The first candidate for best album of 2011 –James Blake aside- is about to hit the shops on a wave of five star reviews, including a rare 10/10 rating by the NME. PJ Harvey’s eighth studio record ‘Let England Shake’, in which the popular songwriter from Dorset unveils a brand new, politically charged and even more adventurous musical side, is a worthy recepient of such unanimous acclaim.
The album works as a strong personal view on the current state of Great Britain, influenced by ongoing conflicts around the world. It was recorded in a church in Dorset with regular contributors John Parish & Mick Harvey – most of it live to preserve an atmosphere of improvisation. Its folk-rock vibe, already dragging comparisons with such iconic and diverse artists as Kate Bush or The Pixies, is cemented in sounds of the autoharp, saxophone and guitar experimentation. It also benefits from a peculiar use of the sampler and PJ’s fresh approach to the way she sings the new songs.
‘Let England Shake’ can be streamed in full at NPR. It will be launched next Monday with an exclusive one-off gig in Paris, also available to stream live via French site Deezer and the cultural chanel ARTE. If you miss the live webcast you will find it later at PJ Harvey’s official site, next to more details of the record and the imminent tour that is bringing her to a few European cities and selected festivals: Roskilde; Coachella; Primavera and the London based, Portishead curated, ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ among them.
Three years since their eponymous debut full of – as they liked to describe them- baroque harmonic pop jams, turned Fleet Foxes into a critics’ darling; the Seattle act is readying the follow-up, ‘Helplessness Blues’, to be released on 3rd May.
The title track is now available as a free download from Sub Pop’s website. It confirms the shift towards a less pop, more groove-based sound the Foxes have been hinting at in recent interviews; quoting Roy Harper and Van Morrison as influences. Their lineup has also added a new member, Morgan Henderson, formerly of Blood Brothers and Past Lives.
To promote the record, Fleet Foxes are hitting again the North American roads on April the 30th. Read on for the full tour schedule.
Today it’s Australia Day and we would like to join in the celebrations with the song that has just been chosen as the people’s favourite of 2010 down under, Angus & Julia Stone’scharming and folk-tinged, feel-good track ‘Big Jet Plane’.
Today is the day when Australian national radio station Triple J reveals the results of their music poll – in which they try to determine the country’s best liked tune of the former year – through a special show counting down the top 100 most voted tracks. A popular chart since the 80’s, this year it has beaten all records by pooling over a million votes. The chart topping brother-sister duo crown twelve months of astonishing success, after sweeping the board at the ARIA awards – the Aussie equivalent of the Brits – where ‘Big Jet Plane’ scooped the single of the year honours, and their second long player ‘Down The Line’ also won ‘Album Of The Year’.
Although it mostly focuses on Australian artists, there are also some global stars featuring in this year’s lists, including KanYe West; Mark Ronson and ill-fated UK electropop outfit Ou Est Le Swimming Pool, whose singer committed suicide last year.
The hotly tipped Brooklyn act MNDR is following the steps of Chromeo; Neon Indian and Theophilus London by releasing her new single, ‘Cut Me Out’, as a free download through Green Label Sound.
One of Shazam’s 2011 Breakthrough acts, the former Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Mark Ronson collaborator –many of you may remember her vocals in The Business Intl’s first single ‘Bang Bang Bang’- joins the likes of Santigold and M.I.A with an eclectic mix of influences that range from new wave to electroclash.
Currently on tour supporting Chromeo; don’t miss the chance to catch the blonde singer’s live show when it comes to a venue near you.
Plan B may have been one of British pop’s biggest success stories of 2010, scooping three nominations for the Brit awards as Best Solo Male, Single and Album; but the British rapper turned retro soul crooner may be facing some competition for the use of his name coming from the Caribbean.
A reggaeton duo from Guayama, Puerto Rico recording under the same moniker are currently making an impact in the Shazam Tag Charts of many Spanish speaking countries with ‘Si No Le Contesto’ – one of the standout tracks from the duo’s third album ‘House Of Pleasure’. Produced by Haze, a recent remix of the track featuring the collaboration of such top-rank stars of the genre as Tony Dize; Zion & Lennox is one of the most popular dance tunes across Latin America.
Milk & Sugar is one of the monikers used by German house DJs Michael Kronenberger and Steffen Harding – formerly known as Stone & Heller – whose CV includes high profile remixes for the likes of Janet Jackson; Usher; Jamiroquai and Alex Gaudino.
