Five for this week:
The Pierces – Secret (mp3)
Stand by for a classic blogger gripe… With an imminent Polydor album produced by Guy “Coldplay bassist” Berryman, these NYC sisters are suddenly hotly tipped - having been great for bloody ages. First appearing in 2008, this track – part seadog ditty OD’ing on accordions and part chilled-out woodsmokey jazz, speeding up to a furious fairground finale – proves as much.
Passi – Famille Et Amis (mp3)
Inevitably from Awesome Tapes from Africa, this slick Congoese (by way of France) number features tight rapping and sweet female chants over a nicely subdued, sundowner tone.
Auteur – Ultra Violet (mp3)
Maybe it was the sadness in me at the moment, or perhaps it was just the chemicals in me that evening, but at some point on Saturday night my warehouse party just quietened: it was ear-pumpingly loud there, but in my head all was diffuse, distant and oh so lonely, like this saintly electronic blur. I danced simply because I knew to, because I couldn’t think of anything else to do. (thanks DDW)
Solid Gold – Just Like Everyone Else (mp3)
I bought two new cardigans this weekend, but neither makes me feel as cosy as this newly discovered song by my beloved Solid Gold. It has all the Minneapolis band’s staples: heart-pained vocals, delectable keyboard beats, intensity and an echoey feel, plus some bonus swearing and a cynicism that really tempts me right now.
Dengue Fever – Tiger Phone Card (mp3)
But I refuse to be depressed, and instead surf my head along happily to this warm-hearted duet by another of my faves, ironically about a long-distance romance (the thing I just lost). With a singalongability rating of 11 and more crests than your average surf beach, it’s the perfect pick-me-up amid this Armageddonish London of tube strikes and thrashing rain.
At first I really thought I didn’t much fancy “Secret” – most likely because I was alone in my flat in the dark when I first listened. But this morning I found myself singing it to myself and eventually downloaded it. The Pierces are tricky like that.