Usher Raymond IV has certainly been a busy boy of late. Only four months after dropping his last album, ‘Raymond v Raymond’, Usher is ready to unveil another full length album – an act that’s sure to place him as one of the best selling artists of 2010.
Usher’s been riding a huge wave of success in the past 12 months. A switch to a more dance orientated style saw his single ‘O.M.G.’ became his first number one in two years while subsequent singles have also charted highly around the world. His latest effort looks to continue that trend. Partnering with hip-hop main man Jay-Z, Usher’s latest track maintains the R&B star’s flirtations with electronic music but gives the record a more traditional urban feel than some of his recent work. Jay-Z’s verse, as you would expect, is a real stand out moment and maintains the Midas touch the New York rapper has maintained over the last decade.
‘Versus’ will be released on August 24th in the US.
As part of the Sound of 2010 – the selection of up and coming artists the BBC launches at the beginning of the year- we have already witnessed the rise of Ellie Goulding, The Drums and Marina & The Diamonds, to name a few, into the premier league of today’s popular music.Also included in the much-coveted list and one of the last ones to release his output is the Londoner remixer and electronica producer Gold Panda. He specializes in dreamy sound landscapes, crowned with chopped vocal samples and minimal beats that have earned him comparisons with Animal Collective and The Field.Since his firsts tracks ‘You’ and ‘Quitter’s Ragga’ caught the attention of the most influential bloggers around the world his profile has gone from strength to strength. After spending most of the year carefully preparing his debut full-length, ‘Lucky Shiner’is ready to be released internationally on October the 12th via Ghostly International and in the UK through his own label ‘NoTown Recordings’.
The album’s ethereal new single ‘Snow & Taxis’ is now being offered for free download –see the widget below.
MEN is the latest project from Le Tigre’s JD Sampson – originally conceived back in 2007 as a DJ team with fellow Le Tigre member Johanna Fateman. JD has now decided to take MEN from behind the decks and evolve it into a “band and art/performance collective that focuses on the energy of live performance and radical potential of dance music”. The lineup has been boosted by the addition of Ginger Brooks Takahashi and Michael O’Neil and the trio are set to release their UK debut single ‘Credit Card Babie$’ on September 6th.
The track is a hyperactive three minutes of upbeat electro pop with a relentlessly addictive beat that will galvanise even the most turgid of dance floors. MEN will be touring the US later this month, for more details head to their MySpace.
Nick Cave is back with the second volume of his side project Grinderman, formed in the company of a selected few of his Bad Seeds – Jim Sclavunos, Warren Ellis and Martyn Casey.
Their debut earned rave reviews for its rawer, more powerful songs and now the notorious four piece act got ready the follow-up, ‘Grinderman 2’, to be released on September 13th via Mute. It has been described as far more serious in sound, mixing such diverse influences as stoner rock, psychedelia and prog. But when the sound is arguably evolving towards the serious; the band’s visual side is portraying a more humorous side, until now rather unusual throughout the career of these veteran musicians.
The video for first single ‘Heathen Child’, directed by Australian director John Hillcoat –the man behind the big screen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s ‘The Road’- sees Grinderman dressed as ancient warriors in full B-movie display of superpowers, gun tooting gangsters, monsters and other bizarre creatures. All of it in clear contrast with the darker sounds and lyrics they accompany.
Since they dropped their debut album on the sickeningly cool Vice magazine label back in 2004, Chromeo have continued to maintain a reputation as the pop band that even the most hardened rock snob can’t help but love. With a sound that’s equal parts Hall & Oates and Daft Punk, the vocoder loving duo have one over hipsters the world over with their certified-good-time live show. Their frontman, Dave 1, is so damned cool that he regularly pulls off wearing full white suits and wayfarer shades without looking like a reject from ‘Saturday Night Fever’.
The release of their third album, ‘Business Casual’, is due to be preceded by the single ‘Don’t Turn The Lights On’ – once again showing Dave 1 and P-Funk’s knack of blending a vicious hook over an infectious bass line.. The pair already wowed us at Lovebox Festival this summer and they are now embarking on a full ‘Business Casual Tour’. Currently rolling through their homeland of Canada before heading to the US, the tour will be supported by Holy Ghost! and Telephoned. Chromeo will then head over to the UK in November for a clutch of dates, bringing along Midnight Juggernauts with them as their support act.
‘Don’t Turn The Light’s On’ is backed by a great, if not slightly disturbing video. It gives a nod to Spike Jonze at his most playful and the front cover of Chuck Palahniuk’s Haunted. The track is currently available on iTunes, with the equally addictive ‘Night By Night’ on the B-Side.
