The accomplished, diverse sounds of Kimbra Johnson (for that is her full name) make it hard to believe she is only 21. Drawing comparisons to Nina Simone and Florence + The Machine, her music takes in polished, bouncy pop with Cameo Lover...
...to the Imogen Heap-esque kook of broody number Settle Down.
She's currently heading up a promo campaign in the US with the Settle Down EP, yet she diversifies further with the current (and third) Australasian single Good Intent; a slick film noir of a track with references to harlots and infidelity.
It's a jazzy piece with a spike that's missing from her mainstream soulful contemporary Caro Emerald's output - an edge that has helped propel Kimbra's debut album Vows into the top 5 in both Australia and in her Kiwi homeland.
With features on Miami Horror and Gotye tunes also under her belt, and American promotion well underway, it shouldn't be long until the musky tones of this musical chameleon come wafting onto European shores as well.
You may be forgiven for thinking that this "new" artist looks rather familiar, and you'd be right. Introducing the new alter ego of Marina & The Diamonds, whose jaded return marks a surprising, yet strangely not unexpected, change in sound.
Electra Hart embodies "the lies, illusions and death of the American Dream". The emotional first track, Fear & Loathing, has the world-weariness of a gambler who's lost all her money in Vegas, while the video suggests that Marina (sorry, Electra) has returned to the casino's hotel. There, she cuts her hair just short of Britney-esque levels in a bid to escape herself.
The transition continues as the next song sees Ms Hart heading to the dancefloor, with the polished and upbeat, yet still idiosyncratic, Radioactive. There's something off-putting about the sudden shift in pace - the song is produced by Stargate (Norwegian knob-twiddlers for Rihanna, Ne-Yo) and is clearly a calculated stab at nabbing a David Guetta-style chart hit at last.
Even though there's a different vibe, the song's lyrics are classic Marina, chronicling a fear of love and a relationship breakdown - another chapter in the life of a singer whose unique selling point is her proud self-awareness.
It's undeniable that Marina/Electra has one of the best set of pipes in pop music today, yet there's something unnerving about her dogged introspection. It would be refreshing to hear her move away from her neuroses and cover new ground.
Despite those drawbacks, the Electra Hart enterprise could give her the success she needs.After coming 2nd on the BBC Sound of 2010 list (behind Ellie Goulding), her debut album The Family Jewels slid down the charts without providing any smash hits.
The name thing is confusing mind, but fear not! Her official releases will still come under her usual moniker, so no messy scrobbles on last.fm. For those of you after a more familiar recording of Radioactive - there's an acoustic version available to download for free on her website now. The original is released on 3rd October.
Florence + The Machine whirls back onto the scene with a flick of the lace and a whiff of granny's perfume. Not much has changed here - the lead single from the upcoming (and so far untitled) 2nd album has Florence Welch getting in touch with her inner Virginia Woolf, accompanied by the usual references to drowning and mythical beings. Although What The Water Gave Me (inspired by the Frida Kahlopainting of the same name) starts with a familiar sense of foreboding and builds into a satisfying finish, there's also a distinct lack of stylistic progression. Let's hope the album has something new to offer. Until then, here's the video:
After 2009's Actor was inspired by Woody Allen and Disney films, it seems St. Vincent is this time taking in James Bond movies for her upcoming 3rd album Strange Mercy. With a hummed intro reminiscent of You Only Live Twice by Nancy Sinatra, the Manhattan-based baroque pop favourite (real name Annie Clark) is up to her usual tricks again. Surgeon lulls you into a false sense of security with comfy vocals, before warped guitars signal a drastic change of pace. Aside from that and the worrying refrain best call a surgeon / come cut me open, it's a kooky but pleasant affair. Listen up below:
Following the moody, chic High & Low from earlier on in the year, Swedish Idol 2009 finalist Tove Styrke is taking another stab at UK chart success with Call My Name. Think Robyn's pulsating beats making friends with Sky Ferreira's effervescent charm. The best bits are the echo segments, and there's something strangely reminiscent of Seven Wonders by Fleetwood Mac in the electronic bleeps and bloops of the chorus. Frolicking on with the 80s feel, I'll be two steps over the water is a cheeky reference to Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush.There's no video as yet, but you can satisfy your ears at least:
The Anglo-French daughter of the infamous 60s smoothie singer Serge Gainsbourg returns this week with the first cut from her upcoming 4th album Stage Whisper. Terrible Angels (no, not a CocoRosie cover) is worlds away from the casual strut of Heaven Can Wait, with all the stomp and circumstance of a Supernature-era Goldfrapp hit. The track, like her last album IRM, is produced once more by Beck, and packs almost as many punches as there are in the video:
Smokey-voiced American chanteuse Lana Del Rey has all the orchestral drama of Florence + The Machine and the brazen, pouty attitude of Gwen Stefani. Her videos are a mish-mash of movie footage and shots of Lana while her soulful vocals ratchet up the melancholic feel. The lyrics mingle passion with slang (think Littlest Things by Lily Allen), making for a heady concoction of emotion and street smarts. The double A-side single is available for pre-order on her website now, but if you just can't wait 'til the release on 16th October, then keep hitting those Youtube play buttons!
