Noisettes To Release Third Album Contact, August 27th; New Single, 'That Girl' August 13th

As a follow up to their anthemic and timely Olympics-ready JAM "Winner" (remixed to PERFECTION by Steve Smart & Westfunk I might add) English duo Noisettes (AKA Dan Smith & Shingai Shoniwa) are ready to unleash the first proper single from their forthcoming third album, Contact.  The 60s inspired "That Girl" (listen BELOW) will be released August 13th in the UK via the band's label, Vertigo Records.  "That Girl" is the perfect lead single for the band, who's retro vocal and vintage-inspired musical stylings have become a staple in their catalog.  The sultry, soul-pop bopper recalls something straight out of the Motown era with it's infectious, toe tapping beats and Shoniwa's one-of-a-kind throwback vocals.  Contact is due out August 27th.

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The Noisettes Tease Upcoming Third Album, New Single, 'Winner' Released July 9th

This is the moment I've (and hopefully you've) been waiting for!  English indie rock darlings, the Noisettes have a new single coming out this summer!  It's been nearly three years since we've heard a peep of new music from the talented London-based threesome, consisting of the ever ravishing singer/bassist Shingai Shoniwa, guitarist Dan Smith and drummer Jamie Morrison, and I don't know about you but my mouth has been salivating with anticipation!  Well, it's safe to say that the wait is finally ALMOST over.  Due July 9th, the aptly titled "Winner," offers music lovers a small sampling of what's to come off of the band's upcoming third album, and boy are we in for a treat.  Two weeks ago, the band uploaded a 1:29 clip of the new single onto their SoundCloud page, so feast your ears folks...

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V.V. Brown's Coming To Boston, Album Out Now - Digitally

I chalk this up as a case of "if you TWEET, they will come." V.V. Brown is coming to Boston! How excited am I? Now, I'm not seriously attributing my TWEET as the reason for V.V. coming to Boston, but I'm sure it couldn't have hurt. Whatever it takes to get V.V. here, right?

Back in January, V.V. announced a small U.S. tour to promote the Stateside release of her debut album Travelling Like The Light. While the album was originally due for release on February 9th - NOW the release date has been pushed back to March 30th - at least as far as the album's physical format is concerned. For those who can't wait until the end of March, iTunes has it available for download starting today for only $5.99! That's hot. Not sure about the investment? Spin it for free on Spinner.com. NOT ONLY THAT but iTunes has made "Shark In The Water" the free iTunes Single Of The Week this week. Pretty special. Way to go V.V! Quite the plug.

While I've been raving about Brown for months and now...FINALLY the American press has started to catch on. Interview Magazine calls Brown's sound "pop music from another planet," (which I choose to take as a compliment) while Women's Wear Daily claims that V.V.'s got a "set of pipes that rivals Amy Winehouse's." Marie Claire hears V.V.'s song "Game Over" and hears a little bit of James Bond and a little bit of Gene Kelly. To me, V.V.'s music is pure pop perfection. With every listen, I discover something new. I love that it's a little bit retro and a little bit futuristic. I can only imagine how fantastic her live set is going to be.

Her U.S. tour started at the end of January back in Los Angeles, followed by performances in San Francisco on Thursday, and back to LA on Saturday. V.V. then heads East for shows in Brooklyn (February 15th), Philly (February 18th) and Washington D.C. (February 19th). Lucky me that only ONE new date has been added to the tour. February 22nd in Boston at Great Scott (where I was lucky enough to see the Noisettes perform back in August). YES!

The brilliant video for Brown's "Shark In The Water" has been doing well on VH1 Soul, Centric TV and Logo's "NewNowNext PopLab." The New York Post calls the song (one of my favorites) "so crazy catchy that it'd make Kelly Clarkson green with envy." Indeed. In addition her songs appearing in high profile shows like CSI:NY and Desperate Housewives, her song "L.O.V.E." has been heavily used in promotion for the new hit ABC comedy Cougar Town.

V.V. Spinning at the EMI Grammy Party (Via Twitter)

One of the many reasons why I love V.V. Brown is that she seems truly humbled by all of her early success and praise here in the States, which is impressive considering she's selling out shows so early on her tour. That sort of attention could give some new singers a big head! She even got a fancy gig DJing at the EMI Grammy Party, where she hobnobbed with the EMI crew here in the U.S. Good for her! She deserves all of the success in the world, as far as I'm concerned. She's an international super star in the making. It's going to be great fun watching her speedy ascent to the top. Get tickets to see her Boston show NOW before they sell out. Only $9.00!

