The Cold Cut

It's impossible to catch every piece of 'hot' music flying around. Sure, the invention of The Hype Machine, Elbows and Paper Thin Walls helps, but even listening to their popular lists solidly wont give you a full flavour of the groundbreaking tracks that are released every day. I have, as always, neglected a collection of post-worthy musicians over the last few busy weeks. The Hot List will hopefully get me back up to speed! Without further ado, I present to you MSTRKRFT, portishead, cut copy and m83.

Metric- Monster Hospital (mstrkrft remix) (Link 2)
Fergie- Fergalicious (mstrkrft remix) (Link 2)

MSTRKRFT (Master-kraft, for the slower witted members of the gene pool), haven't been around for too long. Their output, however, has been getting rapidly superior and audacious in the two and half years since formation.

First things first, they are truly worthy of their welebrity (I hope to coin a phrase!), having shown their skill by ably transforming shit tracks into golden stools. Take 'Fergalicious', for example. If you haven't heard this, you're lucky. It's a truly abysmal song, made only slightly more acceptable by the video- let me give you a hint... Fergie+schoolgirl outfit? MSTRKRFT weren't going to let that get in their way, and they've actually transformed it into a half-decent pop song. Move aside will.i.am. The true masters are here!

Secondly, they have the taste and vigilance to remix legendary tracks: 'Monster Hospital', by Metric, should really be given a wide berth. It's a quintessential Metric track- big, boisterous and executed to perfection. And yet in the duo's able hands, it becomes impossibly frantic, and much more danceable.

Visit MSTRKRFT's MySpace for more information.

Portishead- Machine Gun (Link 2)
Portishead- Roads (Live) (Link 2)

Portishead were way before my time, but even minus the nostalgia factor, their new album 'Third' is still pretty damn good. Considering they all but disappeared in 1997, their popularity hasn't really waned, and the live performances are still said to be sublime. All in all, Britain has been missing a classic 90's act. No Oasis, no Blur... no Britpop, no retro, no throwback. Okay, so we have the Verve *who?*, but Portishead are trippy, brooding and great to listen to.

'Third' can be bought at Amazon.

Cut Copy- Feel The Love (Link 2)
Cut Copy- Lights And Music (Boyz Noize Remix) (Link 2)

Cut Copy are inescapable, but unlike many radio-friendly bands (you know who you are... *cough* The Feeling), Cut Copy aren't rubbish. Their music couldn't be described as anything but jolly, but whilst The Feeling set off my gag reflex, Cut Copy make me feel warm inside. Perhaps it's their apparently 80's throwback style- if this is what the 80's sounded like, then I'm sorry I missed them.

With the support of their whole nation behind them (new album 'In Ghost Colours' went #1 in Australia), these three guys are looking set to make a huge impact when they properly touch down on European/American soil.

'In Ghost Colours' can be bought from Amazon.

m83- Couleurs (Link 2)
m83- Graveyard Girl (Link 2)

m83 are named after the galaxy of the same name. Their music is similarly out of this world. Take 'Couleurs', the first single from their new album 'Saturdays=Youth'. Sounding like a B-side from the Terminator soundtrack, its really quite unsettling and eerie. Then we have 'Graveyard Girl', simaltaneously the most uplifting and heart-rending song I've heard in a long while.

Whereas m83's previous albums have shown a rich variety of sounds and textures, this- Anthony Gonzalez's fifth in 7 years!- showcased a much more focussed writing style. Whilst it's still spaced out electronica, the songs are much easier to connect with.

'Saturdays=Youth' can be purchased from Amazon.

I'm starting to get snowed under by all the emails- if I don't mention you, I apologise... it's not because I don't like you, just time issues!

Delorentos- Any Other Way
Catchy tunes abound with this Dublin based 4 piece. They particularly caught my eye through their painstaking attention to detail- as well as taking this approach with the music, it also extends across to their home page/Myspace. Oh, and their album titles- latest offering 'In Love With Detail' received extremely positive reviews, being hailed as 'the sound of a band realising their potential'. True dat- How many other bands can actually pull off indie-pop?

Situationists- This City Holds Us All
Their introduction comes in the form of a four part harmony, arresting as it is: 'ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba'. The message is clear: this is a band that will not be ignored. Musically located somewhere between The Futureheads and The Kooks (amiable qualities only!), their brilliant new EP- 'This City Holds Us All'- is excitingly, only a taste of what is to come. Head over to Myspace for a listen to three of the four EP tracks...

Thos Henley- Bleeding Love
A cover of Leona Lewis' 'Bleeding Love' really shouldn't work. Deprived of the powerhouse notes, and that voice, this should fall flat on its ass. It doesn't- not in the able hands of Thomas Henley (band spelling intentional). Instead, the song is stripped right back to its emotional roots. Who needs X-Factor?

His Myspace contains many more gems ripe for discovery... (Thomas just left Rival Joustas- a popular band in their own right- to go solo)

Of Fate And Chance- Bravery

The Sweet Serenades- Coming Closer
What musical steroids are they giving the Swedish these days? Another Jens Lekman appears every week! The latest band carrying the torch are The Sweet Serenades, a duo throwing a mix of 'whoos', folk tendencies and that little gritty bit of garage together to create some catchy tunes. The result= pop music that never verges into the 'you can have too much of a good thing' territory. Sweet, but never sickly...

