The latest female knocking at the doors of R&B superstardom doesn’t come from the States or the UK; not even fromany other English speaking country. Melissa Nkonda is French, with a mixed Algerian and Cameroonian background. Her CV tells a history of talent contests; reality TV shows (the well established in the Gallic nation ‘Nouvelle Star’, whose 7th season she was part of) and auditions, the latest of which earned the young singer a contract with a major’s subsidiary.
The first fruit of her debut album, ‘Nouveaux Horizons’, is already storming Shazam’s most tagged chart in France. The record’s title track, sang half in her language and half in English, is a refreshing mix of soul; hip-hop (popular Gallic rapper Soprano brings some rhymes) and world music influences that nicely reveals Melissa’s vocal talents to the world. Just by looking at the list of featured guests, which includes surprises such as British pop starlette VV Brown; some of Amy Winehouse’s live band musicians and the mighty RedOne (the man behind the biggest hits of Lady Gaga; Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez’s recent comeback) producing some of the tracks, is not hard to guess her success could shortly expand all across Europe and it might not stop just there.
More details of Melissa NKonda’s career can be found here.
In a time when most producers around the globe are following the giant steps of David Guetta and revisiting their 90’s Euro Dance records in search for beats and hooks; Bob Sinclar is following a different path; travelling two decades further back in time right to the heart of the 70’s.
After recent hit collaborations with the likes of Sean Paul and Shaggy, chasing that sought after Caribbean vibe to wrap his summer jams in; the popular French DJ’s new track remakes one of the Italian superstar Raffaella Carra’s biggest hits. A singer and TV presenter who began her career in the early seventies, soon to become a household name in Italy, Spain and the whole of Latin America, Raffaella has regularly seen many of her songs being covered or remixed through the years. This time, Sinclar’s catchy antics have pushed ‘Far L’Amore’ (‘Make Love’) once again into the European charts, looking like one of those tunes destined to be impossible to avoid. It may also open the door for a new generation to discover the timeless hits of ‘La Carra’. We wouldn’t be surprised if someone else shortly revisits her classic disco anthem ‘Rumore’ – see below.
Until recently, many of us could only place Colombia on the global map of pop as the birthplace of Shakira. The popularity of the singer turned international phenomenon has become an unexpected cultural ambassador for her whole country. This may be about to change thanks to Bogota’s finest Electro bunch, Bomba Estereo, currently enjoying an international profile boost after being highlighted last year as one of the 25 best new bands in the world by the trend setting MTV Iggy’s, alongside an eclectic batch of newcomers that included Surfer Blood, Far East Movement and Sleigh Bells.
Bomba Estereo began their career at the turn of the century and in a decade they have managed to spread their contagious vibe north and south in the American continent. Last year they were invited to be part of Levis’ Pioneer Revival Recording Sessions, where such groundbreaking artists such as The Roots and The Shins covered a favourite classic. Their rendition of “Pump Up The Jam” was so well received that the band decided to return to the studio and work on it properly. The final result, named ‘Ponte Bomb’, kept the catchy spirit of the original intact, while adding a touch of tropical heat to its celebrated electro beat, as well as a cheeky Spanglish spirit to the lyrics. Released as the title track of the band’s latest EP, which also includes new mixes of their most popular tracks to date “La Boquilla”and “Fuego”; “Ponte Bomb’, has been gaining the attention of the hippest blogs and it wouldn’t be surprising if it ends bringing the popular one hit wonder back to the charts. You can watch the video here.
The ‘Ponte Bomb EP’ is already available via Itunes. Bomba Estereo are currently in the middle of their “El Alma Y El Cuerpo (The Body & The Soul) Tour” around the States. Details of which are available at their official website.
Our look at the artists making waves in every corner of the globe has a stopover in Thailand, where four piece rock act Bodyslam are currently one of the most popular acts across the country’s live arenas.
The band came to life after winning a competition for high school students under the name La-On (it means “Kids”). They later changed their name to BodySlam and shifted towards a harder, metal-infused sound that has taken them all the way to their current status as Thailand’s coolest band; with lead vocalist Athiwara “Toon” Khongmalai also being recognized as one of the most charismatic frontmen around the Asian continent’s rock scene.
Since the release last June of their acclaimed fifth album ‘Kraam’, which included such anthemic stadium-rock friendly moments as ‘Kid Hod’; ‘Kwan Rak’ or the title track; Bodyslam embarked on a non-stop sell-out tour, a highlight of which can be seen in the above video. For more details as well as many other audiovisual treats you can head to their official website or the more international friendly YouTube page.
After his surprising pop version of 50 Cent’s smash ‘Ayo Technology’ became a YouTube sensation and topped Spotify’s list a few years ago, Belgium songwriter Jonathan Vandenbroeck – better known as Milow - has seen his popularity go through the roof all over Europe and other parts of the world; with Germany being particularly welcoming to his alt-pop work.
Milow’s pleasantly light-hearted new single is ‘You And Me (In My Pocket)’, whose afro-tinged guitar hook reminds us of Vampire Weekend’s slower moments. It’s currently climbing fast up the European Top 100, boosting the expectations surrounding the singer‘s third studio album, ‘North & South’.
‘North & South’ was released last week in the Netherlands via Homerun Records and will also be available in the rest of the old continent and Canada over the following weeks.
James Blake returned last night to the cozy premises of St. Pancras Old Church, the same venue that just a few weeks ago was chosen for the presentation gig of his eagerly awaited debut album. The religious building became the perfect environment to showcase the warmth of his remarkably soulful voice, as well the intimacy and ethereal quality of his tracks. Support came by the hand of two new folk-rock acts from London, Cloud Boat and Catherine Okada, who nicely set the quiet but vibrant tone for the evening.
James Blake hit the stage with a band formed by a drummer and a guitar player, also in charge of some of the samples. The short but impressive set mostly focused in the tracks of his recent album and left behind favourites from the early groundbreaking EPs that helped cement his reputation as one of electronica’s most gifted young artists.
His live performance was an assured display of both technical skill and experimental spirit. A background in the fields of minimal techno and dubstep provided the heavy sampled bass lines that echoed through the church’s acoustics; building up magnificent and quite scary array of wall shattering effects. All in perfect harmony with his voice, which he uses as the main instrument for his compositions, treating it with multiple effects and creating vocal loops that when juxtaposed, form a hypnotically polyphonic impression.
Among the highlights, ‘I Never Learnt To Share’ was close to literally bringing the house down and his breakthrough cover of Feist’s ‘Limit To Your Love’. The track which opened the doors of radio stations and a wider public to the South Londoner - earning him comparisons with former electronica artists turned soulmen, Jamie Lidell. Live it reached new sonic heights; as did the latest single ‘The Wilhelm Scream’, which featured supporting band Cloud Boat back onstage adding some brass.
For the encore, Blake performed another cover, his rendition of Joni Mitchell’s ‘A Case Of You’ that has become a fixture in the blogosphere since he first played it during a recent BBC session. Here, we saw the artist’s in full acoustic manner at his most stripped down, just piano and vocals; mind-blowingly simple, yet truly touching. Altogether, one of the best live shows we’ve seen this year; strong enough to convert even the most cynical among those few who still remain unconvinced of James Blake’s unique talents.
Currently climbing our most tagged chart in France, the rap trio Chinese Man is another good example of how eclectic the Gallic nation is when it comes to admire the sounds from all over the planet.
Compared to the Wu-Tang Clan for sharing a similar martial philosophy in their music and image, the latest Chinese Man hit builds a bridge between old-fashioned 50’s musicals from Hong-Kong and the hottest reggaeton from the Caribbean, blended together through old school rap and breakbeat to quite unique effect.
Featuring collaborations with Taiwan MC and the Californian rapper Cyph4 , ‘Miss Chang’ is the title track of Chinese Man’s latest EP, anticipating their third album ‘Racing With The Sun’ to be released on April the 11th thought their own label. The 4-track EP is available to stream here.
Back from a gap year, TV On The Radio have finished their fourth studio album, ‘Nine Types Of Light’. The last 12 months have seen the band’s core members undertake a plethora of worthy side projects: Dave Sitek with his busy schedule as producer and with his star-studded record as Maximum Balloon; Kip Malone with Rain Machine; and singer Tunde Adebimpe’s vocal offerings to artists as diverse as Massive Attack and Stabbing Eastwards.
The follow-up to 2008’s widely acclaimed ‘Dear Science’ promises to bring a few surprises, such as the unexpectedly quiet first taste ‘Will Do’. The second track to surface from TVOTR’s new opus is ‘Caffeinated Consciousness’, closer in sound and tempo to the habitual style of the Brooklyn band, now available as a free download from here.
‘Nine Types Of Light’ will be released via Interscope on April 12th. TV On The Radio are also given details of their imminent North American and European tour. It will begin next week at SXSW and will bring them to the UK in July as part of the Wireless festival. Read on for full schedule Read more…
Our favourite Mormon trio –slowcore kings Low- are back with a new album ‘C’Mon’; the ninth of their career and the third album they release via Sub Pop. Recorded in their local Duluth, Minnesota, at the same former Catholic Church-turned-studio where they shaped up their seminal album ‘Trust’; the peculiar acoustics of the place matching their perfectly gorgeous vocal harmonies and the intimate, nearly spiritual atmosphere of their songs.
The first taster ‘Try to sleep’ finds the band in top shape and it’s a pretty good example of how Low want to sound in 2011, in their own worlds ‘closer to how they perform live; warmer; fuller and more introspective’ and its available as a free download from their official page; where you can also see the details of their forthcoming US and European tour. It will begin with an intimate show at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas; continuing in New York’s Radio City Music Hall supporting Explosions In The Sky on April the 6th and will come to an end in London with their first headlining show at the Barbican on June the 3rd.
“C’mon” will be released on April the 11th, one day later in the US.
Radiohead have done it again. Breaking all rules and expectations, the British alternative giants took the world by storm last Monday announcing their new album ‘The King Of Limbs’ would be available as a digital release from the 19th February. This time ‘In Rainbows’ pay what you like model will not be repeated. ‘The King Of Limbs’ website has all the details about the formats it would be available on: first as a digital download in both 320K mp3 and uncompressed digital quality wav. It can also be pre-ordered in a special edition described as the world’s first newspaper album. The record will have a later release on CD.
An air of mystery and anticipation surrounding its tracklist has just been broken. The first taster, ‘Lotus Flower’, shows no major departure from Radiohead trademark sound where a heavy bassline and Thom Yorke’s vocals are the main features. Its black & white video, however, brings some more surprises showing Thom Yorke’s unexpected dance moves!
Due to high expectation, the release of ‘The Kings Of Limbs’ has been moved forward one day. The eight track album can be downloaded now from here.
