Niki N. Phaser » Music News

The Prodigy Named Greatest Dance Act of All Time

Niki N. Phaser — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:13:44 +0000

The Prodigy have had bestowed upon them the glorious title of “Greatest Dance Act of All Time”. The poll was held by MixMag and it seems tens of thousands of fans have put their clicking fingers to good use, helping the rave masters beat out names like Daft Punk, Depeche Mode or The Chemical Brothers. You can see here the rest of the Top 20.

The guys took a moment off from their studio chores to say ”cheers” to their army of ‘ants’, who earned them yet another award. See the full message here.

In an interview with Zane Lowe, earlier this month, master H and Keef also provided a few details about their forthcoming album, which is currently in the works and which they hope will be all written and recorded this year. If you’ve been around the years before “Invaders Must Die” was out, you’ll know not to get extremely anxious. But better late than unfresh. One thing is for sure, though: they have announced that new tunes will be played at Download Festival, this summer.

JET FIGHTER out of the bag

R.E.M. Are Collapsing Into ‘Honey’

Niki N. Phaser — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:52:23 +0000

R.E.M. are showing signs of a reboot, with the release of a new single Mine Smell Like Honey, which will be followed by a brand new album, Collapse Into Now, due date set for March 7 (so it won’t be a long wait). I’m not sure what the video is about, but it gets funny after a while.

Hearing that these guys are about to release a new album wasn’t much of a reason for excitement – thank you very much Accelerate. Their previous effort (look four words to the left) seemed like they too have been infected with that terrible disease that makes bands think they are gods and legends because they’ve been around for so long, that they can put out boring rock records and there’ll still be plenty of boring rock critics to kiss their boring rock asses.

Which is why I was pleasantly surprised to hear this fresh yet Document-bred single, which gets you hooked before you can say It’s the End of the World (you don’t even get to the And I Feel Fine part !). It certainly stirred enough curiosity as to give REM another chance to contribute to their already impressive collection of memorable songs, instead of just calling it a day and pretending they’ve disbanded after Around the Sun. Well, at least, it’s something to look forward to about March, which is not flower-related… or is it ? (honey-flower, flower-honey…)

Mine Smell HERE

White Lies Are Preparing Something ‘Bigger Than Us’

Niki N. Phaser — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 18:05:33 +0000

One of 2009′s alternative promising revelations, White Lies, seem anxious to show the world that they are more than… well, one 2009′s alternative promising revelations. The indie trio, composed of the ever so serious Harry McVeigh, Charles Cave and Jack Lawrence-Brown, have been working on a new album, with producer Alan Moulder, after touring their debut To Lose My Life… as much as humanly possible.

The new album, named Ritual, will be in our reach early next year, so don’t spend all your gift cards this Christmas ! Just to assure us that they’re still as bleak as ever, despite not having ‘death’ in any of their new titles (though there is a track Holy Ghosts), White Lies have released the video to their first single from their sophomore effort, Bigger Than Us. Though still as profound and haunting as Death or Farewell to the Fairground, the new single promises a bigger sound, dilemmas of grander proportions than the intimate existential sighs from their debut. The video, which has a bit of a 1970′s human interest type SF drama feel to it, certainly strengthens this point.

Bigger Than HERE

Let’s Celebrate Marina’s 5th Single With ‘Shampain’

Niki N. Phaser — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:58:15 +0000

Marina & The Diamonds is about to release the fifth single from her debut album, Family Jewels. The track is called Shampain and it’s no wonder that it was selected for this particular honor, which places it near jewels like Hollywood or I Am Not a Robot. It was officially released on October 11.

It is the kind of retro-pop that sounds both fresh and like something you’ve been hearing since you were a kid, but never quite bought for your own collection. And by bought I mean… Marina’s debut album did not go unnoticed, but it should have been the revelation of 2010, considering the fine balance she reached between indie and catchy pop. However, it seems 2011 will bring the follow-up and there are plenty of bands who blossomed on their sophmore effort.

Feel Celestial HERE

Love Amongst Ruin Is Taking Off

Niki N. Phaser — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:49:59 +0000

Steve Hewitt’s new band, Love Amongst Ruin, has definitely hatched, proving to be more than an ex-drummer’s intimate project. Their debut album is finished and coming out this fall (September 13th to be more precise), preceded by the first single So Sad (Fade), which already received the video treatment. Info about pre-ordering the album can be found at the band’s official site.

