GOING ON A BREAK

due to personal work, i gotta take a little break for the next two weeks. i'll definitely post some songs throughout, but maybe with few words. so please just press play and enjoy my suggestions! see you soon!

DANCE BITCH DANCE: disclosure - when a fire starts to burn

disclosure - when a fire starts to burn
on the eve of their debut album release, the disclosure boys offer this boogie gem for the weekend. turn it up!

WONGIE BALLAD OF THE WEEK: london grammar - wasting my young years

london grammar - wasting my young years
the rise of the 'mystery band' has become really trendy of late. showcasing the music rather than the packaging of the band themselves, acts like the xx and rhye have all benefitted from a bit from their lack of limelight. now we can throw in london grammar, a three piece fronted by hannah reid on vocals and dot major & dan rothman on the electronic instrumentation. their latest single is both haunting and hypnotic in one go which makes me uber excited to hear more from this much buzzed about act.

AUDIO BUZZ: kate boy - the way we are

kate boy - the way we are
oh the synth beats are even more wondrously chaotic than in 'northern lights'! i can't wait to see what kate and her crew will do for the video! future post to come, just wanted you to hear this awesome song first!

WONGIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: betty who - you're in love

betty who - you're in love
oh this is good! retro 80's pop with a solid chorus made all the more interesting with betty's hot buddy tyler as the object of her confusion/romance in the video. a very commercial fun single for an interesting debut act.

AUDIO PREMIERE!: beyonce - grown woman

beyonce - grown woman
FINALLY, the full audio just for you. now if she'll just shoot a music video already! [looks like this is a fanmade version and not the official single]

WONGIE ROCK SONG OF THE WEEK: palma violets - we found love

palma violets - we found love
oh drunken youth! something about these young londoners in how they've managed to capture a sound that is both filled with urgency and sounds sentimental at the same time. so good!

WONGIE INDIE SONG OF THE WEEK: wolf alice - bros

wolf alice - bros
i'm totally reminded of the female fronted 90's alt bands when i hear this song by uk based wolf alice. lead gal ellie roswell initially set herself as a solo project before banding together with the rest of her quartet. i'm intrigued now cause this song is damn good (the melodious breakdown during the bridge is sweet!)

BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS 2013 HIGHLIGHT PERFORMANCES: taylor swift / jennifer lopez feat pitbull / bruno mars / icona pop / nicki minaj feat lil wayne / ed sheeran

taylor swift - 22 (live @ billboard music awards)


jennifer lopez feat pitbull - live it up (live @ billboard music awards)


bruno mars - treasure (live @ billboard music awards)


icona pop - i don't care (live @ billboard music awards)


nicki minaj feat lil wayne - high school


ed sheeran - lego house

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: the lone bellow - bleeding out

the lone bellow - bleeding out
oh how i love the vocals of the lone bellow lead singer, zach williams! throw in his amazing cohorts kanene & brian and you've got a lush trio that deserves to break out seriously in 2013. the official single off their amazing debut album, press play and bask in it's wonderfulness now!

VIDEO PREMIERE!: jennifer lopez feat pitbull - live it up

jennifer lopez feat pitbull - live it up
jeez, what a hot mess of a song! it's got 4 things going on at the same time at this hyper speed all the while fronted by a trannified jlo. weirdly this is heading into guilty pleasure territory.

WONGIE (other) INDIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: bibio - a tout a l'heure

bibio - a tout a l'heure
taken from steven wilkinson's 7th (!!) album under the bibio guise, this is the perfect track to watch the sunset don't you think? it's just glorious!

WONGIE INDIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: thumpers - unkinder (a tougher love)

thumpers - unkinder (a tougher love)
london cuties marcus pepperell and john hamson jr (aka thumpers) offer up your indie anthem of the summer. pretty much darn near perfect, just blast and sing along in no time!

WONGIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: ke$ha feat will.i.am - crazy kids

ke$ha feat will.i.am - crazy kids
FINALLY a new track from ke$ha that requires repeat listening! her recent releases have been a bit underwhelming, but this dr luke co-production offers up a lovely guitar based loop (with whistles!) before throwing down some dirty grooves in the process. i love this song so much that i'm willing to ignore will.i.am's involvement!

WONGIE POP HOP SONG OF THE WEEK: becky g - play it again

becky g - play it again
teen rap sensation rebbeca marie gomez aka becky g gets an official track co-written by heavy hitters dr luke and max martin (which is probably why there is some hot beatz mixed in with a tween friendly chorus). already featured on other kid friendly acts cher lloyd and cody simpson, this mexican rapper/singer is set for some serious greatness if this radio friendly future hit is anything to go by!

WONGIE SONG OF THE MONTH: lorde - royals (video premiere)

lorde - royals
we fell in love with this sassy number 2 weeks back and have been playing it non-stop since. it's taken awhile, but ella finally released a video to accompany her cool kid anthem and it's brilliant. showcasing the everyday boredom of suburban kids, ella had this to say in her video testimony: "this song means a hell of a lot to me, and to others, and i guess what i tried to do is make something you could understand. a lot of people think teenagers live in this world like 'skins' every weekend or whatever, but truth is, half the time we aren't doing anything cooler than playing with lighters, or waiting at some shitty stop. that's why this had to be real." damn this kid is cool!

DANCE BITCH DANCE: hot natured feat anabel englund - reverse skydiving

hot natured feat anabel englund - reverse skydiving
oh this is silky and sexy and sassy and every other positive descriptive 's' word you can think of!

AUDIO BUZZ: katy b - what love is made of

katy b - what love is made of
oh we're going full on 90's house anthem for her official first single from her sophomore album (rumored to be released in OCTOBER!) i'm already a huge fan of tracks from her danger EP, and this number just tells me that the new album will be filled with some serious dance music. i'm excited!

WONGIE HOUSE SONG OF THE WEEK: gorgon city feat clean bandit - intentions

gorgon city feat clean bandit - intentions
this is classy collaboration between two acts that have creeped onto my radar over the past few months with their awesome work. wait til the bassline kicks in and you'll be in heaven, just brilliant!

WONGIE (other) POP SONG OF THE WEEK: sara bareilles - brave

sara bareilles - brave
directed by the lovely rashida jones, i love nothing more than watching normal dorky folk get down and find their dance spirit! throw in the sweet catchiness of sara's new single and you've got something wonderful!

want more? check out the behind the scenes video of the making of 'brave':

WONGIE FUN SONG OF THE WEEK: dizzee rascal feat robbie williams - goin' crazy

dizzee rascal feat robbie williams - goin' crazy
i love how robbie doesn't even pretend to mouth the words anymore to music videos! a surprising collaboration between dizzee and rascal might actually turn into the fun song of the summer.

WONGIE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: naughty boy feat sam smith - la la la

naughty boy feat sam smith - la la la
not only has the song slowly grown on me, but this amazing wizard of oz inspired video by ian pons jewell shot entirely in bolivia is just gorgeous! i'm hooked!

WONGIE POP SONG OF THE WEEK: olly murs - dear darlin' / dear darlin' (live @ house of blues)

olly murs - dear darlin'
co-written by cutie singer/songwriter ed drewett, this is easily one of olly's best songs that'll hopefully allow him to grow as an musical artist.

want more? check out the live performance below:


olly murs - dear darlin' (live @ house of blues)

WONGIE CUTE SONG OF THE WEEK: dear georgiana - wanna be in love

dear georgiana - wanna be in love
it's so cute-sy perfect that i think i've found my pre-summer jam!

LIVE PERFORMANCE: laura mvula - that's alright (live @ alan carr chatty man)

laura mvula - that's alright (live @ alan carr chatty man)
oh my god, this woman is AMAZING live!!!

LIVE PERFORMANCE: jessie ware - imagine it was us (live @ alan carr chatty man)

jessie ware - imagine it was us (live @ alan carr chatty man)
my fave live act of 2013 (so far this year) offers up her jam for alan carr's chatty man!

