by Mikey (Gillingham, Kent, UK)
RECORD OF THE WEEK
Oceanlab - Satellite Every week there is a big German trance record and this is the one for this week Comes from Oceanlab has a massive vocal, hooky synth lines and all the making of a hit Breakdowns are humungous, the vox are solid and the mixes come from the hot Markus Schulz and Above and Beyond Mixes Above & Beyond / Markus Schulz. Featuring the talented vocals of Justine Suissa, formerly with Chicane. In the last two years OceanLab, has become one of the clubbing scene's most respected acts, combining lush production with sensitive lyrics and beautiful melodies. 'Satellite' has achieved sing-along anthem status and is already being hailed by many as one of the biggest tunes of 2004.
HOT SHOT RECORD
Dark Globe ft. Amanda Ghost - Break My World A nocturnal dancefloor track perfect for the following scene: a girl running through a dark tunnel at night. It's shadowy and dank. Her relationship has gone cold and what she's just confronted him with still rings in her head. Behind a bass-driven industrial drum machine and a high liquidy synth, Amanda Ghost's throaty emotive voice sings lines such as: "After all these years your heart's so cold to me / give me all the things that you don't need". Then it all crescendos into the searing chorus "Break My World".
The Bees - Wash In The Rain 'Wash in the rain' the first single to be released by The Bees is brilliant slice of off-kilter classic rock - lots of guitar, piano a Hammond organ in there over Paul Butler's strident vocals. How do they do it? Easy, they went down to Abbey Road studios, installed themselves into Studio 2 and then got all the really old dusty equipment out. There is probably nowhere else in the world that you could have recreated this sound, but by George, they've done it. I guarantee this; dear reader 'Chicken playback' will be getting your tastebuds all kind of tingly within the next year. The track will either by a massive hit or gets picked up by some kind of advertising campaign, as it is excellent!
James Fox - Hold On To Your Love This is James Fox debut single and it's the British entry for the Eurovision Song Contest competition this year. Will 'Hold On To Your Love' do the trick for us and improve on our dismal performance of last year from Jemini. Well it could do so, hopefully if the competition is not too fierce. As for the song its a terrific slab of perfect pop, sit-back melody, toe-tapping sound, guarantee to send your ideal lover all in a quiver.
Franz Ferdinand - Matinee The biggest indie band in the country need absolutely no introduction. Franz Ferdinand have confounded the critics by taking their unique brand of edgy pop into the mainstream. Last single 'Take Me Out' blasted into the upper reaches of the charts and 'Matinee' (the third track to be taken from the band's eponymous debut) looks set to do exactly the same.
Lasgo - Surrender In this new single they stayed with there signature sound and didn't change much as they were smart to stay with the formula that has made them an overnight success. Evi Goffin's voice certainly carries this new single with great precision, turning in a top performance to be commended indeed. They've proved a long time ago that they were no one hit wonders as they have released hit after hit. They already have a respectable reputation that will not change in the near future. So if you are a big fan of the European Trance coming out of the heartlands of Belgium, then I suggest you pick this one up as well.
Maroon Five - This Love The LA based quintet came to public attention earlier this year with the release of debut single 'Harder To Breathe'. They're back with the second track from their album 'Songs About Jane', entitled 'This Love'. It's an instantly catchy, toe-tapping pop/rock number featuring the distinctive vocals of lead singer Adam Levine, and looks likely to earn them even more fans.
Pink - Last To Know Guys, let this be a warning to you - don't mess with Pink! The feisty singer has been stood up, and on the evidence of this new single, she doesn't sound at all happy! 'Last To Know', the fourth single from her latest album 'Try This', is an angst-fuelled, high-energy rock track, and by far her strongest release since her chart-topping smash 'Just Like A Pill'. Perfect head banging material.
Phoenix - Run Run Run Disappointingly sluggish daydreaming from this Parisian foursome, whose first album sent up mock-rock doodling and disco sleaze way back when the concept was still raw and grotesque. The drowsy acoustic guitars and flabby hip-hop beats here are far less sensuous, drifting by like a wilting, half-asleep Beck. Forthcoming LP 'Alphabetical' should re-establish Phoenix as cheese-parodists par excellence, but not if it's as muggy and close as this.