Check out V.V. Brown on the web:
Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube//iTunes

To Rock or Not To Rock: Should I Go To the Perez Hilton Presents Tour 2009?

ARG. No money! Too many other expenses. As a self diagnosed "Fool_4_Music" I love going to see a live gig WHENEVER I can. Just saw the Noisettes, going to see Kylie Minogue in October, Ray LaMontagne and Girl Talk in November...

My predicament is DO I GO and see the Perez Hilton Presents Tour 2009? I'm very tempted. Performing at the House of Blues in Boston on September 14th we have: Ladyhawke, Ida Maria, Semi Precious Weapons and (my favorite) Frankmusik. Missing from the lineup that night? Sliimy, Eric Hutchinson and Julian Perretta. I feel like these artists are all part of that NEXT BIG THING wave of bands from Europe crossing over here. Now is my chance to see them, right? Before they all blow up or fizzle away back to Europe? Tickets are only $27.00 each ($24.00 each if I get a four pack). Anyone in Boston want to go with me? That's a lot of music for $27.00 + $10 - $12 in service fees! Let me know!

The tour kicks things off in Atlanta on September 10th, 2009. Check out the list of tour dates and buy your tickets HERE!

Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart - August 20, 2009

Congrats to the new princess of dance...Kaci Battaglia (formerly known as Kaci). She moves up one spot into the top spot on the dance chart. She's had some club chart success in the UK but not a WHOLE lot here in the states. I was hoping she'd have a bit more mainstream success but I'll take what I can get. It appears that Sean Kingston has plateaued at # 3 and Simply Red moves down one spot to #5. We also have three new additions to the Top Ten...Black Eyed Peas ("I Gotta Feeling"), Deadmau5 & Melleefresh ("Attention Whore") and my personal fav, La Roux ("Bulletproof"). Outside of the top 10 we have Madonna with "Celebration" at #16, the Noisettes moving up 4 spots to #18, passing by the Jonas Brothers who now sit pretty at # 19. Good things to come!

Thursday August 20, 2009

Crazy Possessive (Kaci Battaglia)

#1 (Last Week - #2)

Be Alright (Kristine W.)

#2 (Last Week - #5)

Fire Burning (Sean Kingston)

#3 (Last Week - #3)

Sweet Dreams (Beyoncé)

#4 (Last Week - #6)

Money's Too Tight To Mention (Simply Red)

#5 (Last Week - #4)

Goodbye (Kristinia DeBarge)

#6 (Last Week - #7)

Bulletproof (La Roux)

#7 (Last Week - #11)

Waking Up In Vegas (Katy Perry)

#8 (Last Week - #1)

I Gotta Feeling (Black Eyed Peas)

#9 (Last Week - #12)

Attention Whore (deadmau5 & Melleefresh)

#10 (Last Week - #14)

My Weekly Last FM Chart

In following with last weeks format, I'll be doing my top 10 listened to artists of the past week, according to my Last FM Chart. Since I work at a desk job, music is really what keeps me going day-to-day. Here are the artists that kept me going this past week.

Most Listened To Artists:

1. Noisettes

2. Erika Jayne

3. Calvin Harris

4. Roisin Murphy

5. Straight No Chaser

6. The Saturdays

7. Natasha Bedingfield

8. Kelly Clarkson

9. V.V. Brown

10. Adele

This weeks chart, like last weeks, is female-dominated. What can I say? I typically prefer a female vocalist to a male. It's just the kind of music I prefer. On the whole, female vocalists have are more impressive to me. In the top position this past week are the Noisettes, mainly because of the concert I attended last Monday. I tend to listen to an artist before a show, as well as after the show. This helps both with blogging about the show as well as prolonging my enjoyment of said concert. Erika Jayne also sits pretty at #2, as I reviewed her album Pretty Mess. Calvin Harris was on my mind as his new album, Ready For The Weekend is out this week and Roisin Murphy, she is working on a brand new record (which I will talk about later). Straight No Chaser released their brilliant new A capella EP, Six Pack which I promptly snagged. As for The Saturdays, Natasha Bedingfield, V.V. Brown and Adele - I was just in the mood at some point during last week to listen to each of those artists and or groups.

Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart - August 13, 2009

Not too much movement in the Top 10 this past week. Most artists moved either one or two spots up. The Paradiso Girls dropped from 3 to 10, as did the The Pussycat Dolls, but that was to be expected as they were in the #1 spot last week. Bubbling under the Top 10 are some exciting artists including La Roux (Bulletproof - #11), Jonas Brothers (Paranoid - #21), and the Noisettes (Don't Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go) - #22). And without further ado...here's this past week's Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart.

Thursday, August 13 2009

Waking Up In Vegas (Katy Perry)

#1 (Last Week - #2)

Crazy Possessive (Kaci Battaglia)

#2 (Last Week - #4)

Fire Burning (Sean Kingston)

#3 (Last Week - #5)

Money's Too Tight To Mention (Simply Red)

#4 (Last Week - #6)

Be Alright (Kristine W.)

#5 (Last Week - #7)

Sweet Dreams (Beyoncé)

#6 (Last Week - #9)

Goodbye (Kristinia DeBarge)

#7 (Last Week - #10)

Hush Hush;Hush Hush (The Pussycat Dolls)

#8 (Last Week - #1)

Give You Everything (Erika Jayne)

#9 (Last Week - #8)

Patron Tequila (Paradiso Girls feat. Lil Jon & Eve)

#10 (Last Week - #3)

Concert Review - Noisettes

So - as you know, I went to go see the Noisettes yesterday. I went alone and survived. It was a little awkward. I suppose that I could have made more of an attempt to mingle, but let's be honest...I was there for the music and it was a Monday night. I'm plenty social, but I at least need to know one person.

I arrived at Great Scott at a little after 9:00 PM with no opening act to be seen. No worries. I grab a $3.00 High Life and grab a seat at a table...sharing it with a little hipster couple. No interaction at all. I sit there...Tweeting up a storm (follow me on Twitter!), updating my Facebook status, checking on friends Facebook statuses, and checking my email. I was running out of things to do!

A couple beers (and a terrific opening band called PHANTOGRAM) later, I take my final seat for the show...back of the bar at a table, right next to one of those electronic bar video games. I didn't want to cram in with all of those people that I didn't talk to, up by the stage. I just didn't have the energy. Great Scott is a small club so I wasn't worried about not being able to hear.

A little after 11:00 PM the band starts playing "Wild Young Hearts." Shingai Shoniwa starts the first verse from off stage. She finally makes her entrance, just before the first chorus. She, of course, looks fabulous in a tight black skirt & a frilly black & white blouse with huge, ruffley shoulders. Next up..."Never Forget You" which she does absolutely beautifully. Ms. Shoniwa is a total class act.

After the 10-song set ends, the crowd of course goes crazy. I'm clapping for a few minutes, but am distracted by Twitter (per usual). When I look up...I see Shingai Shoniwa herself, being helped up onto the table in front of mine. How unexpected! She starts singing "Atticus," and of course...pure brilliance. I whip out my camera (others were doing it, so I did it...always my motto) and start snapping photos. No one stopped me! I didn't want to be TOO obnoxious though, so I only got a few. I probably could have repositioned myself and got some better shots, but c'est la vie.

Shingai Shoniwa at Great Scott in Allston, MA

At one point, Shingai jumps down from the table (gracefully, of course) and runs over to these two guys who were talking. Sitting in one of their laps, she serenades him, while the other one awkwardly texts on his mobile. Being escorted back up on the table, Shingai finishes the song by doing a very slow somersault, landing on her back, mic in hand. AMAZING. She runs back up to the stage and does "Children of the Revolution." Wow. That's really all I can say. While I'm not too sure I would do another concert alone...I'm definitely glad I went. What a show!

Set List:

Wild Young Hearts

Never Forget You

24 Hours Ago

Saturday Night

Don't Give Up

Every Now And Then

Scratch Your Name

Don't Upset The Rhythm

Sometimes

Sister Rosetta (Capture The Spirit)

*ENCORE*

Atticus

Children Of The Revolution

Impromptu Noisettes Concert!

I was reading the Metro on the way into work this morning...and what should I see? "Noisettes: Shiny Happy People." WHAT? Noisettes? In the Metro? Are they in town? Yes they are and they are playing at Allston Bar/Club Great Scott for $10.00! How awesome is that? I of course checked around to see if anyone wanted to go with me, but a Monday night out is a bit of a tough sell, so it looks like I'm hitting the club alone. Regardless, I'm super pumped about this show. I've been listening to both albums (What's The Time Mr. Wolf? & Wild Young Hearts) on repeat at my desk, as well as the remixes for "Don't Upset The Rhythm." This should be an AMAZING show. I bet lead singer Shingai Shoniwa is unbelievable live. She's got so much power in that voice and she's absolutely stunning.

