Thursday, January 04, 2007
Music to excite in 2007
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I'm guessing everyone had a corker of a New Year, yes?! Good! Mine was a combination of special, great, interesting, frightening and hilarious all rolled into one, and I'm sure I'll fill you in on how schizophrenic it was at some point in the next week. But - as promised - I've returned on the 4th and in a move that's probably surprised me more than anyone else, it's a bit of a large return. 2007 is set to be a big on the big side of things musically speaking. So much so, I felt it was my duty to share with you all what's making my Ovaltine boil over with anticipation. Some of them you may have heard of, some of them you may not have. Hopefully, the one's you haven't heard of are set to become your new favourites for the year...
 go:audio [UK]
James, Josh & Zack make up the brilliance that is go:audio, a nice little pop outfit Popjustice and the delightful Pop Poster Girl have been banging on about for quite some time now, and with very good reason too. "Made Up Stories" is the first proper great single of 2007, sounding like a mesh of everything spectacular found on the first Killers album, throwing it together with The All-American Rejects' "Paper Heart", but MUCH better, which is quite hard to imagine I know, but you'll soon see for yourself I am indeed right. There are guitars, there are bursts of melody, there are lyrics of a lover scorned. Pop Dynamite indeed. A second number called "Woodchuck" has found its way online as well and - thankfully - is also an absolute ripper, proving that they're not just going to be another flash-in-the-pan with one great song. Thank heavens for that. Their album is due to "drop" Springtime in the UK - so Autumn for us Australians, and you can listen to "Made Up Stories" by visiting their MySpace.
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 VAN SHE [AUSTRALIA]
It seems that Sydney pop-rockers Van She have been recording their first album for no less than 38 years, but apparently it's all definitely happening in Oh-Seven. They've been incredibly busy playing gigs around the UK and US with a lot of fanfare, so hopefully once that's all done with they'll remember to release some new stuff. Their self titled EP from 2005 is a delicious slice of synth pop, and last years single "Kelly" will forever remain as one of Australia's finest pop moments of all time. The new material is fucking magnificent, and if you're really keen on hearing some of it before the album release, they're playing right across Australia for the Good Vibrations Festival throughout February. Listen to their ace single "Kelly", "Sex City" and "Mission" over on their MySpace.
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 DUKES OF WINDSOR [AUSTRALIA]
Melbourne Electro-Indie five piece Dukes Of Windsor have a very, very good self titled album out. In a horrific turn of events, these guys aren't even signed to a label. iriver Australia seem to be backing them an awful lot though, (the iRiver logo manages to appear on everything the Dukes do) and too-cool-for-school Alternative Indie radio station Triple J seem to think they're the bees knees as well so, really, it shouldn't be too long before the lovely folk down at Modular realise their label would truly be complete with these guys on board. "The Others" rocketed in at Number 22 on my end of year chart for 2006's songs of the year and - when you listen to it - you'll understand why. Listen to "The Others" (and three of their other ditties) over at their - surprise surprise - MySpace.
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 THE COPS [AUSTRALIA]
More Sydney folk, The Cops comprise of four men and a lady who, coincidently, sound a tiny bit like The Police (do you see what they've done there?). They list Stuart Price, Prince, Bobby Womack & Beck as just some of their influences, a clear indication that they're obviously a bunch of absolute legends. Last years "Call Me Anytime" (which found its way at Number 30 on my end of year chart for '06) is a little bit Blondie, a little bit The Police, and a whole lot of fun. The rest of their EP, titled "80 In The Shade", is just as exciting to listen to as "Call Me Anytime" as well, which is very exciting to know indeed. Listen to virtually their entire EP on their very brown MySpace.
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 MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS [AUSTRALIA]
More Melbourne madness, the Midnight Juggernauts supported the ace Annie during her tour of Australia in the middle of last year. Personally selected by the first lady of cutesy electro-pop, their EP "Secrets Of The Universe" is a prime example as to why there are now people all the way in the UK and Europe singing their praise. "Shadows" is a proper electro-pop stomper in every sense of the word/s, and "Tombstone" is so electric, so powerful, that if it doesn't send the hairs on your neck into a standstill frenzy then you quite obviously are without a soul. All their stuff sounds A-FUCKING-MAH-ZHING in a club too, which includes their ace and ever-growing remixography as well. You can listen to their originals over at their artist MySpace page, but you can ALSO check out some of their brilliant remixes, which can be found on a separate MySpace page.
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 PATRICK WOLF [UK]
The new Patrick Wolf album, "The Magic Position", is the first brilliant pop album of 2007. Title track "The Magic Position" is a superb standout, "Overture" is stunning, "Augustine" is heartbreaking yet so beautiful all the same, but the true beauty lies within Wolf's duet with Rock & Roll icon and all-round living legend Marianne Faithfull, titled "Magpie", which reduced me to a blubbering mess the first time I heard it. Looking back at Patty's previous two Long Players, it's without a doubt that "The Magic Position" is gearing up to be my favourite. The albums getting a release in February, an alarmingly long way away seeing as the whole thing's already leaked online. Props need to go out to Scott, 2 Be Certain for introducing me to Patrick Wolf in 2005, for had it not been for his recommendation I probably never would have bothered listening to any of Patrick's stuff till at least late last year. Listen to first single Accident & Emergency over on the MySpace.
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 SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR [UK]
I wont go on too much about Soph, because that's what everyone else seems to be doing - but it's all with good reason. Upcoming single "Catch You" is Rachel Stevens' "Waiting Game" - the greatest B-Side from the 2000's - times a million. The second great pop single of 2007, without any shade of doubt. Watch Sophie experience sound problems, wearing a hideous-yet-she-can-get-away-with-it Gold "number", all whilst singing the new single live for some UK New Years Eve TV special over on YouTube. Nope, it's not on her MySpace yet!
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 NEW LOOK IM-ALWAYS-RIGHT.COM [AUSTRALIA]
Er... exactly what it says on the tin. At some point this year (hopefully sooner rather than later), I'll be launching a new look for the site. The current one is shitting me to absolute tears.
So there you go.
Here's to the New Year, eh? May it be 2007 times better than the last one was.
4 Comments:
- 9:16 AM | Poster Girl said...
Great, great list--already love the Van She songs (especially "Kelly") I've heard (and go:audio, of course!), and the new bands I didn't know--Dukes of Windsor, the Cops, and Midnight Juggernauts--are great! Thanks! Oh, and the new Sophie Ellis-Bextor song is great, and I liked "Magic Position," the only new Patrick Wolf (besides "Accident and Emergency") song I've heard.
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- 7:36 AM | said...
and where is Darren Hayes on this list???????
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- 10:24 PM | Kirkland said...
Out of all the people on your list, I think Van She are the ones I'm really looking forward to hearing. The new Patrick Wolf album is fab too.
Adem, have you heard of Klaxons yet?
P x
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- 11:36 AM | im-always-right.com said...
Poster Girl: Not only are Van She producing great material, they're also really nice to look at!
Aaryn: haha, Darren Hayes needs to send me some of his new stuff for me to go "wow one eleven" over it ;) Once I've heard something I'll no doubt go ga-ga over it, the man is a genius.
Kirkland: I really think you'll love Dukes Of Windsor and The Cops as well - right up your alley, especially the Dukes who's "The Others" is just an insane few minutes of electro-rock fun. I've heard of the Klaxons but not heard any of their stuff, should I investigate?
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