Music: thenewno2 - Never Too Late

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In brief - because it would be easy to write a manual on this lot - thenewno2 are singer / guitarist Dhani Harrison, keyboard / programmer Paul Hicks, keyboards / guitarist Jonathan Sadoff, guitarist Jeremy Faccone, bassist Aaron Older and drummer Frank Zummo.  A band including Grammy Award winners and a Beatles' and a Hollies' child, experienced in not only making music but also films and artwork, and who are not shy of a side project are clearly going to fit the brief for any challenge.  For a film score, for example.

And here is where we meet the track Never Too Late.  Never Too Late is one of two currently unreleased tracks by the band that feature on their score for upcoming film Beautiful Creatures, which counts Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson among it's cast.  The films director, Richard LaGravenese, asked for a sound that he had never heard before, and said that he was 'knocked out' by the bands ideas, excitement, and creativity as they created a new genre, which the band dubbed 'swamptronica'.  Thenewno2 recruited almost a dozen extra voices and influences for the score, including The Duke Spirit's Leila Moss who features on Never Too Late as well as Run To Me (also featuring Ben Harper).

In anticipation of the release of the soundtrack on February 12th (followed by the film, Beautiful Creatures, on February 14th) you can listen to Never Too Late on Soundcloud.  You will find that the track fits perfectly with film music.  The variances in texture, from sparse and myseterious to thick, epic string undercurrents, and the unpredictable rythms and chords make for a piece of music that is able to capture your interest to hear it to the end.  Leila Moss's smooth, unassuming but powerful vocals compliment the track, as do the guitar solos, while it all builds up to a dramatic and slightly discordant, haunting finish.

You will find Never Too Late below, but to hear more please visit the Soundcloud page.  You can also visit their website or follow them on Twitter (@thenewno2).

Release of the Beautiful Creature Original Motion Soundtrack, on Watertower / Sony Music is on February 12th 2013.

Music: Erica Wexler

Erica Wexler is pure and simple singer, songwriter, songstress material.  She is all about the vocals, and is successful with pretty turns and twists in a natural, Karen Carpenter way.

Fascinatingly, she also had a relationship with one of my favourite artists, Roy Lichtenstein, and will soon be putting up an array of his work on her website.  Also, from her website you can download a free MP3 of a new track Flesh.

Music: The Sound of Arrows - Conquest

The Sound of Arrows are to release their newest single, Conquest, from their critically acclaimed album Voyage on June 25th.

Stefan Storm (best name ever!) and Oskar Gullstrand have a sound similar to that of Lo-Fi-Fnk - electronic, contagious and just a little bit camp.  Their bass rhythms have the same gentle reggae/ska sway of Blondie's Tide Is High, and this applies to their remix of Maroon 5's Payphone, which you can listen to here.  There is constant change throughout the remix, but would be better if it was three minutes long rather than five.

Their remixes don't stop at their tinkering with other peoples songs - they've also had a fair few of their own tracks looked at by artists such as Tiesto and Fear of Tigers.  There will be a compilation of these remixes released at the end of June, which will be available from their band website and Facebook page (hint - follow).

Music: Hadouken - Parasite

So, here's how this will go.  Dub fans will tell me its terrible dub.  Drum and Bass fans will say it's terrible D&B.  And you'll both tell me it's all be done before.  But I don't even care because the hardened Hadouken fans will back me up I'm sure.

The bands that are successful are those that progress and stay ahead of the times - or at least keep up - but retain their sense of self.  They have a particular sound, whether it's their style or their voice, that can be applied to any track and you'll always hear it and know who it is.  Think through the most successful acts: Madonna, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Muse (OK they're along a different line to the others but it still applies).  Hadouken always seem to manage the same, and it's only to their credit.

Their blend of a million and one genres always manage to keep a certain... Hadoukeness that makes them unique.  With a new single soon to be released, Hadouken have given us a little taster of what's to come.  If you're quick you can download it for free by following this link.  Alternatively, you can buy it from iTunes bundled with some remixes (or have a listen below):




Listen to more Hadouken at Soundcloud!!

Internet: Beat Suite Tweets

Music and apps and social media - surely there is no better combination.  Red Bull's Beat Suite Tweets app is a clever little animal, turning your tweets into a little snippet of music based on the mood of your words.  I'm sure this video will explain it much better:

If you want to try out your own tweets on the Beat Suite click here.  It gets old pretty quickly, but if you fancy a ten minute break from work...

Music: David Bowie - Life on Mars

I've been singing this song for two days now and so I would like to remind you of it's existence...

Music: Two Wounded Birds - To Be Young

I'm not angry... I'm just disappointed

Goodness me, where to start?  Something could be said along the lines of "sounds like a wounded vocalist" or "this has literally wounded my ears", but that's not my breed of music reviewing, so I'm going to stick with frustratingly bad.

Remove the vocals, and the music has potential.  There's a classic feel to it, like it might be played at the Back To The Future school dance - it's been done before but it's upbeat and inoffensive, so well done musicians.  Sadly, the vocals have done the equivalent of a dog dragging it's bum across the new cream carpet.  This guy has listened to too much Morrissey (oooh woe is me, I must sound dark and mysterious) and too many bands from Manchester (whinge whine whine - looking at you Oasis).  There's an amount of flip flopping between these two styles and the result is an inability to understand what on Earth is being sung about.   The worst thing of all: he sounds like he can probably sing when he's not putting on this ridiculous show.  And that is what led me to frustratingly bad.

But regardless, have a listen below and make up your own mind.  Apparently Brian Wilson and Debbie Harry like them so what do I know anyway?  Credit where credits due - there is a little bit of this that won't leave my head.  Their Facebook page says the "band is bound to be written off by progressive tyres, excitement chasers and those who don't appreciate the art and craft of the popular song" but it also describes Johnny Danger's vocal tone as velvety.  Yes, that's right... Johnny Danger.