TRACK OF THE NIGHT: Bad Romance

Lady GaGa / Bad Romance

Blimey. This really did take me by surprise. I always had a feeling there was something special about Lady GaGa but I never expected her to create a pop song quite as incredible as this. Imagine Just Dance, Poker Face, Paparazzi and LoveGame all being put into a massive melting pot, turn the heat up to a million and there you have Bad Romance. With the help of acclaimed producer RedOne Lady GaGa has created an absolutely mammoth pop song which is just as sinister as it is danceable. From it's Poker Face-esque chant-style hook to the absolutely gigantic chorus, this is pop music at its most thrilling. In the space of just under 5 minutes we are hit with a barrage of rave-style synths, pounding beats, some humongous basslines and the earth shattering vocals of GaGa herself. Strangely enough, Bad Romance comes off sounding like some sort of ridiculously epic war chant in which GaGa stakes her claim as the new first lady of pop while commanding her troops to hit the dancefloor. MONSTROUS.

Lady GaGa / Bad Romance  by  ShornStarBlog

TRACK OF THE NIGHT: Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)

Monsters Of Folk / Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)

Monsters Of Folk are a supergroup made up of Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and M. Ward. This, the opener to their self-titled debut is an absolute dream. Almost reminiscent of the sound of Marvin Gaye in his What's Going On heyday, Dear God is a lush heavenly sounding letter to God, filled to the brim with flowing harps, delicate guitar strings and a gentle beat. Not forgetting the incredible vocals of Conor, Jim and M. Ward which saunter along as they break into some truly angelic harmonies. This is literally music sent from heaven and has to be one of the best album openers I've heard all year. It seems that Monsters Of Folk have smashed expectations by creating some truly timeless and beautiful music.

Monsters Of Folk / Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)  by  ShornStarBlog

BONKERS SPANISH ELECTRO-INDIE: Cof Cof

Ever since Cof Cof randomly added me as friends on MySpace I've been strangely attracted to their completely off the wall brand of music. Somehow emanating the same lewd international charm we encountered from CSS, Cof Cof make fun electro-indie which laughs in the face of common musical conventions. It's obvious that they show little consideration for the whole deep emotions: love, life and the universe shebang, as instead Cof Cof opt for writing about everything from cell phones to forbidden cocktails. This irrelevant sense of nuttiness strangely translates into very human sounding songs in which the duo bring such mundane items as computers and mobile phones into a wild and wonderful musical context, with the end result being oddly successful. The accent-heavy vocals of singer Ana may not necessarily always be in tune as she sings over a wide array of different electronic bleeps, blips and guitar strings, yet you somehow forgive this fact as you realise that this really is just the sound of two Spanish friends having fun, with this sense of complete and utter abandon giving Cof Cof their appeal. There is a definite gap in the musical world for some wacky international imports and Cof Cof seem like the duo to fill it.

Cof Cof / My HDD Is Broken

This is the song that originally got me hooked on Cof Cof. It can only be described as a barmy ode to our love of technology and the horrors we face when it all goes to shite. Utterly pointless but completely true, this is the sound of a band on the edge of madness and the forefront of amazing.

Cof Cof / My HDD is broken  by  ShornStarMusic

MySpace link:

Cof Cof

NEW LITTLE BOOTS VIDEO: Earthquake

Finally, we have a video that perfectly depicts the essence of Little Boots. New In Town seemed highly misconstrued while Remedy may have been flashy but it was essentially just performance shots with the kaleidoscope effect turned on. Earthquake on the other hand is an all out mind-blowing CGI fest. There are cosmic explosions in the sky (imagine the Northern Lights gone mad), incredible slo-mo raindrops and a silver heart which literally explodes with stardust. By the end of the video we see Little Boots raising up into the sky from the city below as she moves into an almost godly position. Extraordinary.

TRACK OF THE NIGHT: So Far Away From The Sea

Yuksek / So Far Away From The Sea

Yuksek is a Parisian DJ and music producer who creates seriously thrilling electronic music. Born from the wondrous depths of the beguiling French music scene So Far Away From The Sea is a passionate ode to love, loss and the sea. There is something oddly entrancing about So Far Away From The Sea through the way in which it seems to transcend many electro conventions by showing clear references to indie, new wave and psychedelia. It's a hypnotic mix, filled with gentle keys, sprightly synths, glowing harmonies and the almost retro-style vocals of Yuksek. Everything seems to magically fall into place as So Far Away From The Sea works as a modern-day cornerstone for electronic experimentation. Just lovely.

