Food & Tunes

Few things can beat that feeling you get when you listen to a song for the first time and instantly, it grabs you. Straight away you’re in a groove… your head and shoulders bouncing… your feet tapping… and then, before you can control yourself, you’re up, out of your chair, busting out. That’s how we felt when we heard “Up” for the first time - the debut single from the aptly named German duo Nod One’s Head (aka Lotte & Moritz). 

Plain and simple - Up is mesmerizing - we’d go far as to say it’s one of the freshest things we’ve heard this year, sitting somewhere between Disclosure and The Magician = pure fucking gold. Berlin is in the building people.

The duo’s first EP, ”She’s A Criminal”, will be released on July 1st.

Here’s a taste of what’s to come - and trust us when we say this, these guys are going to be big.

Happy Friday everyone.

All you blog-heads out there have probably already heard the name Mr Little Jeans, and, like us, be pleasantly surprised to learn that she is Monica, a Norwegian 20-something who has been frequently been described as St Vincent meets Deborah Harry.  

It’s safe to say that her rendition of Arcade Fire’s “The Suburbs” was the most talked about cover of 2011, breathing new life into a classic like James Blake did for Feist’s ‘Limit To Your Love.’ It also made it’s way in the triple j Hottest 100. Sure, it was actually #100, but still, pretty good achievement when you consider the likes of Friendly Fires, Digitalism and Justice didn’t make that prestigious cut. 

Last month the irrepressibly beautiful “Runaway” found it’s way on to our speakers, and we haven’t pressed stop yet. Showcasing a haunting and somewhat breathless voice, this single has an uncanny knack of staying in your head for days to come. It could be this very simple chorus line “when you runaway, you can go anywhere,” that quite clearly all of us can relate to.

Whilst her catalogue is small, it’s pretty clear that Mr Little Jeans could just be the answer to our prayers - a soulful female “Artist” who doesn’t make headlines for having big lips, or starting a slanging match on Twitter for the sake of good press and hype. Let’s just pray that she sounds just as good live as she does on record.

Happy Friday.

For this edition of Friday Fun, we’ve decided to wind-back the clock and remember some of those amazing r&b hits we used to grind/smang’/pop/bounce to…

PLAY THIS LOUD & ENJOY!!!

Isn’t there something soothing about listening to deep house when it’s raining cats and dogs? Almost makes you forget about all the chaos ensuing outside… on that note, may we introduce you to ADANA TWINS, two Hamburg lads doin’ their thang on tastemaker imprint Exploited.

It all started a few years ago when graphic designers Benni (the ‘energizer’) and Friso (the ‘straight and fluffy guy’) bonded over a mutual love of Turkish food and groovy house - definitely our kind of fellas. Their name, “Adana” is actually taken from the “adana kebab”, Turkish meat spits.   

Between a residency at Neidklub and running the amazing “Deep Jeudi” parties at Baalsaal (drawing in the likes of Zombie Disco Squad, Renaissance Man, Homework, Sacha Robotti etc), the duo went on to release the highest selling single on Exploited in 2011 - the Notorious BIG inspired “Juicy Fruit” (with frequent collaborator Doctor Dru).  This song is a perfect example of off how house music and r&B are supposed to co-exist - something the likes of Perseus and Danny Daze have further showcased more recently. 

Now it’s quite clear that 2012 will be the boys breakthrough year. Their new “Everyday” EP is well on the way to becoming a worldwide smash, and sitting pretty in all the Beatport Charts (#2 Deep House / #25 Overall)…

It’s doing just as much for F&T as the amazing “It Goes On” by Storm Queen.

And in case you want a full taste of an Adana Twins set, we’ve got the rather tasty mixtape they did for the Cream Radio show…

It’s Friday, it’s time for some fun. Go to it now. 

This Friday Fun is all about the remix, and damn there are some tasty ones going around at the moment.. All on the house/disco/electro/ambient tip there should be something here for everyone.

From Sydney’s immensely talented Lancelot remixed by Goldroom (from that AMAZING Niki & The Dove remix we love so much, remember?), through to Swedish up and comer Lenno, to an Eats Everything side project called Coat of Arms, a bit of Drake and The Weeknd thrown in for good measure, and a decidedly less techno offering from Cosmonaut. Plus don’t forget a SEXY SBTRKT remix by LA dude Them Jeans, and our favourite Frenchy Brodinski remixing our other favourite Frenchy Yuksek.

Enjoy! Love F&T 

We know that we haven’t done a Friday Fun in a while, so we’ve made sure that this one is an absolute cracker… let us introduce you to Harlem-based MC (seriously, what is in the water in NYC?) Azealia Banks. 

If you haven’t heard of her it’s alright, we forgive you. After all she’s very fresh - to the point where she’s only released one single, the booty-shakin’ “212”, which apart from showcasing one of this year’s ill-est basslines and some, shall we say, colourful lyricism (“Imma ruin you c*nt”), features a great cameo from Lunice in the video:

I guess that’s the thing with “hype” these days. It doesn’t take a huge body of work to have the industry spinning around your little finger (Lana Del Rey anyone?).

How much of a spin you ask?

Well, last month, NME, always the trendsetters, anointed her as the “Coolest Musician of 2011”. Read into this what you will - 2 band members from Kasabian were in the top 5, and last year’s winner was Laura Marling…

Adding to this, ‘212’ was just announced at #9 in the Pitchfork Top 100 Tracks of 2011, in the tidy company of M83, Bon Iver, Beyonce and an artist who Banks is already drawing strong comparisons to, Nicki Minaj.  The similarities are evident (killer smile, dirty talk, emphatic vocal shifts, sass, cheek, cartoon rage), but over time, what will be more interesting to see is whether Banks, like Minaj, chooses the pursuit of pop stardom over maintaining underground cred. We guess the $$$ will decide that! 

Either way, we hope she continues to mix it up, evidenced here with a sweet, sweet, sweet cover of Interpol’s “Slow Hands.” 

So if like us, you’re intrigued and want to know more, the question, like with many of these “buzz-acts”, is when is the album dropping? For now all we know is that master-producer Paul Epworth (Florence + the Machine, Adele, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party) is at the helm for a 2012 release, and that, in Banks’ works, it will be a mix of “rap-bitch shit” and “winter wonderland R&B that’s kind of like Aaliyah”.

Fuck yes to that.

The cold stare of those smokey eyes, the incredible pouty-lips, that voice.. Lana Del Rey is the new incantation of 24 year old New York singer-songwriter Lizzy Grant. She calls herself the ”Gangster Nancy Sinatra” but don’t you think she’s got Brigitte Bardot vibes for days? We do!

Anyway, enough about how gorgeous she is.. Onto the music. Whist Del Rey was originally a jazz singer, she now classifies her genre as Hollywood Pop/Sad Core (??) we think she sounds like the love child of Elvis and Marianne Faithfull. Bottom line, her voice really gets under your skin! 

Whilst there isn’t much to speak of yet (a few tracks on her Facebook page) the track of most note is the beautifully morbid “Video Games”, which she created the video for herself. It shows her pouting into her webcam as a montage of skateboarders, drunk starlets, and American flags flicker by. The muted, grainy, washed out aesthetic offsets the sad, strung out content and delivery. Quite simply, it’s sublime…

“Video Games” and its B-side “Blue Jeans” will be released as a single October 9 digitally and a day later on limited edition 7” via Stranger. Meanwhile, she is currently working on an LP, which is due out early next year. Trust us when we say, this girl is going to be a star. And we can’t wait to watch her rise…

http://lanadelrey.com/  

http://www.facebook.com/lanadelrey  

Bombarding us with some of the freshest disco and house vibes in recent memory are Swedish duo, Drop Out Orchestra, who have found their way into F&T’s hearts, minds, car-radios, I-Tunes and DJ playlists!  

For those of you not in the know, your best starting point would be the Introducing the Drop Out Orchestra mix, where you can find a tasty 17 originals, remixes and re-edits. Our faves? Well it’s hard to go past a sun-drenched, lo-fi re-edit of the Craig David classic Walking Away… But then again, we are pretty obsessed with the 80s, and in particular Rick Astley, and his amazing crop of fanta-hair, his trench-coats and dance moves, so anyone who can re-create Never Gonna Give You Up for the dancefloor is pretty bloody awesome in our eyes! Recent remixes for Mario Basanov and Flight Facilities (unreleased as of yet), should see this duo emerge from the underground into the spotlight in the coming months!  

If you love all things fun n groovy, and don’t mind the occasional cowbell, then we’re pretty sure that Drop Out Orchestra will be right up your alley.  

It’s Friday, the sun is out, so why don’t you leave work, jump in a pool, and play these tunes nice n loud whilst sipping on some margaritas? That’s what we’re doing! 

When it’s cold and windy, there’s nothing better than to listen to music that transports you to another season… enter Julio Bashmore, whose sexy, deep-house, sometimes glitchy grooves take F&T to a place… a special place… it’s warm, but not so hot that you need the air-conditioner on full blast. The crystal clear ocean is only matched by the brilliantly blue and cloudless sky. There’s cocktails a plenty… and sand at your feet…. Anyways enough rambling, here are the facts.

He’s 21.

Real Name: Matthew Walker.

He is from Bristol, and interestingly, given the area is infamous for it’s bass music, there appears to some surprise that a Bristol-native could be this talented at producing house music.

His “break-through” so to speak came when he showed up at a Claude Vonstroke show with all of his originals… this ultimately led to his debut Julio Bashmore EP being released on Dirtybird in December 09.  

Standout track? It must be the beautiful-yet-haunting Footsteppin’, which definitely leaves it’s mark on you after a solitary listen. We’re also definitely feeling, given our penchant for piano-basslines, his remixes of Christophe - The Force and Classixx - Into The Valley. Tasty, tasty, tasty.

This kid is going to be a star.

Enjoy your weekend.      

