Some Things For The Weekend

Palladium - Midnight Service
Actual funk music it may be, but we’ll be drink mercury if there’s a more hook-laden, smile-inducing example of the genre. Palladium are a band who’ve got everyone (ie. twelve people in London) talking about them: are they the truly amazing new band they bill themselves as, or a pitiable bunch of failed session musicians who’ve clubbed together for one last crack at the big time? Whatever the answer, tunes like this will endear them to many.

Girls Aloud - Sexy! No No No…
Still amazing despite the by-numbers single sleeve.

MIA - Kala (LP)
We’ve been waiting for this album to ‘drop’ since the ‘Bird Flu’ promo appeared on YouTube in February. Now that it’s here there is only Christmas left to look forward to, and that is going to seem pretty shit by comparison. Unbelievably good, if you discount ‘Mango Pickle Down River’.

Dragonette - Take It Like A Man
This is available to buy in the shops RIGHT NOW and if you don’t go out and get a copy you are an enemy to music. It really is that simple. This is the highlight of Dragonette’s soon-to-be-released (probably) ‘Galore’ album - purchase of which should also be compulsory - and has a chorus that’s better than Prozac; like inhaling a cocktail of poppers and helium.

The Ting Tings - That’s Not My Name
There is a very peculiar sound at the beginning of this song. It sounds like someone swinging something round but could also be someone skipping. Whatever it is, it prefaces surely one of the year’s most joyous and danceable indiepop moments. Funnily enough, haven’t The Ting Tings got a fucking excellent name?

Dead Disco - The Treatment (Metronomy remix)
While the original is a neat bit of jangly guitar pop that rattles along nicely; this remix offers a wonderfully odd and slightly sinister-sounding view of things, evoking the sort of dark ‘n’ sweaty girl-based clubbing nightmares that we all wish weren’t ACTUALLY REAL.

All other singers can go home early today

If you’re a fan of the following:

a) Dragonette
b) Calvin Harris

and

c) mildly-piss-taking-but-affectionate cover versions

read on. If you’re not a fan, read on anyway. Go on, read on.

Why? Because a) has done a c) of b)’s hit ‘The Girls’, that’s why.

They’ve renamed it ‘The Boys’ for gender-based reasons, and turned it into a party monster with a bassline bouncier than a ball of elastic bands for dancing-based reasons. They’ve also added loads of amazing hooks and ‘vocal refrains’ to it, for reasons known only to themselves.

This cover proves beyond doubt that every song in the known universe can be improved immeasurably just by having Martina Sorbara do the vocal.

Hear this for yourself by downloading it from here.

Spinning Around

M.I.A. - Boyz
Material from M.I.A.’s new album (rumoured title: ’Kala’) continues to leak and this, a bonkers sort of space-age Bollywood waltz played backwards, is exactly the kind of thing that makes us think the follow up to ‘Arular’ will be something very special indeed.

Andermay - Entre Tu Y Yo
Shimmery pop from Spain; more information about which can be found in an article about European pop music we are (probably not) going to write next week.

Dragonette - Galore (LP)
This is brilliant. Review next week.

Hadouken! - Liquid Lives (single version)
We’re desperately trying to figure out whether getting rid of the weird beat is the biggest mistake in the history of recorded music, or a career-based necessity. Hmm. At least the chorus appears a lot sooner, and the ’DRINK! - SMOKE! - FUCK! - FIGHT!’ bit is ace.

Tom Fletcher’s Ten Number Ones
Apart from the shit ones.

Rihanna - Umbrella
Unusually for a song with MASSIVE FUCKING NUMBER ONE written all over it, this track actually made it to the top of the charts. Deservedly so too, as this giant-sounding paean to love and friendship is basically one of 2007’s best songs. We’re even willing to admit we were wrong about the Jay-Z bit. Wow, etc.

