A Musical Mau5 & A Diamond in the Rough

NMU Update:

• Coldplay have decided to release a full album worth of new tracks this week, which is available free from their website www.coldplay.com.
• In the bid for a better chart position, 'Jump In The Pool' by Friendly Fires (NMU 31/8/08) has been re-released.
  
• Surprisingly, Steve Appleton's 'Dirty Funk' (NMU 7/5/09) did not enter the top 40 singles chart. A re-release of the song or a second single in the future is sure to give the singer the success he deserves.
• Soul legend Chaka Khan is still going strong as she is set to release a new single with the help of Mary J. Blige. See the behind the scenes footage for the video to 'Disrespectful' here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb1_6suMrRA
  

Chart Update:
The Black Eyed Peas have made a welcome return to the singles chart by hitting the top spot this week with club track 'Boom Boom Pow'. In the top 10, 'We Made You' by Eminem goes up from 7 to 4, whilst Ciara ft. Justin Timberlake 'Love Sex Magic' goes down from 6 to 10. The highest riser is the new Soulja Boy Tellem ft. Sammie song 'Kiss Me Thru The Phone', which rises fourteen places from 30 to 16. The other two new entries slipping into the top 40 this week is album track 'Beautiful' by Eminem at 38 and a return is made from Bill Withers at 40 with soul classic 'Ain't No Sunshine'.
Album chart top 10 highlights include punk rockers Green Day shooting into the number 1 spot with '21st Century Breakdown' while new releases come from Maximo Park 'Quicken The Heart' at 6 and Jim Reeves' 'The Vert Best Of' at 9. Alesha Dixon has had a good week with single 'Lets Get Excited' going 25-13 and album 'The Alesha Show' 27-12.

This week I bring you...

Song Of The Week


I Remember- Deadmau5
www.myspace.com/deadmau5
Dance/Trance

Granted this song has been around for a while, but it is a good song and Deadmau5 clearly deserves the hype. You will be hearing a lot more from this Canadian DJ as his popularity grows and not just because of his cool name. With a leet five for the s that ends his name, this can also be found in his record label 'Mau5trap'. He wears a light up mouse head on stage, naturally, and has an array of impressive dance tracks meaning a Deadmau5 gig is a definite treat. He really knows how to work a crowd and none more so than with his new single along side Kaskade, 'I Remember'. This song is more of a chilled out approach for Deadmau5 featuring soothing vocals over synths and a pulsing bassline. The opening chymes take you off to a dreamy world before the soft singing sends you into a trance coma. Listening to this song will conjure up imaginations of a lively, alcohol fused crowd filling a festival in the summer air. A scene not unfamiliar for the DJ and happening all over the world at his shows this summer including his set at Creamfields. 'I Remember' is the start of Deadmau5's attack on the mainstream and bigger singles are bound to follow. 'I Remember' is out to buy and download now. See the exciting short film video below:



Deadmau5 recently performed a crowd pleasing slot at Radio 1's Big Weekend: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend/2009/artists/deadmau5/


New Artist
Marina & The Diamonds
www.myspace.com/marinaandthediamonds
Pop/Alternative

Another new '& The' artist but this singer should be anything but overlooked. Flatteringly, Miss Marina tells us it is the fans who are The Diamonds. There is a lot of theatrical type women out there in the charts at the moment but it's Marina's creative songwriting and nack for a piano hook that makes her stand out from the other Nash's and Florence's. Influences of Kate Bush run arife in her punchy lyrics and fluctuating vocals that range from deep trembles to harmonic highs. Just like her myspace friend Little Boots, Marina is making a similar strong build up before any album release. Backing from the BBC should mean Marina & The Diamonds is a sure fire succes with performances at Radio 1's big weekend and a live lounge session on Radio 2, whilst Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephen's is raving about his fellow Welshman. Festivals featuring an appearance from Marina this summer include Glastonbury, Underage fesitval and Bestival where she's sure to cause a stir. Marina & The Diamond's second EP 'The Crown Jewels' is released on 1st June through Neon Gold Records. The artistic video for previous captivating first single 'Obsessions' can be seen below:



Marina writes her own blog that can be found at: http://marinaandthediamonds.blogspot.com/

Recent iTunes Uploads:
Bloc Party- Signs (Armand Van Helden Remix)
Enter Shikari- Take To The Skies
Marina & The Diamonds- Obsessions

Energetic Guitar Strumming & A Spunky Hip Hopper

EXCLUSIVE!
All 13 tracks of Ne-Yo's new synth ridden album 'Year Of The Gentlemen', which is released this week, are available for listening on his defjam page www.defjam.co.uk/neyo.

Jazmine Sullivan's (NMU 19/8/08) 'Need U Bad' is this weeks iTunes single of the week on the US store.