The same location offers you the numerous dates of Love Amongst Ruin’s first European tour, which will have them pleasing fresh fans from Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Netherlands. The baptism of live fire has already occurred at EuroSonic this winter, plus a string of sold-out UK shows, culminating with an imminent slot at this year’s Sonisphere. They have plenty of rocking stuff to keep the crowds moving, no doubt about it, but there’s more to the sound of Love Amongst Ruin than straightforward riffage. The free downloads on their site include a mid-tempo ballad, called Truth, a solid proof of the band’s multiple sonic dimensions. It’s the kind of song that gets you so hooked on the instrumental side, that you forget about the lyrics. Then you listen to the lyrics and totally immerse into them, with the music sounding even better. Yeah, it’s one of those. Till ‘the truth’s gonna find you’ check out some video offerings:

Making of So Sad (Fade)

No Vacation For Brandon Flowers

Niki N. Phaser — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:25:44 +0000

First of all, fans of The Killers should not get their mourning clothes out of the closet: the band is just taking a break. All, but one. Frontman Brandon Flowers is using this vacation to release his first solo album, Flamingo, due to enchant us this fall, in September. We can’t help but being curious about what it is that he could not express through The Killers. The first single, Crossfire, is not a big departure from the joyful extravagant Vegas sound of Flowers’ band. It does, however, set him as some kind of a cross between 1980′s David Bowie and Kenny Rogers, which was the singer’s dream all along. The explosive Nash Edgerton directed video is fun to watch and must have been fun to make. Sure, Charlize Theron’s presence is definitely a bonus, especially when she is sporting some ‘kill bill’ moves. Get a taste:

HERE

Robyn ‘Dances On Her Own’

Niki N. Phaser — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:35:09 +0000

After Fembots, which was a taste of her new album, Body Talk Pt.1 (coming out this week), Robyn is releasing her first official single from this new electropop collection. The song is called Dancing on My Own and once again we hear that this Swedish jewel is a dance force to reckon with.

We totally get what she means when she says the inspiration for this single was electro ballads of the 80′s. It has the electrifying all-synth energy, but also a warm vocal melody and lyrics about moving on after your heart got broken, a genuine field of expertise for Robyn (Be Mine is still a favourite). Her lyrics always kinda deemed her as a female Morrissey. Robyn dances on her own:

Här

Manic Street Preachers Announce New Album

Niki N. Phaser — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:57:50 +0000

So, the rumours were wrong… Manic Street Preachers‘ next album will not be titled It’s Not War – Just the End of Love, but Postcards From A Young Man. It will be their 10th, due to be released this September, and even though they call it “one last shot at mass communication” let’s hope they are not getting crazy ideas like retiring. They might also mean just that this new album will be more radio-friendly than Journal for Plague Lovers, last year’s ultimate alternative masterpiece. At least, that’s what James Dean Bradfield told NME. Their last pop-oriented release was Lifeblood (which is, btw, the album that made me fall in love with this band), so things are looking good. And if you are in the UK, your luck is double, because that is where they start the tour promoting this new one. September through November will see them taking new material to the major joints on the island. Till then, keep your eyes on the Manics’ site:

INFO MANIC

Biffy Clyro Shower Us With ‘Bubbles’

Niki N. Phaser — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:19:38 +0000

Scottish grunge revelation, Biffy Clyro, are about to release a new single from last year’s successful Only Revolutions . After the well-received singles That Golden Rule, The Captain and Many of Horror, it’s time for Bubbles (no connection to The Powerpuff Girls, I was told) to persuade another wave of listeners to check out this band. With some ‘backing’ guitars by Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and a feelgood-in-a-small-town Thin Lizzy vibe, we are sure that Bubbles will do its duty. With honors (or horrors ?).

If indeed, you jump on board of the Biffy craze, you’ll get plenty of chances to see them rock out their heavy complex arrangements at this summer’s festivals. And from what I gathered, they do it quite nicely. But first, get a taste:

Chase and Pop BUBBLES here

Robyn Speaks Out For ‘Fembots’

Niki N. Phaser — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:27:10 +0000

After giving I Blame Coco her blessing, Swedish pop-deluxe revivalist, Robyn, is back again on our radar. She is streaming a first taste of her new album, that will be out this June. Her last album, the eponymous release of 2005, marked a definite international breakthrough, after a few previous scattered hits. The new song is called Fembot and, as you might have guessed from the title, is about robots of the female gender. There is plenty of Auto-Tune and robotics effects in this one, but it’s catchy as hell and makes us wonder if Robyn’s next album shares the same traits: one foot in the present, the other in the future. Of pop. Being for some time exposed to the international club culture and listening to Technotronic and early The Prodigy (Experience days), Robyn is bound to get us bust a robot move this summer.

FEMBOTS have feelings HERE