Category — Bat For Lashes

Christ on a Christmas cracker–the 2010 BRIT Award nominations are in!

I can’t believe it’s time already for the ceremony to begin once again. It seems like only yesterday I was sitting in my bed watching in disbelief as Gaga robo-danced her way on stage with pieces of shattered china plates glued to her lady bits. Ahh, memories.

As per usual (see 2009), I’ve gone ahead and bolded my favorites for the crown and added a few insightful comments and/or snooty one-liners to the end of each category.

And awayyy we go! (Thanks to The Guardian for the full list of nominees.)

Click to read…

Well, the year is just about over now, which means that those “Best Of 2009″ lists just won’t let up anytime soon. Two weeks ago saw my “Top 40 Albums of 2009″ list. Now, it’s time to get down to the finest singles of the year. LET’S DO THIS.

All chart and sales figures provided by Wikipedia.

20. Mariah Carey – Obsessed (Listen)
It was the guiltiest, most quotable pleasure of the year: “Obsessed,” the so-bad-it’s-good, so-good-it’s-bad mid-tempo jam leading off the charge of Mariah Carey’s less than successful twelfth studio album, Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.

You love it, you hate it, but there’s no need to get all fired up with your Napoleon complex; the only thing that could have made this song better would be if it came bundled with a George Foreman grill and a bottle of Windex.

“Obsessed” topped the charts at #7 on the US Hot 100, as well as #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs list and Top 20 in many territories around the world.

19. Beyonce – Video Phone ft. Lady Gaga (Listen)
Though it would be impossible to top the weave-tossin’, hip-poppin’ brilliance that is “Diva,” “Video Phone” is just about as close as you can get to replicating that level of fierce-nass. Already an instant classic off of I Am…Sasha Fierce, the injection of Lady Gaga’s ridiculous, warbling verses and a tranny-tastic music video made the song damn near untouchable.

That being said, “Video Phone” generally failed to catch on with the general public, stalling at #65 on the Hot 100 with no sign of fueling back up again anytime soon.

18. Cheryl Cole – Fight For This Love (Listen)
It was the tensest moment on X Factor this year: The debut performance of a solo Cheryl Cole. What would she sound like? How would the song fare? Breaking out with a hip, sleek routine (once a soldier, then a samurai) and a nasty dance break sequence, Cheryl fought, fought, fought for the public’s love, effectively dominating the latter half of 2009 with her debut single.

Though not the strongest song off of her debut 3 Words, it’s certainly the most influential: “Fight For This Love” broke the record for the fastest selling UK single, debuted at #1 in both Ireland and the UK, and scored the highest first week sales for a single in 2009.

17. Ke$ha – Tik Tok (Listen)
It’s loud, it’s obnoxious, and it’s all I listened to during the summer: “Tik Tok” is drunk-pop revelry at its finest, and one hell of a way to debut.

The song as just hit #1 on the Hot 100, according to yesterday’s Billboard news.

16. Shakira – She Wolf (Listen)
If anyone else sung this, it would be a disaster. But it’s not just anyone–it’s Shakira, the lust-worthy Latina songstress capable of making a coffee machine in an office sound downright sexy. The release was aided by an equally weird/brilliant video, featuring the singer doing enough limb-bending choreography to have Gumby crossing his legs in pain while watching.

“She Wolf” and its Spanish counterpart “Loba” climbed to the #11 spot on the US Hot 100 and a #1 position on the Hot Dance Club Songs list, as well as dozens of Top 10 positions all around the world.

15. Madonna – Celebration (Listen)
Ringing in over twenty-five years of international success in the music industry as the world’s reigning Queen of Pop, “Celebration” had quite a bit of hype to live up to. While some criticized the singer for trying too hard to maintain relevancy, the song served its purpose and ultimately contributed to the Madonna legacy of pure, unadulterated escapism tacked to a disco dancing beat.

While “Celebration” stalled at #71 on the US Billboard Hot 100, the song took a Top 5 charting across most other parts of the world, including a #3 peak in the UK’s Single Chart.

14. Rihanna – Hard (Listen)
Leading off one of the year’s best albums, Riri goes harder than ever before with a cocky chorus and a newfound swagger and delightfully confident sexuality. Lots of brags (“The hottest bitch in heels right here”) and lots of burns (“Ain’t like me, that chick too phony”). And as for that personal shout-out near the song’s end? “Where dem blah-gahs at? Where dem blah-gahs at?” Yeah…bonus points all around.

