A Dream That I Was Told To Keep

Ireland has a pretty fantastic reputation for producing mopey indie bands and guitar-grinding rock groups, but our track record in the fields of pop and dance music has been considerably more patchy.

While a chart-conquering Irish EDM star may still be some way off, a number of homegrown acts teaming ambient electronica with pop sensibilities have recently been forging a new path that is proving to be music blog catnip.

Newbridge teenager MMOTHS's bedroom-brewed musical concoctions earned him a support slot for The xx on their recent tour, while Dublin duo Slow Skies have been riding high in the Hype Machine chart with their recent release 'On The Shore'.

Now comes 'Time', a collaboration between Cork electropop outfit Young Wonder and another Irish artist Sacred Animals that is destined to expedite the rise of Irish electronica. Likened by The 405 to a "Ben Gibbard and Björk duet produced by Balam Acab", this track is certainly one we can proudly export.



Check out Young Wonder's video for 'Orange' below:

Living Life Three Times As Fast

“What's your dick like, homie? What are you into?”  Azealia Banks barks at a bespectacled and bemused-looking Jacques Greene in the music video for her signature tune '212'. My guess is that Greene's genitals, like the rest of him, are perfectly formed. And sexual proclivities aside, what he's 'into' is slinky synths and killer, killer beats.

The Canadian producer/DJ has demonstrated a singular flair for extracting vocal samples from forgotten-but not-gone R'n'B stars like Mario, Brandy and Ashanti and using these as cornerstones in gauzy house and two-step constructions.

More recently, Greene has deviated from this blueprint, juggling more 'commercial' projects like a guest-spot on the recent Katy B EP with solo releases, such as this excellent collaboration with Tinashe, 'Painted Faces'.

When There Are No More Walls To Climb

Heathers' album 'Kingdom' was one of my favourite Irish releases of 2012. Expanding on the harmonies-and-acoustic-guitar formula that worked so well on their debut, the girls incorporated synths, strings and percussion into the mix for a fuller pop sound.

They may have risked alienating their folk fanbase but the strategy paid off in spades, with the album spawning the anthemic radio hit 'Forget Me Knots' and earning the Blackrock twins a Choice Prize nomination (Ireland's answer to the Mercury or Polaris).

Now, with a national headline tour under their belts, they return with the moody new single 'Lions, Tigers, Bears' and a windswept video to boot (in parts reminiscent of All Saints' 'Pure Shores'.)

Didn't Know Getting Lost In The Blue

MS MR's 'Hurricane' already had a pretty great video, condensing the 'essence' of Tumblr into just under four minutes. That was, however, when they were being super secretive about their identities.

They have have since revealed themselves as New Yorkers Lizzy Plapinger and Max Hershenow and to be in possession of faces. Accordingly, they have made a new video that features said faces smeared with lurid bodypaint.

Combining a bubblegum palette with murky happenings, the clip is a welcome reminder of MS MR's knack for grade-A gloom-pop ahead of the release of their album 'Secondhand Rapture' next month. Kind of hoping they're going to turn up one of the Irish festival line-ups one of these days...

All The Time To Keep You Off My Mind

The lofty standards set by Scandinavian pop music have been well documented and one of its key archetypes has been the lovelorn Swedish chanteuse.

The latest addition to Stockholm's stockpile of swoon-inducing songbirds is 24-year-old Tove Lo.  Her latest track 'Habits', an ode to heartbreak-fuelled self-destruction, was sent to me by a friend and I've been playing it all day.

Granted, it probably owes a debt to the tumbling percussion of Lykke Li's 'Little Bit' and the hook-heavy chorus would fit right into one of Robyn's signature electro-ballads, but there's a black humour and lyrical quirkiness that sets 'Habits' apart from the work of her contemporaries.

Stuck On Repeat - April Showers Edition

Phoenix - Entertainment (Blood Orange Remix)



A Tribe Called Quest - 1nce Again (Bit Funk Remix)



Boy - Little Numbers



TLC - Unpretty (Follow Me Remix)



Purity Ring - Grammy (Soulja Boy Cover)



Bastille - Pompeii (Monsieur Adi Remix)



Ms Mr - Fantasy

[Image: Moritz Aust]

I'm Holding On To What I Can't Have

Los Angeles-based singer/producer Danny Choi, recording as Ghost Loft, caught my attention last year with his excellent track 'Seconds', a glorious 3 minute mélange of R&B-tinged minimalist pop and airy vocals, embellished with a killer sample.

Now he has dropped the sombre but similarly superb 'So High', a strong indication that Ghost Loft is here for the long haul. Teaming subdued synths with a guitar line that recalls Shontelle's 'Impossible',  the track is three minutes of pure magic.

Fire Burning Through Your Veins

After releasing three EPs independently, collaborating with Fred Falke and Xenomania along the way, Bristol pop maven Florrie made the leap to a major label in 2012.

Since then, she has been working away on the tracks that will make up her debut album. A recent post on her site claimed that she is close to completing work on 20 tracks and almost ready to launch her quest to conquer the charts and our hearts.

Before then, though, there is a sneak preview of what to expect in the guise of the new theme tune to a new Sony headphones advertisement, 'Live A Little'. Written and performed by Florrie, the track is a welcome reminder of her vibrant pop energy.



Download the track for free here.

We're Smoking The Right Stuff

I really like Miley Cyrus.

What began as a semi-ironic enjoyment of 'Hannah Montana' quickly snowballed into fully-fledged adoration for the pop perfection of 'See You Again', 'Party In The USA' and 'Black Umbrella'.

As regards her music, I will vigorously defend Billy Ray's singing sprog to all detractors. Miley's movies, mind, I could take or leave. In fact, I don't think I've successfully managed a full sitting of a film she's been in, which is why I'm very glad that she's recently put her music-making cap back on (and lopped off most of her hair for good measure.)

Ahead of her own new material, Miley found time to guest-spot on the new Snoop Lion track 'Ashtrays & Heartbreaks'. Produced by the dream-team of Major Lazer and Ariel Rechtshaid, the track is Snoop's finest pop moment this side of his guest spot on Robyn's 'U Should Know Better' and Miley is sounding pretty good too.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think the song was about getting high. Thankfully, we all know Miley ain't got no time for that.