Song of the Day - Two Cousins

Slow Club - Two Cousins





I like Slow Club. You should like Slow Club too. They make music that will make you happy and do fun dances. Like the Charleston. 'Single Ladies' schmingle-ladies. Yeah, I said it. Enjoy!


Rating: 4/5

Song of the Day - The Bad In Each Other

Feist - The Bad In Each Other



Download Feist The Bad In Each Other


Get your PJ Harvey on, Leslie! Another perfectly welcome track from new album, Metals.


Rating: 4/5

2 for 1: Major/You Don't Want To Dance With Me

It is the weekend, so here's two banging new tunes to get you in the mood for... anything really. Asteroids Galaxy Tour and Monarchy, two of our favourite acts from 09 and 2010, deliver two equally delicious tracks in the forms of 'Major' and 'You Don't Want To Dance With Me,' the latter of which features a guest appearance from Britt Love. I don't even have to say enjoy. But I will. Enjoy!


Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Major





Monarchy - You Don't Want To Dance With Me ft. Britt Love

New Music - We Found Love

Rihanna - We Found Love


Rihanna - We Found Love (featuring Calvin Harris) by nikorobine


Can you believe that Rihanna is already set to release her 6th album? It seems like only yesterday she was singing something nonsensical about ponning de replay, crying out S.O.S and offering protection from the rain to anyone who sought it. She's made every effort to shed that 'singles artiet' tag that everyone always labels her with, except for the part where you grow as an artist, but really... who cares? She doesn't pretend to offer a whole lot more than a world of fun, even if there have been moments of wasted potential. Rated R failed to adequately deal with her life after the Chris Brown incident, instead leaving it to 'Love the Way You Lie' to exploit that for Eminem's commercial gain. At least he did a good job of it.


That situation is well in the past and perhaps we should look upon Rihanna's decision not to to focus her music in an angrier direction with admiration. Would she still have had monster hits like 'Rude Boy,' 'Only Girl (In the World)' or 'S&M' if she did indeed distance herself from the sound that had made her one of the biggest artists of this decade and the last? Probably not. Does it look like she's going to break away from that successful formula now? Absolutely not. Case in point, new single 'We Found Love.' Produced by Calvin Harris, the track sees Ri-Ri stake her claim for the electro diva crown. All that I can tell you is people will flood the dance floors when it's played and it's likely not to make many critic's end of year lists. As for the sales charts, it's place is already secured. That Rihanna reign won't be letting up anytime soon.


Rating: 3/5

Song of the Day - Scab and Plaster

Marina and the Diamonds - Scab and Plaster





I asked her why would you want to be a Hollywood wife? Because I don't want to end up living in a dive on Vine. Do anything for a dime...


Life imitating art or art imitating life? Marina Diamandis has explained that the concept behind new album, Electra Heart, is her becoming the embodiment of all the darker sides of the American dream. Smart way to sell out, or applaudable artistry at it's finest? While I'm inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt for now, the release of the album will truly determine if she's sacrificing the beautiful quirks of her debut for a more commercially viable sound. What made The Family Jewels work was it's ability to make vastly different songs like 'Mowgli's Road,' Shampain,' 'Hollywood' and 'I Am Not A Robot' fit seamlessly together. Diamandis' second set looks like it will switch it to high gear after the down tempo 'Fear and Loathing' for the awesome 'Radioactive' and never look back. 'Scab and Plaster' feels the same as 'Radioactive' with a measure of previously leaked track 'Living Dead' thrown in. If what we get is a collection of dance tracks, all moving at the same pace and all feeling a little same-y I'll be a tad disappointed. Consider me optimistic for the release of the album, albeit cautiously so.


Rating: 3.5/5

Song of the Day - Children

VV Brown ft. Chiddy - Children





Baby, there's a shark in the water! That's right, VV Brown is back... with a vengeance. Well, fun get your butt on the d-floor vengeance, but it's vengeance none the less. It seemed like her fantastic debut Traveling Like the Light arrived years ahead of it's time. If it was released now, Brown would surely be the talk of the town, in the way that Jessie J is now. Hopefully there'll be a whole lot more attention directed at her still unnamed sophomore effort, due next year. For now, just get on down to her new track, 'Children.' Then go check out her first album. You know you want to.


