Neon Neon - I Lust U

For some reason I completely ignored tales of how amazing Neon Neon were until yesterday. An electronic project of Super Furry Animal's Gruff Rhys and twinkly electroboy Boom Bip, the pair first worked together on one track in 2005 and enjoyed it so much they decided to create a whole album. I've not heard all of Stainless Steel yet, but from what I have their March single I Lust U immediately stands out. Slow bleeping 80s synths add a hypnotic feel to this duet which features cute Welsh singer Cate Le Bon on vocals with Gruff and it creates what I would think a chilled out electronic masterpiece. Cate's vocals remind me of Ladytron and 'I Lust U' is almost what would happen if Ladytron met Fischerspooner.

Popstarz

Since moving venue in February I think Popstarz has been going from strength to strength. The crowd is a bit older, much nicer and know their music which is good for us - we don't have to wheel out Mr Brightside every time the dancefloor gets a bit thin!

This is what we played in our first set last night...

Ladytron - Runaway
Presets - This Boys in Love
Depeche Mode - Strange Love
Language - Salman Rushie, Bono, Sting
VHS or Beta - Nights On Fire
Rascals - Freakbeat Phantom
Reverend & The Makers - Heavyweight Champion
Interpol - Slow Hands (Britt Daniel Remix)
Patrick Wolf - Magic Position
Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
Zutons - Valerie
Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Pin
CSS - Rage (Rat is Dead)
Dandy Warhols - Get Off
Strokes - Someday

Other stuff we threw in later included...

MGMT - Time To Pretend
Ting Tings - Shut Up & Let Me Dance
Blondie - Heart of Glass
Muse - Hysteria
Placebo - Teenage Angst
Blink 182 - What's My Age Again (hee!)

Let Me Tell You A Secret

Before music took over my life, I used to be more into new technologies and was particularly keen on reading up on the latest mobile phones and angling after a way to get them. I went through all the best Nokias that came out - and looking back it seems crazy we all went so mad after the tiny 8310, surely it was too tiny.

Anyway after avoiding the iPhone for a while, a demo by my cousin John at Xmas made me certain I actually wanted one. It was just too shiny not to get one y'know!! Of course, now I'm tied to an 18 month contract and will look on in anguish when the new version hits the shops in June!

Agyness Deyn - Popstar

The rise of supermodel Agyness Deyn somehow passed me by until she appeared on Jonathan Ross a couple of months ago. Brain bashingly northern, she's a breath of fresh air and (currently) normality into the modelling world. She looks different, sounds different, is funny and doesn't seem to take herself too seriously. I'm a bit disappointed her real name is Laura though, I was digging the famous person being called Agyness vibe. My great aunt and great-grandmother were both called Agnes and I've always thought it a pretty ugly name until now!



The domination of Agyness in the pop culture world could now no longer be confined to fashion after it was announced that she would be appearing on a track with Northampton turned New York band Five O'Clock Heroes. The song is called 'Who' and is the first single from their 2nd album 'Speak Your Language'. And as it turns out - the girl can sing. Her sweet vocals complement the gruffness of vocallist Anthony Ellis and the boy/girl vocals are slightly reminiscent of Mystery Jets 'Young Love' although it's a lot more new-wave sounding. And of course Aggy looks amazing in the video. Effortlessly cool, she has an Edie Sedgewick wandering around Scarlett Johansson's 'Lost in Translation' world, vibe to her.

Sonny J - Handsfree

Could this be any more amazing?



Apart from the Jackso-esque 'Can't Stop Moving', 'Handfree' was the immediate stand out track from the forthcoming Sonny J album 'Disastro' and I'm delighted to see it get a release. It's been given an expensive video treatment courtesy of the producers behind the video for Utah Saints Somethin Good '08 and it's mainsteam feel could see it becoming a regular on the music channels.

Of course - it's a massive sample. In fact it's barely a sample, more a remix of an old track by Donna Hightower. Popjustice pointed me at the original on youtube yesterday and it's one of those cases where (like 'Robot Rock' - check this) the new song is so identical to the original it barely seems worth it. However without this remix we'd probably never have discovered the amazing original!

First Listen: Madonna ‘Hard Candy’ Review

 

Originally written here

This afternoon we went to a brilliantly decorated room in East London to hear the new Madonna album while sipping champagne & eating jelly beans. Sounds good huh? Well it was! Anyone fearing a full on urban attack - don't worry. 'Hard Candy' is full of long disco pop songs - it just has some heavy beats! Here's our track by track rundown:

1. Candy Shop: Here we go! Madonna wants to be our '1-stop candy shop - your lollipop'. Yum! This is produced by The Neptunes and is filled with bleeps and swirls. It ends with a 'sticky but sweet' rap by Pharrell.

2. Four Minutes To Save The World: You all know this one!

3. Give It To Me: Not a Furtado/Timbo cover but a Pharrell track that's going to be the 2nd single. Let us tell you now - it's mindblowingly amazing. There's cowbells, twinkles and a funny vocoder you might have heard on 'Music'. Think old school pop Madonna but fired up at 300 mph. There's a funky break near the end where Madonna shouts 'don't stop!', the music stops and a male voice sings 'left to the right'.

4. Heartbeat: 'Probably the 3rd single', Heartbeat has a synthy 80s sounding intro. Madge tells us that 'when I dance I feel free!'. There's something about the melody when she sings 'you know I feel it in my Heartbeat' that's really cute!.

5. Miles Away: This starts deceptively with guitar that reminds us of 'Don't Tell Me'. Is it going to be a ballad? Course not silly! 5 seconds in and here comes a pounding bassline. 'I just woke up from a fuzzy dream, you won't believe the things I've seen.' This is the first song that doesn't hold our attention all the way but it's got a dreamy ending.

6. She's Not Me: It starts with 4 claps and then all hell breaks loose. This is the tale of a jilted lover and has about 7 different elements. It sounds kind of like a sequel to 'Deeper and Deeper' with the passion, the fastness and the twirls. Totally hypnotic - it's a Timberlake/land production but it could come straight from the disco house of Nile Rodgers. Oh and it would mix into Anita Ward's 'Ring My Bell' perfectly. Also it's REALLY LONG.

The New Jackson 5

Is this the most creative thing the BBC have ever done?





Amazing