Having recently joined forces with UK indie label Engineer Records, the infectiously heartfelt alternative punk/rock outfit ‘White Crosses’ unleash their ‘Dead Souls’ video single.
Hailing from Warsaw (Poland) the quartet, featuring the creative partnership of Konrad Sloka (Vox/Guitar), Sebastian Prokop (Guitar), Stefan Banaszynski (Bass) and Marcin Plocha (Drums), produced big waves in their native country with their acclaimed EP release ‘Native Handshakes’ in 2015. Releasing ‘Dead Souls’ as a taste of things to come from their forthcoming EP ‘Anchorless’, White Crosses are armed to bring their music to an international audience.
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…
Following the very recent arrival of their ‘Questions’, Southampton’s (UK) Circle Of Reason are now back with their latest video single titled ‘Colours’. Showcasing another metallic and emotive rock track, ‘Colours‘ is an epic anthem taken from the bands forthcoming album ‘Faith Or Theory‘.
For the British quartet Circle Of Reason, the path that led to the creation of their new album Faith Or Theory is one that ultimately saw them start to assess their own relationships, and try to get a handle on their place in the world. Having taken a well-earned break after the release of their 2013 record These Hands And This Mind – which also saw them share stages with the likes of Feed The Rhino, Marmozets, Neck Deep, Mallory Knox, Creeper, Allusondrugs and Fearless Vampire Killers, as well as be featured on Kerrang! TV and Scuzz – the band’s 2015 became all about putting pen to paper and getting in front of crowds, starting with a slot at Takedown Festival. A small line-up change later, and the resultant tracks are short stories that convey with great emotion just how much Circle Of Reason means to its members.
Appealing to fans of Deftones, Funeral For A Friend, Biffy Clyro, Smashing Pumpkins and Mastodon, Circle Of Reason are a band that specialise in carefully planned dynamics, gargantuan guitar riffs and all fused with melodic hooks.
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.
The american rapper throws a curveball on this neo-soul influenced hip hop track. Breezy, light and reflective, it’s a brilliant track and one of Lamar’s best.
2) Mark Pritchard – Beautiful People
Gentle electronic track which drifts effortlessly throughout its six minute duration.
3) Zayn – SHe
Brilliant alt-R&B track with moody guitar riffs, an awesomely catchy chorus and polished production. It’s carried by buoyant beats and Zayn’s syrupy vocals. One of his best.
4) Digital Farm Animals – Wanna Know
Buoyant house track with a brilliantly catchy hook.
5) White Denim – Take It Easy
Soulful and relaxed track with a retro vibe. Utilising little more than organic percussion, bright keys, jazzy riffs, funky bass lines and beautiful falsetto vocals, it’s a lovely track.
6) ROMANS – Silence (ALUNA GEORGE Edit)
Chipmunk-esque pitch-moderated vocal samples, hip hop beats and reverberating soulful vocals carry this brilliant and powerful track.
7) SBTRKT, D.RAM, Mabel – I FEEL YOUR PAIN
Elusive producer SBTRKT teams up with vocalists D.RAM and Mabel on this jittery neo-soul track with elements of alternative R&B.
8) Nick Jonas & Tove Lo – Close
Sultry and moody R&B track which utilises steel pans and thunderous percussion. It’s a powerful track driven by Mattman and Robin’s tight production.
9) Barq – Gentle Kind of Lies
Quirky and brilliant Alternative R&B track with furious guitar riffs, funky bass lines and rock-influenced percussion. Jess Kav’s soulful vocals shine throughout.
10) James Morrison – Need you Tonight
Catchy pop track with funky guitar riffs, skipping bass lines and bright piano chords. Drawing upon disco and soul elements, it’s one of his best songs of his career.
Moody, downtempo hip-hop track with an overall melancholic tone and brilliant lyrics.
[Because Kanye is a tool and won’t put any of his latest music anywhere where people may actually listen, this is the only clip available: http://bbc.in/1OmSlT4]
2) Shura – The Space Tapes
Fuzzy, spaced-out electro-remixes of three tracks from Shura’s forthcoming highly-anticipated début album ‘Nothing’s Real’. Reverberating vocal samples, frolicking synthesisers and eerie sounds all echo infinitely throughout this nine-minute sampler track.
3) Niki and The Dove – Play it on my radio
Gentle but majestic 80’s-influenced synthpop track. Mirroring Fleetwood Mac at their peak, precarious percussion, dreamy harmonies and fluttering synthesisers drift beautifully through this brilliant song.
4) The Floyds – You
Lovely, breezy acoustic-based track with great lyrics.
5) Liss – Sorry
Dream-like, heavily auto-tuned synthpop track from up-and-coming band Liss, comprised of clinking synths, a waltz-like bass line and a meandering rhythm.
6) WSTRN – Come Down
Another brilliantly catchy R&B track with electro elements from West-London collective WSTRN. Sampling Evelyn King’s 1982 hit ‘Love Come Down’, the trio have created another smash record.
7) KAYTRANDA & Karriem Riggins – BUS RIDE
A beautifully chilled-out instrumental track from Canadian musician KAYTRANADA. Twinkling pianos, soulful and eerie synthesisers and fierce percussion drives this retro alternative-R&B track.
8) The 1975 – The Ballad of Me and My Brain
Brilliant track on which witty lyrics are growled over unsteady percussion and fierce guitar work. Haunting vocal samples evolve into a neurotic punk-pop track which perfectly captures losing your mind.
9) The 1975 – Lostmyhead
Dark and melancholic shoegazing track which is musically simple but incredibly powerful. Heavy, distorted electric guitar riffs and hazy synthesisers form the backdrop as frontman Matt Healy drones ‘And he said, I lost my head, can you see it, can you see it?’. It eventually climaxes in a brilliant orchestral track with percussion.
