Label: Atlantic
Country: Sweden
Release Date: 2011.02.28

“Wounded Rhymes”, is one of the most tremendous records you will hear in 2011. Channeling the demise of The Shangri-La’s Leader of the Pack, women under the influence, ladies and gentlemen of the canyon, a Kung-fu Marianne Faithful, and an armed Nancy Sinatra on peyote, Lykke Li has created an eleven song album that sounds like no other. The record is packed full of pounding, voodoo drums, girl group gang vocals, sparkling guitar lines, woozy keyboards, love unrequited, hope reignited and her own very powerful voice, sounding bigger and bolder than ever before. From the hazy 60’s organ driving opener “Youth Knows No Pain” to the sparse toe-tapsolo- guitar-swing of “Unrequited Love” to rollicking single “Get Some” to the dense drums of the propulsive “Jerome,” Wounded Rhymes is a testament to Lykke Li’s brilliant musical voice, one unlike any other.

Label: Obscura
Country: United States
Release Date: 2010.10.05

Morgan Kibby captured hearts and eardrums as the beautiful, spectral voice on M83’s LP, “Saturdays = Youth”, and she now unveils White Sea with a newly completed EP, “This Frontier”. White Sea emerges out of Kibby’s creative endeavors with French electronic-pop guru M83. Having started as a co-writer, including the runaway anthem “Kim & Jessie,” Kibby went on to contribute vocals and synthesizers on stage, stepping into a more collaborative role and soaking in all there was to learn in her rousing setting.
“While on tour with M83, I was exposed to so many new things,” Kibby explains. “When I returned home, I sat down and taught myself Pro Tools, and how to produce. I’ve really spent the last year figuring out what music I’m excited about making.”
Conceived, recorded and produced nearly entirely on her own, “This Frontier” embodies the multifaceted nature of Kibby’s cosmos, which draws inspiration from disco bass lines, ’60s spaghetti westerns and the envelope-pushing work of Ennio Morricone’s soundtracks. The five-song indie-pop EP explodes with cinematic crescendos, tinkling chimes, shining harmonies, dramatic bass lines, party beats, tempered synthesizers, all threaded by Kibby’s unmistakable, angelic voice. Fused in layered textural complexity and cascading vocals, the scope of material defies categorization other than anthemic, dancey, and rich with harmonies, proving Kibby to be entirely more than just a pretty voice.

Label: Eskimo Recordings
Country: Belgium
Release Date: 2010.09.27

For the past couple of years, Aeroplane have been the best kind of music geek secret. A pop-disco production duo from Belgium, Aeroplane have released a sporadic but endlessly enjoyable stream of singles, remixes, and collaborations since 2007. It was a bit heartbreaking when Vito De Luca and Stephen Fasano announced their breakup this summer; they cited artistic differences (De Luca will carry on as Aeroplane). We Can’t Fly will make you believe those artistic differences were real. A schizophrenic and ultimately confused record, We Can’t Fly abandons Aeroplane’s airtight constructions for loose, haughty tracks that are as unclassifiable as they are messy.

We Can’t Fly has the feel of a record that’s to be everything to everybody– hit receptacle, compendium of past works, exploration– and as such ends up being nothing. There are splinters of excellence: the title track weaves an unexpectedly skankin’ guitar part into gospel chants, big-rock piano bridges, and miles of keyboards. It’s the antithesis of so many disco-as-savior anthems; you will nod and chant to our collective failure. “Good Riddance” and “Without Lies”– a strange country amble and a sassy pop gem, respectively– suggest the range and diversity of Ze Records (a clear influence), though “Good Riddance” mostly serves to remind that those Mutant Disco comps had some real clunkers.

The misses miss big, and perplexingly. “I Don’t Feel” splits the difference between Guitar World riffing and Patti LaBelle to disastrous effect. “The Point of No Return” auditions for Top Gun montages past and future; “Fish in the Sky” for Bowie’s mid-90s blind spot. This from a band who had shown commendable restraint– no wailing divas or 22-minute Kraut-funk jams; just tight, languorous bodyrock. It’s not that these songs are gregarious, silly, and overstuffed– we suspected Aeroplane had that in them– it’s that they are charmlessly so. “I Don’t Feel” will fit most people’s definitions of Bad Music, but more troubling is the existence of a giant, wailing barnburner that acts dressy and prim. Aeroplane aren’t big personalities or great wits, so when they jostle and play it always feels like the joke’s on us.