Also worth noting...I got my advance copy of the brand new Erika Jayne album, Pretty Mess (out Tuesday 8/11), as well as the latest Kristine W. album, Power of Music. Now that's a good music Monday, if you ask me! More on the concert and both CDs later this week. I'm off to the show!

Check out Noisettes on the web: MySpace/LastFM/YouTube

My Weekly Last FM Chart

So, since I rarely listen to the same track more than...2 - 3 times on average. Sure...there are the occasional tracks that really grab a hold of me (i.e. - "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)," "Je Suis Une Dolly") but for the most part I like to change things up. With that being said, I'm going to just post my top listened to artists each week. Perhaps I'll do top listened to tracks once a month? Perhaps not. Here it goes...my most listened to artists for the past week, according to Last FM.

Most Listened To Artists:

1. Sugababes

2. Ray LaMontagne

3. Jordin Sparks

4. Billie Piper

5. Noisettes

6. Elliott Yamin

7. Alesha Dixon

8. Kelly Clarkson

9. Kylie Minogue

10. Cyndi Lauper

Will you look at that? All of my girls, right there in my Top Ten. And then there's Ray LaMontagne. This weeks chart is indicative of the music I was feeling this past week. With life as hectic and stressful as it is, I lost myself in my work and my music. To help get me through the day, I need up-tempo, driving dance beats that both cheer me up and keep me energized. At the same time, those days that I am exhausted, beat down or just hung over...I need to slow down the pace and put on music that helps me relax. Looking at this chart, we cover all of our bases.

On the up-tempo side, we have the Sugababes, Kylie Minogue, Cyndi Lauper and Alesha Dixon...and to slow things down we have Ray LaMontagne, Elliott Yamin and to an extent, Jordin Sparks. We also have some artists that strike the perfect balance of the two - artists like the Noisettes, Billie Piper, and Kelly Clarkson. Speaking of Billie Piper...I wish she'd consider a return to music...I love her to death in Secret Diary of a Call Girl, but I ADORE her pop hits of the late 90s/2000s. Pure pop brilliance. Like honey to the bee.

Noisettes - A Little Bit of Everything

So one of the CDs I bought while in London a couple weeks ago was the new album from the Noisettes, a UK indie rock band. Why did I buy this CD? Honestly, I bought it because it was one of the new releases that was going to be out there while I was there. Also, I bought their previous album, What's The Time Mr Wolf? so I knew that I liked their sound.

The thing is, I never really listened to the album the full way through, choosing instead to listen to a few of the singles ("Scratch Your Name," "Don't Give Up"). This was at the time that I was walking into Newbury Comics after work and buying CDs from bands that I wanted to check out (the CD also happened to be on sale).

While listening to my iPod at work last week, one of their songs came up on my random pop playlist. I was instantly hooked! Lead singer and bassist Shingai Shoniwa has an interesting voice that calls to mind, Amy Winehouse. Their last UK single, "Don't Upset The Rhythm" is an infectious, up-tempo jam and the rest of their new album, Wild Young Hearts, (also the name of their first single off the new album) is solid through and through. If they're ever back in the States, I'd love to see them live!

According to Radio 1, their 3rd single will be "Never Forget You," (June 15th).

Check out Noisettes on the web: MySpace/LastFM/YouTube

My European Music Shopping Experience

Alright. Back to the music. I just returned yesterday from my week long European excursion to London, Munich & Ingolstadt. Had lots of fun and didn't really spend money on anything other than food, drink and music! Here's a quick rundown on some of my music purchases.

Photo by Jamie Sward, Please Contact Me Before Using

London - So apparently there are a couple of HMVs on Oxford Street but I only found one of them. The last time I was in London, I visited the HMV and found a LOT more selection in the way of CD singles. This one had one wall. Very disapointing. I also got some CDs at the HMV at London Heathrow.

Polly Scattergood - Polly Scattergood (2009): While I already downloaded her album as soon as it leaked, I had to pick up a hard copy. It's a fantastic album and it sees a US release later this Spring. Polly Scattergood is one to look out for, most definitely.

