Bright Light Bright Light “Disco Moment”
I simply cannot get enough of the danceable, romantic and sometimes sad pop of Bright Light Bright Light (aka Welsh singer/producer/remixer Rod Thomas). It can’t already be a year since “A New Word To Say” started it all, with the gloriously giddy “Love Part II” following late last summer as released through EMI’s PopJustice Hi-Fi label. Rod’s been keeping so busy writing, recording, performing (both as BrightLightx2 and as a DJ) on both sides of the Atlantic. His latest release is “Disco Moment”, coming to you worldwide on August 7 (in North America, a new label called The Blue Team will release it). I had already been revelling in a live You Tube clip of the song for a while, when the official video sprang loose this week. It’s such a beautifully visual piece of storytelling about personal connection and will tantalize your emotions (watch the clip above). It’s all about those singular times when someone you’re close with has a brief time to shine – and you’re left on the sidelines, wondering… towards an almost pre-determined conclusion which may or may not be heartbreaking. Rod’s songs are often very open-ended which leaves so much to the thoughts of listeners. And his best songs not only have bang-on melodic hooks but simple and instantly memorable lyrics too (“you make it so hard to be around”). Can’t wait to hear the full Bright Light Bright Light album – it will be a stunner.
Mika “Elle me dit”
Fresh off the press courtesy of a tweet today from the always in-tune My Fizzy Pop comes the latest release from the talented Mika – and it’s not just the title that’s French (meaning “She Tells Me”), it’s the entire song! I’m not on Facebook much but it seems that you have to watch Mika’s FB page for news like this. It’s a light and bouncy tune that alternates between sparkling pop and summery house, and it certainly will please Mika’s fans from Life In Cartoon Motion and The Boy Who Knew Too Much. According to an interview with Charts In France, it’s from Mika’s third album due for release next year called The Origins Of Love, which will have a variety of contributions from Empire Of The Sun, Martin Solveig, and William Orbit. I’m not sure if this song will (or is even intended to) cross into the English language market but be sure to listen above.
Penguin Prison “Fair Warning” (clip) and “Multi-Millionaire (Shook remix)”
I’m so glad that we’re going to see Penguin Prison’s self-titled album surface later this year. In North America it will be through the inventive Downtown Records, in the UK the Stranger label will have it, while in France and Benelux it will be released through Atmospherique. Out already in the UK is new single “Fair Warning”, hopefully with the rest of the world to follow (listen to the clip above – the full song is a gem). To keep things moving, Chris Glover and his band continue to tour and New Yorkers have it lucky in early July with a few concerts. Meanwhile multiple remixes of one of PP’s best songs, “Multi-Millionaire”, keep surfacing. I already introduced you to the Aeons remix, and now the wonderful folks at RCRDLBL bring us a grooving “Shook” remix for free download right here. And if you’re adventurous and in for some subtlety, you can check out a seamless mashup of the song with Whitney Houston’s “Million Dollar Bill” called “Multi-Million Dollar Bill” – another generous free download right here.
Kyle Brylin “Everything I’m Missing” redux
The talented Kyle Brylin has tweaked the sound and mix of my favourite song by him thus far, “Everything I’m Missing”, which topped out at #5 on my chart a few weeks ago. Not only that but the provocative video that I blogged about months ago has been revisited and moves along much more fluidly (watch the video above). “Everything” in its finest version is now available for purchase on iTunes along with a brand new song “Make It So”, which takes its time playing with you till the three minute mark, when it turns into this fantastic militant breakdown of R&B-influenced pop that comes to an end all too soon – extended remix please?? Listen to “Make It So” below.
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