Friday catch up: Videos with lights in them

There are rumours circulating that Swedish pop supremo Robyn's record label wanted her age to be kept out of interviews or at least played down, simply because she's over...wait for it...30 years of age! Given this nugget of information, it must have been hard for Robyn to film this video for the mind-meltingly good 'Dancing On My Own', seeing as much of it takes place in a club with loads of young people getting off with each other and being all young and gross.

Whatever her age, the woman knows how to wring every drop of emotion out of a song, doesn't she? Those violent gestures, that anguished face, the smoke machines! Watch it here:


Robyn 'Dancing On My Own' (Official Video) from Robyn on Vimeo.

Everyone's current favourite British female songstress Florence & The Machine, is set to release her twentieth single. 'Cosmic Love' was always the song on the album that screamed "THIRD SINGLE", and despite the delay, it's still a genuinely beautiful love song. The video continues the visual theme of most of the videos from Lungs, i.e. Florence leaps about with gleeful abandon, flinging her hair around like a banshee and generally being spooky and ethereal. All of this is a good thing in a video by the way.

Carpet Byrne

David Byrne is basically the coolest man on the planet. His work with Talking Heads and Brian Eno alone mean he has honorary entry into the Musick Hall of Fame (due to open sometime in 2012, dates pending), alongside such luminaries as Michael Jackson, Prince and Fine Young Cannibals.



He's teamed up with, er, Fatboy Slim (minus points for that perhaps?) to create some kind of elaborate music project based around former Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos. Nephew say what!? The set comes in a fancy box with two CDs, lots of lovely pictures and a DVD, and features guest spots from Santigold, Tori Amos, Cyndi Lauper and myriad other people with voices.

The track below features the not inconsiderable voice of one Florence Welch, who may have left her Machine at home for this one. It's called 'Here Lies Love' and it's a six-minute long, lushly-orchestrated vignette that takes a while to get to the chorus, but when it does it's quite something.



This is the Santigold track:



Intriguing.

Musick's Top 20 albums: 4

Florence & The Machine – Lungs



Of all the acts hyped to the hilt come January 2009, Florence and her Machine seemed the least likely to finish the year with one of the biggest selling debuts. If early single Kiss With A Fist was all playful petulance, the newer songs on Lungs show that playful spirit had been channelled into gorgeously OTT epics that mixed strings, choirs, pounding drums, fluttering harps and, if you listen carefully, a kitchen sink solo. It is pop turned up to eleven, with everything pushed to the front to create a wall of sound so strong it often threatens to overwhelm the songs. It’s this tension that makes ‘Cosmic Love’ or ‘Howl’ so powerful, as if they’re about to implode at any minute. Riding the crest of the sonic wave is Florence herself, the owner of a voice so swollen with emotion it’s almost painful to listen to her dissect and rebuild relationships in each song. Credit must also go to producers Paul Epworth and James Ford who somehow manage to keep the various strands together, making sure the songs themselves remain the key ingredient. Lungs is momentous not just because it lives up to the hype, but because it has the feel of a timeless record, one that can’t be simply dismissed as ‘the sound of 2009’. It’s more than that.

Key track: ‘Drumming’

New Musick Monday

As the yuletide approaches, it's getting harder and harder to find any music to recommend, unless the new Westlife album floats your boat, in which case the virtual door is that way. So, this may well be the final New Musick Monday of 2009 *stunned silence*. So, let's, for one last time, do a little recap on last week, shall we? Brigadier Ambrose performed well given the fact the album is self-released and wasn't available in shops (that happens in the new year), whilst Rihanna's album somewhat under-performed by entering outside the top 10 (although the single made it to number 6, so what does that tell us? No, really, what does that tell us?). Lady GaGa was more successful, entering at number 7 and celebrating at least six songs in the top 75. Well done the GaGa.

BUY THIS AGAIN OR FOR THE FIRST TIME

Lungs (Deluxe box set edition) by Florence & The Machine



Around this time, record labels decide it's best to make money by releasing albums by talent show contestants, old boybands or re-packaging an existing album to guilt trip genuine fans into buying the album again. This re-release of the brilliant Lungs (look out for it in Musick's rundown of the top 20 albums of 2009, coming, er, ahem, well, kind of soon-ish), adds three extra discs that encompass a live album, remixes, covers, demos and a DVD with all the videos and a live show. PLUS, you get expanded artwork and an essay by David Vann, who, as we all know, is a very talented author. Better than putting it in a slipcase and adding a couple of b-sides don't you think?

LAUGH AT ALL OF THIS

Untitled by R Kelly



First of all, please click here to be mortified. That's 'Pregnant', one of the many delicate ballads R Kelly has recorded for his new sex opus. This, let's not forget, is the man currently battling charges for having sex with a minor. Here are some of the choice lyrics that Kelly uses to make the pre-teens swoon (ALLEGEDLY!!):
"Girl you make me wanna get you pregnant...Knock you up, pregnant, Knock you up"
"Shes more than a mistress enough to handle my business / Now put that girl in my kitchen"
"Now I ain’t got nothing to do tonight, I gotta wait for my crew / I just wanna put some in you"
A-MA-ZING.

'Forest Green Oh Forest Green' by Holly Miranda



OK, so this came out a few weeks ago but it's so great we thought it best to try and get it a few more downloads. Produced by Dave Sitek and featuring members of TV On The Radio, this is the first single taken from Miranda's forthcoming album, The Magician's Private Library. It features some gorgeous vocals, some bells and indeed some brass. Here she is doing a gorgeous version of 'Ex-Factor' by Lauryn Hill:

All out of love?

This is the new video for Florence & The Machine's new single 'You Got The Love'. It's not a new song of course, but rather it's what people call a cover version. It's a bit of tough one really because on the one hand it's going to be all over Radio 1 and will boost album sales, but on the other it's not really the right choice for a single in terms of 'pleasing your existing fans'. That would have been 'Cosmic Love' or 'Hurricane Drunk'.

It also raises some very serious issues (please put on your serious issues face...done? Good, let's continue...) about 'female singers being a bit like strippers'. There's a comment under the video from Mazumune that reads thusly:

Florence I love your music and everything about you but I really am worried where they are making you go.. lots of stripping and sexy dancing, i want to see more folksy storylines in your vids like dog days and rabbit heart, drumming was good in the cathedral but should of had more of a storyline.

and i say this as a genuine fan thats followed you since you were singing covers

Some very serious issues indeed. But what do you think? Too much cheek and leg on show? Or, are we thinking that perhaps she wanted to dress like that in the video that's clearly paying homage to certain era of Studio 54 and disco, etc?



VERY SERIOUS ISSUES.

The Maccapeas

We're well aware that this song was first aired way back in July (it's October already!?), but we only heard it recently and can't stop listening to it. Now, we all know that Jo Whiley is an unforgivable arse, but her 'Live Lounge' thing has produced some interesting cover versions. From little Will Young re-imaging 'Hey Ya' as a jazzy epic to Florence & The Machine tearing strips off of Beyoncé's 'Halo', there were moments when the artist really "made the songs their own". For The Maccabees that song was 'Boom Boom Pow' by the Black Eyed Peas...



Imagine if the Editors had tried this...awful, huh? The Maccabees don't take it seriously, they have a bit of a giggle, but at the same time the beat and the guitar sounds are amazing and Orlando Weeks gives it his best, "Will.i.am drop the beat now". The beat cover version since Robson & Jerome's 'Unchained Melody' and we really mean that.

New Musick Monday

So, last week we predicted big things for Jay-Z (hardly putting our necks on the line - it entered at no. 4), Jazmine Sullivan (more of a risk seeing as the album was probably brought by anyone with an interest about a year ago - it was nowhere) and Florence & The Machine. The latter has had some pretty extensive coverage thanks to the Mercury nomination, but the single failed to dent to the top 40. Luckily, the album re-entered the top 10 and another track, 'You've Got The Love, also started to climb the top 75. Imagine if that were to become the next single? IMAGINE.

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Tongue N' Cheek by Dizzee Rascal



Tongue N' Cheek!? Tongue 'N Cheek!? Oh dearest Dizzee man, this really won't do. If you're using N' then what you're actually trying to say is Tongue AND Cheek, which just sounds like some grizzly meat order at some posh restaurant. Grammar issues aside, this is essentially Dizzee's coming out album...not like that, but in terms of him embracing pop and deciding that he's going to stop going on about knives and 'beefs' and concentrate more on going on holiday and dancing. It's not just about the three (three!) number 1 singles though, with the ridiculous 'Road Rage' taking in grime, drum n bass, techno and probably some jazz.

DOWNLOAD THE BEST BITS OF THIS

Celebration by Madonna



'Hung Up', 'Music', 'Vogue', '4 Minutes', 'Holiday', 'Like A Virgin', 'Into The Groove', 'Like A Prayer', 'Ray Of Light', 'Open Your Heart', 'Borderline', 'Secret', 'Justify My Love', 'La Isla Bonita', 'Papa Don't Preach', 'Lucky Star', 'Crazy For You', 'Who's That Girl', 'Frozen', 'Live To Tell', 'Beautiful Stranger', 'Don't Tell Me', 'Cherish'. Just a few hits to choose from.

