Posted in Songs Going Steady

Blood Diamonds feat. Grimes – Phone Sex

Posted on by Michael

It’s no secret that we here at The TLA are massive fans of electronic artist Grimes. Having alrady released one of the best albums of 2012 in Visions and signed up to play festival dates with Skrillex, here she teams up with producer Blood Diamonds to try to create in their words the perfect pop song… and they come very close, albeit a pop song from another planet. Halo drums are used throughout while Grimes’ vocals float over the beats. The verses lead up to a pleading/glorious chorus and then it all drifts away as quickly as it came.

This will be Blood Diamonds (Michael Diamond) first commercial release in a year and is out next month on 4AD Records.

Posted in Songs Going Steady

Icona Pop – I Love It

Posted on by Michael

The brash Swedish duo of Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo have been creating a buzz for a few months now. Having just released newest single, “I Love It”, Icona Pop are continuing to gain press, new fans and notoriety. The three minute track is a blast of shouty attitude, style, and pop smarts. “You’re from the seventies but I’m a nineties bitch” is already gaining anthem like status for 20 year olds everywhere. We don’t care and we love it too!

Posted in Scene & Heard

Rawi Hage

Posted on by Michael

“It saddened me to erase happiness with water. It saddened me to drown sighs and sparkles with hoses. And then it saddened me to bring back the shine and the glitter” (excerpt from “Cockroach”)

Posted in Album Reviews

Django Django – S/T (2012)

Posted on by Michael

It’s been three years since the four lads of Django Django released first single, a double A side “Storm”/”Lover’s Dart” but they have finally come out with their self-titled debut release. The four Scottish lads now based in trendy East London, originally met at art school in Edinburgh several years ago. Much has been made of drummer/producer Dave MacLean being the younger brother of John MacLean from the mighty Beta Band, this isn’t just name dropping as “Zumm Zumm” could easily fit in with the Beta’s late 90s output.

Sounding like giddy hippies who have just discovered electronics, in another time Django Django could easily have been a lost cult band from the 70s. Campfire harmonies on the aforementioned “Lover’s Dart” meshes into the dark, clattering “WOR”, a twangy surf guitar line pushing the song forward. The same guitar twang appears on possible future single “Hail Bop” with its handclaps and stuttering drumbeat. Standout single “Default”’s angular sound catches the right side of dance floor friendly post punk.

The only quibble with DD’s sound is that the vocals can blunt the edges of the band’s sound, sounding more like Cosmic Rough Riders instead of the urgent voice of Alex Kapranos and Franz Ferdinand. Minor preference points aside, Django Django have delivered one of the better debuts of 2012.

8/10