It’s September which means it’s time for the September mixtape!
We’d have loved to have included some material from Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’ album but unfortunately it is not available to share. Still, here’s twenty tracks we have been loving listening to in this past month.
Here’s the mixtape for March! 20 songs old and new that we’re loving at The Music Box.
Catchy, chilled-out tropical house-influenced track with ambient and electro elements. Will Heard’s rich, soulful vocals are a perfect match for Anne Marie’s jazz-influenced ones.
Chilled-out neo-soul track with electro elements. Katy B’s layered harmonies are gorgeous and the entire track has a relaxed vibe.
Near enough a note-for-note cover of the Tame Impala original. It’s just as psychedelic and moody but it’s a fine cover.
Effervescent electro track featuring giggling synthesisers, scatty vocal samples and buoyant percussion.
This gentle acoustic ballad is a throwback to 90’s Britpop in a similar vein to Oasis. Despite somewhat shabby lyrics, it’s a pretty little track.
Gentle synthpop track with punchy percussion and warm, fuzzy synthesisers. Sivan’s bruised vocals drift softly over the catchy backing track and it’s a lovely song.
Chilled-out hip hop track on which Tiller’s autotune coated vocals float over eerie sounds and transient beats.
Lovely dream-pop/indie folk track from Irish singer-songwriter SOAK.
Gorgeous and haunting piano ballad on which Seal’s raspy vocals reverberate infinitely into beautiful piano chords and eerie synths.
Gorgeous piano ballad which closes Rihanna’s highly anticipated ‘Anti’ perfectly.
1) Shura – Touch
Slick and smooth, this is an effortlessly cool R&B jam by Shura.
2) Tame Impala – Yes I’m Changing
Melancholic and moody but a brilliant track which mirrors lots of ’80’s pop.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhlPXa6g4C8
3) The 1975 – Ugh!
The 1975 dropped another incredible track this week. This is reminiscent of some of Prince’s funkiest material and it’s bloody awesome.
4) Girls Aloud – The Loving Kind
Completely forgot about this track until it appeared as a suggested video on YouTube the other day. Written by The Pet Shop Boys, this is one of their best.
5) Donny Hathaway – This Christmas
Smooth and soulful, this is old-school Christmas music at its best. Absolutely brilliant track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSBvJG2yLJQ
6) Snakehips ft Tinashe & Chance the rapper – All my friends
Love the chilled out nature of this and the chorus is very anthemic.
7) Roxette – It Must Have Been Love (Christmas for the Broken Hearted)
Before this track came to prominence, it was actually a Christmas song. Not a lot had to be removed to turn it into a generic track and both versions are lovely. One of the best and most emotive power ballads from the ’80’s.
8) James Bay – Hold Back The River
This is still an incredible, rousing and uplifting track. James performing it on the BBC Music Awards reinforced that for me.
9) Cliff Richard – Young Love
Anything by Cliff is a guilty pleasure. I have no idea how I came across this but it’s a nice little song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXc7REiJwMc
10) The Pretenders – 2000 Miles
An often forgotten about Christmas song. It’s not the most cheery of festive songs but it’s a brilliant song and Chrissie Hynde’s vocals are still some of the best out there.
1) Take That – We Love to Entertain You
Electrifying and rousing stadium anthem that somehow managed to escape inclusion on an album. Whilst it did appear as a b-side to massive hit ‘Shine’ and was used in a German commercial, it was worthy of far more attention and credit. It’s a fitting tribute to fans; a sort of predecessor to ‘Hold Up A Light’, ‘Portrait’ and ‘I Like It’.
2) Beyonce – Love on Top
Funky and soulful R&B track; unbelievably catchy with an infectious melody and bouncy percussion. Highly influenced by 70’s disco tracks by Stevie Wonder and The Jackson Five, Beyonce braves FOUR key changes and blasts her powerhouse vocal effortlessly. One of her best.
3) Taylor Swift – Wildest Dreams
Miss Swift proves once again she is currently the biggest female Popstar in the world. Clearly influenced by the moody and breathy production Lana Del Ray is famous for, the chorus is unmistakeably Swift and the melody isn’t far removed from her signature Country-sound. A lovely track full of emotion, crashing beats and 80’s-esque synthesisers. Irresistible.
4) The Japanese House – Clean
Elusive and enigmatic act Amber Bain (better known as The Japanese House) released another enchanting track earlier this week, once again produced by Matty and George from The 1975. Full of twinkling bells, fizzy synths, distorted brass instruments and unsteady percussion, it’s beautifully endearing and cinematic.
5) Tame Impala – Yes I’m Changing
Aesthetic, downbeat and dreamy, this is another lovely moment from Tame Impala’s latest album ‘Currents’. Evidently influenced by ’80’s synthpop, it has a great bassline and hazy vocals.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhlPXa6g4C8
6) Oasis – Half the World Away
Lovely acoustic ballad written and sang by Noel. Whilst never released on a studio album or as a single, this became well known for being used as the theme tune to the BBC Sitcom ‘The Royle Family’. It has also since been featured on two Oasis compilation albums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK_Mrpjppwk
7) The Blue Nile – Everybody Else
Whilst not the most recognised of bands, Glaswegian adult-alternative band The Blue Nile have received much critical acclaim and have gained a cult following over the years. They purposely never chased fame and are notable for their perfectionist approach to releasing music, releasing only four albums in a thirty four year career.
