Exclusive: Broken Lovelorn On Your Rocks

Having previously sung the praises of London's {Psychologist} not three months ago, we certainly needed no further convincing of his sublime talents.

We didn't need it, but we got it.

I'm not going to attempt to talk his cover of Tim Buckley's Song To The Siren up - no hyperbole, no spin, no hard sell. I'll only say that, if you do nothing else this weekend, download this track, and let the music speak for itself...

{Psychologist} - Song To The Siren (YSI) EXCLUSIVE

2010 Who's Who: Andrew Davie

We're now nearing the end of our Who's Who feature (which has admittedly taken a little longer than expected), leaving behind the electro/synth-pop that has so far dominated proceedings and confidently striding in to more mainstream territory whilst simultaneously taking things up a gear.

There aren't many better candidates for this than 21 year old Andrew Davie, whom seemingly raised on modern American greats such as Tom Waits, Daniel Johnston and Elliott Smith, is sure to be competing with more established chart behemoths before the year is out.

The industries on both sides of the Atlantic are currently fighting tooth and nail for his signature and rightly so, combining a voice that sounds as tortured as it does delicate with a repertoire that most singer/songwriters would kill for even at this early stage, it seems to be less a case of "if" and more a case of "when".

For now though, I'll leave you with Elysium.

Andrew Davie - Elysium (stream only)

Exclusive: Just One More Dance

So we've posted the Entrepreneurs remix of Marina and the Velo remix of Ellie Goulding, it's now time to unshackle the final part of the trinity of earth shattering remixes that I've been cryptically rambling on about on Twitter for the past month or so.

So here we have it, The Aspirins For My Children has surpassed himself yet again in what I think is his best remix to date, an absolutely huge reworking of Gold In The Fire by Monarchy.

Spacious, climactic, deadly.

Monarchy - Gold In The Fire (The Aspirins For My Children Remix) (YSI) EXCLUSIVE

It's no suprise that all three of the original artists have had releases on Neon Gold, and the latter's debut single was unleashed with B-side Black The Colour Of My Heart on Monday. Cop it from Puregroove here or straight from the Neon Gold HQ if you're in the US.

2010 Who's Who: The Shimmer

Surfacing from the dark subterranean-like abyss that is... Isle Of Sheppey, Kent are the next band in our 2010 Who's Who series The Shimmer.

Comprised of sibling duo David and Jade Hanks, they channel the sounds and influence of Devo, The Human League and Suicide and it's David's unconventional yet instantly recognisable vocal in particular that really draws my attention.

Now, your average band may work on an early session in a dark, dingy and decrepit studio in the basement of some crack den that a friend of a friend let them use for a tenner, or if they're really lucky they might be able to hook up with some bedroom whizz-kid living off of premature inheritance.

Not The Shimmer though, they like to do things a little differently. They've just finished up recording with ex-Clor mastermind Luke Smith (the heir to the Paul Epworth throne?) in a Napoleonic fort. Seriously, a fort.

No Suprise At All is an unmixed/unmastered snippet of things to come. Having had the privilege of hearing some of their more polished and preened material and the fact that they have a debut single already in the pipeline (on the constantly mercurial Hit Club); I'm in no doubt that The Shimmer are going to have a serious impact in the not so distant future.

The Shimmer - No Suprise At All (stream only)

Exclusive: The Smile That Wrote This Song

Image by alibubba

We haven't even finished up on our 2010 Who's Who feature and things are already beginning to take off for the chosen few that we've already covered.

Velo were first out of the blocks in a lightning-quick flash with their monstrous remix of Ellie Goulding hitting the Hype Machine #1 spot (congratulations guys!).

Now Talking Pictures are back in a similar fashion, except they are on the other side of the remixing coin with The Aspirins For My Children taking over the reigns on Back In Time, adding some of his ADHD-addled charm and trademark synths to proceedings, cultivating a far more upbeat sliced and diced piece of electro-pop.

Not only that, but they're also part of a huge line-up at Camden Barlfy on 19th February that includes live performances from The Shoes, Talking Pictures and the much loved and newly signed Monarchy, with TAFMC springing up yet again on DJ duties.

I wonder if he'll play his mind blowing remix of Gold In The Fire...

Talking Pictures - Back In Time (The Aspirins For My Children Remix) (YSI) EXCLUSIVE

In Motion: We Won't Rewind

Japayork - Our Now

It seems that it's not enough to simply be a musician these days; you've got to be a graphic designer, photographer, direct your own videos and be an all round creative guru. 22 year old Londoner Japayork is no exception.

Whilst Our Now is not my favourite track (that accolade is owned by the simply mesmeric I Need It All), the video really adds some mood and flavour to proceedings and although it's very early days; it's a very solid start.

I'm sure we'll be posting more about him in the future, but for now check out the Myspace for the aforementioned tracks and more info.

Exclusive: Throw Out Your Heart

Okay, six bands into our Who's Who rundown, and it's time for an interval, of sorts.

And Oh. My. God. What an interval...

Following on from my recent words, Velo have made a swift return to these parts with their aforementioned Starry Eyed remix for the much-loved Ellie Goulding. Sie and Pete don't waste an ounce of the original in creating this grinding disco edit, effortlessly keeping intact everything that made the original so good while stamping their own mark all over it, creating something as home on the radio as it is on the more discerning dancefloor.

The sweet nature of the original is warped with distorted chants and a mammoth drum breakdown that calls to mind the Thrust Lab remix of Problem Is by HEALTH - quite how they incorporate such influences but remain defiantly pop is a true testament to their remix genius. Inject the unabashed funk of Pete's own original bass parts and the oft talked about 'Next Level' isn't so much reached and breached, as smashed.

Exclusive drop for you below. Spread the Velo.

Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed (Velo's Wild Eyed Edit) (limited download)

2010 Who's Who: Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs - Uv Been Robbed (Joking But Not) EP Teaser

As we shift in to the second half of our Who's Who list, it's time to re-introduce the multifaceted, multi-talented mastermind that is Entrepreneurs.

Judging from the tantalisingly devious teaser video above and the absolute monster of a remix below, it won't be long before things really start to blow up for Entrepreneurs.

A debut EP is set for release towards the end of the summer and with what is clearly one of the freshest approaches to remixing around; Entrepreneurs are definitely one to keep an ear on over the course of the year. For now, I'll leave you with an early contenders for remix of the year.

Marina & The Diamonds - Mowgli's Road (Entrepreneurs Space-Hopper Remix) (YSI)

2010 Who's Who: Hussle Club

I've been chomping at the proverbial blog bit to sing the praises of my third
One to Watch since first discovering him back in November, so with light now glowing green-for-go I'll waste no more time in introducing you to the right royal Prince Terrence of New York, a.k.a Hussle Club

Already known to many as drummer for the likes of Santigold, Spank Rock
and the fully Illegal Tender-endorsed HEARTSREVOLUTION, Hussle Club sees Prince Terrence take a trip down the post-punk path and away from the Island club sounds of his previous bands, into darker disco territory - it's a stone cold, carved-from-Gotham-granite sound; one minute handclaps and cowbells, the next 80's-influenced electronics, pinned together by Prince Terrence's percussion and vocals.

Lead single I Have High Expectations of What I want To Be But In The Mirror I Don't See Them Staring Back At Me can be got below and as part of an excellent remix package via the peer-less peeps over at RCRDLBL.

The King is dead, long live the Prince...

Hussle Club - I Have High Expectations... (YSI)

Hussle Club - Loose Tights (limited download)

2010 Who's Who: Age of Consent

I'm retreating from the shiny-bright light of the last couple of bands for the next of our 'Who's Who''s, stepping instead into the darker recesses of this thing called pop with London's newest purveyors of dystopian heartache, Age of Consent.

Comprising the talents of two former Shitdisco-ers Joe Reeves & Darren Cullen, Age of Consent sees the duo emerge from the chaos of Shitdisco's frantic party tunes and into the arena of Heaven 17 and Depeche Mode's slow & ominously atmospheric dance - influences that may concern lovers of the two's previous band were it not for the undeniable strength of classic songwriting evident in tracks such as The Beach.

Reeves and Cullen enlisted the untouchable talents of Luke Smith on production duties for these early demos, and together with the former Clor genius have crafted a sound a little bit intense and a little bit massive; all brooding beats and crunching synths, it's raw and affecting electronica.

Check Heartbreak below, still so new it's yet to be mixed or mastered: even so, you'd have to be a few short of a full set not to be getting excited...

Age of Consent - Heartbreak (Demo) (YSI)