Brand Nu

Its the weekend so lets talk dance. Already mentioned Axwell and Armand Van Helden as possibilities to toxify the pop purity of the charts this summer and I think (said as if this is some sort of stunning insight or something) that Mr Le Grande is going to be sticking his oar in. SO far Fedde has in my mind successfully negotiated what I call the Armand Sinclar tightrope.. Van Helden has stayed credible and true whilst making the odd hit, Bob has basically set up a cheese factory, Fedde is so far doing the former. His new track Let Me Think About It is another cracker that will get played by Tong as much as Pearce, at least until it charts when Mr Roll Another Phat One will probably be on his own!

Quite similar to Fedde and no doubt inspired by the thought of raising one’s hands up for Detroit is this Freaks track. The Creeps has had the compulsory vocal added to ensure chart success, it will work but in true old man style I must protest it was much better before!

On the more credible vibes I find myself sharing a feeling with you I never thought I’d be sharing, I like a Bloc Party record. It is admittedly the totally transformed Fury666 remix of Hunting for Witches. Great bass on it. Enjoying the new material so far coming from Rosin Murphy, she was the singer in Moloko and there is clearly a new album on the way, things are leaking out slowly so she’s clearly playing hard to get prob lining stuff up for Ibiza… maybe the Radio One weekend?

Tunes heard on the radio last night that got my feet tapping include yet another Sinden track, heard this on Zane Lowe but he actually has his own show on Kiss which is worth checking as this guy is almost single handedly building his own new genre of house.. its funky, dirty, grimey what shall we call it? Toxic House anyone? This particular track is a collab with Trevor Loveys called Organ Grinder. Liked the new Tokyo Police Club record that Zane also played called Your English. Got to big up their record label Memphis Industries at this point, home to TPC, the lovely Pipettes, I think the Rapture (?) and definitely also the Go! Team, not a bad little rosta.

BUT Jon Kennedy I bow down to the most exciting new track I heard last night on your legendary Xposure show on Xfm, an oasis of new music on the increasingly commercial X. Check out a band called Chrome Hoof and their latest single ‘Tonyte’ , its awesome.

Oh and the new South Central track Tonight is pretty hot too.

Cant remember if I have mentioned it here I’ve certainly played it on the show a lot but lets join online hands and rejoice cause it looks like that Frankie Valli record is actually going to chart and everything. This Parisian dude DJ Piloski (no doubt somehow related to Daft Punk as anyone in Paris who’s even touched a House record seems to be) has done a re-edit and the result is the perfect summer track, if only we had the sun Beggin could be a tune you’d never forget as its a guaranteed stimulus of euphoric and erotic feeling… if you need a tune to help you seal a deal this is the one my friend ; 0 )

Been hearing and feeling quite a lot of soulful stuff. Couple of record compamy plugger peeps have picked up on my love of Elektrons and sent me some good stuff although it was the 1Xtra legend that is DJ Fitz that made me aware of Kirk Franklin’s cover of September… lovin that! The new Jasper Street Company track Joy is another reason to tune into at least the last half hour of Fitz’s Sunday show, a top example of Gospel House. The lyrics often make me feel uneasy but I just love the happy vibes : 0 )

From soulful sounds to indie pop I like this new Milburn track. Their South Yorkshire links don’t just mean they’re probably rather wet at the moment but also they no doubt have Arctic Monkeys links just like every Parisian has those Daft Punk links. Imaginary nepotism to one side I really What Will You Do and I expect to hear it quite a bit over the summer.

As we will that Axwell track. Like Frankie Valli played it on the show but not sure if mentioned in text. I think the house debate for the summer is which will chart higher… Axwell’s I Found You or Armand Van Helden’s I want Your Soul? Place your bets please…

I’ve really missed Ras Kwame since he was shunted till three in the morning or when ever it is, yeh there is listen again but it just ain’t the same. But when I heard Ras was having one of my favourite contemporary soul artists Nate James in session it was time for me and Ras to become friends again! He’s got such an awesome voice if I was gay I think I’d be on the verge of wetness but more importantly the man has top music taste and is big on supporting the UK.. peeps just like Nate. New album on the way and tracks to keep those ears peeled for include Back To You and High Time.

Other things on Ras’s show that caught my attention were Jaguar Skills on production for Lupe Fiasco who along with with Rhyme Fest is prob my fav rapper, that is called We On. On the dancier vibe really liked the urban pop angle of Sticky – Belly (dirty Pop remix) and if you’re feeling grimey Aftershock – Warning Remix is worth checking too.. last half hour of the show.

