nicola roberts - yo yo
[there's something almost exciting when you hear a nicola roberts tune for the first time. she's definitely found a smart group of songwriters who manage to set up a seemingly standard song structure then spins it on it's head. previous releases have challenged my pop sensibilities and 'yo yo' is no different. once again, the song starts off all doo wop ditty and then manages to climax with a falsetto bridge that makes you wonder if nicola has the chops to keep it up. it's all very wonderfully engaging if you ask me!]
rebecca ferguson - nothing's real but love
[rebecca is going to be an interesting test for the x-factor alum factory. though the show has proven that they can crank out solid pop acts (one direction, cher lloyd, jls), they've never released an act that appeals to an older audience and perhaps even the album listening set (think adele). if she does well, it definitely paves the way for voices like this years' brilliant craig colton. we shall see...]
newton faulkner - it must be love (madness cover)
[what a lovely cover of the madness classic! hopefully this video is just a teaser to tell us that newton is recording much anticipated new material for next year!]
lloyd feat andre 3000 & lil wayne - dedication to my ex (miss that)
[fans of the song know that there's a nasty version where 'lovin' is replaced by 'p**sy' (which is totally unnecessary). but then again the song is such an amalgamation of cee-lo's "f**k you" meets bruno mars retroism that i can only imagine that the writers made sure that the kitty cat reference was a sure fire way to get people talking. shame, cause the song is just plain fun on it's own (which is why i prefer to play you the censored version)]
flo rida feat etta james - good feeling
[it's just so catchy and much has to do with the smart sampling of the etta james classic!!!]
wanna hear the original from which flo rida sampled etta? check out etta james featuring a certain christina aguilera on this 2006 session of the two voices:
jls - do you feel what i feel
[as cheesy as this song is, it sure does put you in a good mood! sampling the xmas classic 'do you hear what i hear', this upbeat track smartly rejigs the christmas sentiment and makes it a party pop anthem for the season. i'm in!]
willy moon - she loves me
[we loved him last month and now electro rockabilly wunderkind willy moon returns with a short and sweet (but definitely lethal) track that'll get your feet moving, but nowhere like his own dance steps!]
as an antidote to this years justin bieber and michael buble christmas releases, editors lead singer tom smith and razorlight's ex drummer andy burrows have come together to put out an yuletide collection of intimate covers (longpigs 'on and on'/ black 'wonderful life') and soaring tunes that will bring any hardened individual into a serious case of seasonal sentiments. the album 'funny looking angels' gets an official release today and below are two stirring diverse examples of what you'll get from this wonderful alternative to your usual xmas fare:
smith & burrows - funny looking angels
[a cover from the UK band delta, this live session is just amazing! i can basque in this enveloping performance forever.]
smith & burrows - when the thames froze
[one of the original songs written for this collection, i can see this future occupy wall street anthem being sung at the end of the night (especially with the hopeful collective singalong element at the end of the song). brilliant!]
wanna know more about this album? check out tom and andy as they talk through the album track by track:
michael kiwanuka - home again
[nothing like the classy stylings of the amazing michael kiwanuka to give your monday a beautiful start! press play and let this song bathe you in its' gentle warmth!]
gym class heroes feat adam levine - stereo hearts
[fine... i've succumbed to the catchiness of the song! gym class heroes you have beat me down again!]
duck sauce - big bad wolf
[it's NASTY and not suitable for work (thank you director keith schofield)! question... is this porn when it's the faces making all the commotion?]
while we're at it, check out these sick remixes that just came out!:
duck sauce - big bad wolf (toddla t remix)
[dub meets dubstep! hot!]
duck sauce - big bad wolf (gesaffelstein remix)
[raved up and damn it sounds so good!]
rihanna - we found love (live @ x-factor uk)
[another weekend, another performance of what is easily one of my favorite songs of the year! definitely better than last week's x-factor US showing!]
kelly clarkson - what doesn't kill you (stronger) (live @ x-factor usa)
[though i've given up on the competition itself, i have to say that the US stage for x-factor is MASSIVE! so massive that artists can get lost among the graphic insanity played on the screens behind/around/below them. thank goodness we can still hear kelly's amazing voice within the visual mayhem!]
dia frampton - the broken ones
[as a runner up to the surprise hit music competition 'the voice', dia frampton quickly got signed to universal records after all her recordings for the show charted high on itunes. though dia was once part of a sister act (meg & dia), her solo release looks like it could be a word of mouth success story. it helps to have a strong debut single like this one. on our radar!]
slow moving millie - please, please, please, let me get what i want (the smiths cover)
[like most people, we all heard this borderline blasphemous cover of the classic smiths song via the lovely john lewis xmas advert that's been passed around virally (see below). turns out amelia warner (aka slow moving millie) is putting out a whole album of covers featuring 80's classics from thompson twins, black and yazoo! i'm definitely curious (heck if birdy can do a whole ballad album of current indie hits, why can't amelia?)]
ingrid michaelson - ghost
[definitely sounding more confident in both her vocals and music, singer songwriter ingrid michaelson has been a wongie fave since 2007. looking forward to hearing more from her upcoming album 'human again' scheduled for release early next year!]
