» Video

Japandroids – Wet Hair – Live on Jimmy Fallon

Want to know what makes Japandroids so special? It’s everything up there: the interaction, the shared sense of triumph, the genuine love of what they’re doing, the idea of power coming through sound, their basic, naive ideas on girls and fucking around shaping into a wall of noise, something that completely takes you a-back. That’s Japandroids.

mp3: Wet Hair // alt

Visuals: Late Of The Pier – Blueberry

‘Blueberry‘ shows Late of the Pier exploring sensible but explosive pop music, akin to the Beatles in its vocals and sense of unpredictability. It shows a break in the trend of a lot of Erol Alkan’s production, keeping big and ambitious but coming off as a little more sinister than any previous Late of the Pier material.

And most importantly, you can expect every other song on the forthcoming LOTP record to have a unique feel, one completely different to that on ‘Blueberry‘.

Visuals: I Blame Coco feat. Robyn – Ceasar

Shunned by the BBC Sound of 2010 list, I Blame Coco, aka. daughter of Sting, seems to be of the ambitious type. Expect her to go from strength to strength in 2010, making the ideal start with the help of the already established Robyn. This up-tempo, bass-heavy debut single has every hope of catching on. Forget the context, try not to be cynical and this remains an at times stunning affair.

2 people like this post.

Visuals: IS TROPICAL – When O’ When

IS TROPICAL Myspace

Visuals: Hot Chip – One Life Stand

Portishead – Chase The Tear

top photo: Anders Linden

‘Chase the Tear’ is being released exclusively with Amnesty International. Every penny sold on 7 digital goes directly towards Amnesty’s efforts towards improving human rights across the world.
—–

Portishead’s first work since ‘Third‘ is just as engaging and although it initially isn’t quite as haunting as the likes of ‘Silence’ and ‘Hunter‘, the repetition of ‘Chase The Tear’, that grabbing synth melody that repeats and repeats, holds onto you like a dead branch, its spikes and claws keeping a grip on you.

It does sound like a one off piece, replicating the pace and drive of The Horrors’ ‘Whole New Way‘, a song Portishead’s very own Geoff Barrow worked with the band on initially. One criticism would be the percussion which doesn’t fit in like the other elements – perhaps that’s the point. You can never doubt Portishead, they’re one of the smartest, most assured bands on the planet. They know exactly how they want a song to sound and they always meet their own standards. Why else would they spend ten years making a record?

2 people like this post.

Visuals: These New Puritans – We Want War

Looks like These New Puritans have truly arrived.

A force to be reckoned with in 2010. Coincidentally, Daniel Askill also appears to have hit his creative peak so far by directing this stunning visual piece. Glorious for the whole seven minutes.

2 people like this post.

Visuals: Jamie T – Chaka Demus

Jamie T – Chaka Demus

All in all, Jamie T has had a successful year. No, he’s not maintained the heights he managed to reach with beer-swigging anthem ‘Stella’ but he’s achieved more critical acclaim than before and the fanbase is gradually becoming more loyal by the day.

The video for ‘Chaka Demus’ has mimes driving pretty fast on country roads in America with Jamie T in the backseat looking pleasantly unfussed.