XOX 7

XOX SEVEN ; DOWNLOAD HERE;

With Interviews; The Virgins, We Have Band, Vivian Girls, Tame Impala. Also; KASMs, The Soft Pack, Mat Horne; Fashion; Music; and More!

Jx

http://www.myspace.com/sameteensmanchester

Tame Impala

Take a great, big, dirty step back into the past. The hazy days of Woodstock, the incense infused 1960s. So you weren't alive? So what? With Tame Impala you can create a Summer of Love 2009 (or rather Winter, considering the month) but either way it's like kicking back with Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger.

Hailing from Oz these guys have all the summery goodness you might expect sans the cheesiness of Neighbours or Home and Away. They manage to encompass 60s psych and a fresh new sound as well; expect major comparisons to MGMT and Empire of the Sun but don't take too much notice- these guys have a sound in their own right (okay- owing a lot to the 60s) but still, it's chilled out Jim Morrison style makes up for everything.

If White Denim relaxed a bit they might sound a bit more like this. Simple riffs gliding over the patter of drums and the drawling vocals all compound the funky, fuzzy feedback and shoegaze vibe.

It's like one big acid trip without any of the consequences. Get involved!

TRACKS TO CHECK- Half Full Glass of Wine // Skeleton Tiger.

Jadexx

http://www.myspace.com/tameimpala

Remix.

Long, long has the art of remixing produced either absolute genius or absolute cack. The former surely has to describe SebastiAn's remix of "I Still Remember". Taking a simple, stylised electro backbeat and the juxtaposition of Kele's slightly strained vocals over the top whilst simple, lyrical refrains battle across the top means that a dance floor friendly classic has had a revamp for the better.
Adding to this DiscoTech's Rolling Stones rework, Soulwax's Beatles vamp, MSTRFKT's All Saints mess-a-bout and anything Twelves get their hands on and it's smooth, disco sailing from there.

Even R Kelly get's the remix treatment with Alex Rage's Ignition remix- best song ever? I think you'll find that is so!

Also check out Austria's best music website, Stylish Kids in the Riot, for XOX's month-long takeover blog style-ee. Read it here: XOX GOES POP.

Hot foot it too here for XOX 7 with interviews avec The Virgins, We Have Band and the Soft Pack as well as Eddy Temple Morris' top DJing tips and Mat Hornes top ten songs to listen to this month! The best free magazine online now- for comfort and cheap living in the 'credit crunch' crisis!

Jade xx

www.myspace.com/blocparty

www.myspace.com/0sebastian0

Le Corps de Mince Francois

They are hailed as the next CSS and comprise of three super-cute girls who knock out pretty, electronic driven music. How could you not be a fan?

They live in Finland yet have a dash of New York cool, a hint of French to their name and with a pinch of that Brazilian CSS sound. More than that though they're punching their hands in the air for 'girl power' and creating dance-floor friendly hits. Wonderfully kitsch, this is disco on an epic scale.

"Bitch of the Bitches" is electro driven which is mixed up with the acoustic version of "Ray Ban Glasses" which sounds more like 'Hitten' by Those Dancing Days than 'Alala' by CSS. Showing an ability to mix the sublime of acoustic guitar with the ridiculous of neon electro they've got two sides to their story. Stuffing the spirit of Le Tigre, Yelle and Peaches into one band and they have that instant hook and beat combo which makes 'Bitch of the Bitches' an instant hit. They've even got Russ Chimes on board giving it that touch of French-electro coolness. They're cooler than you, but get over it.

http://www.myspace.com/lecorpsmincedefrancoise

Banjo or Freakout

Allowing disjointed drums and samples to hop over one another as seamless vocals float on top means that Banjo or Freakout (aka. Alessio Natalizia) has created something extremely original. Rhythms skip and jump before settling into a momentum under a thin veil of distortion. It’s a patchwork of sound which, until about a fifth listen, sounds like noise within noise but soon enough a simple melody emerges and the song takes on a life of its own. There is fragility to the music and a feeling that it could fall apart at any minute - but that’s also its strength, the ability to break and regroup with ease.'Someone Great' is the result of experimenting with LCD Soundsystem. Natalizias use of loops and repeats verge almost on the brink of extreme yet this is what creates an entirely new sound. It’s almost like pure vocals and atmosphere. Unlike 'Mr No' this takes a more coherent approach to music with haunting vocals, simple Joy Division-esque atmosphere and lush refrains.Both songs highlight a musician who isn’t just talented but who has an ear for being experimental without alienating the audience. Blissful.

http://www.myspace.com/banjoorfreakout

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JadeXXX

Marina and the Diamonds

Just another female singer in the midst of Lykke Li and Laura Marling? Oh no. There is a ferociousness that accompanies Marina's cutting insights on modern life seethe through the sweetness in her voice.

"Obsessions" is a piano driven and haunting affair which evokes simple, maudlin musings which contrasts greatly to "Seventeen" which matches staccato beats and Kate Bush inspired vocals with a feisty air thumping chorus. The sweetness of Yael Naim with the force of Karen O's personality seeps through.

"Mowgli's Road" gathers in it's arms a bundle of ideas and throws them in the air- the end result falls into a mish-mash of piano, vocal and thumping drums creating a seriously interesting sound. Added to this heartfelt lyrics and a set of powerful lungs and your there.

It is subtlety which is intoxicating.
Jadexx

Obsessions (demo)- Marina and the Diamonds

Mowgli's Road- Marina and the Diamonds

Little Joy

It seems that every Stroke's member had a hand in creating their sound if the music they are creating now is anything to go by. Within Albert Hammond Jnr's side-project there are hints of it and now with Fabrizio Moretti's new stuff "Little Joy" there is a nod back to the 'Room on Fire' era. Especially in "Keep Me in Mind"; I almost feel like Julian et al are back only to be reminded this just isn't so.
Lazy strumming of guitar set against sparse drumming and wonderfully droning vocals it's almost like they're back together. I can forgive this whole-heartedly though because The Strokes were a band where every member provided an integral key to the music created and because deep down, after Julian, Fab was always my favourite. A bit like when Pete and Carl spun away from each other and produced bands which had similar elements to the Libertine sound but developing and honing their own talents 'Little Joy' have their own sound entwining the Strokes vibe.

Proving not to want to jump into the lime-light too readily there are two other major components to Little Joy in the shape of Binki Shapiro and Rodrigo Amarante. Taking over the vocals and various other instruments this really does feel like a band rather than a side-project for Fab.

And to call themselves 'Little' Joy is an understatement- their songs a full of joy. The kind that lights up summer days and winds down the winter nights. Unfortunately they've released their debut as the winter draws in and so lolling around the garden, cocktail in hand and sun shining down whilst pumping out their music isn't possible. Although on the flip side their Californian laid-back pop does bring those elements to the brittle winter months so all is well.

Songs like "No One's Better Sake" use disjointed, 60's infused synth and sparse drumming with lethargic vocals which turns the whole thing into a reggae infused affair (possibly not on purpose) whereas "How to Hang a Warhol" takes simplistic guitar riffs and wraps the whole thing into a bundle of indie fun. It's sort of like The Thrills or She & Him combined with an hint of Belle and Sebastian. It's possibly "Don't Watch Me Dancing" though which is their most beautiful endeavour as Binki's understated vocals take control and the melodic guitar carries the simple lullaby of the song. In the same way "Unattainable" takes the same melancholy music tinged with heartfelt lyrics which evokes the 1970's folk infusion. It's songs like these which take away the Strokes element and show the band off to their best.

Their music is so laid back it's almost horizontal, but who cares? Hooks a'plenty and filling the void left by the Strokes rather nicely it's undemanding of it's listeners and allows the sunshine pop of yesteryear to transport you to a happier, sunnier place than England in December. Lovely!

Jade XX

The Next Time Around- Little Joy

Unattainable- Little Joy

How to Hang a Warhol- Little Joy

We Have Band

If the Horrors went 80’s induced disco you might balk at the concept yet the beginning of We Have Band’s debut “Oh” sounds exactly like that with a broody hook which runs with the disco feel.
Cramming in Hot Chip beeps with Talking Head’s rhythm the concoction is a frantic, itchy marrying of sounds which wouldn’t be out of place on the Skins soundtrack, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The frenetic repetition of “Oh/ oh/ oh” skips over the macabre disco and despite the heavy electro influence it is more new wave than new rave, which in the post-mortem of the Klaxons aftermath is defiantly in their favour. These are The Rapture of the new generation; as filthy as The Faint with a pinch of futuristic-pop to match the heavy laying of programming and drums.
It’s the most chilled disco-funk ever- it’s almost electro-by-numbers except for the fact it manifests itself into the catchiest, most danceable song ever transcending any influence gained from the likes of ADULT and Fischerspooner and creating a whole new, addictive sound!

Jade XX

We Have Band- Oh!