Too painful to look at the camera

Synths and glam may have been part of my diet as an 80s child but I never totally fell in love with 80s music. It’s only now – and after the main revival of 80s chic has passed that am I coming to appreciate what the decade of decadence produced.

Recently I went to Lovebox in London’s Victoria Park and went bananas over the bananas Grace Jones. It turns out another 80s superpower won my heart more – Tears for Fears. Well not quite, a few acts before Grace came BBC Sound of 2010 nominees – Hurts. Tears for Fears can only dream of being able to produce their kind of music – with all the technological advancement in the last 30 years that Hurts have to play with.

The northerners’ powerful, catchy and epic pop surprised most of the crowd – especially when they started singing along to songs they’d never previously heard. Although they didn’t win the Sound of 2010 – I expect Hurts to be the most successful from the shortlist. Ellie Goulding? Yeah – no one cares.

Here is a live version of my favourite song at the moment Better Than Love:

You can also watch the music video for Better Than Love on youtube. Or you can watch the brand new music video for Wonderful Life which they are re-releasing as their next single.

1. Dan Black – I Love Life
2. Daedelus – Make It So (feat. Michael Johnson)
3. La Roux – Tigerlily
4. Peaches – Talk To Me
5. Out Hud – It’s for You (album mix)
6. Moderat – Les Grandes Marches
7. Mum – They Made Frogs Smoke ’til They Exploded
8. Telefon Tel Aviv – Stay Away From Being Maybe
9. Modeselektor – The White Flash (feat. Thom Yorke)
10. Ratatat – Mirando
11. Animal Collective – My Girls
12. Telepathe – In Your Line
13. Esser – Stop Dancing

Any other tracks which you think should be here? Let me know…

The Copenhagen 5-piece, Veto, create electronic rock driven by massive hooks, synths, bleeps and pounding beats. With Troels Abrahamsen‘s soaring vocals lushly complimenting the textured landscapes.

I’m really going to have to listen to something else soon – I’m starting to feel sorry for the rest of my music collection.

There is so much to find on this album – every track has its moment. I especially love that despite Crushing Digits’ racy nature, Duck, Hush And Be Still, the last and most subdued track on the album, is stunning. It feels like a perfect ending.

Crushing Digits is released in the UK on 20 April and is available to pre-order on Amazon.

As I’m sure you can’t wait, have a listen to my favourite track from the album, Crooks. Its the filthy little guitar licks that do it for me:

Veto – Crooks mp3

Oh, and here’s an exclusive treat just for you:

Veto – Built To Fail (Tomboy remix) mp3

Peter Bjorn and John is made up of 3 Swedes called, Peter, Bjorn and er, John. I bought their previous album, Writer’s Block (iTunes) after stumbling on the track featured in this post. It’s a lot more lo-fi than their new work. I’m sure you’ve heard the excellent single Young Folks from the album.

Now they’ve got over writer’s block, I’m hoping their new album, Living Thing is going to be a musical War and Peace. There’s a tracklisting at Off the Radar. Now listen to the fat beat and super pop chorus constantly like I have and see why i’m excited:

Peter Bjorn and John – Nothing To Worry About (mp3)

Living Thing is released on 31 March and can be pre-ordered from Amazon.

So, the fact that holeytonal features more male artists, or bands with male leads, is not the reason for posting about CHEW LiPS. I’m posting about CHEW LiPS because I look like a tit when I groove to their tunes on the tube.

Only 8 gigs old, CHEW LiPS‘s 8-bit drone disco and indie fusion has already been featured by Steve Lamacq on Radio 1. Its especially refreshing after Pendulums’ shit but commercially successful dance-rock crossover – I’d even prefer Alphabeat.

Try your hardest not to tap your feet to this excellent tune courtesy of CHEW LiPS – only available to download at holeyontal:

Chew Lips – CLVRI (mp3)

Tour dates include 93 Feet East on Friday 12 September. But I can’t be bothered to go to the far east this week, so I’ll wait until Saturday 27 September and see them at the St. Moritz Club in the West End.

Also found out the new video for the super tune and new single Headlock was on YouTube, so here it is:

If any of you ladies ever sleep with this dude, keep your dental gear safe. Favourite lyric so far this year: “Pissing on your toothbrush helps to relieve the pain”. Pure filth. Listen out for it in the this punk pop megathon:

Esser – Long Arms

Previous Esser Post: Get Esser’s Foot Out of his Mouth and Throw it at Alphabeat

I peeped Peephole through Bell’s MySpace. Glad I did. Their main man is called Kent Odessa. What a name. Its nearly as good as mine.

Aside from great nomenclature, their music is really where its at. The currently unsigned, Peephole, draw from the legends Prince, Bowie and Serge Gainsbourg. MGMT aren’t too far from their imaginations either, with some great driving and distorted bass lines a la Electric Feel. Peephole’s USPs are their experimentalism, with some interesting use of minimalism, as heard in their song Traitor. They also receive counseling from fruit.

You can download all these and more MP3s from their MySpace, but if you’re too lazy to go there, then just listen to these:

Peephole – Strawberry Told Me (mp3) Counseling from Dr. Strawberry and Dr. Cranberry.

Peephole – Half a Soul (mp3) Can you hear Serge?

Peephole – Traitor (mp3) Minimalist piano freak out

Olga Bell, born in Russia, raised in Alaska and now living in Brooklyn, has vocal and musical qualities that instantly remind you of Björk. Theres even an interesting cover of Its Oh So Queit on Bell‘s MySpace.

At first I reacted against what I thought was a blatant rip off of the Ice Queen, but I kept coming back for more. Throwing IDM into the mix did it for me.

So, homeopathy? Bell‘s Echinacea is the IDM infused Björkathon, with a great trippy beat, and clapping. Its a bit of a shame Bell didn’t make more use of the cheering at the opening of the track, otherwise its quite the tune:

Bell – Echinacea (mp3)

Esser fuses tuneful trippy electro experimental pop with raw lyrics that rub the underside of your skin. Call it what you like, but lets hope Esser continues to write the best pop in ages.

Alphabeat, just stop now! In fact, I wish you never started. Esser is going to eat your heart out.

Formerly the drummer in the defunct Ladyfuzz, Esser has re-signed to Transgressive Records. Tickets are available to see him on the Transgressive Summer Tour, I’m looking foward to his Cross Kings gig in London. Especially after hearing session tracks from his appearance on BBC Radio 6 over at the The Daily Growl. His upcoming second single, the fantastic Headlock, can be heard at Esser HQ.

Those skin crawling lyrics I mentioned? Well taste this, “I have a habit of getting my foot stuck in my mouth, you are the only person I know who can help me get it out” . Reads about as well as anthrax, but maybe its the cheeky cockney accent that makes it sound like Wordsworth. I love it, but you can make up your own mind…

Esser – Lets Work It Out (mp3)

Can a passion for kit cars lead to assembling great music? Well it seemed to work with Leon Jean-Marie. The east Londoner, who’s family originate from St. Lucia is certainly starting to get a lot of attention. Island records plucked up the uber talented multi-instrumentalist and the world now waits in anticipation for his debut album Bent out of Shape to be released on 7 July.

For some reason Island are trying to genreise Leon Jean-Marie as Wonky Pop. He is better than that. Much better. Alphabeat is Wonky Pop, and they are awful.

His first single Scratch proves this man makes no ordinary music. I’m not sure how to define it, maybe Prince meets Skunk Anansie? Decide for yourself.

Bed of Nails, his latest single, produced by Mark Ronson, is completely different to Scratch, but also brilliant. Its more like the Beatles meet Blur. Check out the vid: