than being the last track of the album and leaving you in the lurch feeling like shit forever. 

This visual treat was the last in the collaborative trilogy between M83 and directors Fleur & Manu who also directed Midnight City and Reunion. The Creator's Project also stuck their oar in.

God I want a drink.

FEED ME X CRYSTAL FIGHTERS - LOVE IS ALL I GOT

Heard this tonight whilst washing up and listening to Pete Tong. (Don't be jealous of my evening yeah?) I have nothing else to say other than I FUCKING LOVE THIS SONG. It makes my heart feel light. (That might be 'cos I went swimming and some of the artery lard shifted but let's let the music take the credit.)



Out 18th November, pre-order on iTunes here.

PEACE - BLOODSHAKE

I went for a run along the canal this morning and pretty much had the towpath to myself bar one fellow runner (we exchanged cheery 'HI!'s and telepathic high five's and it was really quite nice) and a few fisherman. Birmingham band Peace's Bloodshake came on and I had a near euphoric experience, slipping around in the mud with the sun on my face and sweat dripping off me thinking, 'THIS IS LIVING Y'ALL!'. I was soon brought back to earth when my playlist spewed out Conor Maynard's Turn Around which reminded me I actually needed to turn back and run home rather than find myself at the opposite end of the Grand Union canal with an angry brother on the phone asking why I'd not turned up to babysit his dogs.

But anyways, with its Foals-esque intro, and opening line of  'From the belly of the jungle', this song had me hooked from the off. People have been quick to point out on YouTube that they'd 'been fanz of dis song back in 2010 when it woz called Bblood' but I'm gonna put my hands up and say the first I heard of the band was when I got a press release about their previous single Follow Baby earlier this year. Sue me.



The newly released video's psychedelic offering is not quite what I was after - in my head I had more of a dreamy, slow-mo, nature vibe (basically my run with lots of post-production) - but that's not to say it's not a good visual accompaniment. I mean, you don't often get to witness a watermelon being sliced in half with a sword in mid-air, do you?

I foresee this being on my stereo and me with drink in hand, hair all over the show, wailing 'you vibe so hard' as I stumble dramatically around my bedroom for many many many moons to come.

peaceforeverever.co.uk

AWAY FRM U

Twenty-one year old Brad Oberhofer named his Brooklyn-based band after his family name (and why the bloody hell not when your surname's that good?) and describes their sound as 'coincidence pop'. (If I ever start a band I'm going to describe our genre as 'panda pop.')

They tweet happy shit on their Twitter and their background is a dream so I like them already. 

They also have nice artwork. I'm a sucker for nice artwork, so I miss the whole process of sitting on the floor looking through the inlay whilst you play a CD for the first time. Never thought I'd be getting nostalgic for CDs, does this mean I'm old? Pipe down, that was rhetorical.

Coincidentally, Away Frm U is the single that caught my eye (ear). Catchy McCatcherson. Watch.

Oberhofer's debut album Time Capsules II is out today on Glassnote Records.

HIGHER LOVE

Stumbled across this beaut when Spotify forced me to listen to the 'Top tracks near you' playlist (the N16 posse sure love Rihanna) and this track was number three. Intrigued, I clicked and listened. And listened again. And listened again. And...you get the picture. In fact, I listened to it more than I listened to Marcus Collin's debut single which landed in my inbox today (embarrassingly I got locked out of the system 'cos I'd played it too much).



James Vincent McMorrow's beautifully haunting version of one of my favourite childhood feel good songs works a treat and has a touch of Bon Iver/Benjamin Frances Leftwich about it. Which can only be a good thing.

However, it sounds like the sort of song Fearne Cotton pisses her pants over so I wondered if that was the reason it was such a favourite of my neighbours. However, after some brief research, I discovered that it was used in a LoveFilm ad. But you knew that, didn't you? 'cos you own a telly box. (One day I'll have a TV in my life again. From that day, you'll find me on my sofa covered in cheese ball crumbs and Dorito dust, watching back to back episodes of Cheaters. Oh Heaven.)