Tag Archive for "Number 79"

THE RECOMMENDER – NUMBER 79 – BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT

In precisely the same way that all highly skilled craftsmen create their quality products, when pop music is done well, it appears to be somewhat effortless. It strikes all the buttons marked ‘positive’ and ‘satisfying’, whilst simultaneously ticking all your inner fun boxes. We’ve recently been in touch with Rod Thomas who kicked off this new project last summer, following a career spent working inside music distribution (PIAS) from 2004, to eventually setting up his own label, Self Raising Records, in 2006. With the likes of Andy Chatterley (Unkle, Kanye West, Kylie) and Boom Bip (Neon Neon) backing him in the studio he’s chipped out an album, which is yet to have a confirmed release date, but is at least in the bag. The below single, released last week, will be it’s first foundation block and now sees Rod deservedly starting to find the edges of the spotlight online. It’s a gorgeous piece of pop, brightly lit and fizzing with confidence. If you had a scale of pop with the dumbed-down, cliche-ridden, Simon Cowell-backed style at one end, then Bright Light Bright Light would be found at the opposite. It’s intellectual, tidy and sophisticated, whilst still being jammed with flowing melodies and catchy choruses. It’s thrumming soundscape drifts around like an echo over the kind of beat and handclap that would suit a dance routine. It’s an addictive tune, pulsing along whilst Rod sings of mending broken-hearted moments. You may have heard his other work, mostly completed under his real name, remixing the likes of James Yuill, The Answering Machine and Ellie Goulding to brilliant effect. The signature synthetic wall of sound seems to be his trademark, filling the room with every tune he touches. You can catch our new favourite Welshman on a brief tour starting tomorrow (30th March), then throughout April, taking in London, Tunbridge Wells, Southampton, Manchester and Cardiff. We may yet ask him to come and play our Recommender party at some point, as a musician working this kind of skilled craft is bound to be a mesmerizing act to watch. (MB)

Find him here: Myspace

Hear him here: BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT – A NEW WORD TO SAY

Hear him here: BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT – A NEW WORD TO SAY (JAMES YUILL REMIX)

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Published: March 29th, 2010
Author: The Recommender
Category: The Recommender
Tags: A New Word To Say, Bright Light Bright Light, Ellie Goulding, James Yuill, Kanye West, Kylie, Neon Neon, Number 79, The Answering Machine, Unkle

THE RECOMMENDER – NUMBER 79 – JUKEBOX COLLECTIVE

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Welcome back to The Recommender. Those regular readers will notice that we’ve changed up a little from previous posts. This time we plan to do one single recommendation at a time, rather than the traditional three, so we can focus more on each band and post more frequently. It’s all designed to improve the Recommender experience. One thing that will certainly improve it are the fantastic music selections such as Jukebox Collective. You will see in the below post, (Recommender 78), that we had located our new favourite band with The Tins. As amazing and adored as they still are, they’ve already had to be bumped off our metaphorical top spot by this new four piece from London. We suggest you put your ears back in the box and return to sender if this band don’t top yours too. Consider the liveliest of beats, frantic spiked guitars, awesome riffs and choruses that will have you dancing, clapping and singing along like you just had 10,000 volts up your ass! Think of the kind of guitar hooks and energy that The Rapture or Gang Of Four jammed out, or the more modern synth version that it evolved into with The Sunshine Underground. It’s all rolled up with some awesome styled vocals, from Kev Sewell, who sometimes sings, but sometimes speaks the words, in the way Julian Casablancas did, if he had Scroobius Pip‘s Essex accent. It’s an outstandingly smooth ride, considering they’ve only been together for just over a year, with Greg being the main architect. We spoke with the South African-born Greg earlier today, who’s been over in East London for the last seven years. As former members of Havana Guns and Dakar Raleigh, they’ve now formed this new project, together with the Supremo Music label, which they’ll release on, at least initially. They’re playing our Recommender party in Brighton on Saturday 24th April with Wild Palms, so head down if you like what you hear. If you don’t like what you hear, we suggest you locate your brain’s reset button, it’s in their somewhere. (MB)