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED) first popped up on F&T’s radar when we heard his tropical, Hawaiian re-take of Wolf Gang’s smash-hit, and one of our fave song’s of 2010, The King And All Of His Men, it was true bliss! Since then, TEED has been causing quite the storm in dance music circles, and that’s just not because he wears a dinosaur outfit when performing! As I’m sure you’re all very well aware, Household Goods, is pretty much one of the most insanely good pieces of pop music we’ve heard this year… the vocals, the epic-NESS of the breakdown… ahhh, makes us feel good all over. 

He’s recently released a very tasty follow-up, Trouble, which we think has quite the interesting video-clip! Oh and a pretty friggin’ awesome remix by another F&T-loved Artist, Jamie Jones. 

You can listen to all of this tracks here.

It’s Friday, it’s sunny, so put this on loud and fucking dance! 

When you close your eyes and listen to LA-based KISSES, you’re immediately taken to a special place - your family holiday spot… the crystal-clear ocean of a tropical paradise… or perhaps your first love / heartbreak. Either way, Kisses have that ability to move you with their music, or as band members Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson state: “Great pop music is about escape. Kisses is about entering another world.”

From the dreamy, Balearic beats of Bermuda, to the new wave gem People Can Do the Most Amazing Things and Catch Me If You Can-inspired and recently released single Bermuda, you can see why the likes of Pitchfork and RCRDLBL are raving about these guys as the saviours of the chill-wave scene, with frequent comparisons to the Whitest Boy Alive.  

Our personal favourite is the aptly-named album opener Kisses… it’s fun, it’s cheeky (“You find a couple of girls kissing me”), it’s romantic, it’s catchy as hell.

Lucky for us, Kisses are about to embark on their first Australian tour, hitting Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra next week.

Do yourself a favour and go to one of these shows. F&T guarantee you’ll love every minute of it… xxx

If you’re not already aware, Xaphoon Jones (Noah, the drummer/producer of Chiddy Bang) is going to be a mother freakin superstar one day… as AC Slater puts it, “in a few years, he’ll be bigger than Pharrell.” 

Dropping everything from electro mash-ups, dubstep bombs and frat-rap, Xaphoon is fast becoming one of F&T’s go-to men for all things fun and frantic, all at the tender age of, wait for it, 20! Apart from being a stand up chap, Xaphoon is a mixtape master, and has remixed everyone from Kanye, Rihanna, Big Boi and Tinie to Darwin Deez, The Knocks, Radiohead and Marvin Gaye… he’s even produced for dubstep royalty Nero.       

Friday Fun is back. Enjoy!

Xaphoon Jones - Mixtape Vol. 2

Chiddy Bang - When You’ve Got Music (feat. The Knocks)

Chiddy Bang - Peanut Butter & Swelly [Trailer] from illRoots.com on Vimeo.

“Austra’s melodies are spine-tinglingly sensual; their robo-rhythmic thrust commands listeners to hot-foot it to the nearest dance floor” – Metro

“The most fully-formed new band we’ve seen in too damn long” – NME

Although this Toronto 3-piece are shrouded in mystery (Google them - there is little to read).. What you can hear via the numerous blogs singing their praises is pretty impressive, as is the music itself. 

Austra’s line up consists of Katie Stelmanis (Vocals), Maya Postepski (Drums/Programming) and Dorian Wolf (Bass) who have created a dark and danceable album, a little bit Kate Bush, a little bit New Order and a little bit The Knife.. What a combo, right?

They are swiftly firming up on pretty much every ‘Ones To Watch’ list this side of the universe, so grab a copy of their debut album Feel It Break on May 13 (out through legendary label Domino) and you’ll understand why.

In the meantime.. Have a listen to this little gem: 

And check out the super sexy video for Beat And The Pulse 

AUSTRA “Beat and the Pulse” by domino

Four years ago, Alex Metric was the poster-boy for Gen-Y breakbeat DJ/Producers and viewed by many in the UK as the man to follow in the footsteps of the Stantons, Plumps, Freestylers and Krafty as the superstar of the genre. But alot happens in four years… But don’t get us wrong, 2011 will mark the year that Alex Metric hits the big time. Here’s why…

Great DJ. Check.

Festival regular. Does Exit, Glastonbury, Bestival, Musicales and V Festival count? Check.

Prolific remixer. Gorillaz, Phoenix, Beastie Boys, Ladyhawke, Bloc Party, Ellie Goulding (to name a few) in the space of 12 months. Check.

Big single. The biggest fucking check of all. Open Your Eyes is set to be this years answer to Barbara Streisand. It is a collaboration with Steve Angello and features vocals from indie-legend Ian Brown - listen to it here. As Pete Tong says: ”This tune is so large, it’s going to need it’s own venue.. it’s going to have it’s own festival… there’s going to be a festival named after this TUNE!” The breakdown will blow your mind (and probably make you wee a little with excitement). 

Album signed to a Major. Check! EMI are leading the way with electronic music in Oz (Guetta, SHM, Deadmau5), so it’s no surprise to learn that they’ve snapped up Alex and will be releasing his debut LP in the coming months.  

Seriously, we can’t get enough of this kid. Hope to see him on our shores soon… real soon!  

Enjoy your weekend.

Love F&T