Here’s your weekly dose of music to help you get through a rough week, as prescribed by Azra Kassam.
Nick Santino – Call me Maybe
Anyone who doesn’t live under a rock has probably heard Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call me Maybe.” The kids love it, Justin Bieber loves it, and apparently, A Rocket To the Moon’s Nick Santino loves it too. He decided to record an acoustic cover of the song so it would stop playing over and over in his head. I can’t guarantee that the song won’t get stuck in your head, but hopefully this mature version of the song will tickle your fancy.
Miike Snow — The Wave
“The Wave” is Miike Snow’s second single off the new album “Happy to You.” Listeners beware, the only thing in common “The Wave” has with Miike Snow’s first smash hit “Animal,” is the return of lead singer Andrew Wyatt’s beautifully laidback vocals. Haunting lyrics combined with an entrancing rhythm and repetitive piano chords give the song a somber tone. Watch the new video for “The Wave” above.
Clams Casino remix – Florence and the Machine’s Never Let Me Go
As if Flo needed a remix to bring out her angelic voice, Clams Casino takes “Never Let Me Go” to a whole new level. Clams Casino re-interprets the single, transporting the listener to a lush rainforest with distorted background sound and ethnic drumbeats. The highlight of the remix is Florence Welch’s muffled, pitched down voice halfway through that is simply eerie.
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Never Go Back
From their upcoming fourth studio album The Lion The Beast The Beat, (release date June 12) comes Grace Potter and the Nocturnals’ brand new single “Never Go Back.” The single is co-written by Potter and Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, and is a bluesy, flute infused jam that the two musicians came up with while “fucking around” in the studio. Definitely worth a listen.
The Jezebels – Rosebud
The Jezabels transport me back to the 80s (not that I was alive then) with the video for their latest single “Rosebud.” Directed by Ben Reed, the low quality footage, picture layering, and fake snow complement the song’s retro vibe perfectly. Unfortunately, the Eurythmics do not make a special appearance as I was hoping for!
Over the past year we have interviewed some amazing musicians, and many of those people have been from Sweden. They must be putting something in the water because there is some amazing music coming out of that country. Perfect example – Miike Snow. They started off doing some song writing for people like Madonna and Kylie Minogue, and now they are using their talents for themselves. And we aren’t the only ones who think their amazing as can be seen with the huge amount of hot girls they have as fans!
Fanfarlo – A fascinating group the UK who’s live show is energetic, eclectic and wonderful all at the same time. Brilliant instrumentation. Soaring hooks that transport the audience right out of the tent. A true collective of musicians who clearly love what they do and who they are. Arguably the next Arcade Fire. Do not miss their live show.
Nneka – A truly unifying artist. Her raw talent and sheer emotion captivated skater kids and old record execs alike. You get the idea that she’s singing about what she knows… which unfortunately is a whole lot of pain. Nonetheless, it takes someone remarkably special to transform that into the beautifully instrumented gems that she belts out onstage. This year will be remembered as the year that Nneka came to town.
