Back To December Part Three

This is the final one of these, I promise. Hopefully.

Croox: Crying

As if there weren't enough acts pronounced like "crooks" already, here's another one for you. This track is almost singlehandedly the reason why there are three parts to this whole Back To December thing. I'd love to tell you loads about Croox themselves and this track, but there's quite simply very little information available on this here world wide web apart from I've determined that they at least play live as a four-piece. 'Crying' is a pretty sad vibe overall though, in a haunting kind of way. Laid back electronic vibes but mixed with harsh lyrical content gives the song a really interesting sound.

Flores: Afterglow

I have toyed with posting this song more times than I would care to recall. Every time I dismiss it, 'Afterglow' reappears. It's like it knows that I shouldn't be ignoring. Creepy. After Maths Time Joy and Flores came together for one of my favourite songs of 2015 it's lovely to hear this dream team working together again on something that sounds quite different to 'After Hours'. 'Afterglow' is pure Sunday evening vibe, mellow and soothing and Flores' voice is absolutely perfect for this kind of chill thing. Really can't wait to hear more from her this year.

Tove Lo: Influence

If this is what the future sounds like I am ready for 2016. Fully primed and prepped to go. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't holding a grudge against Tove Lo post-cancelling her UK dates in November, but hearing 'Influence' is as close as it's going to get to forgiveness for now. Tove Lo's Queen Of The Clouds was my album of the year in 2014 so it's fair to say that I'm pretty excited to hear new music from her. Although 'Influence' is just a demo it sounds excellent and a great indication that Tove Lo's second album is going to be just as great as her first was.

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Back To December Part Two

Okay so this was supposed to be a two part thing but the further I wander into 2016 the more excellent stuff I keep digging up from December. So here is part two of three... hopefully.

Frankmusik: Awake

I know, I know, I know, I've... I guess you could go as far as say "preached" about Frankmusik so many times over the past few months but any excuse really. 'Awake' is the opening track on Frankmusik's fifth album 'For You' (my second favourite album of 2015) and yeah, it's safe to say that just as excellent as everything else on the record. This video is SO aesthetically pleasing too. All of the imagery is stunning and every visual aspect fits perfectly with the song, like it all just fits. You ever gush over something so much that you start to think people might think you're crazy? Cool, me too. *Looks shifty and pleads for forgiveness etc.*

Oh, Be Clever: Blanket

Verse numero uno of 'Blanket' by the peculiarly named Oh, Be Clever sounds so Melanie Martinez-esque that to begin with I just #couldnteven. I'm into it though; it's definitely not the kind of quirky dark pop that we're hearing a lot of at the moment. But by the time the Utah based duo reach the chorus, 'Blanket' has morphed away from Martinez and is Oh, Be Clever's own sound entirely. Vocalist Brittney Shields' voice is so interesting to listen to as well, especially in the latter half of the track she really comes into her own. I really like the artwork for this track too.

Tontario x Lucas Nord: Rewind

I heard you'd been missing your R&B over Christmas. It's okay. Finnish producer Tontario and Swedish vocalist Lucas Nord have got you covered. 'Rewind' is a seriously sultry three minute stint and one you've been pining over the festive period. I'd imagine that 'Rewind' is the kind of thing you'd put on if you just wanted to "Netflix & chill" or something probably. Super chill vibe that just sounds excellent. The best bit is that this is a free download, available for £0 and $0.

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Back To December Part One

December flew by and I focused on end of year things for the past two weeks, and so this week here are some things from December that I didn't get around to posting.

Olivia Noelle: Faking It

Olivia Noelle has built up a nice 60k+ YouTube following over the past four and a half years, and although the whole "YT covers to build an audience" thing is becoming ever more common, it's definitely not a bad idea. The last that Noelle's subscribers heard from her was a The Weeknd medley (which is rad AF) way back in May, until she re-appeared with her first original song and debut single in December. 'Faking It' is co-written and produced by Ari Leff AKA Lauv who I lovelovelove and was included in my favourite EPs of 2015 so I'm stoked basically. This track is simple sassy "urban pop" that really works.
P.S. I'm not sure if it's actually possible to "spoil" Making A Murderer but I think Olivia Noelle's just done that to me on Twitter... I will forgive her if she keeps bringing out tracks like this though.

Wet: All In Vain (Thomston Remix)

'It's All In Vain' is most probably my favourite song from Wet thus far, so the fact that it has been remixed by one of my favourites from last year, Thomas Stoneman AKA Thomston (did I mention I saw him twice in one day at TGE last year? Yeah, I think I did), is all pretty cool. Thomston's version isn't miles different to the original but it really works, especially with his own additional verse towards the end. This could easily have been the legit/actual/official/whatever version of 'It's All In Vain'. Alas, it's not, so we have two versions to indulge ourselves in. Wet's album is out soon... I can't find/can't remember when but it's soon. So that's good too.

Raphaella: In The Rain

Towards the tail-end of 2015 Raphaella featured on a track by Yo Mighty! that I posted on the blog and I thought that she kinda sounded hella interesting, you know, vocally and that. That whole sounding interesting thing has been reaffirmed with the release of her new track 'In The Rain'. London based Raphaella produced this track herself, and it's super slick giving real testament to what she's capable of as an artist. The production and the vocal sampling are a little like a less "brash" and more "open to the mainstream" version of the tracks from Kiiara that every blog ever fell in love with last year. Why so few views/plays for this song though? There's a severe injustice lurking around here somewhere.

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If You're Listening It's Never Too Late

Sure, maybe liking 8/10 genres under the sun doesn't seem like much of a problem to the average person but when you're me and you want to stay on top of the new Goldlink album, the new Hailee Steinfeld EP and whatever the hell Weezer are up to right now, things get tough.

Ever since I can remember being into music I can remember liking a plethora of different things but when you're 14 liking pop music isn't cool if your friends are only interested in what your favourite Senses Fail song is. But now I'm older, wiser, and IDGAF, I don't have a problem with enjoying Childish Gambino and State Champs in equal measures and letting everybody know about it.

As we enter 2016 I stumbled upon this. Everything that Neon Gold Records bring out is quantifiable to actual gold and I'd be lying if I said I didn't listen to everything that they post on their blog. When I pressed play I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Note that when I "read" other blogs, I don't really read them at all. I hit play on the song and if I'm into it I may or may not go back and look at the accompanying text. Please just imagine the downright confusion when I'm listening to this and during the first two minutes I'm like "this sounds like a dancefloor remix of Jimmy Eat World... sure whatever", followed by "what's Blink 182's 'Adam's Song' doing here? What is this and what am I listening to?".

Thirty minutes later I am an emotional wreck filled with nostalgia contemplating how anybody would think mashing up My Chemical Romance's 'Welcome To The Black Parade' and Fetty Wap's 'Trap Queen' would work, let alone following it up five minutes later with Drake's 'Hotline Bling' smooshed into Say Anything's 'Wow I Can Get Sexual Too'. What the fuck Captain Cuts? What the actual fuck where you thinking? Nothing but pure unadulterated genius.

This is pop punk after all.



You can also swipe this as a free download riiiight here.

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