Aeroplane seem to know a bit about artifice– the serrated hook of “Without Lies” imagines a boring world without artists– but We Can’t Fly doesn’t see them inhabiting unexpected personas or adopting new voices. It feels like fucking around, like a definitively non-definitive remnant of a partnership. We Can’t Fly’s stylistic knuckleballs lack just about everything we’d grown to love about Aeroplane: namely luxurious grooves and effortless cool.
(by pitchfork)

Label: Mercury
Country: Canada
Release Date: 2010.08.30

Dandilion Wind Opaine and Marta Jaciubek-McKeever are the exotically named duo that are Fan Death. Fan Death first released ‘Veronica’s Veil’ back in 2008 on Erol Alkan’s Phantasy label. A stunning debut, it’s signature string motif lit up dancefloors and quickly marked Fan Death out as one of the most original and exciting new duos. Based in Vancouver, they’ve since released the critically-acclaimed ‘Reunited EP’, toured with Florence & The Machine and Vampire Weekend, and are now ready to release ‘Womb Of Dreams’, their debut long player. Fan Death have created their own world with ‘Womb Of Dreams’. Star-gazing, fantasy, fashion and film inspire them as much as the classic synth pop of the 80s. ‘Womb Of Dreams’ is a dramatic, cinematic album that draws on 80s synth pop, disco, Polish cinema, fantasy films and fashion. (by altsounds)

Label: Phazz-a-Delic
Country: Germany
Release Date: 2010.04.09

The prolific De-Phazz was a jazzy, lounge-oriented downtempo project led by German-Austrian producer Peter “Pit” Baumgartner, who surrounded himself with a shifting cast of collaborators that featured vocalists Barbara Lahr, Karl Frierson, and Pat Appleton, as well as drummer Oli Rubow. Albums like Detunized Gravity (1997), Godsdog (1999), Death by Chocolate (2001), Daily Lama (2002), Days of Twang (2007), and Big (2009) explored various terrains of 21st century lounge music, much of it balancing samples with live instrumentation, with innumerable cross-sections of jazz, soul, easy listening, and Latin music.
“LaLa 2.0” is the 8th De-Phazz album to date, showcasing a vast amount of international vocalists stemming from the ever expanding musical universe of one of the best selling lounge outfits out there.

Label: Brille
Country: United States
Release Date: 2010.04.26

After a string of widely-circulated singles and remixes, New York-based duo The Golden Filter will release their debut album, Voluspa, in the US on June 15th, following its UK release on Brille Records (The Knife, Operator Please) in April.
On the long road home after a round-the-world tour, Penelope and Stephen returned to New York City to self-produce their debut album which casts glimpses into their unearthly world where goddesses, love, myths and mountains reign. With drum circles, string sections, field recordings, and lots of microphones, they’ve gone beyond disco to unveil where their secrets are shared and where their mystery dissolves…
Lead single “Hide Me” is currently available to download for free from the The Golden Filter’s website and will be released April 27th. It includes Peter Bjorn & John’s Hortlax Cobra, and Clock Opera remixes.

Label: Six Degrees
Country: United States
Release Date: 2009.02.17

It’s no coincidence that Nancy Kaye, Ireesh Lal and Carmen Rizzo chose to name their groundbreaking collaboration after the ancient Sufi folk song, “Lal Meri,” an interpretation which closes the trio’s seductive and refreshing Six Degrees Records debut. “The message of the song is unifying different people from different cultures and beliefs,” says Nancy, the mystery-laden honey-and-sand voiced siren, with a gift for expansive turns of phrases and indelible melodies. “Why can’t we basically be together as one? It’s a beautiful message.”