“Hard” has since climbed to the #11 position on the US Hot 100, though it’s still too new to declare the song’s peak position.

13. Sugababes – About A Girl (Listen)
As the unexpected dawn of a new era began late this year with the departure of Keisha Buchanan and the arrival of Jade Ewen, haters and doubters declared the girl group officially dead.

As it turned out, the Sugas have never sounded sweeter. “About A Girl” was the defiant anthem the girls needed to survive, earning a #8 spot on the UK Charts and proving that Jade Ewen is a voice to be reckoned with.

12. Lily Allen – The Fear (Listen)
Leading off the campaign for her sophomore album, It’s Not Me, It’s You, “The Fear” took a wry stab at the socialite life. With Greg Kurstin’s glittering electronic beats and that gorgeous, dizzying chorus, it’s not hard to miss out on Allen’s dripping sarcasm: “I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless /’Cuz everyone knows that’s how you get famous.”

The song took the #1 spot on the UK singles chart, as well as scoring the “Best Track” award at the Q Awards.

11. Natalie Imbruglia – Want (Listen)
It’s all that you could ever want, over and over again: A lush, disco melody on repeat, “Want” is the sugary surprise single that led the march for Imbruglia’s solid fourth studio album, Come to Life.

Sadly, the song was never quite given its due credit, eventually peaking at #22 in Australia and #88 in the UK.

10. Gossip – Heavy Cross (Listen)
Did any other song send a chill running down our spines this year quite like Beth Ditto’s howl of “I choose you!” just one minute into “Heavy Cross”? Doubtful. The song itself is a rocking smash, complete with jagged guitar riffs and disco-tinged drum beats, but it’s the Fred Falke remix made this release truly sublime.

The single premiered quite well overseas, including the #2 position in Germany and Switzerland, as well as the #14 spot on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.

9. La Roux – Bulletproof (Listen)
Say what I have about Elly Jackson’s nasty attitude or her oft-insufferable falsetto, La Roux’s debut provided some of the catchiest, hookiest tracks of 2009. Add some bright, colorful ’80’s-flavored beats to one unstoppably catchy chorus, and there you have it: “Bulletproof,” a track that more than validated all those “One to Watch” list predictions last year.

“Bulletproof” took the #1 position on the UK charts, a #1 slot on the US Dance Charts, and a gold certification in Australia and New Zealand, amongst dozens of other countries.

8. Annie – Anthonio (Listen)
With the 2008 Don’t Stop campaign at a halt for more than half a year, “Anthonio” was the much-needed reassurance that the Anniemal was still alive and well. Soothing, melodic italo-disco sweeps over the speakers as the singer recalls the tale of the no-good, dirt bag who left alone and pregnant. What more could you ask for?

While it never landed a spot on the main Singles charts, “Anthonio” climbed to #5 on the UK Indie Chart.

7. Girls Aloud – Untouchable (Listen)
The word epic is far overused in modern society, but this song cannot be properly described by any other term: Clocking in at just under seven minutes, “Untouchable” is the Girls Aloud’s own “Bohemian Rhapsody,” complete with euphoric flares of synthesizers and a classic Xenomania beat.

In the greatest Pop Injustice of 2009, “Untouchable” charted just outside the Top 10 position in the UK at #11, effectively ending the girl group’s run of twenty Top 10 singles.

6. Florence + The Machine – Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) (Listen)
I’d seen some references to Florence over the summer, but it wasn’t until her performance of “Rabbit Heart” on Later…with Jools Holland that I realized just how magical this witchy woman and her music actually were. Honorable mentions go out to the equally deserving subsequent singles from Lungs, including “Drumming Song” and “You’ve Got the Love.”

“Rabbit Heart” peaked at #12 on the UK Singles Chart.

5. Bat For Lashes – Daniel (Listen)
Haunting vocals, warm droplets of synthesizer, and an endless, searching sense of loneliness, “Daniel” quickly became the clear, crowning victory of Bat For Lashes‘ Two Suns sessions.

“Daniel” peaked at #36 on the UK Singles Chart.

