Introducing.... Ronika

Meet Ronika, Nottingham's new pop princess... She is the latest offering in female fronted electro pop with her infuences ranging from 'Early Madonna' to 'Funkadelic'.

After winning a BBC urban music bursary it gave Ronika the platform she needed to start recording her album.

First track on her myspace is the infectious 'Do Or Die' complete with Goulding-esque video with lots of bright blurry lighting, Gaga-esque masks, and the 'girl next door' attitude of Lily Allen, then on top of all that... the song is just as awesome.

Similarly, 'Wi Yoo' (pronounced 'Why You?') has a real funky/soul feel where Ronika incorporates a slow 80's groove reminiscent of early madonna.



Check out Ronika at

http://www.myspace.com/ronikamusic

Something For The Weekend...

This week's 'something for the weekend' comes from electro/funk duo 'Chromeo' and their single 'Fancy Footwork'.

Enjoy :-D

Introducing... Uffie

Anna-Catherine Hartley AKA 'Uffie' was born in America, moved to Hong Kong, stopped off in the Philippines briefly before relocating back to the USA. She made her final stop off in Paris, France where she settled down and became a fashion student at the 'International School of Paris'. When the opportunity came to make music, she soon dropped out to pursue this new career.

Uffie's music is electro/pop/hip-hop crossover, and with collaborations with Mr Oizo and Pharell Williams it's clear we're going to be hearing alot more of her.

Latest single 'MC's Can Kiss' was produced by 'Mr Oizo' and showcases Uffie's hip hop side where she boasts 'I'm the least working girl in showbusiness' before bursting into an 'off the wall' style sax solo. It's fair to say that what Uffie brings to the table is both fresh and unique.

'First Love', featured on her myspace, shows Uffie bring out her softer side, 'I love it when you whisper in my ear, you say the sweetest things that I wanted to hear'.


New album 'Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans' is out in Spring 2010 on Ed Banger Records.

Check out Uffie on myspace at www.myspace.com/uffie

Marina And The Diamonds - Hollywood

Welsh born Marina brings you her latest single, Hollywood. She recently came in a close second next to miss Goulding in the 2010 'BBC ones to watch' poll and if you look very carefully in her new video you can see her keys player, Pete (one of the 'Diamonds' one would pressume) is ex-Boy Kill Boy, Peter Carr.


Check out Marina And The Diamonds at www.myspace.com/marinaandthediamonds

Introducing.... Temposhark

Temposhark, a 4 piece electronic pop band, formed by lead singer/songwriter Rob Diament back in 2004. The following December, Rob set up record label, 'Paper and Glue' through which, Temposhark have consistently put out singles and remixes alike. The band are now preparing to launch second album 'Threads' via Paper and Glue.

Since forming, Temposhark have worked with such names as songwriter 'Imogen heap', who provided guest vocals on their first album, 'Guy Sigsworth' who produced early single 'Its Better To Have Loved' and Savage Garden's 'Darren Hayes' who the band suported on his full US tour in 2007.

New album 'Threads' is released in April this year. First single, 'The World Does Not Revolve Around You', see's Diament swapping his synth for guitars and has a very summery, Mika meets the Feeling, sound. Second single 'Bye Bye Baby' takes the band back down that contemporary electronic route with its very minimal sound and massive chorus.
Last but not least, latest single 'Threads' is mainstream pop at it's finest.

If temposhark continue down the road they have started, the next step must be close to world domination!!


Check out Temposhark at www.myspace.com/temposhark

New album, 'Threads', out April 2010 on Paper and Glue records.

Cheryl Cole "Live" at The Brits

So here is the performance that seems to have got tongues wagging, and not all for the right reasons.... As much as we all love 'girl next door' Cheryl... her performance at last nights Brit awards have been getting tweeters all over asking that age old question... 'Is Cheryl singing live?' (and do we really care???)

Cheryl Cole Live At The Brit Awards 2010

Introducing... Erik Hassle

Erik Hassle is a singer/songwriter originally from Sweden, now living in London.

When I first came across him, his sound was somewhat different to his latest offering.

New single 'Hurtful' was originally more Euro-pop than rock, yet on his '2010' release he has opted for that more 'live' feel. Much of the song's synth has been stripped out and the 808 has been replaced with an almost military style live drum sound. This transformation, however, works a treat!

Dressing from head to toe in black, Erik often comes accross as a dark and emotive figure thus becoming apparent why he has opted for that more live/powerful sound.

Debut single 'Don't Bring Flowers' demonstrates his dark side. According to his myspace, it tells 'the story of a funeral he attended of an acquaintance who hadn’t really made much of an impression during his lifetime'.