If ever a band represented such ideals, it’s Lal Meri, with each musician coming in from different backgrounds, cultures and musical sensibilities, all combined into a unified, vibrant whole. Nancy’s singing and writing – both urgent and timeless – have powered her forays in pop (a 2002 debut album for Island/Def Jam Records) and jazz (her recent, saucy tour de force Luckiest Girl), both under the artist name Rosey. Ireesh’s multiple instrumental, composing and arranging talents have been spotlighted in his previous bands Hot Sauce Johnson and Animastik. Carmen’s global-conscious sense has brought him to the forefront as a writer, producer and remixer with Seal, Coldplay, Paul Oakenfold, Jem and countless others, while his expansive vision is at the core of his own wide-ranging album and his work as a member of the groundbreaking world-fusion act Niyaz.

On their self-titled debut album, these distinctly creative musical minds and strong individual personalities form at once a microcosm or mirror of the whole world — and a whole new world unto itself. Nancy’s voice intertwines with R&B punches and smoky cabaret inflections, while Ireesh blends reggae & jazz on the trumpet. Seductive trip-hop beats mix with oud and tabla. Emotions run deep, in matters of romance and the state of the world, the music and lyrics alike questing for the best instincts of the human spirit. From the soulful bounce of opener “Dreams of 18” through the closing title song, Lal Meri is three artists inventing a new common language. (by last.fm)

Label: Phantom
Country: Belgium
Release Date: 2009.12.08

Since 1996, Dirk Swartenbroekx (Belgium) is making records under the name of Buscemi, one of his favorite actors. His style is deep. Difficult to categorise: nu bossa, house music, brazilian grooves, afrobeat, jazzy electro, balkan mish mash… Dirk has released 10 EP’s, 4 fully-fledged CDs, 2 compilations for the famous Blue Note label, one mixcompilation for Ministry of Sound Germany and one compilation of the remixes he did between 1997-2005. Buscemi’s fame as remixer is rapidly spreading. He reworked tracks for bands like Beach Boys, Suba, Madredeus and Calexico. Buscemi is much in demand as DJ (eclectic, warm and deep stylee!).

Label: Etage Noir Recordings
Country: Austria
Release Date: 2009.09.14

With his unmistakable sound-mix of Jazz- and Swing samples and electronic music, Parov Stelar has secured his own unique position in the world of music. His upcoming fourth album “Coco” is eagerly awaited. The double CD starts off where his successful LP’s “Rough Cuts”, “Seven And Storm” and “Shine” ended. On the other hand he is consequently developing his established jazzy sound, by adding new stylistic elements to his tunes. Also his dancefloor-productions, that up to now have only been published as singles, find a debut to a greater extent on his album. They meet with Stelar’s melancholic-melodious trademark-sound, which is well known from his earlier albums, but now is also spiced up with Hip-Hop beats and synth-pads. Parov Stelar manages to build bridges between his own worlds of sound with these extensive LP as well he as he does with listening- and dance-music in general. An electrifying album to fall for. The two CDs are originally thought of as one with tracks that can be danced to and one with tracks just for listening. Nevertheless the line between those two approaches becomes blurred in Parov Stelar’s newest compositions. The album makes your feet tap more and more with every track. The musician himself sees the whole thing as a “book for musical readers” which is classically defined in introduction, middle part and end. Because of downloading hit numbers on downloading platforms the “listening in” to albums and thereby reflecting on less prominent tracks, is lost. Parov Stelar sets “Coco” as a statement against this habit. Apart from two cooperation-tracks with the saxophone-player from his live-band, Max The Sax, Stelar has cooperated with six singers from different genres. This again gives “Coco” a characteristic, one and only feeling. (by Soul Seduction)

Label: Critical Mass
Country: United Kingdom
Release Date: 2009.06.09

“We were flying back from Russia in this cranky Tupelov plane,” recalls Alex Payne explaining how Cicada came up with the title ‘Roulette’ for their new album, “We joked that it would be Russian roulette whether we made it home or not. Then we started thinking how the music business is a roulette wheel and Cicada are small operators gambling against the house – but winning so far…”

He’s right, Cicada are on a roll. ‘Roulette’ is a follow-up that kicks. With songs such as the driving Moroder-esque disco throb of “Falling Rockets” or the pulsating bassline power of “Don’t Stare At The Sun”, Cicada deserve to dramatically increase their armada of devoted fans.

