fka twigs - 'two weeks'

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One word to describe this brand new masterpiece - 'epic'. Full credit to the production for keeping the tension high throughout on this quite brilliant track. Let me remind you that this so-talented lady is British too. I feel very proud saying that. What a talent.

razika - 'syndere i sommersol’

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Are you still looking for the perfect sound for the summer? If so, then look no further because I think I've found the tune for you. It's got everything you need and so much more - energy, a great tune, an instantly catchy chorus and a band that looks like they are having fun with the song. 

Razika are from Bergen, Norway. Where else but Scandinavia would you get such good pop music like this?

björk - 'mutual core (these new puritans remix)'

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There's nobody out there pushing as many musical boundaries as Björk. She should be declared a world heritage site all by herself.

elvis presley - 'love me'

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And backed by the incomparable Jordanaires. I bloody love Elvis.

eels - 'a swallow in the sun'

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Has Mark E ever made a bad record? I think not. This is an exquisitely beautiful tune from his latest album.

god damn right it's a beautiful day

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Uh-huh.

The Eels - 'Mr E's Beautiful Blues'

Air France - 'Collapsing At Your Doorstep'

Super Furry Animals - '(Drawing)  Rings Around The World'

mo-dettes - 'paint it black'

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I hadn't heard this in years and years until it popped up quite randomly on my iPod this morning. Hope you enjoy it.

tove stryke - 'even if i'm loud it doesn't mean i'm talking to you'

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After a three year hiatus, Swedish singer Tove Stryke is back with a kick-arse pop tune. It's sort of Annie meets Robyn. Loads of attitude, tons of fun and it's got an irresistibly catchy bass-line. Check it out if you need a little wake-up call before the big match tonight.

jimmy scott 1925 - 2014

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The legendary contralto jazz singer Jimmy Scott passed away on Thursday. his voice was unusually high for a man, a side effect of a rare genetic disorder. If you've never heard the man's voice then perhaps this cover of the Prince classic might give you an idea of the talent the man had. If you're still unsure then, well...he was Frank Sinatra's favourite singer. That will settle any doubts.

My goodness, this is a beautiful rendition. 

karen carpenter acapella

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I came across this fascinating article on dangerousminds.net about the beauty and clarity of Karen Carpenter's voice. It turns out there's a fair few acapella or near acapella versions of her hits where you can judge for yourself. The article is here but I've chosen one of my favourite Carpenters tunes - 'Top of the World'. Cheesy as you like and the beginning sounds like the theme tune to Postman Pat but at the same time so infectiously happy.

ltj bukem ' feel what you feel'

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He's always been associated with the more cerebral side of drum and bass, a reputation that's more than well deserved. I regard his 'Journey Inwards' album as one of my all-time favourites. Check this out.

sébastien tellier -'aller vers le soleil'

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If you're after a lazy summer pop tune then look no further than Sébastien Tellier's latest song. The video's something else too. 

leonard cohen - 'to love somebody'

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This is a bit of a find. It's a live cover of the Bee Gees classic by none other than Canada's Poet Laureate.

hundred waters - 'murmurs'

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It's not often that Florida and 'indie band' are said in the same sentence. Hundred Waters are here to help all of us struggling to think of a decent example. Actually 'decent' doesn't do them justice at all. They're frigging brilliant and this video directed by Allie Avinal Tsypin plays out like a modern suburban horror film. What's not to like?

shamir - 'sometimes a man'

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From the very acclaimed Northtown EP, Las Vegan Shamir takes us on a tour of the lesser known places of his hometown. Great tune, it's nigh on impossible to pigeon-hole in one or two words.

solar wolf - 'strawberries and cream'

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More than just a slight nod to Air's classic "How Does It Make You Feel?". I can hear copyright lawyers sharpening their pencils. It's a great track by Solar Wolf nonetheless.

tuesday morning in the mix

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What a beautiful day. Here's a few tracks that popped up randomly on my iPod this morning. In their own ways, each is a perfect gem.

Gonjasufi - 'Holidays' 

Sinead O'Connor - 'Ode To Billy Joe'

Wasaru - 'Our Memories'

architecture in helsinki - 'do the whirlwind'

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They're definitely not from Northern Europe despite the name-dropping in their title but the link's close enough for me because I love this band and in particular this tune. The video rocks too.

blood orange - 'you're not good enough'

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Prince and Michael Jackson fans will like the guitar hooks in this new tune from Blood Orange. Wonderfully retro and smooth as a Milk Tray advert. Nice.

kaja gunnufsen - 'au'

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Staying with the Nordic theme, here's the brand new track from Norwegian singer/songwriter Kaja Gunnufsen and a rather cool video to accompany it. She reminds me of Swedish Stina Nordenstam in parts which is obviously a very good thing! I'm going to keep an eye out for Kaja in the future. I hope she gets a lot of success. 

