Already huge in France, Christine and the Queens is jumping into the public eye in the UK with a spring in her step. She has got some serious moves!
Låpsley – Love is Blind
Holly Fletcher, aka Låpsley, had already won me over with Station, but it seems after recording with the xx producer, Rodaidh McDonald, her sound is only getting better. At a mere 19 years old, she is creating some of the coolest sounding music in the UK right now.
Tangerines – You Look Like Something I Killed
Peckham-based Tangerines specialise in drawling lyrics and Americana. Catch them at Field Day this year!
Arthur Beatrice – Real Life
Real Life gives me high hopes for Arthur Beatrice’s second album, Keeping the Peace, which will be released in a month’s time. Ella Girardot’s vocals are as effortlessly beautiful as ever.
Gabriel Bruce – Metal Soul
How Gabriel Bruce released two songs in the past two months without me noticing until now is beyond me. My life has been missing his unique deep voice and signature jerky dance moves for far too long!
What nobody tells you though, is that February can also be a bit dark and dreary. All your new year’s resolutions are long forgotten, your dreams of 2016 being “your year” are slowly slipping away and you’ve probably decided that hiding under your duvet until Spring is an adequate life plan. You are wrong.
What you really need is a determination playlist with a healthy serving of cheese. You’re welcome.
Jess Glynne – Hold My Hand
This song is an instant mood changer for me. Jess Glynne forces me to get out of my seat, dance around the room and put a positive spin on whatever rubbish might have been occupying my brain before. Sure, it might be about getting together with someone rather than being a Destiny’s Child-style independent lady, but hey, you can be strong and determined with someone by your side too. The “I CAN DO THIS” feeling is undeniable.
Arthur Beatrice – Midland
This might not be an obvious choice but I have obscured the lyrics in this song so far that it has become something of a determination classic for me. Rather than the “go get ‘em” feeling of many determination songs, Midland focuses instead on being steady, calm, standing your ground, and being stronger inside than you will ever outwardly appear. I’ll never move, I’ll never move, I’ll always be so still. I’ll never grow, I’ll never grow, as tall and fierce as me. Heaven knows it’s probably not what Arthur Beatrice were getting at, but it works for me.
Starship – Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
A classic! Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now brings back memories of singing along to this 80s classic at university club nights and bar extensions in a huge group of friends. Being in such a large, yet close friendship group is the closest I’ve ever felt to the “young and invincible” feeling that is always talked about. I felt like nothing could break us and I couldn’t really see past that time or imagine life post-university. It felt like everything to be there, just singing and dancing with friends.
Wolf Alice – Blush
For me, this song is all about having the confidence to turn your back on the things that make you unhappy, be who you really are, and go find your own potential. Don’t chicken out, it’s all good, you’re allowed, to be what you could.
S Club 7 – Reach
A determination song I grew up on! This gets every 90s child jumping to the dance floor and believing that they really can reach for the stars. It’s a throwback to a time when you really did think anything was possible. You could be a firefighter on Monday, a ballerina on Tuesday and a brain surgeon on Wednesday. Go 90s you!
A Midweek Mix dominated by female vocals this week!
Adele – When We Were Young
Ok, so we’ve all heard Hello and it’s great, but When We Were Young is something else. Adele has a way of climbing into my head and heart and shaking everything up. Critics say 25 is a boring album because it’s just like the last one? I say, BRILLIANT, I loved the last one! I have so much respect for Adele and I’m in awe of her ability to be so successful without giving constant interviews or letting the media take over her life.
Wolf Alice – Matilda (alt-J cover)
I love Wolf Alice. I love alt-J. I love this cover.
Daughter – Numbers
I am always excited to hear a new single from Daughter. Everything they create is poetic, sincere and elegant.
Disclosure ft. Lorde – Magnets
NEW LORDE! She remains the coolest 19-year-old around.
Chvrches – Empty Threat
I’ve spoken before about how much of a fan I am of Glaswegian, synth-loving Chvrches and their new album, Every Open Eye. On Friday I will be starting my five-day birthday celebrations at their Ally Pally gig and I can’t wait. My electro dancing shoes are ready!
Misty Miller isn’t quite as new as she might first appear, but she’s had quite a transformation since her sweeter days of blonde hair and pretty dresses. Happy is extremely catchy and I’m sure she’s going to be a Radio 1 hit.
Kid Wave – I’m Trying to Break Your Heart
I’ve featured Kid Wave on The Midweek Mix before, after I saw their great Tramlines set at the Leadmill in Sheffield, and I’m definitely a fan. This video for I’m Trying to Break Your Heart was released earlier this week.
Bully – Trying
Bully hail from Nashville and are reminiscent of 90s grunge pop. I love Alicia Bognanno’s Courtney Love-esque drawl.
The Half Earth – The Balance
The Half Earth is Sheffield’s best new songsmith. The Balance is beautifully measured and exact. It rewards repeated listens.