4. Royksopp – Girl and the Robot (Listen)
Combine Sweden’s Pop Princess with Norway’s electro-geniuses, and you’ve got yourself the greatest robot love song from a Swedish chanteuse since Margaret Berger’s “The Robot Song”…and that’s saying a lot.

The song took on the #2 position on the Norweigan Singles Chart and a surprisingly modest #25 position on the Swedish Singles Chart.

3. Britney Spears – 3 (Listen)
Considering it’s Britney (bitch), “3″ is pretty low on my “Best Of” list. With a less-than-stellar video (the director’s cut having redeemed the original), Britney’s ode to playing Yahtzee with a friend or two (or Freudian exploration of fantasy, depending on who you ask) walks the line between sexy and sleazy a bit too unevenly, at times coming off childish and tacky (which is why I’m ready for a break from further Max Martin collaborations.) Subject matter aside, it’s still an unbelievably catchy record, and one hell of a Britney classic.

The single was an instant success with radio, nabbing the #1 spot on US radio, as well as a position in Top 10 charts all across the world.

2. Ellie Goulding – Under the Sheets (Listen)
Up until a few months ago, newcomer Ellie Goulding had released nothing but a few demos and behind-the-scenes videos on her MySpace.

“Under the Sheets,” her debut release, is a gorgeous, multi-layered tapestry of hypnotic electronica and breathy vocals, not all that far from the major league stuff of Imogen Heap and Björk. The song’s replay-ready quality, coupled with a yelp-at-the-top-of-your-lungs harmonies has, for better or worse, sprinkled all sorts of high expectations around the upcoming release of her debut album in 2010.

“Under The Sheets” has since peaked at #53 on the UK charts.

1. Lady Gaga – Bad Romance (Listen)
A crashing anthem of a chorus. Hitchcock references. A vogue-ready middle eight. Hooks a plenty. Nonsensical syllables abound. Fame. Death. Sex. Love. I’m a free bitch, baby.

As the most powerful, raucous celebration of pop music in years, “Bad Romance” has finalized Lady Gaga’s transition from a flavor of the month to an icon in the making. Though she may credit “Speechless” as her greatest song to date, it’s “Bad Romance” that takes the title in my book blog.

The song took the #2 spot on the Hot 100, as well as a #1 ranking in several countries internationally, including Canada, Italy, Sweden and the UK.

As if there were any question, “Bad Romance” is the best single of 2009, bar none.

And now for something similar…

Hot off the heels of the MuuMuse interview with Kleerup comes “Awakening,” the first single off of Titiyo’s upcoming fifth studio album, Hidden, which should see release sometime between October and November in Europe (and possibly North America as well).

Far darker than her turn on Kleerup’s “Longing for Lullabies,” “Awakening” finds Titiyo’s breathy vocals in a sea of lush strings, tambourines, and dark, throbbing synthesizers. The result? Farther from “sad disco,” the song is something of a crossbred, deep house reinterpretation of Fleetwood Mac and Kate Bush.

You’ll also want to check out the video above, which is all sorts of weird and fantastical. (It’s also been uploaded in February, so I suppose the single isn’t quite as new as I figured!) Anyway, think Bat for Lashes meets a slight moment of Hocus Pocus for the concept. In other words, it’s a damn good time.

Hear more from Titiyo on iTunes | MySpace | Official Website

Parlophone Records just uploaded the video for Bat For Lashes‘ third single from Two Suns, “Sleep Alone.”

It’s a bit like the video for Marina & The Diamonds‘ “Obsessions,” except we still really have no idea what the fuck she’s finished crafting by the video’s end. A robot lover? An interactive Rubik’s Cube? I can’t be quite certain–this one’s up for interpretation. Still, it’s an intriguing and creative treat for the eyeballs.

Alright, loads of Natasha Khan business to attend to today!

Bat For Lashes has announced that the third single coming off of the brilliant Mercury Prize-nominated Two Suns shall be “Sleep Alone,” due for release in the UK on September 7. Another excellent single decision! Then again, there wouldn’t be too many dud choices from the album in any case.

The digital release will be coupled with “Moon And Moon,” a remix by Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid, and two live performances from Sirius Satellite in New York.