Noisettes - Wild Young Heart (2009): I enjoyed most of the Noisettes' last album, What's The Time Mr. Wolf?, and this was one of the new releases that came out just before I arrived. Haven't really listened to the album yet, other than first single "Don't Upset The Rhythm."

Gossip - Standing In The Way of Control (2006): I quite enjoy Gossip...especially Beth Ditto's vocals and fashion sense. I loved seeing her in all her glory on the cover of this month's Out magazine. I also look forward to the band's major label debut later this year.

Gossip - Rework It (2008): Rework It features remixes for "Listen Up," "Standing In The Way of Control," "Jealous Girls," and "YR Mangled Heart." I had some of these mixes from various sources but I was happy to find these all in one place.

Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone (CD Single) (2009): I was hoping the single would have some mixes but oh well. This track wasn't available on iTunes in the US (at least not yet). The single only includes the radio edit and an extended mix but it's a dope track. I love it. Plus I have a crush on Calvin Harris.

Chicane - The Best of Chicane - 1996 - 2008 (2008): I primarily purchased this collection for one song...Chicane's 2007 track featuring American vocalist Jewel - "Spirit." This track has always been a favorite of mine and in the album notes, Chicane says that he wouldn't rule out releasing it as a single at some point. In fact, in 2007 there was a limited release promo CDR with reworks by Chicane and WAWA. Hot commodity! The rest of the album has some hot songs featuring the vocal work of Tom Jones, Keane, Bryan Adams and Natasha Bedingfield. Quality dance music.


Anastacia - Heavy Rotation (2009): Anastacia's last album, released everywhere except the United States of course. I already had this album downloaded but I love my Anastacia and wanted a copy of the CD for myself.

Photo by Jamie Sward, Please Contact Me Before Using

Ingolstadt - On my second day in Germany, my friend Amelia took me to Müller, this German chain store that sells everything from household items to CDs. I spent about 25 - 30 minutes perusing the CD section and picked up the following.

Christina Stürmer - In Dieser Stadt (2009): My friend Amelia said that one of her songs on the radio was pretty good. I wanted to get a CD in German, despite not knowing a lick of German. Haven't yet listened to the CD but I'm excited to give it a go. Christina Stürmer is from Austria and apparently pretty popular out there and in Germany. The good thing about Müller was it's selection of CD singles. While not amazing, it was better than HMV!

Sarah Connor - Soulicious (2007): Now Sarah Connor and I have a love hate relationship. I think she's released some gems in her time...and some completely laughable crap. While this CD questionably straddles the "crap" line...I have all of her other CDs so I sort of just wanted to round out my collection. This album is full of soul covers plus 2 original songs. I wish that her version of "Sexual Healing" with Ne-Yo was on this album but oh well.

Sarah Connor - Sexy As Hell (2008): Sarah's most recent album from last year, it marks a return to pop form. I enjoy most of the songs that I have heard but I definitely need to give them a re-listen. I'm particularly excited to listen to her collaboration with super producer J.R. Rotem ("Fall Apart").

Enrique Iglesias ft. Sarah Connor - Takin' Back My Love (CD Single) (2009): I was hoping for more of a tracklisting here but I definitely do enjoy this song. While I still think I might prefer Ciara's version...Sarah Connor definitely brings it. Enrique Iglesias isn't too bad either.

Gabriella Cilmi - Sanctuary (CD Single) (2008): I bought the remix promo CD on Ebay, I bought the "new version" when it was released on iTunes in the US, and I have the CD. I basically bought this on CD because of the Pocketknife re-edit. It's not bad. Good song. Gabriella Cilmi is a singer that I desperately want to hear new material from.

Alesha Dixon - The Boy Does Nothing (CD Single) (2008): I really like Alesha Dixon (formerly of Mis-Teeq). I bought the promo single for her second single, "Breathe Slow..." this was her first single. Remixes by Fred Falke and Crazy Cousinz. Wish the Bimbo Jones mixes were included here.

Jennifer Paige - Underestimated (CD Single) (2008): I had no idea that Jennifer Paige (Singer of 90s dance hit "Crush") was still releasing music. Well...I take that back. Her albums are all available on iTunes but I think just as a courtesy to her fans. She's been quietly releasing albums in Germany, Italy and elsewhere in Europe. I was more curious than anything else, hence this obscure purchase.