Man there are some dodgy ‘new’ cover versions knocking around at the mo! As if Shirley Bassy doing Pink wasn’t guaranteed to screw your head I’ve just heard Sir Tom Jones’s attempt at The Artic Monkeys. If you’re feeling in a particulary perverse musical mood you might wanna check these out.

I shan’t be however as I have some serious humble pumpkin pie eating to do. I hadn’t been at all impressed by any of the new Smashing Pumpkins material heard so far and yet just before 8pm on Wednesday I couldn’t leave my car as Zane introduce you and me to the stormer that is United States – all nine minutes! I swear I felt 16 again (apart from the car driving bit of course, I don’t want you thinking I was joy-rider or anything). In fact it rounded off a pretty hot half hour or so that included that wicked Where’s my Money track (basically a drum n bass track with a dj chasing a promoter to get paid over it), the new Rakes which I really like and also another track that made me feel like a 90s teenager again.. Fatboy on the remix of a new Run DMC track continuing the hiphop tradition of releasing your best stuff when you’re dead.

By the way Hugh Stevens had a great show in the early hours of Thur morning. Not only did he inform me of the surname of that Eugene bloke I’d been going on about (its McGuiness by the way, dya think Hugh had been listening to Xfm?) but he had a live session from Breaking The Illusion which was fantastic… great beats, funny lyrics and top energy definitely worth checking again on the ole listen again.

As is Giles Peterson if you loved Roman Flugel’s Gehts Nocht as much as I did.. Giles plays his new track about30/ 40 mins into this weeks show.

Not much clubbing going on this evening being a Monday in the holidays and all but heard some good tunes on the wireless that made me smile. Mr Zipper Lowe has clearly finally been checking out Mr Peterson cause he’s started dropping tracks off the new Elektrons album (forthcoming August I believe). You might remember I was going on about their ‘Joy’ track over the weekend and last month I couldn’t get enough of ‘Get Up’ on my show, well Zane played it last night as it actually stopped raining for three minutes, the sun came out and the world seemed a happier and definitely funkier place for a moment or two. Other big tracks Zane played worth keeping those Brand Nu music loving ears peeled for are:

New Kanye featuring Daft Punk – ‘Stronger’
New Go! Team – ‘Grip like a Vice’
and new Dan Le Sac. Zane is playing ‘Beat that my heart skipped’ which I do like but isn’t as good as some of their other stuff I’ve heard, need to see these boys live!

Not so sure I must say about either the new Hard Fi or Smashing Pumpkins, maybe they’ll grow on me.

John Kennedy had a new kid on the block (to me anyway) in the studio called Eugene someone who had some nice tunes in a kinda Jack Penate way but with a bit of satire to his lyrics. The track to watch out for is ‘Monsters under the bed’. Speaking of tracks to watch out for if you still pine after the mid-90s and britpop and its height you’ll love the Coxon/ Weller collaboration, not out till late July rumours are certain download sites have it available already.

Summer Term 2007 has come to an end which means my radio show is on sabbatical for three months so I thought I’d start writing inanely about all the great tunes I’ve been hearing now instead of just talking inanely about them.

John Kennedy on XFM has had a proper random tune of the week the last few days. It sounds like a German Ompa band from the 1930s who’ve had too much bubblegum, it is truly random and I love it. Its called.. well I’m not sure and I really need to find out!

Westwood played an interesting track on his In New Music We Trust Show which sampled the classic ‘Stand By Me’ and I gotta say it doesn’t really work for me but I have a horrible feeling if it doesn’t grow on me it certainly will on thirteen year olds UK wide. Sean some one??

f you haven’t seen Calvin Harris yet live you need to do so. He’s a good live performer, not more not less but he just has some great tunes, believe me this guy is here to stay. People keep calling him the new Mylo well I think he could be much bigger. ‘Vegas’ and ‘Money Maker’ could both go top 5 and House Headz everywhere who might find all these too poppy are going to love ‘Industry’, it went off when he played that.. always a killer sign when the crowd react like that to a track they haven’t heard before. I reckon we are talking at least four top 10s for Calvin by the end of 07, royalties of which Mr Mylo could only dream!

Speaking of live peeps especially funky ones if you do one thing (and I realise this suggestion is kinda blasphemous) you need to check out Mark Ronson and his band live. yeh its covers and so in theory old but Mr Ronson’s interpretations are trully unique and original and therefore qualify for a Brand Nu big-up, there is also the bonus that his gigs appear to put everyone in such a funky happy mood its easy to pull ; 0 )