Author Archives: Daniel

You know how your pretentious mate always goes on at you about that band which deserves more success, he also really enjoys feeling as if he’s the only right-minded person in the world. I’d know, cause I’m that mate, and New Young Pony Club is that band.

Like everyone else, my knowledge of NYPC was vague and based on their seductive 2007 semi-hit ‘Ice Cream’, were it not for Spotify’s ‘whats new’ section that could still be the case. The band’s agenda is simple: out with the bubbly light-hearted sex pop, in with the sobering heartfelt mood pop. Thoughtfully, the band have made this transition blindingly obvious in both their music videos and their album cover – black has most definitely the flavour of The Optimist. Continue reading →

Three LPs in one year. I didn’t expect Robyn to pull it off, for starters almost half the year had passed before Body Talk Pt.1 was released; yet as I listened to that album I couldn’t help but be excited by the prospect that two more were in the pipeline. Fast-forward seven months and Robyn has proven me wrong and presented us with a grand portion of juicy pop in the process. For me, it’s entirely indisputable that Robyn’s is amongst the finest music of the year. Continue reading →

Folk = acoustic = trees, nature, the moon

Other stuff = electric = pavement, concrete, street lights

So there it is, the despicable simplification that I am ashamed to admit exists somewhere in my consciousness, subconsciousness or wherever these things emanate from. Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of folk, but this is mostly thanks to strategic ignorance, since I feel I’ve got enough on my plate within my preferred genres. Thankfully, Tunng exists to shake up my flawed ‘logic’ and to remind me that my ignorance is simply that, it should never be trusted. Continue reading →

As the year rolls towards its end gathering speed like a runaway snowball, it turns out to be finishing in a similar fashion to how it began – bitterly cold and soundtracked by Vampire Weekend. The former is, of course, to be expected, but in January I wouldn’t have presumed I’d be listening to Contra eleven months down the line. Though it probably did little to change the minds of those who see Vampire Weekend as the symbol of irritatingly pretentious prep pop, Contra asked for reassessment. Continue reading →