Click “Read More” to see the full list of tour dates for Khan’s newly announced UK tour, including dates with Coldplay.

Coldplay Support Dates:

Mon 7 September Paris Parc des Princes

Wed 9 September Nijmegen Goffertpark

UK Tour Dates with Special Guests Yeasayer:

Fri 11 Sept Bestival Isle Of Weight (Headlining the Big Top) SOLD OUT

Thu 1 Oct Bournemouth Opera House

Fri 2 Oct Brighton Dome

Sun 4 Oct Cambridge Corn Exchange

Mon 5 Oct London Roundhouse

Tue 6 Oct London Roundhouse

Fri 9 Oct Bristol Colston Hall

Sat 10 Oct Liverpool O2 Academy

Mon 12 Oct Nottingham Rock City

Tue 13 Oct Leeds O2 Academy

Wed 14 Oct Manchester Academy

Fri 16 Oct Cardiff University

Sat 17 Oct Sheffield Octagon

Mon 19 Oct Glasgow O2 Academy

Tue 20 Oct Edinburgh HMV Picture House

Don’t forget to purchase your tickets for Khan’s US tour now.

Click below to hear more from Bat For Lashes.

* Bat For Lashes – Two Suns
* Florence and the Machine – Lungs
* Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires
* Glasvegas – Glasvegas
* Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
* La Roux – La Roux
* Led Bib – Sensible Shoes
* Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
* Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy
* Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men
* The Horrors – Primary Colours
* The Invisible – The Invisible

This is a personal toughie, considering not one but two of my favorite acts are up against each other for the prize. It’s nothing too upsetting–as long as Florence or Natasha nab the crown, I’ll be a happy camper.

The winner will be announced on September 8.

Bummed that you had to pay off that hooker who’s been blackmailing you instead of getting tickets for the divine Natasha Khan’s return stateside for her Two Suns tour? Well cheer up, you cheap bastard! Buzznet is running a contest to give away one free pair to each show. All you’ve got to do is join, select the show you’d like to be entered into for the contest, and pray to the high heavens above!

Oh, and if you’re from the UK, never fear–iTunes has got you covered with a special little giveaway of their own.

To hear more from Bat For Lashes, click below.

Everyone could use a little girl power in the morning.

I now proudly present “I’m Every Woman,” the Chaka Khan classic that’s been revisited by six very different ladies to create one beautiful song: Amanda Ghost, Michachu, Róisín Murphy, CockNBullKid, Alessi’s Ark and Sinead O’Conner.

The single has been brought about by ActionAid UK, a human rights organization devoted to supporting women in extreme poverty across the globe.

Click here to download the single for free and learn more about the group. Plus, if you pass the track on to six more people, you’ll be able to download the gorgeous live version of “Glass” by Bat For Lashes, another supporter of the project! Excellent deal.

Don’t worry UK fans, your Khan time will come soon! Bat For Lashes has announced a batch of tour dates across the pond, so check them out:

October
2 Brighton Dome
4 Cambridge Corn Exchange
5 London Roundhouse
6 London Roundhouse
9 Bristol Colston Hall
10 Liverpool O2 Academy
12 Nottingham Rock City
13 Leeds O2 Academy
14 Manchester Academy
16 Cardiff University
17 Sheffield Octagon

Tickets are set to go on sale tomorrow. Get ready!

This is Mikky Ekko.

Last week, I received a track in my SoundCloud entitled “Sedated,” a crawling, mysterious mixture of moans, claps, finger snaps and a barely-there electro tingle reminisicent of something from Bat For Lashes‘ Two Suns and a hint of Björk’s Medulla. Very sexual, yet minimal and organic.

In short, I was intrigued.

Listening to Ekko’s MySpace tracks only kept the curiosity rolling, offering unlikely helpings of ambient rhythms and multicultural influences all backed by a pop-noir vocal spook offered by Mr. Ekko himself. Songs like the gorgeous “I Love You I Always Have” (which sounds a bit like a solo take on a classic Beach Boys number) and the cross-breed between country twang and otherworldly echoes of “It’s Only You” offer additional post-pop diversity, all lending themselves to perhaps the most interesting and eclectic finds of 2009.

DL: Mikky Ekko – Sedated

Click below to preview and purchase Mikky Ekko’s Strange Fruit EP on iTunes now.