Vaya Con Dios are a jazz-influenced Belgium pop trio whose tunes enjoyed huge popularity in Europe during the late 80’s and 90’s.The take by the German producer team on their hit ‘Hey (Nah Neh Nah)’ – the first single from the band’s second album ‘Night Owls’ released in 1990 – is helping bring back to life the trio’s music career; as it’s currently riding high in the Netherlands charts and seems likely to become a crossover hit all across Europe. You can’t help but be reminded of the recent smash by Yolanda Be Cool Vs. DCUP. With both originals sharing a similar air of vintage jazz and their 21st century dancefloor makeovers being impossibly catchy, it wouldn’t surprise us if ‘Hey (Nah Neh Nah)’ turns out to be this year’s ‘We No Speak Americano’.
Georgia’s favourite sons, R.E.M. are giving the finishing touches to the fifteenth studio album of their long and successful career. After years of tepidly received records, first signs of ‘Collapse Into Now’ indicate a welcome return to form. The video trailer which previews a few of the songs – see above – is no short of promise. Produced by long-time regular Jacknife Lee and the band themselves; the record features guest appearances by Peaches; Eddie Vedder; Lenny Kaye and Patti Smith, who repeats collaboration with the trio years after their classic single ‘Drive’.
The tracklisting has also been announced:
1. Discoverer 2. All The Best 3. Überlin 4. Oh My Heart 5. It Happened Today 6. Every Day Is Yours To Win 7. Mine Smell Like Honey 8. Walk It Back 9. Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter 10. That Someone Is You 11. Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I 12. Blue
As a first taster, its opening track ‘Discoverer’ is available for free download here.
‘Collapse Into Now’ will be released by Warner Bros on March The 8th in the States and one day earlier in Europe . The album is already available for pre-order at iTunes, with the added bonus of the immediate free download of first single ‘It Happened Today’, which features Eddie Vedder.
The undisputable debut of the year, Janelle Monaé has amazed the world by showcasing her many talents and a wealth of original ideas, which have earned her a reputation as a truly unique artist. Considered by many as the female heiress of Prince’s musical legacy, Janelle shares with the legendary star the same eclecticism and taste for breaking the boundaries and combining all genres of the musical spectrum, from classical overtures to Hendrix influenced, rock tracks. It seems no one could resist her charms; his purple majesty himself offered Monaé a support slot on his recent tour after he saw her performing a rendition of ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ at the BET awards.
‘Tightrope’ was the song that launched Janelle’s proper first album ‘The Archandroid’, after a presentation EP a couple of years ago, where she continued developing her Cindy Mayweather alter-ego – an android living in a distant future where love is forbidden and revolution looming. Despite the sci-fi wrapping, the single was an energetic display of vintage soul-funk; one of the catchiest numbers that have graced the airwaves during 2010 and featured the rhymes of Big Boi, another of the year’s defining acts.
2010 was recap time for P!nk. After five studio albums and 34 million records sold worldwide, the most popular rebel without a cause in modern pop reached that moment in every successful artist’s career to collect her ‘Greatest Hits…So Far’.
‘Raise Your Glass’, the first single and one of the few new tracks recorded for the compilation, was co-written by P!nk herself with Tre’Shon Jenkins and produced by her regular collaborator Max Martin. It effortlessly brought everybody’s favourite rock chick back on top of the charts, thanks to another unbeatably catchy chorus and its celebratory spirit. The perfect musical toast to a decade of making hits non-stop and to many more to come, for which we won’t have to wait long as her next proper album is due during the first half of 2011.
Big Boi’s solo debut ‘Sir Lucious Left Foot…The Son Of Chico Dusty’ has spawned a dramatic saga that began in 2007 and includes several proposed track lists, release date and record label changes; leading to growing fears for the record being shelved. You may think that as half of one the biggest selling hip-hop acts in the planet the way may be already paved for him. But in the case of the Outkast star, his star status only worked as an obstacle putting enormous commercial pressure to deliver radio-friendly hits, which often compromised his creative ideas.
After a series of critically acclaimed singles that failed to make an impact in the charts, ‘Shutterbugg’ worked the miracle. Collaborating with rising Richmond rapper Cutty, its slick, electro-tinged production was suddenly hitting the waves all over the planet – which finally gave ‘Sir Luscious…’ the green light. A few months afterwards, when we are all looking back at our favorites, few are not featuring Big Boi’s record as one most accomplished of 2010; which, if nothing else, proves that sticking to one’s vision always pays in the end.
