A sad song by Jack Peñate 'No One Lied'

You know sometimes you buy an album, put it on your ipod, and totally forget to listen to it. Then, months later, you'll have your songs on shuffle and something from said album will come on and you think "Oh, this is good. What is it?". Well, we did that with Jack Peñate's 'Everything Is New'.

It's a bloody brilliant album and we need keep meaning to give it more of a listen. But before we had a chance Jack's only gone and recorded some new stuff hasn't he.

This is called 'No One Lied', and it's absolutely hauntingly beautiful and will give you a shivers and might make your willy (or vagine) go a bit funny.



We nearly didn't write this post because it's so bloody hard to find that squiggle above the 'n' in Peñate. It took us so long to work out how to do it here it is agaiñ.

Yes please Maccabees: 'Given To The Wild' album review

This came out two weeks ago, but we've been so busy listening to it that we forgot to review it.

Here is our review:
"This album is brilliant."

Liverpool's finest (sorry Sonia) finally get a release: Picture Book 'At Last'

An EP called At Last? No shit, Picture Book. We have been waiting for these guys to get a release up together FOREVER.

We think there's been a bit of a delay on the release because vocalist Greta has been off warbling on a Deadmau5 tune and getting Grammy nominations (excuses, excuses).

Anyway, it was worth the wait, as lead track 'Sunshine' proves:

Picture Book 'Sunshine':

Why this is a self-release when it's clearly such a hit-in-waiting is anyone's guess, but at least it's seeing the light of day (ironic) now.

The EP is out on 6th Feb.

A lesson in how to improve boring old rock songs by a man called Doug

The following songs are all 'classics' we suppose, but there has never been a rule to say that classics cannot be annoying and shit.

'Twist And Shout' for instance: a classic, but if ever there was a 'fuck this, lets get our coats and go home' song for a DJ to play, it's would be this.

So, to improve moments of tedium and pop dirge ('Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Ace Of Spades' etc), a man called Doug Naugler (not pictured) has taken a collection of rock classics and turned them into ridiculous and VERY CAMP club tracks. The smell of poppers from his website is overwhelming.

Initially we felt that the following tracks fell somewhere between horrific and genius - but we have come to conclude that it is simply the latter. Besides, anyone who makes the opening to 'Ring Of Fire' sound the way it does here is clearly a man operating some form of above-average intelligence.

'Twist & Shout'

'Thunderstruck'

'Smells Like Teen Spirit'

'Billie Jean'

'Blitzkrieg Bop'

'Ring Of Fire'

'Enter Sandman'

'Livin' On A Prayer'

'Ace Of Spades'

'Wouldn't It Be Nice'

Needless to say, there are a number of musicians spinning in their grave right now. But lets be honest, wouldn't you rather be spinning than just lying there rotting? Exactly.

There is more about this 'Doug Naugler' chap on his website.

Forget that SNL stuff, here is some blubsome evidence of the amazingness of Lana Del Rey

IF YOU ARE FEELING SLIGHTLY EMOTIONAL WE ADVISE YOU NOT TO PRESS PLAY ON THE FOLLOWING SOUNDCLOUD PLAYER.

The Woodkid remix of Lana Del Rey's second single 'Born To Die' is a thing of measured, drum-driven and orchestral majesty which is completely and utterly heartbreaking.

Lana Del Rey 'Born To Die' (Woodkid remix)

We'd usually put something lighthearted here about how we had something in our eye, but no, we're just crying our eyes out. Toodle pip.

There is a good reason this is No.1 in the HypeMachine chart

It is the most exciting remix of 2012 so far and involves two of the most brilliant guitarpop bands on the planet today.

Foster The People 'I Would Do Anything For You' (Strange Talk remix)

In-cred-ible. And certainly better than that Jessie J monstrosity that is at No.1 in the real charts. 'Domino'? Domi-NO more like it.

Back away from Del Rey

Once, we went to Thorpe Park and rode the Nemesis Inferno, and as soon as it took off a fly went in Pigeon's mouth and he nearly died.

This, however, is nothing compared to the roller coaster Lana Del Rey (Lizzy Grant if you want to be all smug) has been on in the past 12 months.

In January 2010 'Lizzy Grant' released an album. It disappeared after a little while, and 'Video Games' emerged towards the end of summer 2011. Everyone loved it, and by December Lana Del Rey had become mega famous.