NEW DAVID GUETTA!: david guetta feat ne yo & akon - play hard

david guetta feat ne yo & akon - play hard
um... when did david guetta get seriously fit?

POP BOY: jason derulo - the other side

jason derulo - the other side
surprisingly decent pop dance song for your weekend.

NEW IGGY AZALEA!: iggy azalea - bounce

iggy azalea - bounce
the bollywood-ization of hip hop continues!

WONGIE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: katy b x geeneus x jessie ware - aaliyah (lyric video)

katy b x geeneus x jessie ware - aaliyah (lyric video)
we buzzed over this number back in january, but now it looks like this will be an official single as a wonderfully edited lyric video came out today. using the images of the classic fellini film 'nights of cabiria' set to this heartbreaking house anthem, it just adds another dimension to one of our fave tunes of 2013. can't wait for the proper video to come out too! to be cont...

POP GAL: mariah carey feat miguel - #beautiful

mariah carey feat miguel - #beautiful
ok it's too easy to nitpick this song (a hashtag.. really?), so i'll just leave the comments to the fact that it's a smart move to collaborate with the wonderful miguel and the retro soul sound befits mc and her return to the charts. sadly the song just feels kind of meandering by the end, which is unfortunate since it starts off so strongly.

WONGIE SOUL SONG OF THE WEEK: john newman - love me again

john newman - love me again
the raspy soulful voice behind the #1 rudimental smash 'feel the love' gets his official first single in the form of this retro soul number that throws in house chords and a killer bridge breakdown. the whole experience is pure joy and ecstatic in the best of ways. i can't wait to hear the rest of this debut now!

VIDEO PREMIERE!: the wanted - walks like rihanna

the wanted - walks like rihanna
with a nice nod to the boy bands of yesteryear, the wanted go crazy for a lady that i swear is wearing a bad wig. it's a pure pop sound that is miles away from their 'edgier' debut back in the day (oh how 3 years can change a group).

POP GAL: annie - tube stops and lonely hearts

annie - tube stops and lonely hearts
celebrating 90's rave culture and italo house, pop dance norwegian diva annie returns with this steady hypnotic number co-produced by the UK pop powerhouse xenomania. it's not as insta-catchy as her previous efforts, but it sure is nice to hear new material after 4 years away. welcome back!

IT'S LYRICAL!: vampire weekend - ya hey / ya hey (live @ amex unstaged)

vampire weekend - ya hey
third track from their highly anticipated album 'modern vampires of the city' which comes out in a week! i can't wait!

wanna see the vampire's perform the song live? check out their steve buscemi directed live performance for amex below:

vampire weekend - ya hey (live @ amex unstaged)

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: janelle monae feat erykah badu - q.u.e.e.n.

janelle monae feat erykah badu - q.u.e.e.n.
the level of greatness in this alan fergusen directed video is on high alert! bringing together the amazing janelle and erykah (it's like watching iconoclasts, the music version) is pure empowerment heaven, then throw in the fun simple visuals and you've got the coolest thing you'll see this friday! love!

AUDIO LEAK: busta rhymes - twerk it

busta rhymes - twerk it
yeah this falls under my fave naughty jam for the weekend! produced by pharrell williams, i'm SO excited that he's coming back to producing hot tracks these days! now twerk it!!!

WONGIE GARAGE SONG OF THE WEEK: disclosure feat eliza doolittle - you & me

disclosure feat eliza doolittle - you & me
though this isn't as insta-anthem as their previous singles, the disclosure boys have roped in some lovely vocals from chanteuse eliza doolittle to offer a damn catchy number for the club masses. with the accompanying wonderful young love travelogue video shot by luke monaghan, you'll be hypnotized by the visuals and bopping along to this ditty for the rest of the week.