One of the things I most enjoy about the burgeoning popularity of this blog is the band submissions. A couple of months ago I started to receive a trickle of emails from up-and-coming bands, which has now developed into a proverbial torrent of emails in my inbox. Its a great feeling when people start to value your input, and unfortunately I haven't really gotten around to listening to the majority of the music that's been sent to me. A bit of time has passed, and smaller bands like Destroy Cowboy (see here) have all of a sudden become bigger, supporting Stars and Cold War Kids. Living proof that music is a rapidly changing thing. Anyway, here are a few of the tips that grabbed me:

Synthar
Silky smooth. Those were the words that came to mind when listening to Synthar's new album, 'Evenings And Weekends'. A digital composition, including contributions from musicians all around the world, this album is more of a composition than a series of separate tracks. There are a few wonderful moments- such as on '047' and 'The Robots Among Us'- where a track-to-track transmission occurs, without any indication. The latter song is blessed with a brilliant, choppy guitar riff and some old-school synths. My other recommendations would be 'Beating Drum', a rumbling bass-scape, and 'Hurricanes', which probably walks away as the best track on this album. For a debut, this is impressive stuff, and if true, its a travesty that they are still unsigned. Check out their MySpace!

Synthar- Hurricanes

Tubelord
In short, Tubelord are a bit of a crazy band. On the face of it, they don't seem that different to the dirge of other 'alternative' bands fighting for the podium finish. However, once things kick off (take 'Obstacles'), things go a bit mental. For the first time in a while, I can't quite place my finger on what makes them different, but they are most definitely alternative, stuffing discordant screaming contests and lovely harmonies into cohesive songs. Visit their MySpace here, and listen to Propeller. You won't be disappointed.

Tubelord- Obstacles (link expired...)

Nancy
Css, Bonde De Role... what more has Brazil got to offer? Nancy, that's what. It makes me shudder to mention Nancy in the same sentence as the admittedly psychotic CSS and Bonde De Role. No- Nancy are placed miles away at the other end of the spectrum. Whereas CSS/Bonde De Role play high octane songs at 1,000,000 beats per minute, Nancy are a bit more subdued, less in your face, but no less intriguing. And as much as I love Lovefoxx's lyrics ("music is my beach-house!"), I'm not sure they're a full representation of what Brazil has to offer. Head over to their MySpace and take a listen.

Spitzer
A french dance duo. You don't say? Bringing a noticeable hint of originality to this familiar premise, brothers Bregere were indie musicians by trade, but traded that in for the 'animal beats' of the techno world. The two producers (not musicians, by their own admission) are already a big hit in their native Lyon, crossing over into the blogosphere, and this attention has even found Kylie Minogue request a remix (which still hasn't seen the light of day). I can't really say it better than they themselves: 'Spitzer creates a new map without boundaries nor rules, frenetic and grandiose techno music set in between Nathan Fakes grandiloquence and the rhythmic scathing of Trentmoller'. Their first EP, 'Roller Coaster', is pretty damn good, and whilst individuality is rarity in the techno/dance genres these days, Spitzer do more than enough to keep it fresh, and keep us moving. Visit their MySpace for a few more tracks...

Spitzer- Kaspersky
+Danger
Not really a submission, but Danger is tied to Spitzer in that they're both playing live together at the Local Heroes gig in Lyon on 18th January, and they're both bloody good. Regarding the nature of this post, he isn't getting a full write up, but check out the track below and his MySpace if you're interested.

Danger- 11h30

2008 is shaping up to be a huge year for music, and these are the best of the British bands releasing new material this year.

Cajun Dance Party- These 5 London teens are still at school and yet they've already released two spectacular singles, The Next Untouchable and Amylase. Which is pretty amazing given the time constraints of A-Levels (trust me, I'm in the same boat!). Their album will be amazing.

Cajun Dance Party- The Next Untouchable
Estelle- This West London born hip-hop artist is widely respected in the music world, and not without reason. At the age of 27 she already owns a record label, Stellar Ents, which allowed her to release her own album, 'The 18th Day', 3 years ago. If you haven't heard '1980', one of her singles, download it now. Her new album, 'Shine', is out on February 12th, and whilst she has the talent, Estelle has never hit the bigtime. Signing to John Legend's label can't hurt, and neither can production by Will.i.am, Kanye West and Wyclef Jean.

Estelle- 1980
Estelle- Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)

Glasvegas- Everyone compares them to The Jesus And Mary Chain; its a fair comparison, but why not relate them to something new? Purely because no-one sounds like Glasvegas any more. Alan McGee has been gushing about them for ages, but whereas this is generally unfounded, for once he is right. Destined for great things...

Glasvegas- Daddy's Gone

Foals- These guys are going places. 'Antidotes', the first album, is out March 2008, and already things are hotting up at the Foals camp. Not content with the production, they re-mixed the entire album themselves, to their specifications. Ballsy, but will it pay off? Yannis (centre above), the mop-topped lead singer of this Oxford based five-piece, obviously thinks so.

Foals- Hummer

The Courteeners?- The question mark isn't a typo. Liam Fray (closest in the pic), lead singer of The Courteeners, is following in the footsteps British frontmen by mouthing off about how his band are going to create one of the best British albums ever. Sometimes, this is the truth: see Oasis, Stone Roses etc. Sometimes, however, it isn't: take The Twang as a recent example. Which will he be? On the evidence of 'Cavorting', the latter. But that doesn't stop me wondering 2008 will be the year when we witness his fall from grace.

The Courteeners- Acrylic

The Ting Tings- I'm not even going to attempt to explain this one, other than that they're a boy-girl duo who make fun pop music. Oh, and they wont disappointed; they've been around for a while, signing to a major label 3 years ago, but the deal fell through due to creative 'differences'. A new deal is in the works, but just let their music speak for itself.

The Ting Tings- Great DJ

Those who will be big but I don't need to write about:
Adele- Possibly the voice of 2008?