Kap Bambino - The French electronic music duo

Born in October 2001, as well as their own label WWILKO, Kap Bambino (the French Orion Bouvier and Caroline Martial) plays an effective and energetic contemporary electronic music. Based on incisive rythms, intoxicating riffs and dyslexic lyrics, this music defies classification. Out of control, it is sometimes pop and melancholic, sometimes skinned-raw, but always agressive. They try to exist in the fringe of the actual French musical movement, like some no-futur bastards, totally devoted to non-stop amazing performance. They can perform all their live shows as if they play with their own lives. On stage, the Kap Bambino impressive turmoil has an identity of its own - playful, wild and without compromising.

I would recommend Kap Bambino for many people into trashy electronic music, especially fans of Crystal Castles. Like Crystal Castles, Kap Bambino are known for their energetic and excited live performances. Featured in magazines such as NME and Dazed and Confused, and singer Caroline being listed amongst the "hottest new models .. in London and New York", the all-round talented duo have also independently toured all over Europe, Japan and Mexico.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/kapbambino

Video of the Week - Crystal Castles - 'Baptism' (Live)

Seeing as next month there will be a full review of their live performance, I thought I'd include this as this weeks 'Video of the Week'. Alice Glass is known well for her on-stage persona and the way she presents herself and the music. Its a shame that, in my opinion, Ethan Kath gets overshadowed by this when they perform - as he is the true genius behind the music, and the founder of Alice Glass from her old band, Fetus Fatale at the age of 15.

I Blame Coco - The Constant

I Blame Coco is captained by Sting’s daughter Coco Sumner (real name Eliot Pauline Styler Sumner, 19), with support from Joy Joseph and Raphael Mann from Mr Hudson & The Library on drums and bass.

It’s fair to say that Coco is no stranger to the spotlight; as well as being a part-time actress who had a supporting role in the film Stardust, she’s also a model who was featured in Burberry’s spring/summer 2008 advertising campaign alongside Agyness Deyn.

Now as Coco descends onto the music scene, she is already encountering skepticism bordering on hostility towards her well-connected career-move. Some may argue that she is only doing so because she can but despite her privileges and connections, Coco insists that whilst she ‘loves them (her parents) to death, this is not about them. This is what I do and what I have to say.’

If the pressure to prove everyone wrong has concerned Coco then you certainly can’t tell judging by her mature, effervescent and uber-confident on-stage demeanor.

Coco, unsurprisingly, was surrounded by music from an early age and began playing guitar when she was just 4 years old. Having worked on her debut album singularly since the age of 15, she scrapped it all in the autumn of last year and re-wrote it to her own, exact specifications.

After experimenting with ska and reggae, Coco stumbled on her thumping electro-rock sound by accident. ‘I couldn’t find a guitarist, so I started messing around on a keyboard and that suited the songs much better.’ A trip to Stockholm resulted in a link-up with producer Klas and female singer Robyn, who provides backing vocals on Caesar.

'The Constant' is the debut album by the british Electropop act.

Tracklist:
1 "Self Machine"
2 "In Spirit Golden"
3 "Quicker"
4 "Turn Your Back On Love"
5 "Please Rewind"
6 "Summer Rain"
7 "Playwright Fate"
8 "The Constant"9 "Party Bag
10 "No Smile"
11 "Caesar" (featuring Robyn)
12 "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
13 "It's About To Get Worse"

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/iblamecoco

Video of the Week - The Smiths - 'This Charming Man'

'This Charming Man' was The Smiths' second single in October 1983, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. The song is defined by Marr's jangle pop guitar riff and Morrissey's characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.

Video of the Week - The Drums - 'Best Friend'

I personally like the simplicity of this video, and twinned with one of my personal favourites of the album (reviewed previously) I think this easily deserves video of the week. Following seeing them headlining in Newcastle in November will be a full live review.

Video of the Week - Bombay Bicycle Club - 'Always Like This'

Nominated for anthem of the year at the UK Festival Awards.

Two Door Cinema Club - An Introduction

It's easy to imagine that one of the biggest issues Two Door Cinema Club is going to face in the future is being pigeonholed as 'just another indie band'. But before you make that judgment, you'd be wise to give them a listen or two.
Two Door Cinema Club are an electropop/indie rock band from Bangor and Donaghadee, Northern Ireland formed in 2007. An EP "Four Words To Stand On" was released in January 2009 and was positively received by critics. They are now signed to fashionable French record label Kitsuné Music, through which they released their debut album Tourist History on 1 March 2010. The band consists of Alex Trimble (lead vocals, guitar, synths, beats), Sam Halliday (guitar and vocals) and Kevin Baird (bass and vocals).

The band’s name came about after one of the members misprounced the name of local cinema Tudor Cinema, and this stuck. NME stated "Two Door’s stuttering yet spiky songs are tighter than a snake’s bumhole in a sandstorm". Their influences range from Bloc Party to Modest Mouse to Death Cab for Cutie, but together have created their own sound. The bands songs are so genuinely catchy and show so much enthusiasm its hard to not rate them highly. What makes Two Door even more genuine are the fact they don't claim to be something different or original - they just provide upbeat, uplifting and feel good songs that a crowd can dance to. The band are clearly confident in both musical ability and songwriting skills, which constantly shows. Even though the band has no drummer, they create catchy beats and backing music using a laptop whilst using guitar/bass/vocals/synths over the top. Having no drummer can sometimes be tricky, although for this band it seems to be a positive trait.

Here is one of their tracks, 'Something Good Can Work' acoustic. This particular version in my opinion shows their talents a little more raw and unmastered. This is one of my particular favourites of the album, along with 'Cigarettes in the Theatre' and 'Come Back Home'.

Two Door Cinema Club have opened for a number of bands including; AutoKratz, Delphic, Foals and Metronomy, played the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Futures Stage at T in the Park, the main stage at Oxegen Festival and at the Benicassim festival in 2010 and toured the UK in March 2010, however it seems only now they are being put in the spotlight and recognised more. They will be playing Leeds/Reading Festival this year and embark on a bigger solo tour starting in September 2010- of which one date I will be attending.

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/twodoorcinemaclub