Seafood - Good Reason Short and to the point, "Good Reason" is Seafood's first vitriolic song of hate, written on the spur of the moment and reflecting the outburst of anger David felt when someone very close to the band broke their trust and let them down. The accompanying video features bizarre footage of the band playing the song under David's sheets whilst he lies ill in bed recovering from recent surgery.
Sia - Breathe Me One of the brightest talents from Adelaide, Sia has taken the UK by storm. Her work with Zero 7 made people sit up and take notice. Probably best known in Australia for the club hit that also received a wack of airplay 'Drink to Get Drunk' a few people will be shocked by the tone of this album teaser. Sia has been through a lot since the last release battling depression and you can almost feel her pain in breathe me. It is a beautiful track with its huge piano lines complimented brilliantly by her soft smooth lyrics. This is how good Dido could be if she went deeper and more soulful.
The Stills - Changes Are No Good 'Changes Are No Good' is a banal and somewhat perplexing departure from the NYC band's previously released EP, 'Rememberese'. The song features spacious and lightly jangling guitars reminiscent of the finer 80s pop bands, but the sound is scaled back, drained of any excess sugar, and fitted with what equates to a "bored Interpol" atmosphere. Further enforcing the retro-failure vibe, the track is equipped with a marginally danceable beat, which the band never expands upon through any suitable means.
OTHER SINGLES RELEASED THIS WEEK
Armand Van Helden - Hear My Name
Atlantic Dash - Leave It All Behind
Black Devil - Disco Club
Breed 77 - The River
Cathy Davey - Come Over EP
Clams - Robert Johnson
Coheed & Cambria - A Favor House Atlantic
Earth, Wind & Fire - All In The Way
Fraud - On To You
Goldie Lookin' Chain - Half Man Half Machine
Grand National - Talk Amongst Yourselves
Hal - Worry About The Wind
Icarus Line - Party The Baby Off
Jesus Jones - Culture Vulture EP
Jolie Holland - Sascha
Lucky Jim - You Stole My Heart Away
Marillion - You're Gone
Mendoza Line - Before I Hit The Wall
Pure Reason Revolution - Apprentice Of The Universe
Stills - Changes Are No Good
Suzanna Dee - Stay
Tezla - All Night
Walkmen - Rat
Willis - Take You High EP
Single Release Schedule
April 26
3 Doors Down - Here Without You
Alex Cartana - Hey Papi
Atmosphere - Trying To Find A Balance
Bandits - No Shoes On My Feet
Blakkat featuring Tyra - Another Woman
Bloc Party - Banquet
Boogie Pimps - Sunny
Busted - Air Hostess
Closer - Gossip
David Byrne - Dialog Box
DJ Sharon O Love & 3 Elements featuring Leilani - Fast Car 2004
Dogs Die In Hot Cars - Godhopping
Eyeopener - Open Your Eyes
Fefe Dobson - Everything
Force & Styles - Follow Me
Gemma Fox featuring MC Lyte - Girlfriend's Story
Gladiator featuring Izzy - Now We Are Free
Glitterati - Here Comes The Close Up EP
HIM - Solitary Man
Josh Martinez - Hard Fall
Monkey Bars featuring Gabrielle Widman - Shuggie Love
Nick Holder - No More Dating DJs
Plummet - Cherish The Day
Prince - Musicology
Shaun M & Abandon - Another Man's Language
Sting - Stolen Car
Streets - Fit But You Know It
Twen2y4se7en - Hide
May 3
Acoustic Love Experience - Painted Pony
Ash - Orpheus
Auf Der Maur - Real A Lie
Baby Bash - Suga Suga
Buddahead - When I Fall
Charlatans - Up The Lake
Christina Milian - Dip It Low
Doop - Doop 2004
Faultline - Wild Horses/Biting Tongues
Gabrielle - Stay The Same
Gomez - Catch Me Up
Gunther & The Sunshine Girls - Ding Dong Song
Hybrid - I'm Still Awake
Ingo & Eseni DJ - Scare Tactics/Drifting
Keane - Everybody's Changing
Lostprophets - Wake Up (Make A Move)
Natasha Bedingfield - Single
Pete Doherty - Babyshambles
Polyphonic Spree - Two Thousand Places
Ronan Keating & LeAnn Rimes - Last Thing On My Mind
Sarah Connor - Bounce
Tali - Lyric On My Lip
Tiesto feat BT - Love Comes Again
Truth - Ready Now
Von Bondies - Tell Me What You See
May 10
2Play featuring Raghav - It Can't Be Right
Alanis Morrisette - Everything
ATL - Calling All Girls
Avril Lavigne - Don't Tell Me
Fabolous - This Is My Party/Make You Mine
Frankee - F.U.R.B. (F**k You Right Back)
Goldfrapp - Strict Machine
Jagged Edge - What's It Like
Jay-Z - Dirt Off Your Shoulder/99 Problems
Joss Stone - Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' On Me?)
Katy Rose - Overload
Kevin Lyttle - Last Drop
Method Man featuring Busta Rhymes - What's Happenin'
Morrissey - Irish Blood, English Heart
Scooter - Jigga Jigga
Zena featuring Beenie Man - Been Around The World
May 17
411 featuring Ghostface Killah - On My Knees
Bikini Atoll - Cheap Trick
Calling - Our Lives
Cassidy featuring R Kelly - Hotel
Chikinki - Ether Radio
Corrs - Summer Sunshine
Evanescence - Everybody's Fool
Fountains Of Wayne - Mexican Wine
Jaimeson Featuring Terri Walker - Common Ground
Marjorie Fair - Stare
Muse - Sing For Absolution
My Red Cell - In A Cage On Prozac
Pop! - Heaven And Earth
Vines - Winning Days
Zero 7 featuring Sia - Sommersault
May 24
Deepest Blue - Is It A Sin?
D-Side - Pushin' Me Out
Features - A Million Ways To Sing The Blues
Flip & Fill featuring Karen Parry - Discoland
Hots - The Red, The White, The Black, The Blue
Jessica Simpson - With You
Jet - Are You Gonna Be My Girl
Kelis - Trick Me
Mark Owen - Makin' Out
Morjac featuring Marly - You Never Know
Sam & Mark - The Sun Has Come Your Way
Signum - What Ya Got For Me?
Supergrass - Kiss Of Life
V - Blood, Sweat And Tears
May 31
Blazin' Squad - Shorty
Emma Bunton - Crickets Sing For Anamaria
Faithless - Mass Destruction
Ferry Corsten - It's Time
FYA - Too Hot To Handle
Ian Van Dahl - Believe
Kid Symphony - Never Been A Rockstar
Lemar - No Pressure
Lulu - Keep Talkin' I'm Listening
Peter Andre - Insania
Speedway - In & Out
Styles & Breeze - You're Shining
VS - Call U Sexy
Yellowcard - Way Away
June 7
Black Eyed Peas - Let's Get It Started
Cornershop presents Bubbly Kaur - Topknot
Fifth Avenue - Spanish Eyes
Kayne West - All Falls Down
Lemonescent - All Right Now/Bohemian Rain
Sarah McLachlan - Stupid
Scissor Sisters - Laura
June 14
Anastacia - Sick And Tired
Belle & Sebastian - Wrapped Up In Books
Five Star - System Addict 2004
Javine - Best Of My Love
Mario Winans - I Don't Wanna Know
Paul Weller - The Bottle
Phixx - Wild Boys
Shonagh Daly - All I Want
Usher - Burn
June 21
Beverley Knight - Come As You Are
Busted - 3am
McFly - Obviously
Rezonance Q - Sweetheart
June 28
Blue - Bubblin'
Britney Spears - Everytime
Kylie Minogue - Chocolate
Mania - Looking For A Place To Go
Savana - Pretty Lady
Will Young - Friday's Child
July 5
Janet Jackson - All Nite (Don't Stop)
Shaznay Lewis - Never Felt Like This Before
Sugababes - Caught In A Moment
Dates to be confirmed
Angel City featuring Lara McAllen - Touch Me
Bellefire - You Were Meant For Me
Blink-182 - Down
George Michael - Flawless (Go To The City)
Hoobastank - The Reason
Jamelia - See It In A Boy's Eyes
Jason Downs - Shut Up (Let's Hook Up)
Kristian Leontiou - Story Of My Life
Nelly Furtado - Forca
N-Trance - I'm In Heaven
O Zone - Mai Ai Hii (Dragostea Din Tei)
Outkast - Roses
Tommi - It's Dat Choon
