♫ Christina – Woohoo (MP3)

I know the album’s got completely slated but I’m still COMPLETELY obsessed with this track. The computer game style vocal effect on the ‘Woohoo’ thrills me as does the Nicki Minaj. Her contribution to the track is minimal but there’s something so exciting about her voice I can’t help but love her. She’s some kind of magic! I love rude pop.

♫ Pink Dollaz – I’m Tasty (MP3)

These girls are pure potty mouths – prudes beware! This is like the uncensored unpop version of Woohoo. So many great lines – so minimal, so catchy! ‘Just the thought of you fucking me made you loose your mind, instant insanity!’ I’ve heard there are big things on the horizon for these girls and I can totes believe it!

♫ Best Coast – Boyfriend (MP3)

At the forefront of the lo-fi dreamy 60s style pop movement is Best Coast (he says with AUTHORITY haha). When I first heard this, I was convinced she was singing about a girl and was completely thrilling over it (in the way that anytime any alternative music offers anything non-hetero I get excited) – ‘I wish she was my boyfriend’. But I was soon proven wrong in the verses with her use of male pronouns and realised that the coupling of the words ‘wish’ and ‘he’ was deceiving my ears! Still a great pop song but could have been better if it was about a girl – Ha!

♫ Kisses – Midnight Lover (MP3)

Of all the great Kisses songs to come out so far, this is my favourite. There’s something I fall in love with whenever I hear a low male vocal that’s tinged with sadness. I love the chorus – it’s so simple and so sweet – and classically romantic (maybe not for the veggies though) ‘I would like to take you out, for a nice steak dinner – just me and you.’ Again, that 80s feeling similar to Depeche or Duran!

♫ Wild Nothing – Chinatown (MP3)

This track is so rich sounding it almost doesn’t sound electronic. Wild Nothing’s lofi electronic noisefest is so delicate and echoey it’s an instant charmer. I love songs that talk about fog!

♫ The Books – A Cold Freezin Night (MP3)

This is verging on the sound of insanity – repetitive beats, and noises along with the strangest vocal clips from children.  But there’s something completely compelling about the un-actualised children’s threats of violence that’s addictive and actually verging on cute! Also CHECK OUT THE AMAZING VIDEO!

OLD

♫ Drinking Electricity – Breakout (MP3)

Minimal electronics and guitars twinned with dispassionate female vox from this 80s twisted pop duo from Scotland.  Strange and wonderful!

♫ Barbara & Brenda – If I’m Hurt You’ll Feel The Pain (MP3)

NOW for something completely different! A bit of classic 60s soul. I love how in soul, you’re allowed to say something as amazing as ‘If I’m Hurt You’ll Feel The Pain’ – you just don’t get pop music like that now. I thrill when she says ‘but that’s just one of man’s rules’ - YES – MANZ RULEZ SUCK! x

THRILLING EVENTAGE in the shape of MORE CRACKERS PLEASE! I secondarily wanted to post about it to show off that I drew/designed the flyer and Kathleen Hanna looked at it and she said it was ‘so beautiful’ – haha! But primarily, it’s going to be an A-MAZING time. Tickets are literally seconds from selling out so be sure and snap one up toot-sweet!

BUY TICKETS HERE – READ MORE ON FACEBOOK

www.youtube.com/watch?v=L53gjP-TtGE

There’s something I find bit (erm) unloveable about Kanye -- I think it’s ever since I saw him live and there was a cringe-to-death drawn out theatrical rant praising god and jesus and stuff. GRIM viewing.

THAT SAID -- I am really enjoying POWER. And this new teaser video is bee-u-t-iful! Obvious Michelangelo Sistene styling but also Henry Darger and Rider-Waite Tarot - I Swoon -- to death!

As another new Manic Street Preachers album looms on the horizon (Postcards From A Young Man is out in September) and I find myself yet again having to defend this once so vital and fiercely intelligent band to haters, I thought I might as well just get it out here once and for all.

So below are just a few reasons why I followed MSP obsessively around the country as a teenager and tracked down every b-side, why I thought it was wise to scrawl ‘Repeat After Me Fuck Queen and Country‘ on the back of my green army jacket and walk around Manchester town centre on a Saturday afternoon and why they could make a million more new records, all deathly bad, and I would still love them forever for what they once were.

1. It wasn’t Just 17, a gal pal or even my mum that did it, MSP taught me how to put on eyeliner:

‘Stay Beautiful’

2. My peers spent hours getting wasted, laid and then blathering on about it. I was a dweeb and preferred a good book. MSP taught me the power of words, to gain strength from knowledge and along the way introduced me to some of the world’s most influential writers:

‘Faster’

3. MSP showed me that provoking people could be loads of fun:

‘You Love Us’

‘Love’s Sweet Exile’

4. In the nineties it felt to me like thugs with guitars ruled British mainstream music. MSP were a safe haven from all of that:

‘Little Baby Nothing’

5. Confused and angsty? MSP said it was ok to be sad, they even sang about it:

‘La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh)‘ (embedding disabled)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKgZNsRerG8

6. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, I was heavily into politics at school, much to the derision of my classmates. I didn’t really care though, MSP showed me that it was ok to be a geek:

‘Revol’

♫ Alexandra Burke – Start Without You (MP3)

This summer bang-a-langa was brought to my attention recently by T-Bop of Unskinny Bop. I played it once, thought it sounded a bit like Annie and then listened again and again and again. I’m completely addicted – as I’m sure you will be too! ENJOY!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7BRraVMZzc

Gene Pitney -- Town Without Pity (swoon!)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xQXFWxJ8fQ

Amazing scenes of surprise gayness in  Male Bonding -- Year’s Not Long video.  Is this the year of alternative gay men? LETS HOPE SO!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcxNaktX0Ug

♫ The Nightblooms -- Crystal Eyes (MP3)

Dreamy grungey lo-fi from the 90s which sounds like it could have been produced by femme-fronted-lofi-noise-makers of current days (bar a few 90s guitar extravagances early in the track). Actually, this sound is atypical of the rest of the Nightbloom’s music unfortunately -- ‘why?’ is the question I ask -- the answer? WHO KNOWS! Ha!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFsiaMUyHtE