It’s the 1st of July which can only mean one thing… the July mixtape is here!
This month’s is mostly an R&B affair but with the odd curveball thrown in…
Tag: music blog
Music Monday – Volume Ninety Seven
1) Shura – Make It Up
Shura follows huge summer smash ‘What’s It Gonna Be’ with a gentler yet still funky track from upcoming album ‘Nothing’s Real’. ‘Make It Up’ is evidently inspired by 80’s synthpop and at times mirrors the likes of Haim and MUNA.
2) Adele – Remedy
Adele does what she does best – powerfully delivering a piano ballad – on this beautiful track from platinum selling album ’25’.
3) Maxwell – Gods
Slick and smooth track from neo-soul guru Maxwell, taken from upcoming album ‘BlackSUMMERS’ night’.
4) Campsite – Try Again
Campsite modernise and re-energise Aaliyah’s 2001 R&B smash into an EDM/tropical house track. It’s not necessarily the most innovative of re-workings but it works well and serves well in regards to the feel-good factor.
5) All Tvvins- These 4 Words
Irish duo All Tvvins return with this huge, catchy pop-rock track. Slick production and an electrifying chorus result in this energising track.
6) Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons – Sucker For Pain
In one of the most unlikely combinations of the year, American rock band Imagine Dragons team up with rappers Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa on this R&B/Rock track, lifted from the soundtrack of Suicide Squad.
7) The Avalanches – Subways
Funky disco-flavoured track from Australian electronic music group The Avalanches. Frisky bass lines, glistening synths and distorted vocals give this a late 70’s disco feel.
8) Berhana – Grey Luh
Fierce alternative R&B/neo-soul track from Berhana. The minimalist backing track works perfectly with the rich vocals.
9) Nina Sky – Champion Lover
Brilliant Caribbean-infused R&B track from American R&B duo Nina Sky. Buoyant percussion, squeaky synths and slick production result in a huge summer smash hit.
10) Miguel – Do You? (Live from Spotify SXSW Sessions)
Miguel still proves to be one of the world’s most underrated R&B artists. Fusing his rich tone with retro-inspired guitar riffs, dreamy layered harmonies and a frisky rhythm section, Miguel flirts with both metaphorical and literal references to drugs.
All Saints – Red Flag (Album Review)
Musical comebacks are always a tricky business. Since Take That’s immensely successful reformation in 2005, every defunct 90’s pop group imaginable has sprung back out of obscurity, aiming to cash in on a nostalgia-fuelled society; some with more success than others. For All Saints, the risk was even greater after an unsuccessful reunion in 2006 when comeback album ‘Studio 1’ barely dented the UK top 40.
Fast forward another decade, however and All Saints have delivered an explosive, fierce and brilliant pop album which has achieved the success it deserves, reaching the top 5 of the UK album chart.
‘Red Flag’ is a bold statement from start to finish which affirms the comeback of one of the UK’s best girl groups. No doubt greatly aided by Nicole Appleton’s divorce from Liam Gallagher, it’s an album which screams girl-power but one which shows greater depth and maturity than any of the band’s previous albums. ‘One Strike‘ was right to be selected as the lead single and the album’s opener. Its pulsating beats, distorted synths and reverberating melodies make it one of the band’s best works; a triumphant pop record.
The rest of the album follows suit, abundant with meticulously programmed percussion, sweeping strings, impressive harmonies and jittery synthesizers. ‘One Woman Man‘ features a memorable string riff whilst the moody ‘Make U Love Me‘ draws upon rock influences, utilising brooding guitars and rich vocals. Then there’s ‘Summer Rain‘ – a more mature take on ‘Pure Shores‘ which works well.
The ballads on the album are not to be overlooked, however. ‘Who Hurt Who‘ is a delicate and pretty piano ballad which strips back the production and programming the rest of the album is plastered with. It’s a gorgeous moment on which the girls’ voices are really showcased. The track is later eclipsed by the eerie and ghostly ‘Fear‘, however. Opening with fragile piano chords, tribal percussion soon steers the track in a different direction, evolving into a glistening and powerful chorus. It has The Invisible Men written all over it; their reverberating elements and minimalist production forming half of the track’s endearment.
The album only falls on its face once on the shape-shifting ‘Ratchet Behaviour‘, a bizarre dancehall-reggae track which leads to nowhere and is coated mawkishly in auto-tune. Still, the remainder of the album – three tracks which utilise tribal drums, fluttering synthesizers, hazy harmonies and butterscotch melodies – is strong enough to compensate for this ‘miss’ moment.
A powerful record, bristling with maturity, fierce harmonies and polished production.
Rating: 4/5
Highlights: ‘One Strike’, ‘Make U Love Me, ‘Who Hurt Who’, ‘Fear’, ‘Red Flag’, ‘Tribal’.
‘Red Flag’ is available now on Mercury Records.
Circle of Reason Present ‘Never Enough’ Video Single
Read the press release supplied to us below:
Having already released two video singles in the past 3 months in support of their mini album Faith Or Theory, UK alt-rocker’s Circle Of Reason are back again to announce their new video for ‘Never Enough’.
Selected as the hard-hitting & attention grabbing opener for the album, ‘Never Enough’ delivers all of the bands renowned melodic hooks, articulate dynamics and fierce guitar riffs. Featuring actress & model ‘Hannaj Bang Bendz’, the track explores the lyrical theme of “No matter what you do, it’s never good enough for some people”. A statement from the band explains their motives behind their latest video effort – “With this video we wanted to show the emotion behind the song and how it could relate to anyone, having Hannaj tell the story and being the focal point of the video was important to get the point across”
Since breaking out on the scene in late 2011, Circle Of Reason’s boundless creativity, talent and musical vision has enabled the Southampton (UK) outfit to ride higher upon the wave of the British music scene. As one of the UK’s most assiduous emerging alternative rock acts, 2016 is proving to be the year the guys may well have the capability of pushing their music to greater heights of international recognition. Catch them on their Faith Tour this June. More UK live dates to be announced soon!
Faith Tour 2016
June 8th, Wednesday, Bath, Moles
June 9th, Thursday, Portsmouth, Edge of the wedge
June 10th, Friday, Folkestone, The Harp
June 11th, Saturday, Kettering, Prince of Wales Rock Pub
June 12th, Sunday, Northampton, The Black Prince
Watch ‘Never Enough’ below:
Taken from ‘Faith Or Theory’ out now https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/faith-or-theory/id1104156711
Connect with Circle of Reason:
www.facebook.com/circleofreason
www.twitter.com/circleofreason
Prince – 20 of his Best
1) Raspberry Beret
Brilliant psychadelic pop track from Prince’s 1985 ‘Around The World in a Day’ album. Live instruments such as sweeping strings, acoustic guitar strums and Middle Eastern Cymbals form the backdrop whilst Prince’s almost-spoken vocals perform the narrative. Beck’s live cover is included below due to Prince’s copyright associates re-emerging to make his music impossible to find online once again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JJw9xwdjW4
2) Pop Life
Psychaedlic, funky pop track, also from 1985’s ‘Around The World in a Day’. Eeerie, detuned synthesisers howl over a tinny piano sound, fierce percussion and a tight bass line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBKikjTHo-g
3) The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
Schmalzty, soulful and superb; Prince at his best. Written for then girlfriend (and future wife) Mayte Garcia, this was to amazingly be his only UK Number One single. His vocals are flawless throughout, mainly performed in a stable falsetto but occasionally drifting into a rich baritone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzmFlr6xRcA
4) Somewhere Here on Earth
Prince’s impeccable falsetto vocals drift over futuristic synthesisers, a saxophone and twinkling pianos on this gorgeous slow-jam-influenced jazz ballad. Prince always possessed the ability to straddle various genres of music and this is a reminder of his impeccable ability to do so successfully.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAluL631Ygk
5) Sometimes it Snows in April
Absolutely stunning ballad which closes his 1986 ‘Parade’ album perfectly. Performed in just one take, it’s beautifully raw – you can hear the squeak of the piano stool, the odd vocal imperfection and the organic sound of a live acoustic guitar and piano. The song has become all the more poignant since his death and is now largely considered by many fans as a eulogy written by the man himself thirty years too early. Lyrically, it covers the death of Christopher Tracey, the main character from Prince’s film ‘Under the Cherry Moon’ and with lyrics such as ‘I used to cry for Tracey cos he was my only friend, those kinda cars don’t pass you everyday’, it truly is beautiful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X0LYVZm5qc
6) Let’s Go Crazy
One of Prince’s signature tracks, the fantastically rousing ‘Let’s Go Crazy’ is the opening track to Prince’s 1984 album and film of the same name ‘Purple Rain’. Growling guitars and signature 80’s synthesiser shimmers drive this piece of pop heaven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3ebPrVf4go
7) Guitar
Seemingly an attempt to mirror the success of earlier guitar-heavy tracks such as ‘Let’s Go Crazy’, ‘Guitar’ is one of Prince’s more underrated album tracks. Taken from 2007’s ‘Planet Earth’, it features an incredible guitar riff which is prominent most of the way through the track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgPjINdENAk
8) My Computer
Widely criticised by many fans and critics alike, many overlook how clever and ahead of its time this song was. Lyrically documenting a loner browsing online for company, it’s somewhat sad yet its funky R&B track and glitchy computer sounds lifts its spirits. Also features the incredible Kate Bush on backing vocals.
