Dragonette - Still The Most Underrated Act In Pop

Can someone please remind me why Dragonette isn't one of biggest bands on the planet? Martina and the boys have never released a bad single (that I'm aware of) but remain - with the exception of "Hello" - hitless and largely underground. The thing is, I'm guilty of ignoring them too. I downloaded Body Parts when it was released late last year but never got around to listening to it. To be honest, I completely forgot it existed until I stumbled across their latest video on a blog and fell in love with the trio all over again.

"Run Run Run" is an early frontrunner for the best song of 2013. It's the kind of instantly memorable pop triumph that beguiles with its apparent simplicity and deceptively perky lyrics. That might be an odd description but underneath the sparkling chorus lies a bittersweet core that lifts Dragonette's latest synth-adventure to a higher plane. "Run Run Run" positively seeps with sepia-tinged memories and nostalgia, which makes it both beautiful and sad. You basically need it on your iPod. Now.

Having seen the light, I made listening to Body Parts a priority and, as expected, it's breathtakingly good. With any luck "Run Run Run" or another single will save it and bring the band the attention they deserve. In the meantime, revel in the brilliance of their new single and check out the video (below). It's a fairly simple affair. Martina basically gets drunk, smokes cigarettes and walks around the streets with blood on her dress. Just another Sunday afternoon for one of pop's most underrated divas.

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A*M*E* & The Best Debut Single Of 2012

A couple of months ago Idolator asked me to pull together a list of women on the cusp of pop stardom and the inclusion of A*M*E (pronounced Amy) felt like a no-brainer. The 17-year-old Sierra Leone-born, South London-based diva already has an army of die-hard fans thanks to killer buzz singles like "Find A Boy" and "City Lights" but even I wasn't expecting her official debut to be this good. In fact, it's no exaggeration to call "Play The Game Boy" one of 2012's best singles. After dabbling in '90s beats and Minaj-lite hip-hop, A*M*E turns to the '80s and leaves the rest of the game in her wake.

It's hard to describe what sets this tune apart from other '80s-inspired electro-offerings. I could write about the fabulous Pointer Sisters vibe or A*M*E's ridiculously cute rap but that wouldn't do the song justice. "Play The Game Boy" captures lightning in a jar. The teenager brings a fresh perspective to the genre - much like Robyn did on her seminal 2005 album. It shouldn't work but it does and I'm grateful. The same goes for the colourful video which plays like a cross between Mimi's "Up Out My Face" and the latest from your K-Pop fave. Watch in awe (below) as A*M*E lays the foundation for a gigantic 2013.

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Lights Gets It Right

Lights is one of those critically acclaimed electro-pop divas that I really want to like but can't quite get into. The Canadian's first album was more my tumbler of vodka but her latest effort "Siberia" left me cold. Pun intended. It's just an achingly hip mess - albeit with a couple of really good songs thrown into the mix. One of those gems is "Banner" and, happily, it has just been released as the album's third single in Australia.

Even more exciting is confirmation that the synth-siren is headed our way for a tour in June. Valerie (her real name) will open for The Jezabels on their national tour and, by all accounts, she is amazing live. I can't wait to see her in action and I know "Banner" will be a highlight. This is the kind of gloriously anthemic electro-goodness that makes you want to kick Robyn to the curb and move on. It's subtle and brooding enough for the cool crowd, while that huge pop chorus appeals to everyone else.

Even the video (below) is a minor triumph. Playing like a emo-version of Mad Max, Lights finds some trouble on the highway. Which she solves by waving a rag in the air. It's better than it sounds. Trust me!

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Labrinth - Tunes, Tinie Tempah & A Glass Of Remy

One of the biggest musical revelations of 2012 has been UK electro/hip-hop pioneer Labrinth. "Earthquake" made a slow but steady rise into the national top 10 with its bone-crunching beats and irresistible chorus and his debut album "Electronic Earth" is an absolute knock-out punch. There are soulful tunes (his duet with Emeli Sandé is gorgeous), sprawling electronic anthems and cameos from urban superstars like Tinie Tempah and Busta Rhymes. The 23-year-old's star is definitely on the rise and I was excited to have a brief phone chat with him while he knocked back a few drinks in what sounded like a rather busy nightclub! Here's what he had to say:

I should probably start by congratulating you on the success of “Earthquake” in Australia. It’s just jumped into the top 10. How does it feel to be so popular on the other side of the world?
Yeah man, I’m really happy about that.

Did you expect the song to work so well internationally?
Not at all. You know, we just make records and hope for the best. It’s lovely to see people responding and enjoying what we enjoyed in four corners – you know what I mean?

“Earthquake” has such a fresh sound. It’s a collision of so many electronic sub-genres. How did you come up it?
You know what - I just lead with what I love, man. It’s like if you go into someone’s bedroom and see all the posters on their wall. You see what makes them who they are and for me that’s what those sounds are – the posters up on my wall. It’s an example of what I go through and what I see. Hopefully people enjoy that and it seems like it’s been the case so far. I’m good, man. I’m happy.

Your next single “Last Time” is also tearing up the charts in the UK...
Yeah, man! Mid-weeks number three. I’m honestly fucking... I’m like, what’s going on? God’s got a plan for me.

This is going to be your third top 3 single in a row. How do you explain the success? You’ve really tapped into something.
You know what? I’ve been in the industry for a bit now and I think if I tried to explain it, I’d be an idiot. All I’m doing is doing me and trying to be me as much as possible and it’s really good right now that people are really receptive and hopefully that keeps going.

You’ve worked a lot with Tinie Tempah. How did you guys join forces?
Do you know what? I hate that guy, man! I really do, man. He’s such an arsehole. It took him so long to get on that record... nah I’m being silly! I met Tinie a while ago and we made “Pass Out” in 2007. The relationship has grown and we really work well together so I thought it was only right that we got on another record together and made it happen.

Who brought you together?
He heard a record I produced and really enjoyed it, so he came to me and asked to work with me. My publisher set us up and the first song we made was “Pass Out”.

Who...
One second, bro. Where’s the ice? Oh there’s an ice machine. Sorry, my friend.

No worries. Are you having a drink?
Yeah, I just had to find myself a nice little Remy and juice.

That sounds good!
It is that time of night, so why not? Time for a little bit of juice.


Go for it! On your album “Electronic Earth” you also work with some other cool people. I particularly love Emeli Sandé. What was it like to work with her?
It was a pleasure, man. She’s one of the best singers in the UK for me. I didn’t want to get a famous singer – a boring, famous singer – that’s doing great in the charts. I just wanted someone that’s amazing. And it’s really cool to see that we chose someone who was gonna do great things and now she is doing great things. I’m happy but personally for me it was just about talent and now seeing her talent take her to places that people wouldn’t dream of going. I’m so happy for her.

You also got Busta Rhymes on the bonus track. How did that happen?
He just called us up and asked if he could work on the record. I was fucking lost when he said that. I used to listen to his shit when I was young and my brothers used to be bangin’ out his records when I was younger, so that was insane for me. It was a pleasure to work with him.

What’s going to be your next international single?
I don’t know what’s going to happen with the record. I don’t think all the UK singles are gonna be released internationally. We’ll see what happens. “Earthquake” has been doing well, so hopefully people will get a taste and then buy the album.

What were your influences on “Electronic Earth”? I read somewhere that your influences were “Adele meets Justice”. Can you explain that a bit?
For me, I wanted to be electronic but I wanted to have a little bit of soul in there and I hope that’s come across on the album. For me it was about being electronic and organic all at the same time. I just wanted to be musically free and for me electronic and organic is expressed in all types of music. It’s the only way I could be 360 in the whole matter and that’s what I wanted to be.