Erik's debut album 'Pieces' is out on the 22nd Feb in the UK and includes singles 'Hurtful' and 'Don't bring Flowers'.

You can also catch him touring the UK with Mika through Feb and March.

Check out Erik at www.myspace.com/erikhassle

The Brits Are Coming....

...and here is the critics choice Ellie Goulding and her video for 'Under The Sheets'

Introducing..... Major Lazer

He's a Grammy nominated Producer, a DJ and Club Promoter. He even owns his own record label and thats only one half of new project, Major Lazer... and his name.. Diplo.

Once you have reached that level of success, what else is left, other than team up with fellow DJ/Producer 'Switch' to create one of the years best debut albums.

When I found out that these two have been involved with such acts as Santogold, M.I.A and Bonde Do Role then I wasn't surprised that one of the tracks off of the new ML release "Gunz Don't Kill People, Lazers Do" has a crying baby with 'built in auto-tune' which they sampled to create a minute long freestyle track... Amazing !!!

Major Lazer's debut album has it all... Laid back reggae in 'Can't Stop Now' and 'Cash Flow'... 'Keep It Goin Louder' and the Crookers co-produced 'Jump Up' and are the pop offerings, but above all else, this is a dancehall release.. and a great one at that.


Check out Major Lazer on myspace at www.myspace.com/majorlazer

Love Music for Valentines...

So I thought to celebrate Valentines I'd bring you none other than the man himself Mr Ali Love...

We've brought you an old (but classic) single... 'Late Night Sessions'

Happy Valentines Day...


Head over to Ali's myspace to check out new single "Love Harder" (out in March) and show some love.

Introducing... Pyramiddd

Pyramiddd (originally known as Starfu***r) opted to go down the media friendly route by changing their name to something a bit more 'suitable' However, this 4 piece from Portland, Oregon aren't planning on changing anything else and quite rightly so... their blend of synth pop with indie rock is a perfect excuse to get the party started. These guys are out to have fun and what better way to tell the world this, than by covering Cyndi Laupers 1980s classic 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'.

Pyramiddd's latest offering 'The Jupiter E.P' kicks off with four-to-the-floor foot stomper 'Medicine' which sets the pace for the entire EP. 'Boy Toy' is a melodic synth pop masterpiece with enough bleeps and blips, giving it a hint of Flaming Lips in their Yoshimi days. It also includes the Cyndi Lauper cover which is worth buying the EP solely for.


Find Pyramiddd on myspace at www.myspace.com/pyramidddmusic

For fans of : MGMT, Flaming Lips

Are Owl City the new Postal Service???

I do actually like the new Owl City track 'Fireflies' although can't help but think it wouldn't sound out of place on a Postal Service album...

Owl City - Fireflies


Postal Service - Such Great Heights

Introducing.... Fear Of Tigers

We've already brought you this guy once this week with his 'Sound of Arrows' remix and now its time to show some love for the brains behind it... say hello to Fear Of Tigers.

Originally from Japan, now living in London, Fear of Tigers is a one man production tour-de-force, sampling old 80s and 90s dance and giving them a fresh new "noughties" feel.

His album title track "Cossus Snufsigalonica" samples old dance classic 'Rhythm Of The Night" and is a synth-fuelled dancefloor filler.

If you like your music electronically charged with fat basslines, sweeping synths and PWL style vocal samples then FOT is the one for you. It is electro pop at its finest.


Now for the REALLY exciting bit.... if you pop over to their myspace you can pick up the ENTIRE ALBUM FOR FREE !!!!

Find Fear Of Tigers on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/fearoftigers

For fans of : Frankmuzik, Mylo, PWL

Something For The Weekend....

This will be a regular section where we post a video to help kick start the weekend.

This week we bring you the disco delights of Armand Van Helden + ATrak present Duck Sauce and their afro fuelled video for single 'Anyway'.

Let the weekend commence....

Introducing.... Casxio

Casxio, a 4 piece disco/funk band from LA who name Prince and Sly and The Family Stone in their influences. Whats refreshing about Casxio is these are nothing more than influences as they bring their own added touch of Glam to their disco/soul sound which at times is reminiscent of P&J favourite 'Ali Love'.

Casxio are currently building a loyal fanbase including celeb fans Sam Sparro and Perez Hilton.

Their Seventeen E.P is available now on itunes in the US and Amazon and due for general release on March 8th. It includes a remix from Skrillex which sounds a little like DeadMau5 teamed up with PWL for a guaranteed dancefloor filler!