9) Somebody’s Somebody
Prince always had the ability to make the best slow jams. This is one of his most underrated from 1995’s ‘Emancipation’. Released in the midst of great media interest relating to his battle with his record label, his name change and relationship with Mayte, ‘Somebody’s Somebody’ got somewhat lost as a track in Prince’s discography. Despite this, it’s one of his best; a moody R&B ballad which encapsulates the loneliness of 2am perfectly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6zDFBwsXBc
10) When We’re Dancing Close and Slow
Sometimes there is no need for polished production, excessive instruments, multiple chord changes or multi-layered vocals and this track emphasises this. An absolutely stunning ballad from Prince’s self-titled second album, this track utilises only two chords, created by gentle acoustic guitar strums and twinkling pianos. By its finale, eerie synthesiser sounds creep in to make it way ahead of its time, something else Prince always managed to do in his career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4xrNUxuanw
11) Starfish and Coffee
Not to be taken too seriously, this quirky but brilliantly catchy piano pop track was featured on critically acclaimed “Sign O’ The Times” before being featured in an episode of The Muppets. Simple, sweet and happy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW7Js9I9tRs
12) Gold
Clearly proud of this song upon its release, Prince hailed it as the next ‘Purple Rain’. It did not achieve status as one of Prince’s best known but fared relatively well on the charts. It’s a great Pop track with meaningful lyrics and a catchy refrain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwB6C1BWmqQ
13) She’s Always in My Hair
Whilst never appearing on a Prince album (except for a Greatest Hits compilation), ‘She’s Always in My Hair’ became one of Prince’s best-loved songs. A fierce rock and roll track complete with guitars, staccato organs and a great beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3Z3c5RmWfI
14) I Would Die 4 U
Another track from both the film and accompanying soundtrack ‘Purple Rain’, this is Prince at his best. Unsettled percussion and multi-layered synthesisers perform its backing track whilst Prince delivers an energetic vocal delivery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qpOI92q6EU
15) I Wanna Be Your Lover
Infectiously catchy disco-stomper; the epitome of 70’s disco music. Taken from second album ‘For You’, it is one of the first Prince tracks to showcase his brilliant falsetto vocals, a trait which would be featured in many of his latest works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN6mDCEB6vY
16) Dinner with Delores
Perhaps Prince’s most underrated song, this gentle pop-rock/country-influenced track was the only single from 1996’s ‘Chaos and Disorder’. The album was released simply to fulfil Prince’s contractual obligations with Warner Brothers in the midst of their infamous feud, yet it contains a strong collection of Prince tracks. The track’s instrumentation is gentle and sweet yet upon closer inspection, the lyrics have a darker and more sexualised tone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9_aauED3Ys
17) Anotherloverholenyohead
Another brilliant track from the ‘Parade’ album. An introduction of wailing guitars and impatient percussion evolve into a catchy funk-rock track which is based around a piano chord sequence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KExTY9k_gj4
18) I Wish U Heaven
A joyful and spiritual single from ‘Lovesexy’. In-keeping with the album’s uplifting, religious tones, ‘I Wish U Heaven’ features elements of rock, pop, dance and gospel. Quirky production elements and Prince’s gorgeous falsetto vocals make this one of his best, yet most underrated works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObzoKryyAi8
19) Diamonds & Pearls
Uplifting rock ballad which features New Power Generation member Rosie Gaines sharing vocals with Prince. Unlike a lot of Prince’s work which focussed on lust and sex, this ballad instead refreshingly explores love itself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZCfu18lSl4
20) Purple Rain
Of course, this playlist would not be complete without Prince’s signature track. And what a song this is. It’s easy to classify songs as huge as this as ‘overrated’ but this gorgeous Rock ballad lives up to its reputation as one of the best ballads of all time. Recorded live at a benefit concert, it was later added to in the studio and became the track loved by all today. It was to become a staple of Prince’s live shows, perhaps its most notable moment was at the Super Bowl XLI’s half time show when it was performed during a downpour.
Prince once explained the meaning of “Purple Rain” is as follows: “When there’s blood in the sky – red and blue= purple… purple rain pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting your faith/god guide you through the purple rain.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ABd-cCcIxk
R.I.P Prince. We love and miss you.
May Mixtape
Here’s the mixtape for May! 20 songs old and new that we’re loving at The Music Box.
FEATURE: New Video Release from Come The Spring
Come The Spring have released their official video for latest single ’24’. See the press release supplied to us below.
BRIT ROCKERS COME THE SPRING LAUNCH ’24’ VIDEO SINGLE
Brighton’s (UK) post-punk fuelled alternative rock outfit ‘Come The Spring’ release their official video for their latest single ’24’.
Featuring live footage of the band showcasing their renowned high energy performances, 24 is taken from their REVIVE EP available through UK independent label Engineer Records.
Having formed in late 2012 from the ashes of cult-following UK rock bands, Come The Spring members bring their vast experience and creativity to produce emotionally charged and anthemic songs. Consisting of Sam Craddock (Vox), David Gamage (Guitar), Simon Goodrick (Guitar), Mark Wilkinson (Bass) and Jamie Donbroski (Drums), the allies of uncompromised guitar driven rock have previously shared stages with the likes ofGreen Day, No FX, Texas Is The Reason, Braid and many more.
Check out ’24’ by Come The Spring:
Connect with Come The Spring on Social Media below:
Feel-Good Friday
Every Friday, we are adding three tracks to our Feel-Good Friday Spotify playlist. The aim? To create a definitive playlist featuring the best uplifting, feel-good tracks in the world!
Check here every Friday to check any additions!
FOLLOW the Music Box to never miss an update again.
Music Monday – Volume Ninety Four
1) Nathan Sykes & G-Eazy– Give It Up
Ex member of The Wanted, Nathan Sykes returns with another brilliant single from his upcoming début album. Featuring rapper G-Eazy, ‘Give It Up‘ is a huge, catchy R&B track with funky guitar riffs and slick production.
2) Alesso featuring Nico & Vinz– I Wanna Know
Swedish producer Alesso returns with this huge club track. Featuring vocals from African-Norwegian duo Nico and Vinz, (best known for their number one smash ‘Am I Wrong’) it’s a low-key, chilled-out approach to club music through its avoidance of loud synths, instead utilising wailing guitars in a similar fashion to Robin Schulz’ remix of Mr Probz’ ‘Waves‘.
3) The Last Shadow Puppets – Miracle Aligner
Brilliant psychedelic rock track, featuring baroque-pop and experimental rock influences by British super-group The Last Shadow Puppets. The chorus avoids making a big deal out of itself, yet is effortlessly catchy.
4) All Saints – One Woman Man
Another dramatic and massive pop track from All Saints. Taken from their new album ‘Red Flag’, luscious harmonies soar over orchestral riffs and thunderous percussion.
5) Bry – Don’t Go Alone
Irish Singer-Songwriter/YouTube blogger Bry releases this euphoric pop-rock track, the first single from his début album.
6) Chelsea Lankes – Secret
Brilliant electro-pop track from Texas musician Chelsea Lankes. Sugary, almost-whispered vocals over distorted guitar riffs evolve into an infectiously catchy chorus.
7) Raye – Distraction
South-London singer-songwriter Raye returns with this massive R&B track comprised of electro-elements, hip-hop beats and sweeping strings. Both the track and her vocals are often reminiscent of Rihanna at her best.
8) Michael Franti & Spearhead– Crazy For You
Soulful and uplifting track comprised of funky guitar riffs and plenty of brass instrumentation. Brilliantly catchy.
9) Ben Watt – Fever Dream
Gentle and relaxing acoustic-based track by English singer-songwriter Ben Watt. Released ahead of his upcoming album with the same title, it is a collaboration with fellow musician Bernard Butler.
10) KAYTRANADA & Anderson Paak – Glowed Up
Canadian music producer Kaytranada teams up with Californian singer and rapper Anderson Paak on this alternative R&B/neo soul fusion. Utilising hip-hop and soul, it’s a chilled out track with a retro vibe.
Feel-Good Friday
Every Friday, we are adding three tracks to our Feel-Good Friday Spotify playlist. The aim? To create a definitive playlist featuring the best uplifting, feel-good tracks in the world!
Check here every Friday to check any additions!
FOLLOW the Music Box to never miss an update again.
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