HIYA // Marina

HIYA // Tom 'How To Dress' Krell

 You may have noticed around the traps that Marina and the Diamonds is back; having released two new tracks and videos one after the other without missing a beat in between. The first entitled 'Fear and Loathing' and the second, 'Radioactive'.

In the aftermath of the eventual non-event that was her debut album, The Family Jewels, Marina was quite open in expressing her disappointment following her first round in trying to break the charts. I'm mixing metaphors here when I say that despite going into the ring with what seemed to be all the necessary support and prep, Marina's Diamonds just weren't sharp enough to cut into the main. It was almost as if she was a welterweight boxer all gussied up and going into a WWF ring - with neither side landing any punches that meant anything. And there's nothing worse than a mismatched fight.

But not one to let that first, confused round keep her down, girl channelled all of that and put it into song, y'alls: Marina has come out into round two punching more or less in her division. She's got a mega team in her corner, most prominently super heavyweight Norwegian duo Stargate pulling productions dutes (having credits with Rihanna, Ne-yo, Beyoncé, Shakira, Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown amongst others). Check the first single (and Part 1) 'Fear and Loathing'; which apparently depicts Marina's latest persona, Electra Heart, embodying 'the lies, illusions and death of an American Dream':

Image wise, she's let go of the ambitious, glamourous, wanna be diva (as she quite literally spells out for us in the video above) that she was previously trying to squeeze into a laboriously over-thought and ill fitting Katy Perry-esque landscape (though she's kept the LA thin and the boobie-licious aspects). Now, we find her embracing the alt/pop melodrama that her voice was made for. In doing so, she's actually become less theatrical, somewhat less contrived, paradoxically more pop in her sound, and ironically, more genuine...Or so it seems to me, anyway.

And for this, I'm digging the new flavours of her new stuff; though not nearly as much as I love How To Dress Well's polishing of Marina and her Diamonds.

But first, have a listen to Marina's Part 2, entitled 'Radioactive'.

I love How To Dress Well. Even more with this re-work that taps a little bit of that Rihanna 'What's My Name' steez. It's brilliant. Listen:

HIYA // Peter and Johnny

Man Like Me are at it again. What we once assumed to be yet another bit of quirky pyrite in the ever flashing pan of London's music scene, Man Like Me have once more delivered an utterly infectious and distinctly MLM tune in 'Peculiar'. We've been waiting since this time last year for Camden Town codgers Johnny Langer and Peter Duffy to step out in their trademark Reebok classics with a follow up to 2010's excellent 'Lovestruck' (which was out almost exactly a year ago now).

We were also half expecting for them to, I dunno, get huge or something; but it seems they might just be too cool for that. It's the only explanation I can think of that could make sense with the fact that they haven't had more exposure. 'Peculiar' thrums with the spirit of carnival; full of brass, spunk, that idiosyncratic lilt and smile-inducing abandon that is pure Man Like Me.

Peculiar by Man Like Me

'Peculiar' will be out on October 3rd via Cartoon Records.

Look. I don't go out of my way to follow Lady Gaga. I'm not a fan, no matter how I may or may not respect her (which, yes, I do, in my own little way). I haven't heard any of her albums in their entirety, nor do I follow her fashions, or what her sister is rumoured to be doing with them, and I don't run for youtube when her videos drop. She is though, obviously difficult to avoid; being the pop culture phenomenon that she is (and all that said, I'm feeeeling the Versace vibe she is channelling lately. More because I can't help but love that Donatella and her ridonkness). So it's not at all difficult to know what she's up to, even if I don't actively go in search of news for her.

So when a band as brilliant as Wild Beasts cleverly saddle the Lady Gaga fame monster for their own agenda, I can't help but applaud as rapturously as I did when I saw them live just last month. Even more brilliant is that they came up with a beautiful remix to raise awareness of the ways that people can get involved and support independent labels that lost stock in the Pias UK warehouse fire in an unfortunate case of collateral damage during the UK 'riots'.

Frontman Hayden Thorpe told the Guardian that "The unlikeness of this match was perhaps what compelled us to take it on. Gaga in many ways is the epitome of what we are not. She is the butcher to our butter knife. The essential thrill is always to keep eluding what is expected of us and what we expect of ourselves."

If you wanna find out how to donate to PIAS and their associated labels, or even just to know a little more about the situation, go HERE.

Speaking of PIAS and their associated labels, other news, PIAS have just signed a deal with Wichita Recordings for the world excluding North America. According to PIAS:

"The first Wichita releases through [PIAS] will be the new albums by Mariachi El Bronx and Peggy Sue both scheduled for the 12th of September followed later in the year by albums from Wild Flag, Los Campesinos and Spectrals and an EP by Bloc Party’s Kele. 2012 will see new albums from First Aid Kit, The Cribs and Simian Mobile Disco."

When you get someone as hot as Solange Knowles to participate in your music you need to step up your game a little bit. And so Chromeo did by impregnating every woman who set eyes and ears on them playing their latest single, 'When the Night Falls'. But unfortunately we are not going to see more skin than we did in the steamy video of 'Hot Mess', because this Canadian duo don't make babies like normal people do (i.e. in failing to wrap it up before they smack it up due to being swept up in the heat of the moment).

Being the hot people that they are, they only need glance in your general direction for your belly to pop like corn in hot butter. Though once your womb is graced with their, uh, business, it seems the lucky ladies tend to get a bit psychotic. In an almost zombie-like fashion, they'll crave for more; but will they be taken care of in the end? The answer waits for you below*.

