Fanfarlo - Rooms Filled With Light (2012)

I know Fanfarlo as indie-folk. That is about as far from folk as you can get.

Heard first on music blog I Guess I’m Floating, it’s a remix of a new track from the Fanfarlo’s second LP, ‘Rooms Filled With Light’, due out on Canvasback Music/Atlantic Records at the end of February. Although there’s been some talk that they’re heading in a more electronic, less folk direction themselves (see original “Shiny Things”), it’s the unexpected hint of something sinister that hooked me in:

Fanfarlo – Shiny Things (Yeasayer Remix)

With a synth beat that would hold its own behind Kanye or Drake, this Yeasayer remix even verges on (post-?)R&B at times.

A significant departure from the soaring melodies and euphoric builds of much of their 2009 release, Reservoir, which even earned them a feature on the Twilight: Eclipse soundtrack, I’m intrigued to hear whether there’s more of this to come when the full album is released.

They’re heading back to London – Rough Trade East on 28 Feb or Scala 1 March.

Riot !n Magenta – CTRL

Riot !n Magenta - CTRL demo (2011)

The first thing that came to mind when the intro hit was “Yes! This year’s Until We Bleed!”. It has a similar loop and Ibiza chill style to it. Minimal synth but less of the ethereal Lykke Li vocal, more…control. (!!)

Riot !n Magenta are singer-songwriter Eugenia Yip and keyboardist/producer Hayashida Ken from Singapore – and thank you to Dan & Brian for sending me their way.

Thinking of building a playlist – any more to go with these two…?  Fish Go Deep and DJ NG ft. the now massive Katy B to start.

Django Django - Django Django (2012)

The intro actually reminds me a little of Flat Eric, but the similarity ends there – this is one for zoning out for a few minutes to just enjoy the buzz:

Django Django – Waveforms

It has a real forward momentum to the beat and smooth vocal harmonies that would be equally fitting in a folk track, but work strangely well with the electronic wavering and intermittent whistling. Unexpected find from an @garahsiles meeting playlist!

They formed back in 2008 (Guardian New band of the day no. 570) but this is a track from the 2011 release from the East London trio, Waveforms, available through their website.

They’re going to be playing at XOYO on 27 Feb and their self-titled album is out 30th Jan on Because Music, which also features this track.

Frank Ocean - nostalgia, ULTRA (2011)

This sounds like it should be Canadian hip-hop man of 2011 Drake – but it’s New Orleans-born Frank Ocean, who’s just been nominated in the BBC’s Sound of 2012 poll alongside the likes of Friends and Michael Kiwanuka.

Soulful R&B that’s the opposite of hip-hop collective Odd Future he joined in 2011, he’s been writing for artists as massive as John Legend and Beyoncé. He released a mixtape in Feb 2011 titled nostalgia,ULTRA on his Tumblr, independently of his label Island Def Jam.

Here’s an edit of the track by another current love of mine whose debut release is among my top albums of 2011 – SBTRKT.

Frank Ocean – Thinking About You

Beyoncé – 4 (2011)

It’s becoming a bit of an annual tradition for me to post an NYE party track, something that’ll get folks singing along and dancing as we count in the New Year. In 2009 it was Pitbull, in 2010 it was Gyptian, and this year…it’s my favourite belter of an R&B track from 2011.

Not only does it have a killer intro worthy of a click here, it also has an outro countdown – so you can even play it as the final track to close the year. You don’t have to party like it’s one specific year… 1999, say…this is an all-purpose track that’ll do you for any year:

Beyoncé – Countdown

It’s managed to overtake I Care as my favourite track from this year’s 4, and it makes me happy every time I hear it. Dancing or no dancing.

Here’s to a fantastic 2012 for you all – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Party like it’s any year you want.

1. The Rapture – It Takes Time To Be A Man

Shabazz Palaces - Black Up (2011)

The piano riff is perfect for a meandering Sunday of driving and is the main reason this made my Top 10. Sunshine, convertible top down (or hatchback window open if you’re more like me), country roads – and definitely not in any rush to be somewhere. This is from the fourth album from the New York indie rock band and is nothing like the post-punk they’re known for.

2. Shabazz Palaces - An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum

On the creepy side and from one of my albums of the year, Black Up by Shabazz Palaces, not to be listened to when you’re walking down a dark and deserted street by yourself. The ghostly, tortured repeated vocal sample adds to the fright. I’ll be trying to find more shows for 2012.

Reckon the next post from me will be my obligatory NYE track…Pitbull, Gyptian…I know at least one person will be able to guess what this year’s will be!

Julia Holter - Tragedy (2011)

So… now some tracks from our returning traveller/Stoke City FC fan:

1. The Weeknd – Glass Table Girls

Entirely because of the sample here, of Happy House by 70s rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. First heard the original earlier this year and one of my favourite acts of 2010, Warpaint, cite them as a notable influence – this is an unexpected twist on that track, equally eerie.

2. Julia Holter – Goddess Eyes

One that probably should have made my list but didn’t quite get there, this slow-and-steady dream has a vocal that isn’t necessarily beautiful, isn’t at all uncomfortable but does have a clarity that makes me want to stop and think.

Break from this to bring you my own latecomers.

Active Child - You Are All I See (2011)

Second of the other people’s top tracks – we have some picks from our Austin-based drummer/pianist/remixer/ graphics whizz:

1. Active Child – Hanging On

This was described to me as a ‘more mature James Blake‘ and I have to say – I can see it. Nothing altered about this, for me it has an ethereal sense and is entirely about the harp and the man behind it, Pat Grossi. Another gig I wish I had been at, Active Child at St. Pancras Old Church back in October.

2. Alabama Shakes – You Ain’t Alone

A bit of a cheat as the actual track on the list was Hold On, but You Ain’t Alone is my favourite because of the bluesy-soulful vibe to it. They’ve already been on the MTV O Music Awards and were named Paste Magazine’s New Band of 2011 – can’t wait to see what comes for them next year. A collaboration with The Black Keys…?

Claire Nicolson - You and I (2011)

Instead of adding to the array of top 10 [insert music-related item here] of 2011 lists that are coming out as the end of the year approaches – I mean, let’s face it, I’ve probably written about most of the tracks/albums/gigs that would feature on my lists in one way or another up here already – I thought this year I’d try a different tack.

So this is the first of a few posts picking up on the 2-3 tracks from each of my work-folks’ lists from this year that I haven’t Mused about before, but I feel deserve a mention.

First up, our resident producer with a penchant for running tracks:

1. Claire Nicolson – You and I

Kicking off with my favourite isn’t usually a good idea but I can’t keep it to myself until the end – this just makes me smile. It’s floating around a ballroom dressed in ice blue in the arms of your prince charming, or ice-skating under the stars on a romantic winters’ eve, or soaring above the clouds in your very own Lois Lane-Superman montage moment. Beautiful.

2. THEESatisfaction – Mourning

They came out of a Shabazz Palaces gig I ended up missing, and are just the smoothest female hip hop duo I can think of. They’d fit just as well in the times of A Tribe Called Quest (that’s a Ghostpoet link) for me and I’m definitely going to be keeping an ear out for more shows. A ‘wish I had been there’ moment.

More coming up….

James Vincent McMorrow - St. Pancras Old Church (2011)

Heads up – I may come across as a bit of a James Vincent McMorrow groupie in this post…I don’t really mind though, every time I hear something new from him I rave for a while.

I last posted about him in January of this year before the release of his debut album and before I saw him at live St. Pancras Old Church in Feb. I’m not writing this to gush about the gig (beautifully stripped back performance in a breathtaking venue) or remind you about the album – just to post up a few bits and pieces I’ve heard since then; some covers and an unexpected feature. In order of discovery:

Whip My Hair (Willow Smith Cover) – entirely unrecognisable version of the  pop single from Will Smith’s just-turned-eleven year old daughter.

Higher Love (Steve Winwood Cover) – recently used on a LOVEFiLM ad JVMcM strips this 80s Grammy Record of the Year down to piano-backed vocal.

Wicked Game (Chris Isaak Cover) – I posted an Exlovers version of this and also recently heard one by Widowspeak, both are great but JVMcM’s is my favourite, second only to the original (check out that music video!)

and…most recently:

Shells of Silver (The Japanese Popstars ft. JVMcM) – could’ve sworn it was him when I heard it on Gossip Girl (s5e7) last week but when I Shazam’d it I got a track by The Japanese Popstars. Turns out he features on this synthy atmospheric track from the Northern Irish act – great to hear what he can do outside of his singer-songwriter realm.

Everything he touches is gold for me right now. Can’t wait to see what comes next year…