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'FeelingPulledApartByHorses' / 'The Hollow Earth' by Thom Yorke



Oh, we're not going into all of this again. Just scroll down a bit for more info. Cheers.

New Musick Monday

As someone kindly commented last week, The Big Pink single seems to have been pushed back a week so is actually out today. Think of our premature recommendation as merely a form of preparation, a way of doubling the fun when you see what we've recommended this week. Elsewhere, the Taken By Trees album sold about ten copies, which is fine, and the Jamie T album entered at number 2, one place behind 92-year old singing sensation, Dame Vera Lynn. Her Timbaland-produced effort is something to behold. Expect a feature on her very soon.

BUY THIS

The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z



OK, so he may not be able to scale the heights of his previous works - especially given the fact he's the head of a massive corporation, sleeping with Beyoncé and friends with Obama - but The Blueprint 3 contains enough flashes of brilliance to keep the man at the top of the game. Featuring some stellar production from the American Dream-robbing Kanye West, Swizz Beats and Timbaland (as well as some perfunctory work from The Neptunes) and a guest list that includes Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Kid Cudi and Luke Steele, this is an album programmed to succeed. For the most part it does exactly that.

DOWNLOAD THIS AS AN iTUNES EXCLUSIVE

Fearless by Jazmine Sullivan



The more eagle-eyed amongst you will realise that we mentioned this album about eight months ago, but it's so good that we decided to mention it again. As if to aid us in this reckless decision, Columbia records have decided to re-release the album via iTunes with an extra track thus allowing it to appear here. Thanks for that. Fearless isn't like most recent R&B albums for two reasons. 1). It isn't just two killer singles and a load of filler and 2). It isn't needlessly worthy or preachy (yes we mean you Alicia). It helps that Sullivan has an incredibly soulful voice, one that frays and cracks at all the right moments, like Lauryn Hill before she went nuts and shaved her head and moved to a Kibbutz.

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'Drumming Song' by Florence & The Machine



On our album, this is just called 'Drumming'. Why add the word 'song'? Are we to think that Florence's label needed to make sure we were aware that it is indeed a song and that without it we were all stumped. "What is this thing? 'Drumming'? It makes no sense. Ah, 'Drumming Song', I see". Anyway, our is not to question why, and sure everyone's probably bored of people prattling on about Florence and her machine, but you know what, the album's amazing, this song's amazing and in the video she dances like a gothic Beyoncé. Plus, this remix is very good too.

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

We've been moving offices so apologies for the lack of new material. We have been inundated with emails asking where the 'excellent' New Musick Monday feature is and it pains us to say we might have to give it a miss this week.

*shock*

Fingers crossed we'll all be up and running again soon and things can get back to normal.

Here's the new Florence & The Machine video to tide you over.

Pink Pound

When you wake up in the morning, do you:

a). Sit bolt up right, stretch, yawn and thank God you've woken to a brand new morning
b). Crawl out of bed slowly, scratch your arse and try desperately to be late for work
c). You don't go to sleep because sleeping is for wimps and people who don't go to art school. Instead, you push the supermodel away from your crotch, snort a line off her midriff and sign a record deal.



We're guessing The Big Pink are more of a c). kind of band, but we could be wrong. Having spent the best part of 2009 working on their forthcoming debut album, the band are set to release a new single, entitled 'Dominos'. Co-produced by Paul Epworth, it's a chugging, beat-driven slice of sleaze with a chorus the size of Columbia. Amusingly, one of the comments on youtube was just one word long - "SKINS". A bit harsh perhaps, but funny nonetheless.



The b-side, 'She's No Sense', features the not inconsiderable voice of Florence Welch from Florence & The Machine. Nice.

Florence of Arabia

The other night Musick was witness to an EXCLUSIVE (open to anyone) gig for the launch of Florence & The Machine's new album, Lungs. The EXCLUSIVE (open to anyone) gig was held at the Rivoli Ballroom, which looked a little something like this:



It was like a whore's boudoir, only cleaner and less pungent.

Florence and her machine were in good form and I think the following photo goes some way to capturing the magic she was able to produce onstage:



Amazing.

There was also a bit near the end where she arched her back and nearly went into a crab position, which is better then La Roux and Little Boots combined and is probably why she got a Brit award and they didn't. We very nearly captured that moment in this photo here:



Wow. And you thought we were only good for tossing out a few words hither and dither. As you can see, we're pretty amazing photographers too.

New Musick Monday

There's very little need to rake over the trauma of the results of this week's chart positions. As has been widely reported both here and elsewhere, Michael Jackson's 'Man In The Mirror' was beaten to the number 1 spot by a track called 'Evacuate The Dancefloor' by Cascada. Investigations are currently underway and the chart police hope to have some answers soon. For the time being, all we ask is for your patience during these traumatic times. Elsewhere, La Roux's debut album shifted around 60,000 copies to enter at number 2, cementing her place at the top of the 'fingers-crossed-at-least-one-of-these-new-for-2009-acts-sells-some-records' league.

BUY THIS

Lungs by Florence & The Machine



We're going to be honest right here and say we had huge reservations about Florence & The Machine. 'Kiss With A Fist' felt a bit too studied and mannered, whilst the image and the interviews created a kind of caricature of 'kooky'. Luckily, we're usually very wrong about most things, and Lungs is a fantastic debut that gets better with repeated listens. From the lush, harp-drenched 'Rabbit Heart' to the vein-popping emotion of 'Girl With One Eye' to the pure pop of 'Hurricane Drunk', it's an album that will surprise, enthrall and annoy in equal measure. Plus, she's brilliant live.

BOGLE ALL THE WAY TO THE SHOP AND STEAL A COPY

Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do by Major Lazer



For those not familiar with the concept behind Major Lazer, allow us to enlighten. Major Lazer is a one-armed Jamaican commando who battles the forces of darkness in a zombie war, whilst also running a night club. Said night club specialises in fusing dancehall with electro, or reggae with surf guitars, R&B with house, etc, etc. It's an intoxicating listen. In reality, the album is the work of producers Diplo and Switch, who have previously worked with acts like M.I.A, Santigold, Spank Rock and Tricky. Unlike the recently released N.A.S.A album (another producer-lead enterprise complete with starry line-up), Major Lazer have created an album that doesn't take itself too seriously. It also features some beats Missy would giver her left arm for (soz Missy. Call me yeah, we need to talk about that money you owe me).

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'Shark In The Water' by V.V. Brown



Sometimes a simple, summery pop song is all it takes. 'Shark In The Water' is V.V. Brown's third single, and is the kind of three minutes that make you think, "wow, this would sound brilliant on the radio". Unfortunately, most radio stations seem to disagree, which given the bilge they do play is frankly astonishing. Brown has recently ranted at this mystery via Twitter, which at 140 characters only, somewhat inhibits her disbelief. Then again, "what the fuck" is only thirteen characters long and seems to sum it up.

New Musick Monday

This is something of a bumper edition this week, with four products on display for your delectation. But first, let's have a look at how last week's single, Gossip's 'Heavy Cross', performed yesterday...er, no.40. And people say they're a one hit wonder act with no hope of a repeat. The biggest shock was seeing Little Boots' debut album, Hands, drop from no.5 to no.40 in its second week. Fickle, you people are very fickle.

BUY THIS

Music For Men by Gossip



Yeah, so 'Heavy Cross' may have only sold 48 copies or something but this Rick Rubin-produced album is packed with punk-funk-disco-diva singles in waiting. Beth Ditto we all know about - big voice, big waist, big face - but it's her two faceless bandmates (although drummer Hannah's face appears on the cover) that come into their own, offering up elastic grooves and some fiery guitar lines. So what if they only have one hit single, that's one more then you'll ever have.

SECRETLY BORROW THIS FROM A FRIEND

Everything Is New by Jack Peñate



We're not going to go through it all again, but basically Peñate used to be a bit rubbish and then he hooked up with a good producer (Paul Epworth) and decided to reinvent his sound using some of today's more successful genres; bit of tropicalia here, a dash of Afrobeat there, a smattering of house and just a dose of Peruvian jazz-folk fusion. All in all, a tasty concoction. Opener 'Pull My Heart Away' is possibly the best opening track of any album listed on this page today.

YOU MUST MAKE A CHOICE

As we all know, 2009 is the year of the woman or some such nonsense. Little Boots, Lady Gaga, Paloma Faith, Pixie Lott, etc, etc, all have a vagina and a voice each and are all signed to record companies and are releasing music for us to buy. Add to that list La Roux and Florence & The Machine, two people with vaginas, voices AND red hair, making them bitter rivals in the world of music. Some are calling their chart battle the musical equivalent of Israel versus Palestine, but we see it more as Venus versus Serena; two equally talented women, both capable of great things serving up a couple of aces...or something.

'Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)' by Florence & The Machine



Twinkly harps, pounding drums and a voice you could wrap yourself in for weeks, this is a BIG sounding song. Written after a falling out with her record company - they asked her to make something more immediate - it's a song to be sung from the rooftops, possibly whilst drunk.

'Bulletproof' by La Roux



From the layered, lush sounds of Florence to the brittle, tinny sounds of La Roux. 'Bulletproof' is the single that was meant to make up for the failure of 'In For The Kill', but seeing as that peaked at no.2 the chances of this turning La Roux into a genuine pop are 'fair' to 'fucking obviously going to happen'.