Janelle Monáe has been a well received by global music press elites such as Rolling Stone and is now poised to take on radio with her new single ‘Cold War’; a veritable genre’ bending pop machine. The tune wanders comfortably between pop, electro, rock and back again without ever disorientating the listener. Pitchork TV recently premiered the video above on Friday, and today named the song, best new track – quite an accolade from the notoriously hard to please site.
This one’s for real, a top tune from a fresh and exciting artist. The singer will embark on a clutch of US dates later this year, supporting the likes of Maroon 5, Kings Of Leon and Of Montreal. The track – taken from the album ’The ArchAndroid’ is currently available on iTunes,
The new single and title track of Wavves’ latest album ‘King Of The Beach’ is currently taking root on the office stereo in Shazam HQ - it’s a fantastic return to form from a band that some had naively written off. While some were familiar with the first two albums, Wavves gained an almost instant widespread infamy after lead singer Nathan Williams brawled with his band on stage at Spain’s Primavera festival after a drink and drug fuelled melt down. Subsequently Williams was forced to change the line up of the band, hooking up with Stephen Pope and Billy Hayes formerly part of the late Jay Reatard’s backing band.
The altered line up seems to have given the singer a new lease of life, as this single shows. ‘King Of The Beach’ is a great taster for the album, showcasing Williams’ knack for a catchy melody drenched in feedback soaked guitars. Wavves are currently embarking on a mammoth tour across the U.S. For more info and dates, head to their MySpace.
With their third album ‘The Suburbs’ collecting rave reviews and tipped to top both the US and UK charts next week, Arcade Fire have cemented their position as one of the most important bands in the world today.
‘The Suburbs’ is packed with reflections on the effects that passing time has on our lives and is another impressive collection of songs. Different singles have been chosen for different territories. The comforting and mellow title track –also the record’s centrepiece- was released as a limited edition 7’ weeks ago and has been heavily played in Europe since; whereas ‘Ready To Start’ - one of the album’s most epic moments – is ready to hit the airwaves in the States.
The Canadians have been taking the media by storm, embarking on a huge promotional effort that included a live show at New York’s Madison Square Garden that was broadcast in full last Thursday via youtube with Terry Gilliam on direction duties. The videos shown are taken from that gig.
25 year old rapper J Cole has probably had the best start to a rap career possible. He gained an almighty seal of approval from urban music kingpin Jay-Z when he became the first artist to sign to Roc Nation – Jay Z’s new record company founded after his split from Def Jam. His debut single has since been rocking the world of anyone who even has a passing interest in hip hop. Featuring a rapid fire lyrical style and some sturdy un-autotuned beats, J Cole is helping bring back authentic rap to the mainstream alongside new artists such as Wale and Drake.
The video for ‘Who Dat?’ is quite literally blowing up as it features a troupe of hood kids, a marching band and a series of expensive looking action-movie-esque explosions. The track also features a sample from Outkast’s classic slow burning jam ‘SpottieOttieDopalicious’- a much overlooked but none the less classic rap record that you can check below.
J Cole’s debut album is due for a winter release via Roc Nation.
In the past four years Rick Ro$$ has risen from relative obscurity to become one of the biggest rap stars on the planet. The southern rapper has already scored four number one albums and is currently only being held off of the number one spot on the Billboard Chart by Eminem – one of the few hip hop artists who can rival RR in popularity.
The road, however, has certainly not been a smooth one for Rick Ro$$. A violent and shockingly personal beef with 50 Cent, that probably would have finished a lesser rapper, has pockmarked his career so far. Targets for 50’s disses have included Ro$$’s former life working as a prison officer, lack of employment in his early years and even his son – yet Ro$$ has remained one of the successful rappers in the game. A fact that’s made obvious due to the fleet of Maybach Mercedes Ro$$ can habitually be seen in.
His latest track doesn’t deter much from his persona of southern rap gangster. References to Mississippi crime boss Larry Hoover, Rolls Royces, $1,000,000 jewellery and cocaine feature throughout. It’s in no way shape or form groundbreaking but Rick’s skill with a metaphor gives the record a spark of originality. He even manages to make DIY seem threatening. “I’m self made, you just affiliate. I build the ground up. You bought it renovated.” ‘Blowing Money Fast’ is everything you’d expect from a gangster rap record and a bit more. Currently # 2 in the Shazam New Release Chart ,‘B.M.F. is sure to be one of the biggest hip hop tracks of the year.