Yuksek / So Far Away From The Sea  by  ShornStarMusic

UNCHARTED SOUL: Airto

To put it simply, Airto has got the voice. Oozing pure unadultered soul with some of the smoothest and creamiest tones and textures I think I've ever heard from a white male vocalist, Airto is a literal diamond in the rough. Citing his influences as being the likes of Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Luther Vandross, it is clear why Airto's vocals evoke the pure essence of soul music and act as an impressive throwback to these long-standing kings of soul. First publicising his musical adventures on YouTube, Airto has gained an understated yet commited following who all feel drawn to his effortless covers of artists and groups ranging from the Kings Of Leon to Justin Timberlake. Airto has a definite way with covers, stripping them back to their bare bones whilst pulling out as much soul from them as he can find.

Airto / Chasing Pavements



This is the cover which truly made me notice Airto as he beautifully portrays the song's lyrical notions about the trials and tribulations of love with a ridiculously deep intensity of emotion. A majestic and subtley powerful cover which bowls you over from the very start.

Airto / Heartless



A sublime creation which finds Airto taking this Kanye classic into newfound heights of soul while he even adds his own new lyrics to the mix which complement the track perfectly. All this makes for a truly mesmerising cover.

There's something about Airto that definitely shouts out star...it just seems a question of when. Hopefully, this young man from the Netherlands will finally get the opportunities and recognition he truly deserves as he brings back the soul that we just couldn't forget.

Links:

Airto's YouTube

Airto's MySpace

TRACK OF THE NIGHT: Enjoy The Silence

Depeche Mode / Enjoy The Silence

An absolute classic. Taken from the masterpiece that is Violator, in which Depeche Mode successfully tied up the links between synthpop and alternative rock to form dark wave; Enjoy The Silence is a complete and utter enigma. Despite containing one of the greatest pop choruses of all time, this wonder of a chorus is surrounded by an awe-inspiring mix of haunting synths, dark guitar chords and an obscure underlying dance beat - not the most normal of pop arrangements yet this simply adds to the track's charm and pure brilliance. If that wasn't enough, Dave Gahan also adds a beautiful sense of emotion to the track as his deceptively deep yet sweet vocals mix perfectly into the track's dynamic arrangement as he sings "all I ever wanted, all I ever needed, is here in my arms" in such a yearning manner it sounds as if he could break down in tears. With Enjoy The Silence Depeche Mode proved that dark synthpop didn't have to sound cold and lifeless as they brought as much emotion to the track as they did synths. A timeless reminder of a band at the pinnacle of their career. Mind-bogglingly brilliant.

Depeche Mode / Enjoy The Silence  by  ShornStarMusic

TRACK OF THE NIGHT: Unfinished Business

White Lies / Unfinished Business

White Lies have been a force to be reckoned with this year. Not only did their debut album 'To Lose My Life...' go straight to number 1 but they've also massed a stunning number of incredible live performances. Unfinished Business is a definite highlight from their stellar debut and proves that even these dark indie-rockers from Ealing can create a chorus the size of Mount Everest. Unfinished Business has anthem written all over it. Not only does it manage to describe a dying relationship in the most epic way possible (death, God, blood, thunder, wind, rain, snow and smoke and mirrors are all mentioned) but it also plays host to a seriously mighty arrangement comprising of a Godly church organ, some tight-as-hell guitar riffs and a thunderous drumbeat. White Lies have created a positively rousing piece of music in Unfinished Business which you can somehow see people chanting as some kind of battle cry in years to come...COLOSSAL.

White Lies / Unfinished Business  by  ShornStarMusic

NEW FLORENCE VIDEO: You've Got The Love

Very nice video but not so sure about the new single version with the new vocals. In fact, I'm not gonna lie...this new single version doesn't even come close to her original cover version! Florence, what's going on!?

NEW MICHAEL JACKSON SONG: This Is It

Surprisingly it's not actually too bad. It was never going to be the perfect way to end his career but This Is It somehow manages to stray away from trying to modernise Michael eg. being pumped up on R&B beats and electronics. Instead, it works as a timeless sounding reflection in which Michael sings of reaching some kind of pinnacle in his life - how ironic. The lyrics of the song are nothing special...pretty standard swan song material to put it bluntly, but it's the music behind Michael that really stands out. There are flowing strings, clicking fingers, a pretty classic MJ guitar piece (just listen to Human Nature) played throughout and some wonderfully cheesy yet somehow perfectly placed choir harmonies, at points it even sounds as if MJ's about to start singing the classic (I've Had) The Time Of My Life but sadly the track never quite reaches these dizzy heights of feel-good euphoria. As a whole, This Is It ends up sounding quite dreamy which seems like the best place to leave MJ in our minds as we look back and contemplate how he was and still is the King of Pop.

★★★