10) Active Child – 1999
Jazzy and soulful track by electronic artist Patrick Gossi, under his working name of Active Child. Gentle percussion and jazzy pianos with Gossi’s beautiful falsettos all result in a beautiful song.
Funky indie-rock ballad which mirrors work by INXS & Duran. Slamming percussion, frantic guitar riffs and skippy synthesiser sounds provide the song’s instrumentation as Matt Healy sings of cultural differences between him and his American girlfriend. It’s brilliantly catchy and very witty lyrically.
2) The 1975 – This Must Be My Dream
Perhaps the best song on The 1975’s new album. The band demonstrate their impeccable synchronicity through layering gospel melodies, silky vocals, slamming percussion, driving bass lines and snarling guitar riffs. It’s a throwback to the new-jack-swing era in the late eighties and early nineties bought to popularity through producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Teddy Riley through musicians such as Bobby Brown, Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson.
3) The 1975 – Paris
Beautiful and mellow electropop ballad which imitates Yazoo’s ‘Only You’ to a point just before being eligible for a lawsuit. Sparse guitars, dizzy synthesisers and a gorgeous honeyed ‘again and again’ refrain makes this another of the album’s strongest tracks.
4) The 1975 – I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it
A proficient, cleverly-created instrumental which punctuates the album beautifully. Pretty and melodic piano particles flutter over driving electronica whilst Healy’s lusciously layered vocals beg his lover not to leave. The track is lengthy at six minutes but is split into two parts, evolving into an uplifting and exquisitely beautiful house track.
5) The 1975 – Loving Someone
Giggling synthesisers and hiphop beats form the backdrop as Matt Healy half-raps his best lyrics to date; a cultural observation on the impact pop culture and celebrity have on youth.
6) Gallant & Jhene Aiko – Skipping Stones
Chilled-out neosoul track which carries a retro vibe. Gallant’s incredible vocals flutter into a rich falsetto over brass instruments, driving bass lines and twinkling keyboards.
7) Joe & Jake – You’re Not Alone
Uplifting and euphoric pop-rock track which is this year’s UK Eurovision entry. Whilst criticised by many for its generic formula and chord structure, it’s a powerful and beautiful track.
8) Laurel – Life Worth Living
Moody alternative-pop track which avoids over-production, instead focussing on using organic, pure instruments.
9) Zayn – Like I Would
Catchy alt-R&B track featuring elastic synthesisers, synthetic percussion and a brilliantly sing-song chorus.
10) The Last Shadow Puppets – Everything You’ve Come to Expect
Quirky and brilliantly written track which utilised genres such as baroque pop, psychedelic pop and experimental rock.
UK alternative rock band Scout Killers are to embark on a UK tour in April. Here’s the accompanying press release:
The British connoisseurs of guitar driven alternative rock release news of their forthcoming April 2016 UK tour. Joining the Bath (UK) based Scout Killers on their crusade across English cities are support acts Amongst Thieves and The Loose Cut.
The 5 piece outfit of Scott Cox (Vox), Julien Morrez (Guitar/vox), Beau Stevens (Guitar), Josh Ellis (Bass) and Chris Phillips(Drums) shall head out on tour following the release their latest single ‘Rip Me Apart’ out 28th March 2016. Having made loyal fans through extensive touring and their acclaimed 2014 EP – ‘Stand Your Ground’, Scout Killers are fresh out of the recording studio with new material to unleash during this year. Expect huge sonics, atmospheric guitar work and emotive vocals from the band who effectively know how to create anthemic rock tracks.
Catch Scout Killers on tour April 2016:
3rd April – London – The Black Heart
4th April – Guildford – The Star Inn
5th April – Leeds – The Key Club
6th April – York – Fulford Arms
7th April – Newcastle – Head Of Steam
8th April – Bath – The Nest
9th April – Manchester – Aatma
Brilliant hip-hop/Gospel fusion from 2012 UK X Factor runner up Jahmene Douglas. This is his first original composition (début album was an amalgamation of cover versions) and is from his forthcoming second album, on which he has reportedly collaborated with a range of established names.
2) Babyface and El Debarge– Walking on Air
Fizzy and uplifting R&B track from hit songwriter Babyface and El Debarge (of Debarge fame). It’s a cheery and catchy with lovely lyrics.
3) Babyface – Our Love
Gorgeous R&B ballad which closes Babyface’s latest album, the brilliant ‘Return of the Tender Lover’ (hence why it’s our album of the week!). Gentle piano arpeggios and Babyface’s silky smooth vocals layered into luscious harmonies remind us of his forte to write brilliant songs, particularly ballads.
4) Rihanna – Kiss It Better
Brilliant down-tempo progressive R&B track abundant with squeaky synths and wailing guitars. Rihanna at her best.
5) Ronan Keating – Breathe
Lovely pop-rock ballad comprised of Keating’s powerful vocals, sweeping strings and acoustic guitars with a gorgeous chorus.
6) Tundran – Still Afraid
Catchy electropop track built of various sounds and instrumentation.
7) Timbaland and Mila J – Don’t Get no Betta
Brilliant and catchy R&B track emphasising what Timbaland does best. Fun and mechanical production elements and punchy percussion compensates for its repetitiveness and simplistic nature.
8) Nothing But Thieves – If I Get High
Stunning and haunting acoustic-based ballad which evolves into an electrifying climax.
9) Jarbird – Iona
Ethereal and dreamy Pop ballad from London-based band Jarbird.
10) BASECAMP – Comfort Zone
Laid-back and minimalistic electropop influenced track. Catchy, funky and an enthralling listen.
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