husky rescue - 'sound of love'

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Brighton and Hove Albion have announced their new manager last week and he's a Finn. That'll interest my brother who now lives in Finland! So...I was thinking of Finnish bands that I like and Husky Rescue are pretty near the top of the list for me. Their unique brand of electronic pop resonates with me every time I listen to them. This tune from their 'Ship of Light' album is a case in point.

marvin gaye - 'i heard it through the grapevine'

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The original and still the best.

interpol announce new album

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It's called 'El Pintor' and will be released on 8th September everywhere except the US who get it a day later. It was recorded in New York and mixed in London. Here's a short behind the scenes look at the making of the album.

nadus - 'sharpe james'

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How's this for mellow and cool?

caribou ' can't do without you'

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You've probably heard about this new Caribou tune from all the big online music sites. It's a superb track, no wonder everyone is raving about it.

pure x - 'sweet janine'

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I don't know a lot about this band so I've done a little bit of digging and discovered they're from Austin and play some lovely Southern swamp blues. This track's actually a cover from another artist completely new to me, late 70s singer/songwriter Eddie Rabbitt. It's a lovely way to sign off for the evening.

jj - 'all white everything'

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Just gorgeous. Regular readers of this blog will know full well, my love affair with this Copenhagen band. They can do no wrong in my eyes, they make just the most beautiful pop music and this new release just makes me love them a little bit more.

parquet courts - 'black and white'

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It's been out a little while but this is the video to accompany the song. Very retro it is too with various scenes from their Brooklyn manor. It suits the retro song which sounds very early new wave. They're going from strength to strength, they really are.

poliça - 'you don't own me'

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This is a superb cover of a lesser known Lesley Gore track. Better known for her 'It's My Party', this is a darker, more moody, less poppy number and this cover is given the full theatrical treatment and it works so well. I notice that Poliça are playing in Brighton at the end of the month. I must try to get to it.

You can listen to the track here.

honey smugglers - 'listen'

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A blast from the past.

biz markie - 'something for the radio'

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Thank you for making the record.......funky! Old school hip-hop at its very best

joy division - 'decades'

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I think this is one of the more under-rated masterpieces from their 'Closer' album. 

dj shadow feat. roots manuva - 'gdmfsob (unkle uncensored remix)'

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Yes, yes, yes.

reptile youth - 'above'

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This is the first I've heard of Danish duo, Reptile Youth and as introductions go this is seismic. The tune starts slow enough but this slightly longer 6 minute affair really gets going on the 2 minute mark. What a voice, what a tune.

the pixies - 'silver snail'

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I'll be honest, I've got no idea what the video is about. A brand new release from everyone's favourite reformed 80s band. I'm trying to think what it sounds like and it's just occurred to me it's as if Nirvana were covering a Syd Barrett number.

john fahey - 'requiem for mississippi john hurt'

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Rolling Stone magazine voted him the 35th greatest guitarist of all-time. Now in itself it's a meaningless and arbitrary title to hold but it does give you an idea of how highly this self-taught blues guitarist was held. And boy, did John Fahey love Mississippi John Hurt.

kyla la grange - 'the knife'

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This is the very first I've heard of the Watford-born singer/songwriter and I wish I'd heard of her before. She has a real style about her and this song, drawing heavily from the steel drums is a definite grower and very radio-friendly.

metronomy - 'love letters'

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Underneath the rather strange production is a great pop tune but I can't help feeling it sounds a bit 'mono'. It's just lacking a bit of oomph. A bit of warmth. I'd love to hear a remix or re-edit.

grand puba - 'good to go (feat q-tip)'

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How come I've only just heard this track? It's got a wonderful old school quality to it and would segway brilliantly into any of the multitude of tunes that sampled the Knight Rider theme tune. And it's got Q-Tip special guest starring. Now that's surely worth a listen, isn't it?

lana del ray - 'shades of cool'

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This is the latest release from her new 'Ultraviolence' album and if you've ever heard her previously then you'll probably know what to expect. The David Lynch meets Hope Sandoval sound is still there by the bucketload so there's no new musical direction but she is getting more and more polished as a performer. This is a very good song indeed.

brazil classics - an alternative world cup mixtape

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I've been listening to this all day on loop and it's rather good indeed. 

dark sky - 'drowned city'

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Kudos for discovering this track goes to my 14 year old son and let's be honest he's found an absolutely blinding tune. This is just so beautiful.

bat for lashes - 'under the indigo moon'

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This is a very short but perfectly formed song and accompanying film that Natasha Khan made specially for fashion house, YMC and there's even a guest appearance from Beck.

the smiths - 'bigmouth strikes again'

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Perfect!

jj new album trailer

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My favourite Swedish dream-pop band, JJ (they've capitalised their band name now) have a new album in the pipeline and have released a trailer for it. Excited? You bet!

thursday lunchtime in the mix

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I've gone for a mixed bag today; a topical minimal techno entry, an absolutely rocking track from 80s indie-rockers that reminds me so much of Arthur Lee's Love and an old school hip-hop track. Hope you enjoy.