THEY'RE BAAAACK!: travis - where you stand

travis - where you stand
talk about dysfunctional relationships in the video! the band that accompanied many of my late 90's adventures returns with new material after a 5 year absence. though the sound kind of borders on twee these days, my sentimental side will definitely give this band a proper listen when their album comes out later this summer. welcome back!

WONGIE FOLK SONG OF THE WEEK: kodaline - love like this

kodaline - love like this
well this is a bit of a departure from kodaline's previous rock ballad sound. instead the dublin based quartet seems to have tapped into the soul of their irish roots and come up with a rousing singalong jamboree that'll play perfect live. they're 3 for 3 in my book and only makes me more excited about their debut album in june!

WONGIE SONG(s) OF THE MONTH: lorde - royals / million dollar bills

at only 16 years old, this new zealand prodigy has already caused quite a ruckus on the charts back home and is looking to crossover in a big way worldwide. with her sassy sound and mature vocals, all eyes are on what ella yelich-o'connor (aka lorde) will release next. welcome to my new obsession for the week!


lorde - royals [free mp3 yo!]


lorde - million dollar bills

MORE BEYONCE LEAKS: beyonce - standing on the sun (snippet) (h&m ad) / grown woman (live @ paris)

beyonce - standing on the sun (snippet)
while the album has been delayed til the summer, bey offers fans a sneak peek snippet of the track 'standing on the sun' (written by sia/greg kurstin) via her h&m 'beyonce as mrs carter ad'. though i can't really see a swimsuit 'collection'(the hair/sand flinging gets in the way), the song sounds lovely though!


but check out this live performance of 'grown woman' at beyonce's recent concert in bercy, paris:

beyonce - grown woman (live @ paris)
the track is fun for sure with it's syncopated beats (thanks to timbaland) but it's the wonderful african influenced grooves that really makes me excited to hear the studio version!

HOT COVER!: daughter - get lucky (daft punk cover) (live @ bbc radio 1 live lounge)

daughter - get lucky (daft punk cover) (live @ bbc radio 1 live lounge)
something cool for the weekend!

POP BOYS: union j - carry you

union j - carry you
[updated with video]
nothing like an x-factor uk alum boy band to make your tuesday all poppy and happy. so far they seem to be in the vein of early 'the wanted' but i'm sure by the end of the summer they'll have a whole new sound for the masses. pop...such fun!

HOT COVER: rudimental - now (paramore cover) (live @ bbc radio 1 live lounge)

rudimental - now (paramore cover) (live @ bbc radio 1 live lounge)
the wonderful rudimental posse add some reggae flava on paramore's current rock anthem 'now', not only do they put a wonderful spin on the track, but they also throw in a bit of bob marley's "sun is shining" to the mix. gosh i love these live lounge sessions!

WONGIE SONG OF THE WEEK: sohn - bloodflows

sohn - bloodflows
i'm a sucker for bedroom musicians who craft lush music from the comfort of their own home. little is known on the london by way of vienna multi-instrumentalist sohn, all that really matters is that it sounds good! sit back and get lost in the music for monday.

HAPPY RECORD STORE DAY 2013: jack white / pulp vs soulwax / nick drake / rodriguez / manchester orchestra feat grouplove / willy mason & brendan benson / the shangri-las / notorious b.i.g. / kate nash / mgmt

every 3rd saturday in april, independent record stores, artists and fans gather to pick up limited edition/one off pressings of new or rare recordings on vinyl. throw in live performances and cool parties, you have a fun day of music that is celebrated internationally. if you're in one of the cities listed, go and pick up the 7"/12"/albums being re-issued or released on record store day 2013 will ya? here are my highlights that are out today:


jack white (record store day ambassador) - record store day 2013
jack white explains how vinyl records are done... well kinda...


pulp vs soulwax - after you



nick drake - riverman



rodriguez - i wonder



manchester orchestra feat grouplove - make it to me



willy mason and brendan benson - waiter at the station



the shangri-las - remember (walking in the sand)



notorious b.i.g. - big poppa



kate nash - free my p*ssy



mgmt - alien days (cassingle preview)


mgmt - alien days