Check out Casxio at http://www.myspace.com/casxio

Blah Blah Blahhhhhhh....

So LA's latest glam pop princess is enjoying her 8th week at number 1 on the Billboard Top 100 closely followed by the Black Eyed peas "Imma Be" . We've decided to show some Ke$ha loving so we've posted this performance of new single 'Blah Blah Blah' live at MTV.



Ke$ha's debut album 'Animal' is out everywhere now!!

Introducing.... Shake Aletti

Shake Aletti are an electro-pop-funk duo from Sheffield. Anyone into the underground electro scene might have come across this band without realising after their remixes (Frankmuzik, Bat for Lashes or more recently, Moloko's 'Roisin Murphy') have been tearing up electro clubs across the country.

On first listening to the demo of 'More Bounce' on their myspace, it sounds a like a mix of Chromeo with a little Flight of The Conchords thrown in for good measure. A funk-tastic homage to women with the larger frame and with lyrics like, 'She puts a little extra ache into shake when I take her out dancing' you have can't help but love these guys.

'Digital Connection' is slow-funk-electro as slick as they come. And not only that...they offer it up as a free download on their myspace.

I have to thank my friend Ryan (Ryans twitter) for getting me into this band and for those of you who haven't already checked them out you can find them at http://www.myspace.com/shakealetti



For fans of: Chromeo
Standout tracks: Digital Connection, More Bounce, Amazonian Love

The Sound Of Arrows - Into The Clouds (Fear Of Tigers Remix)

I got into 'The Sound Of Arrows" after reading about them on Popjustice. They are a synthpop duo from a small town in Sweden who now reside in the countrys capital, Stockholm. TSOA have a natural flair for writing beautiful electro pop and this track is as Euphoric as they come.... The remix comes from Londons own "Fear Of Tigers" who have taken one of last years best tracks and turned it into a POPTASTIC 12" that Giorgio Moroder would be proud of.

Watch the video of The Sound Of Arrows - Into The Clouds (Fear of Tigers Remix) here...



Find The Sound Of Arrows on myspace at
www.myspace.com/thesoundofarrows

And Fear Of Tigers on myspace at
www.myspace.com/fearoftigers

Introducing... French Horn Rebellion

Sounding a bit like the love child of Prince and Chromeo, French Horn Rebellion hail from NYC and write funky electro-synth-pop of epic proportions. They seem to attack their writing from the same angle we've heard from the likes of MGMT although FHR sway much more on the electronic side of things.

Like MGMT, the band is based around two guys who look a little like Bret and Jermaine from Flight Of The Conchords who have the humour to match, based on their latest video for single 'Up All Night'.

They are already gathering strong support in the UK from the likes of Radio 1's Nick Grimshaw, who made them his 'record of the week'.

Catch FHR playing the final few dates of their UK tour before they jet back off to the US to provide our very own Little Boots with support for a string of US shows.



FHR are giving away their (everyone must own this) 'The Chart (Of Plancus City)' E.P free on their myspace.... So go get it NOW !!!

Find French Horn Rebellion at www.myspace.com/frenchhornrebellion

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Standout tracks ; Up All Night, What I Want, The Quatrain

New Alphabeat album around the corner....

One follow up album I have been eagerly awaiting was from Alphabeat whos debut album 'This Is Alphabeat' still sounds as fresh as the day I first heard it.

Their new album 'The Beat Is' is released next month and is available for preview on itunes... Can't wait!!!

This was the original artwork before the name change :-D



Standout tracks from early listens to me are 1st single ,'The Spell', 'DJ' and title track 'The Beat Is'

Introducing... Chew Lips

Anyone familiar with the now legendary Kitsune 'Maison' compilations will have been on to these guys for a while. "Chew Lips" are a 3 piece hailing from South London playing minimalist electro-pop.

I came across this band from the Maison 7 compilation where their track "Solo" jumped right out at me with lead singer "Tigs" beautiful vocal having a hint of Karen-O but with the melodic beauty of Annette Stean of Tennessee's finest, Venus Hum.

If you are a fan of Annie, Hot Chip or Goldfrapp then be sure to check out this band.

Chew Lips are currently on tour and their album "Unicorns" is out now!

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Standout tracks: Solo, Salt Air and Karen

Find more about "Chew Lips" at www.myspace.com/chewlips

Matty xx

I wonder how it feels in New York....

I was just speaking to my mate who is in NYC just now... JEALOUS !!! Heheh So I'm having a New York evening.. listening to "Lessons Learned" by Matt and Kim at the moment... anyone got any other suggestions on good NY bands/videos etc...

Matty x