“My Baby Left Me” is the debut single from the UK’s latest soul-pop sensation, Rox. The rising chanteuse graced BBC’s Sound of 2010 longlist. While “My Baby Left Me” is getting its proper release on Rough Trade later next month, a demo version of the track has been circulating the interwebs since 2008. Both versions were produced by Al Shux, the man behind Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ massive hit “Empire State of Mind”, or basically the man I’d want to produce my introductory single The new, single version streaming at Rox’ myspace page was produced by Al Shux, the man behind Jay-Z’s and Alicia Keys’ number one hit “Empire State of Mind”, the demo version was produced by Adam Midgely aka First Man.
You can listen to the new, updated “My Baby Left Me” at Rox’s Myspace page. The single will be out on March 15th via Rough Trade. You can listen to and download the demo version of the track below:
Guess now that “Little Secrets” is a bona fide alternative radio hit, it needs an update in music video wares. Seriously, this trend where 2009’s greatest songs are seeing the music video treatment in 2010 is about as stupid as it sounds, though it does make me feel some kind of nostalgic, but it’s way too early for that.
When Vampire Weekend write ballads they follow them up with barreling, kinetic punk jams. When Vampire Weekend close an album they close a fucking album and they close it with strings and looping keyboard and piano and Dave Longstreth-style guitar and falsetto Hegelian mediations on the dialectic. “Never choose between two.” The very nature of this band’s existence is choosing between two – yes and no, love and hate, brilliant pop music and overrated shit. Hegel would say that the synthesis of two choices serves to enhance a kind of collective knowledge. But what does that have to do with breaking up with someone?
In our review Adam Offitzer called “I Think Ur A Contra” the band’s “technically “best” track to date.” Maybe this is true. On Contra Vampire Weekend have just gotten better at what they were already doing well. “I Think Ur A Contra” is musically and lyrically mature, the kind of maturity that comes with age, with knowledge – not the kind of knowledge you learn in college (the kind of knowledge that defined VW’s first record), but with knowledge, wisdom, the kind of thing you learn from dealing with the real world every day, every minute, every second. Nothing is so easy as I am, and you’re not. Nothing is so easy as choosing between two. “I Think Ur a Contra” functions as a mission statement and a definition for a band that has been defined alternatively as the saviors of indie pop music and as bourgeois, exploitative cultural imperialists. But nothing is so easy as choosing between two, and Vampire Weekend are neither of these things. Vampire Weekend is a band making excellent music.
Mark my words: Pittsburgh’s 1,2,3 are going places. Big, important and awesome places, even. I’ve only listened to three tracks from these fellers, but I’m already getting that sick feeling in my stomach that I got when I first heard Free Energy, Chiddy Bang and Freelance Whales.
1,2,3 released their stellar debut 7″ single earlier this month on Ohh La La Records, which featured the sugary and infectious A-Side “Confetti” and the gritty, dirty, raw and (far) superior B-Side “Can’t Bride God”. With borrowed nostalgia and authenticity abound, a trend growing rampant in this climate, 1,2,3 sound completely original and interesting. We should all look forward to hearing more from these gentlemen in the coming weeks or months. Download “Confetti” below and stream “Can’t Bribe God”:
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London’s Ezequiel Claverie, or Ezequiel Ezequiel, as he calls himself, is a bedroom project of the highest caliber, based out of London. Very little is known about the man, withholding all information from his myspace page, save for a location and a download link to his free EP, Winter Rise.
Ezequiel Ezequiel’s music soars with tiniest of details, often comfortable and seductive in its technique. Haunting numbers like “Raise the Dead” and “Up From the Mountain” are effortlessly constructed and work like a gentle touch on a sad day. You can listen to and download these two songs below, and feel free to download the EP at his website, if you like what you hear.
Chiddy Bang has remixed the first single from Gorillaz’ forthcoming Plastic Beach LP, “Stylo” and puts Mos Def’s unfortunately weak contribution to shame. Xaphoon Jones also let the erratic original simmer down on his smooth, slow-burning backing track.
Boston’s Yes Giantess for exploded onto our radar with last summer’s sugary synth-pop hit, “Tuff N Stuff”, which then became one of our favorite songs of last year. Since then, the band has toured with Little Boots, La Roux and Marina and the Diamonds.
With their second Neon Gold release, “The Ruins,” Yes Giantess have their eyes set on becoming a household name. “The Ruins” — produced by Starsmith, the pop wizard behind Ellie Goulding — grounds itself on the dark side of the mostly sunny pop spectrum with a massive bassline and even bigger hook, achieving instant replay-ability.
The Morning Benders are giving away “Excuses,” the first track off their new album, Big Echo (which was co-produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear), for free on their website. Before you download this wonderful mp3-freebie, I suggest you watch The Morning Benders’ exquisite live rendition of “Excuses”, featuring what they call the “Big Echo Orchestra”, which includes other SF bigwigs like Christopher Owens of Girls, among others. This clip was gorgeously shot by the folks at Yours Truly.
New York’s Cymbals Eat Guitars will be releasing their new single, “Wind Phoenix” from their more than competent debut album, Why There Are Mountains (listen on Lala), on March 1st. The single will be backed with this expectation-crushing cover of Elliot Smith’s classic “Ballad of Big Nothing”. You can listen to and download the cover below, as well as check out the -side “Wind Phoenix”.
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