Their self-titled debut album sold in droves in 2006 and topped online polls without significant marketing from the group’s tiny Critical Mass label. It was a genuine word of mouth success. However, where that album was awash with delicious Balearic grooves ‘Roulette’ ups the energy levels to an irresistible dancefloor buzz.

Cicada began life as London club-heads Alex Payne and Aaron Gilbert’s successful production team, remixing Depeche Mode, New Order and many others, but they wanted more, they wanted to return to the band ethic and build a project that reflected their love of rock and pop as well as dance. They started creating tracks but needed a vocalist.

“We didn’t want diva-ish vocals,” explains Aaron, “We wanted someone with an interesting voice who didn’t just belt it out.”

After an extensive search they found Heidrun Bjornsdottir, who’d previously sung with Icelandic housers Gus Gus and Liverpool rockers Gloss. She fitted in perfectly and, with their first album rousing interest and receiving positive reviews, Cicada were suddenly in demand for gigs. Initially wary, the trio added drummer Duncan ‘Pixie’ Mills for shows and before they knew it they were gigging across the globe.

“We didn’t want to be U2 in a month,” says Alex, “but we gained confidence, made live instruments fit with phat analogue, and played this fantastic festival called Good Vibes in Australia. We thought we’d be stuffed in a tent in the corner but the promoters said, ‘We absolutely adore the album, do you mind going on the main stage before The Beastie Boys and Snoop Dogg’.”

Playing to 20,000 Aussies going mental was nerve-wracking but exhilarating, and over the next year and a half they gigged solidly, playing crowd-slaying sets at two consecutive Glastonburys. They loved it and wanted to make an album that reflected the live experience, a new set that took the roof off.

“Performing is the part I like best,” agrees Heidrun, “It’s where I really have fun and the crowd always have fun with me.”

‘Roulette’, then, explodes with dancefloor attitude but it’s also pop. Pop? Yes, pop with attitude and cheeky underground pizzazz. Cicada know pop music can mean anything from the Faithless to U2 via Frankie Knuckles and Maximo Park. ‘Roulette’ appears just as proper pop is being rediscoveredby sites such as Popjustice and Wonkypop, a whole movement devoted to recognizing when pop music is glorious and reclaiming it from TV talent shows such as ‘The X Factor’. It suits Cicada down to the ground.

“Pop isn’t a dirty word,” they reckon, “From Saint Etienne to Santogold, it’s possible to do it credibly, we’re not techno DJs from Berlin, we’re just trying to make an album that, if someone finds it on their shelf and plays it in five years time, they can still enjoy the songs.”

To this end ‘Roulette’ springs all manner of surprises on the listener. Heidrun helms most of the vocals, notably on the first single “Metropolis”, a gem that comes on like Tiga’s finest electroclash given a sparkling 2009 update, and features tasty mixes from Charlie Fanclub and Twelves. Elsewhere guest vocalists make appearances. Bjorn Synneby of Swedish bands Pacific! and The Whyte Seeds, sings on the contagious Empire Of The Sun-esque “Talking”, leading to questions about whether Cicada have a thing for Nordic vocalists.

“I never thought of that,” Alex laughs, “but I’ve never been mad for raucous rock vocals in dance, or anything indie or overwrought, whereas I love soulful vocals with froideur, a little bit of melancholy.”

The other guest vocalist, Tom Smith from The Editors, fits this description brilliantly. Cicada remixed The Editors a couple of times and the rock band loved their work but no-one could have predicted a new collaboration would work as effectively as the song “Executive”, one of the album’s most memorable moments, akin to the Talking Heads majestically produced by William Orbit.

Perhaps the centrepiece, however, is “One Beat Away”, a contagious indie-dance stomper riding a bassline Peter Hook would be proud of, a song so immediate it’s become a call and response ritual at Cicada gigs. It’s a dancefloor detonator that ebulliently sums up Cicada’s intention to create music with one foot on the dancefloors of Ibiza and one down the front at Britain’s most rockin’ festivals, territories that collide euphorically on their smashing new album. (by bandweblogs)