New Musick Monday

We're really hitting our stride now ladies and gentlemen. Another relatively big week of releases is upon us and last week's runners and riders performed OK-ish, which is all we can ask really. Four Tet was the big success at no. 35, whilst Charlotte Gainsbourg peaked at no. 62. No sign of Beach House, which is a bit of tragedy seeing as it's scientifically proven to be 1000 times better than Paolo Nutini's album and that's no. 1. The Lightspeed Champion single missed the Top 40 as well, so I think we can officially refer to that as a 'minor hit'.

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One Life Stand by Hot Chip



We've always been fans of Hot Chip's singles but their albums have always been dominated by one or two big tracks. They're the Missy Elliott of the dance world, in other words. Only they're not anymore. One Life Stand works because it's an album and not a collection of amazing singles interspersed with tracks that show off how clever the band are but ultimately sound a bit dull. Sure, the title track (and first single) is all kinds of amazing, but there are at least six other tracks that are just as good and the whole thing flows perfectly. We really like it, basically.

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The Courage of Others by Midlake



We went to see these guys last night and though they look like six Texan homeless guys they actually make some really lovely music. Not that homeless people don't, per se, have the ability to make beautiful music, but you know what we mean. The Courage of Others has clearly been made after a long time listening to English folk, which follows on from years listening to '70s rock for their last album, The Trials of Van Occupanther. We're hoping, and indeed praying, that they get into Beyoncé and Lady Gaga for their next album. Just imagine...awful, isn't it?

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'Hollywood' by Marina & The Diamonds



We like this song, don't get us wrong (poet, didn't know it) but there's still something we're not sure about when it comes to Marina & The Diamonds. She can sing, no doubt, she has a way with a melody, not in question, but perhaps the overly dramatic styling of the songs makes them less palatable? We don't know. Maybe it's enough that this is a good tune, with a fun video and a chorus that refuses to leave your brain despite almost surgical attempts to extract it. We've just 'found' the album, so expect an *exclusive* run down of that very soon.

New Musick Monday

There are some weeks where we have almost too much to report, be it singles or albums flying into the upper reaches of the chart, or established acts slowly losing their entire audience off the back of some 'experimental' whim. Our acts from last week, however, all performed as expected, with These New Puritans and Beach House both missing the top 40 and Eels nestling in snugly just outside the top 20 (which was a minor surprise all things considered). This week is a bit of a bumper edition, with no less than three (THREE!?) albums gracing the nation's favourite feature. Eyes down, look in...

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IRM by Charlotte Gainsbourg



We've been thinking a bit about context and its relation to how you consume music by someone who has, on the surface at least, not brought a whole lot to the table. This album was written, produced and performed by Beck, whilst Gainsbourg's last album, 5:55, was written, produced and performed by Air (with Jarvis Cocker and Neil Hannon). Now, if we were talking about a pop star such as Kylie it would all be "she's a puppet", "these songs are only good because so and so did them", "it's not true art". Then we read in an interview that Gainsbourg felt threatened by the legacy of her late father that she was too scared to write her own music and you know what, we fell for it and we love her even more now. IRM may have Beck's finger prints all over it (no bad thing of course), but it works because some of the songs could only be performed by Gainsbourg and that's when this whole writer/performer thing becomes moot.

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Teen Dream by Beach House



There Is Love In You by Four Tet



Let's start with Teen Dream, which has been permanently lodged in our ears since we were lucky enough to hear it a few months ago (when you're important like we are, you too can hear music before everyone else (we stole it)). Though not a huge departure from their last album - Victoria Legrand's vocals still sigh beautifully, the whole thing floats around like wisps of smoke - this time they've remembered to bring the tunes, with each of its ten tracks carrying a deliciously woozy melody. There are moments when everything comes together so perfectly (the bit where 'Silver Soul' melts into 'Norway', for example) that you feel like you want to break down and cry for weeks.

There Is Love In You is the first album under the Four Tet moniker since 2005's Everything Ecstatic. In that time, Kieran Hebden, for it is he, has produced albums with avant-garde drummer Steve Reid as well as an EP with Burial. You'd think this would make There Is Love In You a big mess of impenetrable 'mind' music, where as it's actually his most accessibly record to date. With tracks road tested at his club residency in Dalston it has moments of euphoria reminiscent of early-90s dance ('Love Cry', 'Plastic People'), whilst still displaying his fondness for subtle, intricate moments of beauty ('Angel Echoes', 'This Unfolds').

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'Marlene' by Lightspeed Champion



The string-drenched 'Marlene' is the first single from Lightspeed Champion's second album, Life Is Sweet! Nice To Meet You. As with most things Mr Champion does, we were unsure at first. Seriously, his last album was a major disappointment to us for the first five months and then we couldn't stop listening to it and by that point no-one else cared because they'd all moved on. However, 'Marlene' reveals itself to be properly amazing, complete with skipping strings, a chugging riff and a brilliantly gonzo guitar solo that seems to erupt from nowhere. Altogether now, "stop being cool". It also has a very funny video, which can be seen here.