Rating: 4/5

Song of the Day - Mother

Blondie - Mother





I'm not going to diss Blondie, because they're legends and Debbie Harry is our #1 woman of rock. All I'm going to say is, this video makes me feel a little bit sad and disappointed. Let's leave it at that.

Song of the Day - One Day

Regurgitator - One Day





I've known about Regurgitator's return for some time, but haven't managed to sit down and listen to any of their new material. That changes now and I'm sorry I didn't find the time to listen to 'One Day' earlier. Sure, it's not the bestest thing ever, but it's a welcome come-back song from a group that's been away for far too long. Enjoy!


Rating: 3.5/5

Song of the Day - Video Games

 

Lana Del Ray - Video Games

Who is this woman with the amazing voice and those gorgeous eyes? The music sounds a little Flo Mo (Florence + The Machine for those in the know), a little Sarah Blasko-ish (S.Blasko for those in the know). She's giving off a Nancy Sinatra vibe with that look and make up. Or is it more Brigitte Bardot? No! It's Lana Del Ray... and I am in love. 

Rating: 5/5

Song of the Day - Body and Soul

Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse - Body and Soul





I was going to do a review on the Crystal Fighters show I went to at the 02 Empire last night, but then I saw that 'Body and Soul' had been released in full and sort of lost track of an hour or two there. You'll think I'm being a total wank, but I actually do get lost in the Winehouse's voice. But it's not all about Amy Winehouse. Tony Bennett remains a total class act with that timeless voice and debonair attitude. His second duets album looks set to be the finest jazz release of the year. Now to go hunt down that Lady Gaga duet...


Rating: 5/5

10 and 1 - Bestival 2011

It's been quite some time since we've seen some '10 and 1' action around here, so what better time to dust this good 'ole feature off than after the best festival of 2011 (NB. this is the only festival I've been to this year), Bestival! The weather was amazing, the people were amazing, the costumes were amazing... let's just say I had an AMAZING weekend on the Isle of Wight. Right now, we're going to look at the 10 best acts of the long weekend and the one surprising disappointment that makes our 1. Of course, this is a major festival so I couldn't see everyone. Sadly, this means that Robyn, Katy B, Patrick Wolf, Esben and the Witch, Oh Land, Clare Maguire, Health, Kyla La Grange, Hercules and Love Affair, Chromeo, Mogwai, Paloma Faith, Grandmaster Flash, Fatboy Slim and Crystal Fighters. Crystal Fighters I'm not so sad about... because I'm seeing them tonight. Boom! Who are the acts I saw that don't make the top 10? We've got Diplo, Kelis, The Cuban Brothers, Brian Wilson, Public Enemy, The Village People, Johnny Flynn, Beardyman, Magnetic Man and sadly, Santigold, who was amazing for the three songs I saw. She would have been a shoo-in if I'd seen her set. Now, let's meet the 10 best acts at Bestival 2011... and the 1 worst.

The 10:

10. Yuck

Yuck started off a bit slow, but once they got comfortable they really had the crowd going, which isn't the easiest thing to do early in the day. Definitely a band to consider seeing when next they tour.

9. Crystal Castles

What should have been a 45 minute assault on the senses ended up feeling more like a 30 minute preview of what should have been an epic set. Alice had so much energy during her performance that it's easy to forgive them and hearing 'Not In Love' live (our song of the year from 2010!) was a great moment. I was not so secretly waiting for Robert Smith to come out and join them, but it wasn't to be. 

Song of the Day - Shake It Out

Well, looks like the music I posted here is down, so you'll have to find it yourselves kiddies!! P.s. Do it! This song is too good to miss.


Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out
Album: Ceremonials (2011)


Florence + The Machine - Shake It Out by Omfg Musiic


We have an album name, release date and even a brand new song from Florence. Happy days! 'Shake It Out' has me reaching previously unknown levels of excitement in the lead-up to the October 31 release of Ceremonials. Because 2011 wasn't good enough already, right? Hold onto your hats, because it looks like we'll have another strong contender for album of the year.


Rating: 5/5

Song of the Day - Come Together

Primal Scream - Come Together





You may have noticed there's been an extreme lack of anything going on here over the last couple of days. Well, I spent four amazing days on the Isle of Wight at Bestival! The Cure, Bjork, Pendulum and Primal Scream delivered some amazing headlining performances that had everyone wanting more. There'll be a Bestival 10 and 1, as well as a Bestival text review coming shortly, so stay tuned!

