The overall verdict on 2012's music offerings was "generally uninspiring". I did find some plums, and indeed my end-of-year list has some goodies, but as music years go, it was hardly a brilliant vintage.
So let us keep our fingers crossed for this New Year. It has started well - very well indeed! - with the resurgence of the amazing David Bowie. I hope 2013 brings some more new classics to enervate us - although, judging by the dire BBC "Sound of 2013" selection, my optimism may be premature...
Here's the first showcase of the year of some of the newer music that has tweaked my ear.
Let's start mellow, with Canadian indie dreamer (and, apparently, opera singer, though you'd never guess it) Rachel Zeffira and her new - and very palatable, with its late-night club vibe - single Here On In:
From the sublime to... Miss Vandana Jain, Brooklyn-based graphic designer turned experimental pop performer. With shades of Siouxsie, or maybe Cocteau Twins, here's Men With Sticks (from her new EP Vandamner):
With one of the most powerful voices I have heard for a while, Miss Bebe Black's new track Deathwish (from her new EP of the same name) is just ruddy marvellous!
With one half being from the ultimate Froggie synth-pop band Air and the other from New York cool kids New Young Pony Club, the duo Tomorrow's World (named after the 70s TV science programme, no less!) have good pedigree. If the slinky atmospherics of So Long My Love are anything to go by, I think we're going to like them:
Here's a catchy little number from the sassy lady calling herself Charli XCX - last featured here with the wonderful Nuclear Seasons in November 2011 - it's her new single You (Ha Ha Ha):
The video for the new single I Could Be The One by Avicii vs Nicky Romero is just brilliant, and sums up a set of feelings we know all too well, as we count down the seconds till (our first holiday for two years) Spain in February! The song's good, too...
And finally - when I said "start as we mean to go on" in the New Year with Fred Astaire, you knew of course, dear reader, I didn't necessarily mean it... Here, indeed, is another example of another way we could celebrate 2013 - with an interesting and tasteful exploration of the artistic side of gay popular movies (of course). It's fab, it's funny, it's raunchy, it's extremely NSFW - it's Killian Wells (featuring - ahem! - talented
Whew!
As ever, I hope you enjoy this little pot-pourri - let me know what you think!
Sadly I must say there are no tracks in there that really do it for me, although it is an interesting batch. However, the last two videos are excellent.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I had no idea that Brent Everett is from the UK, I always thought he was American...
Shame, but I can understand it is quite an eclectic mix, not necessarily to everyone's taste... Jx
DeletePS We're both wrong about Mr Everett - he was actually born in Saskatchewan, Canada. I've corrected the blog.
Thank goodness - we must have our porn facts correct at all times ;)
ReplyDeleteConoisseurs, both, obviously. Jx
Deletewell, I do rather like this Bebe Black :)
ReplyDeleteI think she has a fab voice, and I look forward to hearing a bit more of her stuff during 2013... Jx
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