Goodness, we like this

TRACK OF THE WEEK
Dragonette - Competition

Dragonette have recently released the very stylish ‘I Get Around’ to much acclaim (YAY!) and chart indifference (BOO!) but instead of being vaguely relevant, we’re going to write about one of their older songs, ‘Competition’.

‘Competition’ is brilliant. The version we’ve been listening to is apparently a new mix. Now, we haven’t heard the old mix of ’Competition’, but judging by this one it probably “lacked oomph” or something. This one is heavy.

It starts off in slinky tease mode, determined to seduce the listener into its proposed mucky liaison. ‘It’s risky business / keeping it hush hush’ purrs frontwoman Martina. Risky indeed, but by the time of the first bridge you’ll be willing to take more risks than a suicidal cyclist.


After a few more bars of this tempestuous foreplay, and a powerchord-heavy chorus or two, the whole song just EXPLODES into a totally unexpected rock wig-out, with hard riffs and heavy drums competing for airspace as Martina roundly mocks her rival; which is a bit cruel of her, but what is life if not cruel, etc. etc.

It is a perfect example of how guitars can be integrated into pop songs without it all turning to shit, and just goes to complete what is something of a ‘tour-de-force’ (?!) for Dragonette.


Finally, special mention must go to these lyrics:

She’s got no idea where you’ve been
No idea what you’ve been doing
In the bedroom, in positions
that you never knew existed

Amazing.

Spinning Around

Amerie - Gotta Work
Horns! Drums! Lyrics about making a bit of an effort! If Beyonce had been similarly keen after ‘Crazy In Love’, we might have had this instead of all the dreadful songs she released instead. Brilliant.

Alanis Morissette - 8 Easy Steps
The fuss over her BEP cover made us revisit one of her previous finest moments. This is amazing proto-Avril pop rock, and features the immortal line ‘I’ve been practising my ass off’.

The Tigerpicks - Crazy Juices
This song sounds a bit like Fischerspooner might if they were forty years younger. It’s a high-NRG hands-in-the-air BANGER and ever so slightly bonkers. There is a ‘piece’ about the band further down the page. Scroll to it if you wish, or if you are lazy click here.

Dragonette - Take It Like A Man
Still.

Vicky Nolan - Look Out Your Window
Gorgeous coffee-table strum which is nowhere near as boring as that description makes it sound.

Timbaland - Shock Value
We’re still listening to Tim’s latest epic (but not all in one go). Amazing songs on this album include: Release, The Way I Are, Time, One And Only, Apologize, Come Around. If he’d used those songs as the backbone to the album and put in some of the less-amazing-but-still-good ones, like Give It To Me, around them, it would have been SILLY GOOD.

Spinning Around

Robyn - Robyn
Finally! Review soon.

Darke Horse - Text Me Back
Ace new old metal (metal!!) from Sheffield. Includes a diss-tastic McFly reference. We’ll be writing about this band at some point, they’re very good.

DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
- Boom! Shake The Room
Will Smith don’t gotta cuss in his raps to sell records, and nor does he to get on our playlist. Actually features some priceless lines, this: “I see the one I wanna sic come here cutie/I flip 'em around and then I work that booty” - that’s what Justin really means when he talks about rocking your body.

Dragonette - Take It Like A Man
At the age of 15, hip young gunslinger wrote a letter to the NME about wanting to hug the chorus of ‘Hard To Explain’ by The Strokes. This makes us want to do the same. The hugging, not the writing letters to NME.

Manic Street Preachers - Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
Marginally better than that ‘Underdogs’ tripe, mainly due to the involvement of Nina from the Cardigans and her lovely voice.

*NSYNC - Pop
The second blast from our slightly-less-distant past. This is BRILLIANT, and will one day be seen as a very important pop song.

Ghosts - Stay The Night
The fashion police will lock us up and throw away the key, but this Feeling-meets-Guillemots stomp never fails to incite toe tapping with its bouncy melodiousness. What better way to usher in spring than with lightweight guitar pop?