‘Everybody Else’ is a beautifully simplistic track featuring only a strumming guitar, computerised percussion, sweeping synthesisers and Paul Buchannan’s melancholic but sincere vocals. It is the penultimate track on their final album to date, 2004’s ‘High’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQYn5WgvBqU
8) Kylie Minogue, Garibay and Shaggy – Black and White
Miss Minogue is back on form with this sultry and sensual club banger, produced by Fernando Garibay and featuring a rap by legendary Shaggy. It is a return to Kylie’s club roots after previous album ‘Kiss Me Once’ was a more R&B-led affair and was only a moderate success commercially.
9) Lawson – Love Is You
Lovely acoustic-based ballad by Lawson, released as a free download on their website just days ago. Andy Brown’s voice is sincere as always and the chorus is very pretty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFkw8v8eyvM
10) Duran Duran – Ordinary World
One of Duran Duran’s biggest hits, ‘Ordinary World’ launched the band back into the charts after a period of declining popularity in the early 1990’s. Written about front-man Simon Le Bon’s late friend David Miles, this became a huge hit around the world in December 1992. Emotive, powerful and dramatic, it is one of Duran Duran’s best works.
1) Adam Lambert – The Original High
Impossibly catchy synthpop title track of Adam Lambert’s latest album. Full of thumping beats, squealing synths and a flawless vocal from Lambert, it’s a perfect summer track.
2) Disclosure & Sam Smith – Omen
Disclosure & Sam Smith already proved to be a dream formula with 2013 house hit ‘Latch’, both catapulting each other to fame. As Disclosure prepare to release their sophomore album later this year, second single ‘Omen’ attempts to regain some of the magic ‘Latch’ contained and it doesn’t do a bad job in the slightest. Smith’s vocals are raw with sincerity as always, crooning over Disclosure’s usual scatty production. Not quite as good as ‘Latch’ but a fine follow-up nonetheless.
3) Nicki Minaj – The Night Is Still Young
Nicki Minaj’s musical and artist output is certainly intriguing. Hits such as ‘Superbass’, ‘Fly’ and ‘Pound The Alarm’ were tolerable catchy music hits whereas ‘Anaconda’ slipped into the ‘utter garbage’ category. Still, she is a highly successful and interesting artist who clearly has a strong following. ‘The Night is Still Young’ is her latest release and whilst described by many as a dance-pop song, it borders on becoming a ballad with it’s relatively slow tempo. It’s a great song, however, more so musically than lyrically but certainly one of Minaj’s better efforts.
4) Carly Rae Jepsen – Run Away With Me
One of the most underrated females in Pop, Carly Rae Jepsen has a unique talent in being able to co-write effortlessly catchy and clean pop hits, suitable for audiences of all ages. With her seductive, airy vocals and synthpop hits, Rae Jepsen has carved herself a sucessful global career yet still seems to be largely ignored compared to other female artists such as Taylor Swift and Beyonce. ‘Run Away With Me’ is the follow-up to awesome lead single ‘I Really Like You’. Both singles are from Carly’s forthcoming album ‘Emotion’ and is produced by Shellback with assistance from Mattman & Robin (the producers of ‘Higher than Higher’ by Take That and Adam Lambert’s ‘The Original High’. It’s another fun synthpop track, a little bit 80’s with squeaky synths with shuffling percussion and powerful vocals from Rae Jepsen. One of the best songs around at the moment.
5) John Newman – Come and Get It
The British northern-soul crooner is back with massive hit ‘Come and Get It’, a catchy soul-funk track co-written by John himself with pop pioneer Greg Kurstin. It’s a huge song with powerful vocals from Newman.
6) Jessica Simpson – With You
It may be incredibly cheesy and lack credibility but ‘With You’ is pop music at its best. Pretty pop track.
7) Tame Impala – Cause I’m a Man
Gentle, dreamy psychedelic summer track by Australian band Tame Impala. Reminiscent of slow-disco hits from the 1970’s, this is a breath of fresh air in the current state of the music industry. One of my absolute favourite songs currently around.
8) Blonde ft Alex Newell – All Cried Out
Awesome track of the deep house genre with 90’s house piano riffs and incredible powerhouse vocals from American singer/actor Alex Newell.
9) George Ezra – Barcelona
Soft f0lk-styled track; the latest single from George Ezra’s incredible album ‘Wanted on Voyage’. Ezra’s rich, wise-beyond-his-years vocals really are distinctively beautiful.
10) One Direction – Drag Me Down
The killer new single from the much-loved Boyband; the first without Zayn Malik who departed the band earlier this year. It’s not as good as ‘Steal My Girl’ (lead single from the band’s last album ‘Four’) but it proves the continuity of the band’s maturer sound.
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