About The Cold Cut...

The musings of a teenage audiophile. Indie, Rock, Hip-Hop, Rap, Dance, Dubstep, Garage, Metal... music crosses all boundaries. The Cold Cut is devoted to giving you a taste of what's going on in music at the moment.

About Me

A 17 year old taking his first tentative steps into the world of blogging. In my first year, its been up and down, from the slow first months to a busy time around the one year anniversary.

Showing posts with label The Ting Tings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Ting Tings. Show all posts

The New Wave Of Music: Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind

I must apologise for not being able to reply to your comments: it's out of my hands. My school has blocked my blog, for some ridiculous reason, apparently 'pornography', or so the filter says. Anyway, I can't see, read, or comment on my blog: I am solely limited to posting and reading your comments through my email account. Anyway, there has been so much unbelievably catchy and amazing music recently, so here's me scratching the surface. If anything goes drastically wrong, be sure to let me know.

Regardless, I can continue to blog, so here is a comprehensive list of the great music released over the last few months.

Discuss: Can you name the best new band at the moment?

Coldplay- Viva La Vida (Link 2)
My faith is restored. Coldplay have really outdone themselves here: 'Viva La Vida' is superior to 'Violet Hill' in every respect, even on the first spin... and who knows how dear it could become many more plays? Epic strings, no audible piano, and a sound that wouldn't fit anywhere smaller than a stadium. This is the 'new' version of Coldplay I was expecting.

The National- Mansion On The Hill (Live Bruce Springsteen Cover) (Link 2)
In my honest opinion, The National are one of the best American bands out there. 'Boxer' and 'Alligator' are work-horses, giving and giving, and I've been waiting for a new track for ages. This more than justifies the wait, even if it is a cover...

Phantom Planet- Raise The Dead (Link 2)
Phantom Planet- Do The Panic (Link 2)
Wow... Now this, I really wasn't expecting. Remember 'California'? Of course you do... well, it seems in the time between the O.C.'s expiration and the present, Phantom Planet have been busy. Busy rebuilding their image, that is, from a teen pop group into an Americanised Arcade Fire. This is a much more mature and developed packaged than they previously offered.

Madonna- Miles Away (Link 2)
I've said more than enough about Madonna...

Busta Rhymes- We Made It (Ft. Linkin Park) (Link 2)
Busta Rhymes- Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On Em') (Link 2)
Busta Rhymes always works best when backed up by a wacky, overblown beat. Surprisingly, he eschews that route here, instead opting to blend rock and hip hop. Sounds rubbish, doesn't it? Sometimes, the most grating of combinations produce miracles (see DNA- hint 'keeping it in the family').

His other track- 'Don't Touch Me'...-is classic Busta- balls to the wall, high octane verses, with barely time to breath. And in true fashion, he really pulls it off.

The Ting Tings- Shut Up And Let Me Go (Link 2)
How time flies. Last time I posted about these guys, they were just getting off the ground after releasing 'Great DJ'. And now, they going stellar, after Apple featured them in their new iPod adverts. A little face might be saved by the fact that the song used- 'Shut Up And Let Me Go'- isn't their best, and thus they will always have a crowd pleaser ('That's Not My Name') for the end of their sets that hasn't been 'played to death'.

Weezer- Pork And Beans (Link 2)
Okay, so I'm a few weeks late on this one, but sometimes I can't go without posting a good track. Classic Weezer, plain and simple.

Santogold- I'm A Lady (Link 2)
Santogold- Say Aha (Link 2)
Santogold really crept up on me. To be honest, I didn't give her the time of day, until I saw her album art. For some strange reason, that gold sprinkle effect triggered a fond memory of my childhood and I was instantly won over. Simply put, Santogold is doing for rock and dub what M.I.A. did for hip hop and dancehall, blending cultures, styles and genres into a accesible music.

Metro Station- Shake It (Link 2)
The first time I heard this, I found myself retching at the cheesiness. However, as I walked away from my room, the chorus: 'Shake, shake, shake, shake... I shake it' played over and over in my mind. Really, though, Metro Station need to work out who they are- cheesy American poppers or something a little bit deeper? My money is on the latter; a rebranding (and re-titling- terrible) could be in order.

Lil' Wayne- A Millie (Link 2)
A new TV advertisement proclaims Lil' Wayne as 'the most controversial man in America'. I sincerely doubt this, but you cannot knock him for his cojones. His new album, 'Tha Carter III' is widely expected to be an opus, led comfortably by his first number 1 single, 'Lollipop'. Genius artwork, too- Wayne mimics both Notorious B.I.G. and Nas by using a baby photo as his album cover (a metaphor Wayne? Deep...). We all know Wayne thinks he's great, but soon, we might just have proof.

Flying the British flag... 2008

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?