Imagine being a teenager making loads of dollar and making super-cool club hits, Getintothis’ Stephanie Heneghan is old and broke and still borrowing money off her mum. Life’s a complete bitch.
Disclosure & AlunaGeorge: White Noise – Single Of The Week
I spent a good deal of 2012 banging on about how talented Disclosure were and how it made me feel a bit sick really because they’re both under 20 and are owning things whereas I’m a decade older and I’ve just had to borrow £40 off my mum after spending all my money on Long Island Iced Teas.
But they continue to be talented into 2013, firstly with Latch and now by hooking up with another young successful duo in AlunaGeorge. I love this track, it’s fresh and happy, Aluna’s vocals are sweet and it’s clearly going to do dead well. I think I need a drink, can you put this on my tab?
London Grammar: Hey Now (Dot Major Remix)
When you agree to do music reviews, you get given a list of guidelines that you have to adhere to, one of which is using “ethereal” at least once in everything you write. Luckily, this is definitely ethereal, so I can tick that off the list. It’s also reminiscent of The xx (another tick) and it started off life as an indie track which IF I’M HONEST is better than this remix. And I never think that.
Stereophonics: Indian Summer
I used to like the Stereophonics, back when I thought wearing platform trainers was a viable decision and I had pink streaks in my hair. Fashion is a famously cyclical beast and as I sit here in wedge trainers (important differentiation) and half my hair a neon pink (ill-advised but I don’t care), it’s nice to have the Stereophonics back too.
It’s not mind-blowingly amazing but doesn’t make me pull a sneery face. Whereas ten years ago their tracks would have been A listed on Radio 1, now they’re more grown up Radio 2 fodder. Kelly Jones and his sexy gruff tones are beginning to sound slightly Rod Stewart (whisky? Fags?) but as was remarked to me recently, despite his diminutive stature (shortarse) you still would in a heartbeat as we’re all the same height lying down (my friends are dirt).
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Let The Day Begin
BRMC used to be ace, then they went off the boil a bit (lets blame the old inner turmoil in the band line up) and then I forgot all about them. This is a welcome reminder.
Despite actually being a cover version of a The Call track, it has their distinctive sound stamped on it and *channels Louis Walsh* they really make it their own.
It makes me want to go and stand on the seats in MOJO, do tequila shots and neck inappropriate lads. That’s a big seal of approval from me.
Sticky featuring Lamahra Starr: Cutting Shapes
When you get singles to review, usually there’s a little press release with them and this one made me giggle as I read it – ‘post funky urban house scene‘, ‘funny funky good time music‘, ‘not enough to jiggle around with saucer eyes‘… it totally brought the LOLS.
Then I listened to it and oh my days, it is DREADFUL. It reminds me of when I used to buy 10p vinyl from the bargain bin in Virgin Megastores *crosses self*, we’d speed it up and put a scouse house baseline under it because we were bored.
That’s the only thing that would rescue this. Surprisingly my DJ career began and ended in my bedroom.
Letherette: D&T
Letherette is such an ace name. It’s like leather but not quite which is similar to pleather, my current favourite material. Don’t worry, I don’t get paid for writing this shit. If I did, I’d just spend it all on pleather skirts.
This is very French house (they’re actually from Wolverhampton fact fans) with that stuttering, jittery, sexy disco cool, guitar STYLE that the French do really well. The French do most things well, their accent sounds better and their kissing is way more fun. These lads are from Wolverhampton however so neither of those applies to them. Decent beats though.
Veronica Falls: Buried Alive
No one in Veronica Falls is called Veronica. Also, every time I think of the band it makes me think of American teen drama show Veronica Mars which was much under rated and had an ace theme tune by the Dandy Warhols.
Both those facts are massively more interesting that this track which is so twee and deadly dull that it made me long to be Buried Alive in order to make it stop. The songwriting is akin to that of a lovelorn teenager ‘I want to get sick, I want to catch everything you’ve ever caught‘.
If this sounds up your street however, they’re playing at the Kazimer in April.
Dutch Uncles: Nometo (Field Music remix)
I’ve got a lot of time for Field Music.
They’re bang up my street and this remix of Dutch Uncles is no exception. This is lush and dreamy and the kind of stuff you might play if you were having a particularly relaxing bath – like with candles and those mad bath bombs from Lush that leave petals all over the shop when you pull the plug out. It’s a pretty hipster bathtime if we’re truthful, this is about as chilled out as I ever get.
Chet Faker: No Diggity
I have a talent for learning lyrics, it’s not one that has been much use in my life thus far but occasionally I’ve wooed (seriously, WOOED) a couple of gentleman friends by being able to rattle off words, impressing them with my mad flow.
One of these moments was the John Barnes rap from World In Motion, the other was Queen Pen‘s verses from No Diggity. So as you’d imagine, it has a special place in my heart.
For some unknown reason, Chet has declined to include that bit in his lacklustre cover of No Diggity and so he’s ruined it, and my memories of a heady night in the Camel Club forever. CHEERS CHET, MATE.
This is the ‘John Lewis’ effect – taking boss songs and squeezing them through the ironic filter until they become drab enough to act as a soundtrack for an advert where a snowman goes shopping.
Deap Vally: Lies
This is a bit more like it. With the blues guitar you’d find from a White Stripes track, and a similar vocal, and some balls out rarrrrrness – it’s basically the White Stripes with a female lead. NO BAD THING.
They’re playing in the Kazimer on March 7, and I might pop along, partly because I’d think they’d be alright live and also because I bet there’d be loads of lads with beards who are into this kind of thing.