Song of the Day - Heaven

Emeli Sande - Heaven





Her posters are all over London at the moment, calling debut single 'Heaven' breathtaking, brilliant, bombastic and other words that start with 'b.' So I thought I'd see what all the fuss surrounding Emelie Sande was about. Turns out her real name is Adele. Awkward. The main thing I learned is that all the supposed hype isn't really hype. It's deserved acclaim for what really is a pretty much amazing debut. Listen and love.


Rating: 4/5

Song of the Day - Man on Mars

Kaiser Chiefs - Man On Mars





Well, what do we have here? More awesome new music from Kaiser Chiefs! They've had quite the year, with new album The Future is Medieval proving to be one of the best rock releases of 2011. New single, 'Man on Mars,' only adds weight to that argument and it's not even the best song on the album! That honour goes to 'I Dare You' in my outstanding opinion. Anyway, enjoy!


Rating: 4/5

Song of the Day - Audio Video Disco

Justice - Audio Video Disco





Brand new Justice! Wahoo! Really though, it doesn't grab me like I thought it would, but then again, neither did 'Civilization' when it first came out. Maybe I just need a few more listens. You know what else I need? To never do a blog post from an iPad ever again. Seriously.

Song of the Day - Hung Up

I teach you how to dance, yes?

Madonna - Hung Up

Album: Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)

So you think you can dance? Good for you. For those of us that make dancing resemble a reenactment of child birth or can only manage that awkward step to the left, step to the right move with random finger pointing and a bit of face framing (named the 'Matt Bond special'), I say you too can be an amazing dancer when you've got the right song. I recommend 'Hung Up' by Madonna, Queen of Pop. It has all the elements needed to bring out the Michael Flatley inside of you. Well, it has one; the slow motion 'tick-tock' bit where you can pretend you too are a slow motion superstar... arms flailing as slowly as possible, movement of the head from left to right, again, as slowly as possible. Anyway, if all else fails, just learn Elaine's dance from Seinfeld. Those moves will never (ever) let you down. 

Song of the Day - I'll Be There

The Jackson 5 - I'll Be There

Album: Third Album (1970)

Now, don't freak out, but you're going to be seeing a whole lot less of your favourite blog over the next two months. Yah, I'm going on a holiday (with a lil' bit of work on the side). I know, where else could you find the best in new and older music with fantastic commentary anywhere else on the interwebs? Nowhere... that's where. To put your mind at ease, I will do my very best to post whenever I can. I'll also be bringing back the mucho popular Text Review when I attend Bestival next weekend! When I'm back full-time, we'll be ready to start our onslaught of end of year charts, the Scene Awards are back for 2011 and all your favourite regular features will be back and better than ever (Music Video Mayhem, 10 and 1, Music Listography).

Thanks for your continued support of It's My Kind of Scene... I hope you've been enjoying the random journey through amazing (and not so amazing) music. I'll leave you with the sweet, sweet sounds of the Jackson 5.

Song of the Day - Into the Sky



It's a low, low, low, low happening?



Howling Bells - Into the Sky

Album: The Loudest Engine (2011)

First things first; how awesome is this video?! Juanita Stein is looking mighty fine in this mesmerising 70s throwback. The song? Yeah... it's pretty damn good too. The Howling Bells' new album, The Loudest Engine, is out September 12 and if 'Into the Sky' is an indication of how good it's going to be, then it's going to be stellar. Kimbra one week, Howling Bells the next. September, 2011... I heart you.

Rating: 5/5

Song of the Day - Limbo

Kimbra - Limbo

Album: Vows (2011)

Did I mention that Vows is out tomorrow? I'm pretty sure I did, but just in case I'm mistaken, here's another exciting taste of Kimbra's debut... which is out tomorrow in Australia!! She's still at #1 in Australia on Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used To Know,' her beautiful face is everywhere around Brisbane in the lead-up to her Brisbane Festival show, the video for 'Good Intent' is out (and it's amazing) and Vows topped the NZ iTunes charts the day of its release. It's a good week to be... Kimbra! Did I mention that Vows is out tomorrow?

Rating: 4/5