bAD gIRL
Anna C undermines the R*E*P*E*A*T ethos by giving a bit of love to
some really nice bands
MIGHTY OAKS- Brother EP
Ambushing the bandwagon of popular acts such as Ben Howard, Milo Greene,
Passenger and The Lumineers for their harmonic, camp-fire singalonga
choruses, Mighty Oaks are a really nice band. Formed in Berlin, and
hailing from the USA, the UK and Italy, the trio play a melodic pop
that is really very pleasant, uplifting and heartwarming in all the
right places. The title track, not surprisingly, is about brotherly
love and the journeys it might take you on, those that follow are
along similar romantic themes. Having three brothers, I cant
imagine their reaction if I sang something that soppy about them-
I used to watch them feed each other grass in a quite violent way
during disagreements- but its nice to know that other siblings
have a more loving relationship. Listen to this while youre
sitting on the beach, feel the sands in your toes, hear it while the
sun is setting. You get it- these five tracks are the soundtrack to
your lazy summer days. Even if youre a cynic, just put it on
if you want a cheesy musical hug.
Released 7th July, 2014
Zero 7- Simple science
Ah. I love Zero 7. Responsible for making some of Britains best
chill-out music ever, new single Simple science moves
towards more of an Ibiza sundowner feel, the same fresh air, carefree
music were used to but with more of an upbeat twinkle in the
eye. Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker are veterans of making us sigh with
synth sounds, creating a euphoria that takes a step away from the
yearning ambience one might expect. Perfect fucking day to lose
it all vocalist Danny Pratt repeats about a relationship he
just cant walk away from, in an utterly infectious piece that
will have you raising your arms in a T every time you
hear it. Im a rocker by heart but I always have one foot unashamedly
on the light- up dance floor. So this made me happy. The plus one
listened in disgust but what does he know?
Summers here. Mines a strawberry daiquiri.
Bliss.
Simple Science 12 is released on July 14th, 2014 and the
EP will be released otherwise on 18th August, 2014 by Make Records.
Just in time for your beachside revelries.
YIP DECEIVER- Medallius
Two dudes, two mics. Anything can happen. So say Davey
Pierce and Nicolas Dobby Dobbratz- formerly of Of Montreal-
of their new lovechild, YIP Deceiver, which sees them inventing a
new word in their album title, even if they arent necessarily
inventing a new genre of music. Apparently Medallius is about always
keeping an elegant attitude regardless of how trashy a situation is.
And Medallius has elegance in spades, a huge hunk of disco
electro-pop that makes no promises to be different but celebrates
the best of their contemporaries. With less of an indie sound than
the pairs earlier projects, if the album was a dance-off, it
would involve a heavily sweat-banded MGMT versus a dungaree-clad Jake
Spears firing a confetti cannon as a sneaky tactic. Oh, and a posturing
Madonna circa 1984 as referee.
Quite a cosmopolitan sound for two blokes from Georgia,
the tempo is usually as fast as the vocals are often high, the content
cheeky and the melodies family-friendly. Still, from the sexuality
of the sax-fuelled Go on to a less obvious request for
a lover in recent single Get strict, the Super Mario Bros
accompaniment in Obnoxia and the 90s pop/r&b
of Tops Part II, complete with Soul II Soul synths, Medallius
is cool without trying. It will lift your spirits and your arse-cheeks
by the amount of moving it will get you doing. Happy days.
www.yipdeceiver.com
WHINNIE WILLIAMS- Mix Tape Vol. 1
Whinnie Willams is the London-dwelling, self-professed lovechild of
Brigitte Bardot and Del Boy. In fact, this is an excellent description
of her blend of retro glamour and down-to-earth familiarity. Perhaps
also the result of Lily Allen getting drunk with Shampoo and Nancy
Sinatra, Williams quirky world is in a similar vein of pop goodness
but regurgitated for a new generation, mostly funny stories interspersed
with tongue-in-cheek samples that include a dog called Brian and a
quote from Breakfast at Tiffanys, used to perfectly
illustrate the more vulnerable themes of Mix-tape Vol. 1.
However, during opening track, Bad girl- in which she
claims shes going to f*ck around a bit over a screaming
soul snippet- its clear from the off that Williams is a strong
female presence, hellbent on doing what she wants, despite the subject
often being about rejection or failed relationships. Hold me
like you actually give a shit, she sighs the next minute, giving
the impression that, while Whinnie Willams is a funny, glorious,
lusty, friend you would want to have, you could count on her for an
honest opinion. And she makes the best mix-tapes. What more do you
want?
http://www.whinniewilliams.com
Anna C