Still speaking of stepping up their game, the boys invited an all-star team to remix the single. Breakbot, Hercules and the Love Affair, Lifelike and Mayer Hawthorne all tried to retouch 'When The Night Falls' with their own brand of magic. Some did exactly the remix they were expected to do (Breakbot and Lifelike), some failed (I'm lookin' atchoo H&LA) and others were simply great (that leaves Mayer Hawthorne).  

*Sorry for the crappy quality video, but as MTV premiered it, we had to look to other sources to be able to view it (since we're currently outside USA). It's in the Youtube now!

HIYA // LOL

Perhaps justice does exist in music beyond Gaspard and Xavier after all! You may have noticed lately that Little Dragon are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve.

RECOGNISE, PEOPLE. RE-COG-NISE.

Anyway, it seems the band were asked to do a 'club classic' whilst playing in Ibiza (where else), and this is what they whipped out. I love this 'Gypsy Woman' cover! It is awesome. This treats Crystal Waters' track and that ubiquitous-because-it's-amazing synth chord progression with the respect it deserves; unlike some current top 40 artists who have shamelessly plundered the sample to ear bleeding effect. But this is just too cool. Anyway, just listen:

Little Dragon - Gypsy Woman (La Da Dee) (Crystal Waters Cover)

And yes yes yes, our interview with Yukimi will be up in the next couple of days, so watch this space!

HIYA // George's arm/tatt

Twin Shadow described his break-up mix for Oki-Ni (who, if you didn't know, do a fabulous mixtape series besides fabulous clothes) with, 'I was thinking about blaming everything on girls.' So, yeah this mix is 'melancholy and wounded...tied together by a feeling of bitter-sweet loss'. But at the same time, and perhaps much more apparent (in my ears at least), is the sound of the mild self-derision that can ring heartbroken self pity. It is, after all, named after the Greek God of mockery, Momus; because lurve makes fools of us all baby.

The transitions are a little random on this one, but it gets by. I mean, when you're in the midst of enjoying your own desolation and heartbreak, you can be a little erratic. Even if it's just over the despair of it being another Monday. Stream it below the tracklist:

Tracklist:
1. There’s No Other by The Crystals
2. Andy’s Chest by Lou Reed
3. Only The Lonely by Roy Orbison
4. Believe Me by Bad Finger
5. Blitzkrieg Bop by The Ramones
6. I’M Eighteen by Alice Cooper
7. Beggin (Pilooksi Edit) by Frankie Valli
8. Move On by David Bowie
9. Come A Little Bit Closer by Fleetwood Mac
10. Shades Of A Blue Orphanage by Thin Lizzy
11. Sometimes by Zombies
12. The Rat by Walkmen
13. With Or Without You by U2

To give further (cross-over) credence to what has slowly been gathering steam from being one of the most underrated tracks of the year to simply one of the tracks of the year, SBTRKT and Yukimi-Little-Dragon's 'Wildfire' gets even sexier when caressed by Drumma Boy and licked by Shabazz Palaces.

This remix is sensual and slinking and makes Yukimi sound more like she's surrendering rather than merely speculation or teasing; as she sounds in the (sexily) aloof, nonchalant original. But here, no longer is it about flirting, or even foreplay ladies and gentlemen; this is deep into sexy time territory.

And whilst I'm at it, since I didn't post the video when it dropped, here it is with it's creepy-possessed-Yukimi-stand-in (who admittedly works some mad hair flick action) sweating and exorcising in reverse. It's scary. Seriously, no one does long-black-haired possession like Asians do. Check it in case you haven't already >>

It's no secret we're total Hallyu (or Korean Wave, specifically, South Korean) fans. So when Elite Gymnastics dropped this long windedly titled mix for Forty Ounce Clothing earlier this week, I squealed like a highschool fan girl out of a K-drama meeting her favourite idol for the first time.

Dubbed 'All We Fucking Care About Is Kpop, Whitehouse and our Cats Mix', it doesn't include any of our most recent favourite idol groups, but there are some tracks that are as catchy as plague included. As well as a track that introduces itself with a sick drum detour (which in my head is played by some totally bitchin' Korean drum dancers) about midway through the mix, seguing into some serious auto-tune before it starts getting all ravey intense. It's a little fucked but I kinda love it. This mix will take you on a rollercoaster ride of K-pop idol's shiny emotional range: from uplifting joy, to pining heartbreak, to heartfelt confessions to cybertronic ardency.

Yes, it's as hot a mess as it sounds, and despite being my favourite kind of mess, it's honestly not something I think I could cope with for more than the 34 minutes and 6 seconds that Elite Gymnastics hallyu-ed up. And I love them all the more for it.

RYUICHI SAKAMATO - FATHER CHRISTMAS
가희 - 돌�••�와나쁜너
4MINUTE - 거울�••�거울�••�
�••��"�터 스쿨 - SHAMPOO
걸스데이 - 잘�••�줘봐�••�
CUT HANDS - ++++ (FOUR CROSSES)
CAPSULE - I WILL
CUT HANDS - RAIN WASHES OVER EVERY THING
ANCIENT METHODS - FOURTH METHOD 2
MELEKA - GO (CRAZY COUSINZ REMIX)
�••�이유 - 미리 �"리 크리스마스 (Featuring 천�'� Of MBLAQ)

Get 'All We Fucking Care About Is Kpop, Whitehouse and our Cats Mix' HERE (direct download link)