Photo: Press
Once again, in that pleasantly inevitable fashion, we find ourselves at the weekend and once again it's been a jam-packed seven days.
Off the back of his controversial trip to Havana, Jay-Z courted further controversy by posting a track suggesting Obama himself sanctioned the trip; excitement ahead of Tribes' second album continues to build with the arrival of new single 'Dancehall; and The National offered up a taste of what's to come on their sixth studio album by posting new music online.
There's been plenty to keep your ears busy, and Gigwise has collected the best of the best into a neat little list for you to make sure you don't go wanting when it comes to weekend listening.
Tribes 'Dancehall'
Ahead of the release of their second album, Wish To Scream, Tribes bring us 'Dancehall', a country-tinged track that's easily as anthemic as their first single 'How The Other Half Lives'. With a slight sense of sadness in the opening piano line, the song is a ballsy, hands-in-the-air rock number, at times swelling with strummed guitars and hammered pianos. We expect this one to go down well at festivals.
Huxley's Nightmare 'Crunchy'
LA producer Huxley's Nightmare is something of a mystery, there's not a whole bunch to be found about him/her/them anywhere. According to the genre tags on their soundcloud page the music ranges from Astro Disco, to Neo Retro Fusion (whatever that means) to Sultry Electronica, which is the label attached to 'Crunchy'. As madcap as the genre tags might seem, 'sultry electronica' is about perfect for 'Crunchy'. Hefty electronic washes colour the track, which throbs determindly along for four and a half minutes. It's incredibly soothing, and engulfs the listener almost instantly.
Miles Kane 'Don't Forget Who You Are'
This week saw the premiere of Miles Kane's new track 'Don't Forget Who You Are' on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show. Taken from his forthcoming album of the same name, the track is a foot-stomping classic from the off, packing a punch with a pounding drum beat with Kane's voice blasting through the chunky guitar chords and slightly surreal, chiming melody line.
Miguel x Kendrick Lamar 'How Many Drinks? (Remix)'
Miguel, one of the bright stars of the newly revitalised R&B scene, recruits the talents of Kendrick Lamar, one of the most exciting new rappers on the planet, for the remix of his track 'How Many Drinks?'. And it pays off, with both artists giving their best on the track, and Lamar's distinctive voice creating a brilliant counter balance to Miguel's silky smooth vocals. Both artists have previously expressed an interest in 'honest music' and being themselves on record, and that's exactly what you get here. It'd be great to see the two working together again on a more substaintial project.
The National 'Demons'
The National's sixth album, Trouble Will Find Me, is perhaps as eagerly anticipated as Daft Punk's fourth, with both arriving in May. At the start of the week they gave fans a taste of what to expect from the new record with 'Demons'. A darkly honest track, 'Demons' is both melancholy and inspirational in its frankness. Instrumentally the track plods, relying on a heavy pattern from the drums to hold the track together, but the labourious nature of the music is perfectly suited to the weighted vocal delivery.
Lissie 'Shameless'
Lissie's 2010 debut album, Catching A Tiger, established her as one of the most charismatic and enigmatic female rock musicians on the scene. She returns with new single 'Shameless', a scathing commentary on what modern celebrity means. Lissie's vocals are confrontational and brimming with confidence throughout, and while the track sticks to a fairly recognisable rock formula, it does so with style and flair.
The Knocks feat. St Lucia 'Modern Hearts'
B-Roc and JPatt, AKA The Knocks, team up with St. Lucia to bring us this high energy blast of electro-pop. Driven by stabbing synths and a thumping beat. St. Lucia's vocals slot together perfectly with the instrumentation, full of energy but delivered with cool class. The Knocks were fairly hot property last year, playing alongside Diplo, Justice and Boys Noize. 'Modern Hearts' is another reason why they should continue to be so.
NoNoNo 'Pumpin Blood'
It might not seem it, but we're supposedly getting close to when it's supposed to be something like summer, and NoNoNo's 'Pumping Blood' is a sure-fire summer anthem. The track buzzes with barely controlled enthusiasm, with Stina Wappling providing uplifting, sunny vocals. Very much rooted in an electro thud, the track's melody line gives it a playfulness. Now all we need is the weather.
Jay-Z 'Open Letter'
There's been much talk about Mr and Mrs Carter's wedding anniversary trip to Cuba. Firstly the question was whether they had the proper license to visit the island, which has been embargoed by the US for years, with the government unwilling to allow tourists to pay money into the country's communist government. The answer to that was yes, yes they did actually. Then Jay-Z made this track, rapping that Obama had given him personal permission to visit the country, which brought a second round of questions. Did Obama really give the rapper and his missus permission to go on holiday himself? The answer to that was 'no', don't be silly. As the White House press sectretary answered, 'It's a song', and it's difficult to find a rhyme for 'treasury', which is what actually issues licenses for travel.
Wise Blood 'Rat'
Christopher Laufman's EP, These Wings, got music publications the world over very excited back in 2011. Now he returns with news of his first LP, set to be titled ID. The first single, 'Rat', proves that all the hype surrounding Laufman - AKA Wise Blood - was justified, but turns away from the mesmerizing sampling of his previous work. A playfully narrative track that leans on a classic hip hop beat while the lyrics build a picture of anthemic pop joy. Nestling comfortably in a 90s West Coast vibe, 'Rat' isn't necessarily what Wise Blood fans will be expecting, but its a fantastic, summery track all the same.
Wolf Alice 'Bros'
The new Wolf Alice single, 'Bros', opens in a deceptively downbeat, mellow manner, with nothing more than a gently picked guitar. But those illusions are quickly shattered and a drum beat, tumbling over itself with eagerness, burst in and the track rumbles into full swing in a very real way. Making the most of the loud-quiet aesthetic pioneered by the likes of the Pixes, the guitars shimmer and the drums thunder in equal measures while Ellie Rowsell's sultry voice gives the track a nostalgic feel.