Nicolette - 'No Government (Gimikk rmx)'

Hüsker Dü - 'Sunshine Superman'

Ultramagnetic MC's - 'Poppa Large'

de-phazz - 'the mambo craze'

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What a beautiful day. We need some mambo!

astrud gilberto and stan getz - 'the girl from ipanema'

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We need a song that suits the weather down here in sunny Brighton. 

the war on drugs - 'an ocean in between the waves'

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Destined to be in a lot of people's lists of best songs of 2014 including mine. Here they are performing live on KEXP.

eels - 'mistakes of my youth'

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I like to think of Eels songs as falling into various categories - there's the indescribably sad, there's the rocky upbeat sad, there's the whimsical and cleverly written sad.... this tune would fit well in the latter, the kind of tune you listen to with the sleeve notes and lyrics in front of you. The man is is a musical genius and I love him.

jacques greene - 'night tracking'

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Sometimes you listen to a house track for just a few seconds and you think to yourself "Yes!". This is one of those moments. It's deep, so deep and wonderfully bass-y. The BPM is a nice soothing 124 and the build-up is just wonderful with a few lovely drops. This is just so good!

...and then the simple yet expertly empathetic video of driving on empty roads at night. It reminds me a lot of a trip from Kiev to Lviv I did a few years back. 

polly scattergood - 'miss you'

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Now here's an artist that I've been raving about for a few years now and she continues to bubble slightly under the radar when she should be up there with the best-known. Taken from her recent 'Arrows' album here's the new video to the track 'Miss You'.

jesus and mary chain's 'psychocandy' album 30th anniversary tour announced

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In readiness for the 30th anniversary of one of the great 80s debut albums, JAMC have announced 3 gigs in London, Manchester and Glasgow where they will play the album in full. I'm definitely going to try for tickets for the London gig. Wish me luck.

In the meantime here's one of my favourite tracks from the album 'Cut Dead'.

fader mix: lafawndah

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This is a really interesting little mix described by Lafawndah herself as both 'naive and deep'. She's not wrong. The tracklist is as follows and really shouldn't work but somehow it's perfect.

Massacooraman – 'Conch Circuits'

Ghada Shbeir – 'Mater Dolorosa'

DJ Rashad – 'Reverb'

Kawai Kenji – 'Utai I – Making of Cyborg (2.0 Ver)'

Lady Saw – 'Nah Mix Nah Mingle'

Ace of Base – 'All That She Wants” VS. Photek – “Ni Ten Ichi Ryu'

The Sabres of Paradise – 'Theme 4'

Shabazz Palaces – 'An Echo from the Hosts that Profess Infinitum'

Tartit – 'Tihar Bayatin'

Roberto de Simone – 'Secondo Coro Delle Lavandaie'

LAFAWNDAH – 'Tabotab (singing over 2562 – 'Jerash Hekwerken')

Demdike Stare – 'Hashshashin Chant'

Karen Carpenter Show – 'Drums Are Not Suitable For A Young Lady'

until the ribbon breaks - 'pressure (unkle reconstruction)'

Tweet Back with a vengeance and with a killer edit of an already killer tune. Hats off to James Lavelle, this is exquisitely produced.

vök - 'tension'

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Icelandic indie music is in the rudest of heath and here's yet another fantastic band from that island. How to describe it? Upbeat melancholia? Downbeat pop? Listen for yourself. Whatever way you choose to describe it, there's no denying it's good, eh?

la roux - 'let me down gently'

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The delightful Ms Jackson is back with more electro-pop, this being the first track from her upcoming new album. It's a slower affair than the like of Bulletproof and shows a lot of maturity in her music. There's no mistaking that she draws heavily from the 80s: New Order, Bronski Beat, Fine Young Cannibals, Pet Shop Boys are all there in this track - the drum pattern in the second half especially is most definitely New Order's True Faith re-mastered. 