The offensively underrated Dragonette soldier on with video #4 from their delectable second album Fixin To Thrill. Following on from the uplifting melancholia of the Pick Up The Phone clip, the Canadian troupe once again lend centre-stage to singer Martina Sobrara, who struts around lights and mirrors in plenty of spondiferous hairstyles. Easy is just the sort of track you need on a rainy day like today – it features the same brooding tone and brutal honesty as You Please Me, with a dash of Another Day-style vulnerability (both tracks feature on their debut album Galore). Yet, if it’s all a smidgen too mid-tempo for your liking, then there’s always the Buffetlibre reinterpretation available for free here.
The phrase "Catchy foreign language pop song" is likely to strike terror into the ears of any music lover over the age of 6. Not since the heady days of The Ketchup Song and Dragostea Din Tei has such a track garnered popularity on these shores, but fear not – Alizée’s comeback single Les Collines (Never Leave You) is a sensual, enticing little number that, despite being sung half in French and half in English, still manages to get lodged in your head. The chant of "Never wanna leave you (ooh!)" in the chorus makes you instantly fall in love with her – if that won’t then the moody, stylish video surely will.
Though the music video for All The Right Moves has been out for longer than a month, a single for the track is noticeably absent from their pages on download sites. Instead, their new album Waking Up has been shoved out unceremoniously. This is surely a shot in the foot for the standalone track, as it deserves to have a release in its own right. With a trademark Ryan Tedder drum beat and everyman lyrics like "do you think I’m special, do you think I’m nice? / Am I bright enough to shine in your spaces?", it proves that OneRepublic deserve to finally step out from under the shadow of Timbaland. Gritty, and with a chant of a chorus fit for a football match, this is distinctly less wet than their debut. You’ll note, however, that the Victorian masquerade theme of the video has absolutely nothing to do with the song whatsoever, but all the same it’s still a clip that’s 100% adequate.
Make no mistake – London-based Marina Diamandis is difficult to pigeon-hole. Adopting a moniker that connects herself to fans, (her “Diamonds”), Marina’s style varies from sparse, piano-based number Obsessions, (a look at the mundanity of life that gained lazy Kate Nash comparisons)...
...to the jungly vibe and "cuckoo!" shrieks on her forthcoming debut single proper Mowgli’s Road.
The latter is an odd choice, perhaps, for her introduction to the mainstream, but for an artist who discusses on her blog everything from female sexuality and Britney Spears to record labels’ desire to release “hit me quick with the big fat chorus” tunes, this comes as no surprise.
Opinionated and peculiar, wild and reflective, Marina’s arty videos and lyrics such as – “You’re lovable, so lovable… but you’re just troubled” from I Am Not A Robot make her instantly likeable and easy to identify with. Her first album The Family Jewels is due out in early 2010, but for now treasure this diamond of a voice whilst her gems are still underground favourites.
