POLARSETS

Been holding out for the optimum time to posts this band from Newcastle and now seems the perfect time to do so. From the outset, if you love 'Two Door Cinema Club' chances are these guys will float your boat. Sounding like a synth board dripping with the sounds of summer that went on holiday to Ibiza and came back a changed 'man'. It's all so groovy. Springing up in the early months of '11 with songs like 'Morning' and 'Leave Argentina' they set themselves up for a big year and recently this has coming true, playing Radio 1's new artists stage and getting plays from DJ's on the show with the their first proper single 'Sunshine Eyes', on the super-cool French label Kitsune which it so happens 'Two Door' are also with. Do the math. Polarsets don't really do the understated with each of the 4 songs being bold and brash with plenty of cowbell to go around. The most important part of the music is that is the enjoyment that seems to come through, they don't seem to take themselves too seriously preferring to make big summer anthems instead.

The said single 'Sunshine Eyes' is available to buy from Itunes but there are a couple of songs below to download. Imagine these guys, a field and a crowd. Big things.

Download From 'Neon Gold'>> Leave Argentina

Polarsets - Morning by jenanderson

Sunshine Eyes by Polarsets

DUOLOGUE

A fusion of all things unholy is an apt description, mixing the big stadium sound of Muse, with the haunting falsetto of Thom Yorke and wrapped up with a a scattering of glitched up wobbles and low down bass. Kind of alot to take in, however the brilliance of the band comes with the basic fact that it doesn't and it sounds sort of 'next level'. Popping up in the late late months of 2010, with 'Cut And Run', which remains a frequently played, they return with their first true release, a EP which is nicely named 'Duologue'. Consisting of 4 songs it contains one truly new song 'Zeros' and studio versions of live tracks that had been leaking into the shark-infested waters of the blogosphere to be ripped up with delight, 'Get Out While You Can', 'Marching Orders' and 'Racketeer'. This is by no means a summer album, the EP is brash, emotional and loud not skimping on the guitar riffs or the massive chorus' that you quickly find yourself singing aloud, that later loop in the head like a slightly unhinged dream. The production on the songs is faultless, think German super cars, some times personality can be lost with this approach to production but the slickness adds to the future feel and the emotion creeps through in the vocals and desperate sounding guitars.

Unfortunately for us, the EP comes at a price, but you can save some dollar by downloading 2 of the 4 songs below and completing the rest on Itunes. Fusion works.

DOWNLOAD OFF WEBSITE >> GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN

Duologue - Zeros by Duologue

DRIVE

Something exciting in a raw sound. Drive create that naturally authentic brilliance in music, that has been lost with all the Mac's and the synths in the world. The freshly cut feel to the two tracks released thus far is not due to the demo status just the passion and enthusiasm which pours through, the songs being stadium sized and summer-with-the- roof-down good. The best of the tracks on offer is 'Falling Back', which starts slowly, building subtly to a crashing waterfall of a chorus, it feels understated but not refrained. It was meant to be that way. The other record 'No Feel' is the bigger, louder older brother, again having a huge ability to sound track the drive down the coast. Drive have managed to create what every person who picks up an electric guitar wants to and then make it really fucking good . Normally it takes a while for a band to find its feet, perfect its sound but in Drive it feels that we have 4 people who know what music they want to make. They are not apologising for being loud, they want the whole world to know.

But they could do with a better photo.

Download's Below (Grey Arrow)

No Feel (new mix) by Drive.

Falling Back (rough demo) by Drive.

SBTRKT

Production is a skill just like any other form in music. Here is a man who is as good as any other at the moment. Linking garage beats, piano cords and trumpets with the newer sounds of dubstep, the music is deep and slick but nonetheless catchy. His task is made easier with vocals from the likes of Sampha on the track below, 'Living Like You Do', whose voice is strained but adds an enchantment and soul to the record. SBTRKT's latest record 'Wildfire' features vocals from Little Dragon who was collaborated with people such as Gorillaz in the past. It does have a wobble but this isn't the main focus of the song, adding to the tone but not creating an overpowering feeling like so much dubstep, the record is chilled and very London. Drake remixes the opening of the song adding yet another dimension and as ever his rapping is better than much of his standard R&B dynamic.

We have a creator that can do so much, not confined by any single genre, it's not surprising seeing as his record label, Young Turks, are the people behing the XX. LP in July, tunes await.

DOWNLOAD 'WILDFIRE' FROM DRAKE'S BLOG

YT057 - SBTRKT - Living Like I Do by Young Turks

CHIDDY BANG

Chiddy Bang - Peanut Butter & Swelly [Trailer] from illRoots.com on Vimeo.

The rap duo of beatmaker, Xaphoon and Chiddy are superstardom. There mixtape 'Swelly Express' released in October 2009 was linked quite closely with the word 'spectacular'. There game has dropped in recent times with their first label release focusing rather on breaking the charts rather than making indie-rap classics. Hopefully Chiddy's new mixtape, 'Peanut Butter and Swelly' collaborating with many producers will place them back on top of the game bringing back the good ol' days of hits such as 'Because' and 'Sonner or Later'. May 27, be there.

ST. LUCIA

This is some kinda fresh NYC sounds and synthsizers. St Lucia is a man who wants to make summer jams, all wrapped up in a breezy musical kiss. Recently signed to HeavyRoc Music, the record label of The Knocks, its a good signing as both acts are focused on making big jams. There is only one release from St. Lucia, 'The Old House is Gone' and is the first glimpse of the blue skies that (fingers crossed) are on the horizon. 'Animal Collective' use of the synths with a slight mix of electro-Jamaican drums and a very cheeky bouncing bass line. This is why we summer ladies and gents. Get your groove ON.

The Old House Is Gone by St. Lucia

(Download, Little Grey Arrow)

Frank Ocean

Excitement of music, paralleled with that of 'The Weeknd' R&B album, comes the Frank Ocean album, nostalgia/ultra, another R&B album, but honestly the genre is irrelevant. It fuses them seamlessly with a mixture of samples and fuzzy synths that add another dimension to the sound. The most impressive aspect of the album, which has gained Ocean much attention, is the lyrical content. Personality in music, at the moment, is the singularly most lacking feature in the charts. With this album the lyrics are of such a personal nature that with each listen comes a more clear understanding of them and their themes. Suicide, heartbreak and the disappearance of a father. The silt settles and a picture is painted. It's not all desperate and heavy, there are numerous times when the album picks up, becomes sexy. It's not the sexy in a negative way, or a exploitative way. It's made both sexes. The Ocean making waves.

Download Here
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