Rizzle Kicks aren’t your average urban act. Their none too serious take on British hip hop has a light hearted pop appeal that ‘s already caught the attention of Radio 1 and UK rap hero Dizzee Rascal – who Rizzle Kicks are due to support on a tour later in the year.
Rizzle Kicks are made of childhood friends Harley and Rizzle. Their musical relationship was forged at the Brit School – the talent hot-house that taught the likes of Amy Winehouse, Adele and Jessie J. However, Rizzle Kick’s Harley is pretty quick to insist that the school is nothing like Fame.
“The Brit School is actually sick. There’s one strand (of students) studying Musical Theatre – they walk through the corridor and start singing –but no one really likes them!”
So with this in mind, don’t expect to be hearing anything from ‘Annie’ of ‘Oklahoma!’ in Rizzle Kick’s Shazam Playlist.
While we’re eager to hear what Beck will come up with after the amazing 2008 album ‘Modern Guilt’, it seems we’re still going to have to be patient. After working with esteemed hip hop producer Danger Mouse on his last album, it appears that Beck has picked up on another staple of the rap world: mixtapes.
Mixtapes have long been adopted in the world of hip-hop and now it appears even singer songwriters are getting in on the action. Beck has shared his latest sonic influences on a series of mixes hosted on his Soundcloud page. Head here to check out his latest ‘Tropicália’ mix. Now you can enjoy the sounds of Beck’s living room in your own house!
The latest project from the always unquiet Beck is a gathering of fellow musicians to cover a landmark album. However, the project comes with an added improvisational twist – total freedom in the studio and a recording time limit of one day.
The LA star has called his new idea Record Club and so far the likes of Lesley Feast, Jeff Tweedy and Devendra Banhart have taken part. Previous Record Club offerings have included recreations of Velvet Underground’s ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’, Leonard Cohen’s ‘Songs Of Leonard Cohen’ and Skip Spence’s ‘Oar’.
‘Kick’, the finest hour ofAussie rockers INXS, is the latest opus chosen to be covered. Beck congregated a fine collection of artists for the occasion. Art-rockers Liars, Sergio Dias from Os Mutantes, Annie Clark and Daniel Hart from St Vincent and keyboardist/regular collaborator Brian LeBarton all feature. The songs of the long player will be posted on Record Club’s website one by one following the original running order of ‘Kick’. The first two, ‘Guns In The Sky’ and ‘Sweet Sensation’, are already up.
The influence of French legend Serge Gainsbourg can still be felt among today’s most forward-minded pop artists. This week two releases by high profile Gallic stars bring his name back to memory.
Since his 2001 debut, ‘Rose Kennedy’, singer-songwriter Benjamin Biolay has often been compared to Gainsbourg. His penchant for dramatic string and orchestral arrangements, combined with his XXI century update of ‘La Chanson’ melancholic spirit, has established him as one of the new French pop’s key figures.
His reputation has been cemented not only through his own records, but also by giving a hand to other artists; both veteran – Henri Salvador, Françoise Hardy – and new – his sister Coralie Clement and Keren Ann. He was also one of the arrangers in France’s first lady, Carla Bruni, recording debut ‘Quelqu’un M’a Dit’.
Biolay will unveil on October the 19th ‘La Superbe’, his sixth studio work. An ambitious double album, conceived as a cinematographic narration through characters such as Miss Catastrophe, in which the singer-songwriter reflects about the moments when a person is forced to reconsider his life. It mixes his country’s nostalgia-tinged pop heritage with a rich diversity of elements taken from classical, jazz, post-punk and his personal admiration for such British pop-rock greats as The Beatles or The Smiths. The title track track can be downloaded through his website.
And if Biolay is often considered one of Gaingsbourg’s musical heirs; his real daughter Charlotte Gainsbough has also grown up to become a multidisciplinary artist. Her 2006 debut album ’5:55′ was largely ignored, despite having on board such illustrious guests as Air and Jarvis Cocker.
While she’s now better known for her film career, after scooping the best actress gong at Cannes film festival for her disturbing performance in Lars Von Trier’s latest shocker ‘Antichrist’. Charlotte is ready to show the world that music is on her genes with the arrival early next year of her second album ‘IRM’. This time she’s hired Beck on production duties - with whom she sings first single ‘Heaven Can Wait’. However, to start the anticipation building process, the title track is now also available as a free download.