Billie Marten – Bird
Billie Marten has already been compared to the incredible Laura Marling, and Bird suggests that comparison may prove to be well deserved. Beautiful song, beautiful voice, beautiful video.
Long gone are the days when I’d listen to Radio 1’s Live Lounge every morning of the school holidays or over revision during study leave, but I have been loving Live Lounge month so, in its honour, here are some of the best LL covers from this year!
Wolf Alice – Steal My Girl (One Direction)
Nobody expected Wolf Alice to cover One Direction, but here they are with maximum echo.
Slaves – Go (The Chemical Brothers)
Slaves are masters of the cover version. They make every song sound like their own. See also:Skepta’s Shut Down Slaves-style.
Chvrches – Cry Me A River (Justin Timberlake)
A Noughties classic turns Scottish and synthtastic.
Lucy Rose – Bad Blood (Taylor Swift)
Taylor Swift has been covered a lot in the Live Lounge recently, but this beautiful, simple cover of Bad Blood is my favourite by far. I particularly love the change from ‘band aids’ to ‘plasters’.
Ella Henderson – Hold Back the River (James Bay)
Finally, a cover that is far from inventive, but is brilliant anyway. Ella Henderson is very easy to love — Ghost is the only good song I can remember coming out of The X Factor in recent years — and a great voice plus a great song always equals greatness!
It is imperative that we get excited about a new Taylor Swift video. Any self-respecting music fan can see that 1989 is not a guilty pleasure, it’s just absolutely perfect pop.
Foals – London Thunder
I haven’t really been hugely excited about Foals since I was obsessed with Total Life Forever quite a few years ago now, but hearing London Thunder has changed that. It’s fantastic.
Of Monsters And Men – Empire
Yep, them again! As I’m sure you’ve come to realise, I really, really love Of Monsters and Men. This week I read Emily Carroll’s Through the Woods, a magnificently creepy collection of graphic short stories with them as my soundtrack. A perfect combination.
Lana Del Rey – Terrence Loves You
Easy-listening, jazz club-inspired hypnotism. This is Lana Del Rey at her best.
This week’s Midweek Mix is in honour of the fact that I am going to see Florence + The Machine at Ally Pally in just under a month! Florence has been one of my absolute favourites since 2008 and it has taken me 7 years to finally get around to seeing her live. I already get goosebumps at the mere thought of the gig and I am undoubtedly going to be an overexcited, grinning, crying mess by the time I actually get there!
I can’t possibly choose my favourites, but here’s a random Florence mix for your Wednesday night:
Shake It Out (Live from Radio City)
Florence was shaking it out way before T-Swizzle was shaking it off. A perfect song for shaking off stress, regrets and late night parties!
Between Two Lungs (Live at Oxegen)
I know I said that I can’t choose favourites, but if you held me at gunpoint I might be tempted to put Between Two Lungs in my top five. Wedged between Drumming Song and Cosmic Love on Lungs, it’s such a perfect segment of the album.
I Don’t Wanna Know (Mario Winans cover)
Florence can sing pretty much any song and I’ll suddenly love it. Her cover of Mario Winans is a classic example – a song I would never usually listen to suddenly finds it way to my ears and stays there on repeat for the next few months.
What Kind of Man
Florence’s songs are all very visual. I often find myself thinking of the (truly brilliant) videos that have accompanied her singles, like this great one for What Kind of Man, or unintentionally creating cinematic scenes in my head as I listen to her albums. I love the interpretative dance style of many of the HBHBHB videos.
Dogs Days Are Over (Live at Bonnaroo)
I often find myself rating music on how much it makes me want to go and run up a mountain, spin around and shout out the lyrics (in the least Julie Andrews way possible…) and Florence gets top marks for this. Her music is so energetic, and it’s part of the reason I am so excited to be going to one of her gigs. From getting people on shoulders in Rabbit Heart to her usual Dog Days Are Over routine of getting everyone jumping around as much as possible, I hope she never stops.
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A special shout out to Third Eye (my current favourite track from HBHBHB) and Landscape. I really wanted to put both in the mix, but there are no official YouTube videos and we like to keep things legal here on The Midweek Mix!
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BONUS VIDEO!
2 minutes of Florence singing along toEn Vogue’s Don’t Let Go. Is the best thing to ever happen?
I am still loving everything I hear from Beneath the Skin. I’d love them to make these great black and white videos for the whole album.
Chvrches – Never Ending Circles
Another track from Chvrches’ new album out in September. This one’s definitely a grower.
Hinds – Chili Town
Spanish band Hinds admittedly sound a little screechy over this seemingly laid-back tune, but it works perfectly with the lyrics: I am flirting with this guy, just to pretend I’m fine. Saliva mixed with lies.
Pixx – Fall In
Pixx, a 19-year-old Brit school graduate, is definitely one to watch.
Baby Strange – Trouble
Glaswegian trio, Baby Strange, have a sort of accessible grittiness to them that really appeals. I can see them becoming a new favourite.
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