New Music Monday #16

Spectre

by Curxes

Spectre by CURXES

Sometimes you press play on a track you’ve never heard before and a couple of seconds in, you get slapped in the face, the world stops for a minute or three and you wonder how your music collection was ever complete without it. Curxes have managed to do all of that with their new track, 'Spectre,' which has been on constant repeat since first listen and with every press of play, somehow gets better and better. Dark and moody, a little frightening in the most fabulous way, Macaulay Hopwood's dirty driving bass and beats create the perfect grounding for Roberta Fidora's dramatic voice, with her notes and squeals toward the end of the track proving her voice to be spine tingling divine. It’s almost impossible to believe this is only Curxes fourth single, if this is still the beginning of their story, I can’t even imagine what else they have planned. It’s only July and I think I may have found one of my favourite songs of the year. Curse you Curxes, you’re so good you’re making the rest of my music collection seem incredibly bland.

Jo Michelmore gives 'Spectre' five Bjork's out of five...

Fantasea Mixtape 

by Azealia Banks

Hot on the heels of her 1991 EP release, Azealia Banks pleasantly but randomly drops the Fantasea mixtape. The erratic collection, broken up into nineteen parts, features some previously released tracks like 'Jumanji' and 'F*ck Up The Fun' and puts them alongside a whole host of entertaining new numbers that go a long way in telling us what we already knew; Azealia Banks is a major talent on the verge of superstardom. It's an interesting move releasing so many quality tracks for free, but it pretty much guarantees that whatever she's working on with producer Paul Epworth for debut LP Broke With Expensive Taste is going to be blow-your-mind-crazy-good. Fantasea highlights include the very sexy and siren-wailing 'Esta Noche,' the profanity-laced (something new, something different) lyrical wonder that is 'Aquababe' and 'Chips,' in which we get to hear more of Banks' sweet non-rapping vocals. You want to hear the whole collection of tracks? Go on and DOWNLOAD it. If you've been searching for an amazing female rapper to make up for the colossal letdown that is Nicki Minaj? You've found her. 

Matt Bond gives the 'Fantasea' Mixtape four Missy Elliott's out of five...   

NEW MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Want It Back

by Amanda Palmer and The Grand Theft Orchestra

That is exactly how you do a fascinating lyric video. How do you not do a lyric video?

Matt Bond gives the 'Want It Back' video four Shirley Manson's out of five...