I tell you what I like also - the very definitely 80s sounding saxophone especially the interplay between it and the soaring keyboard. Phil Collins would be proud of that part!

grandaddy - 'he's simple, he's dumb, he's the pilot'

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A beautiful tune that just about sums up my present mood. Not having a good day.

st paul and the broken bones - 'call me'

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I've got into this band quite late but better than never, as they say. Apparently, they are quite incredible live with an enormous energy and from this live performance it's not hard to see why. Love it.

lovage - 'strangers on a train'

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From one of the most under-rated albums of recent years "Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By" here's one of the stand-out tracks in an album of stand-out tracks.

lana del ray - 'west coast (four tet remix)'

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He's upped the tempo and it's now a marching beat with far more urgency, stripped back a lot of the tune and made it very club-friendly but still kept the integrity of the tune intact. I think I prefer this to the original actually.

mickey - 'sweet baby'

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Now this is my kind of deep house music. So melodic, so beautiful, so funky. A great way to sign off from tonight's marathon blogging.

george ezra - 'budapest (a2a rmx)'

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I haven't played any deep house for a long time so I was searching out something suitable on Soundcloud and stumbled across this although I would dispute it being deep house or even house for that matter. I don't want to do the song a disservice but it's just a mighty fine pop tune to my untrained ears. And boy, has it got an infectious bassline. Yes, it's a cracking tune.

fennesz - 'bécs'

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If the internet is anything to go by then this kind of music tends to polarise opinion quite strongly. "Distorted...and not in a good way" say the antis. Well, I disagree. I disagree quite strongly and say that this type of music has its roots firmly in shoegazing, post-rock and all those other sub-genres with melodic crunching guitar sounds. I find this tune anthemic even, the distortion amplifies everything up to eleven and the overall sound is something even the mighty Mogwai would be proud of.

ben khan - 'youth'

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The video should probably carry a NSFW warning as some of the imagery is a little near the knuckle  but the tune really needs to be heard. Early 90s sample fillers, late noughties sounding vocals and a compelling beat makes for quite a song.

johnny burnette - 'train kept a rolling'

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I've always had a soft spot for rockabilly, especially the very early stuff and so when I come across music like this, I can't help but love it. The video is pretty damn good too.

johnny cash - 'out among the stars'

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Lifted from the 'lost' 80s studio album, the people behind the posthumous project have released a lyric video to accompany the release of this single. As with a lot of Cash's output, the upbeat tune belies the dark subject matter. Thinking about it now, it's almost his signature tune, so to speak. As for the tune, it's good but hasn't dated as well as I had hoped it would. The 80s weren't kind to Cash, musically and this shows in the cheesy chorus that threatens to ruin (but doesn't quite, thankfully) the main thrust of the song.

as heard on radio soulwax part 2

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The iconic 2002 album under their 2 Many DJs moniker has been brought up to date with an accompanying hour long video by the Soulwax chaps themselves. How great is that?

edit- 'mop head'

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I was listening this morning to the edIT album 'Crying Over Pros For No Reason' and thinking about which tune to pick for this blog. As each came up I kept changing my mind, the album really is that good. There's so much depth to it and I discover something new every time I listen to it. In the end I plumped for 'Mop Head', it's a mean, moody and absolutely brilliant track.

massive attack - 'psyche (van rivers and the subliminal kid remix)'

Tweet Someday's you wake up and realise that you really need to listen to Massive Attack.

fujiya & miyagi - 'flaws'

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Great stuff from another Brighton band. Shades of Jonah Louie's ever-so-funky 'Always Find Me In The Kitchen At Parties' but that's no bad thing at all. Really got to get the new album if the rest is as good as this.

dan le sac v scroobius pip - 'stunner'

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"I know it sounds weird. I do want you to look back on this and smile but I kinda want that smile to be through tears."

spiritualized - 'stay with me'

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From perhaps the saddest album ever written. If you've never really listened to Spiritualized, I can only recommend you do and soon.

lag - 'sama doma (forward strategy group remix)'

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Hw about some pure unadulterated techno to finish this little session this morning? I think you'll like this, a hypnotic hook and a very unfussy approach that makes for an infectious tune.

bremen - 'hollow wave'

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I guess you could describe this as post-rock but let's keep it simple and use adjectives that aren't deliberately divisive becasue this track deserves a wide audience. It's a slowburner for sure, starting heavy on the keyboard and then, not wanting to be outdone the guitars strum, then crunch into an exquisitely crafted composition always hinting of an epic lift-off but teasing the listener by keeping the tempo just under control before fading gently like a summer tide. 

jon hopkins - 'we disappear (feat. lulu james)'

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Just what the doctor ordered. This is a beautiful piece of electronica, ambient, downtempo, so melodic yet at the same time anthemic and uplifting. I love this track.

london grammar - 'hey now (zero 7 remix)'

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How about a bass heavy remix of band-of-the-moment London Grammar's 'Hey Now'? This song builds so well and so seamlessly that by the end you'll be bopping your head in time and looking to replay it straight away. It's got such a lovely techno feel to it yet there's so much more in there too. Check it for yourself.

theo verney - 'sound machine'

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Thanks indeed to the NME website for highlighting this excellent track from Brightonian, Theo Verney. It reminds me in part of Phosphorescent but far rockier in parts and it really gets going with some superb riffs and an attitude to match.