A few weeks later Del Rey appears on Saturday Night Live. Her singing is a little bit wobbly, and all of a sudden 'the internet' turns on her. Critics jump on the talent they were once so quick to claim they discovered, and lots of lonely old men have been using mummy's laptop to post their expert opinion on Lana's performance.

Building people up only to knock them down is nothing new. NME have been doing it for years. What's surprising here is the speed with which someone has gone from global mega star to endangered species in such a short space of time.

Del Rey is a huge new talent. We know realmusic™ fans want someone who writes their own material and has a unique voice. Here she is. And what does 'the internet' do to her? Shouts her down and declares her finished for one dodgy (it's not even dodgy, it's just not flawless) performance.

Lest we forget, realmusic™'s last pin up, Amy Winehouse, made a career out of being shit live, whilst pop's princess (grandma) Madonna is hardly renowned for her vocal ability.

In this digital age any idiot with a computer ("hello") can have an opinion that is somehow validated by being visible to the world. What people (us included) need to be careful of is destroying the deities we create before they've even had a chance to show us what they can do.

All we can say to Del Rey is "you must be this high to ride, and please fasten your safety belt". We've got sick bags if you need them.

Warning: The Beni remix of Kimbra's 'Two Way Street' will make your pants go funny

A lot of people in the UK are getting very excited about the GOTYE single, 'Somebody That I Used To Know' and quite rightly so. It's brilliant.

The lady on the GOTYE track is Kimbra, perhaps best known for her guest spot on Miami Horror's incredible 'I Look To You' single in 2010. An above average solo artist in her own right, Kimbra sits wonderfully among the current Australian pop scene alongside Cut Copy, Strange Talk, Pnau, Bag Raiders, Gypsy & The Cat and all those other musicians who have criminally underperformed (ie sold fuck all) internationally over the past couple of years.

Kimbra has turned to another major player on the Aussie pop scene for a remix of her track 'Two Way Street'. Teaming up with Beni, whose debut album 'House Of Beni' was one of last year's undiscovered album gems, the remix is sweaty, dirty, minimal house reworking that will do funny things in your pants and we therefore running away from any dancefloor where this is likely to be played to save everyone's embarrassment.

Kimbra 'Two Way Street' (Beni remix)

Besides, there's no question that 'two way street' almost certainly means shagging.

Here is something wonderful courtesy of The Rapture and Cut Copy

There are no two ways about it - what Cut Copy have done to The Rapture's 'Sail Away' is nothing short of spectacular.

Even at over eight minutes long, there is not enough of this remix in the world.

The Rapture 'Sail Away' (Cut Copy remix)

Congratulations everyone, this is amazing. Imagine a world where people actually BOUGHT this sort of music instead of just getting it free from the blogs. That would be nice.

A celebration of all things Adi 2012

It is said there is no rest for the wicked, although it appears there is an equal lack of downtime for the magnificent as well. We are only two weeks into 2012 but things have already been very busy for Italy's finest young producer/remix/dance god, Monsieur Adi.

1. A Video
Monsieur Adi's remix of Fear Of Tigers' 'I Can Make The Pain Disappear' takes one of the most euphoric slices of gay pop from recent memory and smoothes the track into a glorious eighties-influenced chillout track. The following video is suitably 'sundrenched':



2. A Mashup
The world's most popular hydrangea-loathing pop Queen meets one of the UK's most charming pop ladies under the watchful eye (and erect penis) of deceased soul shagger, Marvin Gaye on the following:

Ellie Goulding x Madonna x Marvin Gaye x Monsieur Adi

3. A freely downloadable pop remix
New pop lady is a big favourite with tastemakers Neon Gold and now, thanks to Monsieur Adi's sterling work on her track, 'Youth', she's a favourite with us too - despite stealing a fraction of melody from U2's 'With Or Without You'. Adi's remix elevates Foxes original into a controlled club hit and the finest drum section in pop since Alesha Dixon's 'Drummer Boy' (RIP).

DOWNLOAD: Foxes 'Youth' (Monsieur Adi remix)

The only downside to all this is that we fear Monsieur Adi will struggle to keep up this level of spectacular output over the coming 11 and a half months, but we are willing to be proven wrong on this.