So who are you listening to at the moment?
I was listening to some Jimmy [Hendrix] the other day. He was a fucking G, man. I love him. Also Sam Cooke and some Danger Mouse. All different types man. I listen to everything. There’s a jazz band called Weather Report that I really love and Yellow Jacket, I listen to them as well.

And when are you coming to Australia?
Very soon! I’ve just been talking to my management. Tour agents are setting it up. So hopefully I’ll be there soon and we can all have an earthquake together [laughs].

That would be awesome. Thanks for the chat.
It would a pleasure to talk to you, bro. Take care.

Labrinth's awesome new album "Electronic Earth" is in stores now. Check out his current smash hit "Earthquake" below.

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Can't Get Better Than This

The Australian music scene is on fire at the moment. Acts like Gossling, 360, Snakadaktal, Gotye and Emma Louise are making eclectic, genre-bending pop that demands international attention. Another name to add to that list is Parachute Youth. Comprised of two DJs called Matt And Jonny, the duo is making huge waves at home with their debut single "Can't Get Better Than This". This is the best dose of Australian electro I've heard in a long time. Fans of bands like Cut Copy, Bag Raiders and Empire Of The Sun will find a lot to love about the record but it's not derivative. I pick up on splashes of '80s synth titans Depeche Mode and New Order. There's a dark dreaminess - for want of a better description - that sets "Can't Get Better Than This" apart. I love the moody chorus and crystal clear production. Then there's the beautiful video, which was shot on-location in Burkina Faso. How do a pair of newcomers end up with a finished product this flawlessly executed while major names churn out clips that look like they were filmed on someone's iPhone for $5? It really boggles the mind. Check it out below and download the song from iTunes now. I highly recommend also buying the awesome Sam La More remix.

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Zowie's Smashing New Single

I can't believe this is the first time I've featured Zowie on the blog. "Broken Machine" was one of my favourite songs from last year and I'm always ranting about her on Twitter. The Kiwi diva is making huge waves in the music world with her unique blend of retro-synth pop and electro. Think Ladyhawke meets Luciana to get some idea of her sound. Or, better yet, just check out "Smash It" - the fourth (by my count) buzz single from her forthcoming debut album. The perky party anthem took a couple of listens to click with me but now I'm completely obsessed. I love the infectious chorus and Jimmy Harry's deceptively layered production. The hype surrounding this chick is definitely justified. And while "Smash It" is probably not the radio smash Zowie needs for mainstream success, it cements her status as one of pop's hottest emerging talents. For more proof, check out the video (below). Those Lady Gaga shoulder spikes belong in the nearest bin but the rest of this stylish extravaganza is bang on the money. More please!

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The Second Coming Of SSS

Ok, that headline is a little dramatic but "Big" is so breathtakingly brilliant that it feels like a whole new beginning for Sneaky Sound System. Over the years, the electro-pop pioneers have been a regular feature on the blog - I still maintain that "2" is one of the best Australian albums of the noughties - but I almost lost interest with "We Love". The song isn't as jaw-droppingly awful as Rogue Traders' "Love Is A War" or Vanessa Amorosi's "Gossip" (two notable hari-kari lead singles from hit acts) but it was a generic bore with the year's most pretentious and embarrassing video. It was enough to put me off their whole third album until I randomly heard "Big" in a shop and stopped dead in my tracks.

This is the kind of euphoric electro-pop that sets Sneaky Sound System apart from the competition. Miss Connie and Black Angus deliver a sweeping dance-ballad with dreamy synths and a devastatingly gorgeous chorus. It's easily one of the best songs of 2011 and a stunning return to form. I'm just not sure how a soft and pretty love letter of a song like this will compete against the formulaic club bangers and cheap RedOne knock-offs currently clogging the airwaves. "Big" is probably too refined and sophisticated for its own good but all of a sudden I'm counting down the days until "From Here To Anywhere" drops. If the rest of the album is this good, we're in for something special. And happily, the video is also a step in the right direction. Basically Miss Connie stands on a balcony looking wistful but at least there are no anal beads this time around.

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