Chart Update
Katy Perry finally takes a bow out of the singles chart number 1 after a 5 week stay as Kings Of Leon give an allmighty shove with 'Sex On Fire' (NMU 19/8/08), making it their first time at the top. Cliff Richard who jokingly said he'd 'leave the planet' if he didn't beat them, only manages number 3 with 'Thankyou For A Lifetime'.
There is a shock number 1 album entry from metal legends Metallica with 'Death Magnetic' when the release date was brought forward to last wednesday reaching sales of 75,164. The highest sales achievement by a number 1 in 11 weeks. Glasvegas settle for second spot with their self-titled debut.

This week I bring you...

Song Of The Week
Bloc Party- Talons
www.myspace.com/blocparty
Indie/Alternative/Rock

Bloc Party are back with a bang. Original fans will once more be satisfied, as they make a pleasing return to the skillful guitar work first heard on 'Silent Alarm'. Aiming to always make the sounds in their songs unique, Talons is no exception. The twinkering xylophone melody enchantingly eases through the verses and the guitars motor in the chorus along with a striking drum beat throughout. Fading rhyths build high anticipation to a chorus sung out loud by an emotional Kele Okereke. This song follows the dark trend of previous single 'Mercury' suggesting a similar approach for the album 'Intimacy' to be realeased 27th Ocotober. Talons is released for downloading and purchasing in the shops the week before, 20th October.

New Artist
Kid Sister
www.myspace.com/kidsister
Dance/Hip Hop/Rap

Energetic is the ideal word to describe the music from this female Chicago rapper. . Debut single 'Pro Nails', a song about painting your fingernails, doesn't win the award for best song subject of the year but who cares when addictive bopping beats hook your interest. Kanyé West lays his thing down on the track so you can trust that this isn't a solo artist to ignore. She also takes on her fellow rapper's illuminous colourful image, painted all over her myspace. . If it's Kid Sister's dancier sound you're looking for, it's 'Control' that draws you in with a faced paced chorus and fast flowing raps through the verses. With her punchy lyrics, an obvious influence you can hear is Salt-N-Pepa and a similar accent to Lil Mama. You may remember Kid Sister from her feature on semi-big single 'Beeper' by The Count and Sinden earlier this year. 'Pro Nails' was getting some early airplay on UK radio quite a while ago now and an initial release on 30th June, but things died down straight after. Hopefully a second return with an album in the near future will strike it hot like it should.

Recent uploads to my iTunes:
Pete Greenwood- Sirens (iTunes single of the week)
M.I.A- Paper Planes
Friendly Fires- In The Hospital (iTunes single of the week 9/9/08)

Dancing to the End of Summer & An Indie Band Worth Noting

Chart Update
The Script move a position closer towards the top of the singles chart to number 2 but Katy Perry is still going strong, whilst Biffy Clyro are the only new entry to the top 10 with 'Mountains'. J. Magik & Wickaman's single 'Crazy World' (NMU 30/7/08) goes into the chart at number 37 on their first week of downloads. Meanwhile in the album chart, The Script clock up a second week at number 1. Damon Albarn and Liam Howlett's theatrical project, Monkey- 'Journey To The West' enters the chart at an impressive number 5.

This week I bring you...

Song Of The Week:
Axwell & Bob Sinclair feat. Ron Carroll- What A Wonderful World
www.myspace.com/axwell
Dance/House

The 'tink tink' of wood blocks and a progressive synth melody opens the song to get your body moving, leading to the anticipation of the song's climax. As Carroll's vocals kick in the song has truely begun as he sings 'What a wonderful, wonderful' with the climax hit when the first verse is belted out. Followed shortly by more big beats to get a busy dancefloor going. There has been a lack of songs with a positive message in recent time, but 'What A Wonderful World' is here to turn that around. Granted the lyrics are a little cheesy, but you can't deny these top DJ's are at the top of their game. The message brings to light the power a love of music has in bringing people together. Axwell and Sinclair have already generated a healthy fan following on their own accord from great previous singles. Now joining together to form a super DJ collaboration, they have created a club stomper. This is guarenteed to be a summer hit played at party's all over the world.

New Artist:
Friendly Fires
www.myspace.com/friendlyfires
Indie/Pop/Disco House

Currently on the 1- Upfront List of Radio1 with their debut single 'Jump In The Pool' (see below). The sound of a carnival can be heard from the pulsating drums and crowd whisltes in this uptempo track. Friendly Fires seem to fill the indie/dance space in music that The Klaxons had left when they went away from the scene. Fans of Hot Chip and Calvin Harris will also find this St. Albans 3-piece pleasing to the ears. An influence of 90's dance can be heard in the synth noises they use, particularly in 'On Board' that has a synth sequence in it not too dissimilar from The Source feat. Candi Station- 'You've Got The Love'. Soon it will feel wrong to disregard a song of this band from a indie rave playlist. Friendly Fires release both their debut single 'Jump In The Pool' and self titled debut album on 1st September 2008.

Recent uploads to my iTunes:
U2- Elevation (Tomb Raider mix)
Last Night On Earth [Live]
Don't Take Your Guns To Town [Live]
The Cool Kids- What Up Man (iTunes single of the week)