• 461 Plays
  • Take A BiteNicola Roberts

Nicola Roberts | Take A Bite

What happens when you take a British girl band and send one member off on a solo outing? Well, it usually leads to an over-hyped, commercial failure. But that’s not the case when the “ugly” one from Girls Aloud gets her time in the spotlight. Nicola Roberts’s album was anything but over-hyped.

Snarky comments aside, the debut solo album from Nicola Roberts, Cinderella’s Eyes, is a surprisingly good attempt at a pop album with a big 80’s influence. The album even earns some indie-cred, featuring credits to Dragonette and Diplo for writing and production, respectively.

Never-getting-released-as-a-single track Take A Bite features everything you could hope for from a female pop solo. An over-produced gasp as a vocal track, catchy synth riffs, a big and loud chorus that’s begging to be sung along to, and a bridge featuring a well-off white girl trying to deliver an edgy rap.

Be sure to check out her singles, including the Diplo-produced, Beat Of My Drum, and Dragonette-penned Lucky Day.

The 1900s | When I Say Go

You know when you scroll through your itunes and find an artist you haven’t listened to in ages and end up relapsing into another said-artist phase? I first saw this band live in 2008. The New Pornographers were hosting a charity music festival in September for ALS and they invited out their musical friends to play at this mini weekend shindig. First of all, fall concert. There really should be more of those. It was the perfect way to spend the first weekend back in school. Second of all, I had won free tickets. The lineup was packed with amazing artists, from Neko Case to Andrew Bird to Stevie Jackson from Belle and Sebastian and a few bands I didn’t know. Like the 1900s. It was this seven-piece band with two lead female vocals playing egg shakers and tambourines. That is already a recipe for love in my books. They’re pop-y. They’re breezy. They’re bouncy. Their music was nowhere on the internet and I ended up running around for weeks from record store to record store, digging up their albums. Which is also the story of how I found pretty much all the record stores in Vancouver. There’s something to listening to a band for the very first time at a live show. Anyway, needless to say, I fell in love. 

This song is off their first album ‘Cold & Kind’. 
I just found out they released a second album so I’m gonna go drown myself in that now. 

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Of Monsters And Men | Little Talks

Of Monsters And Men are a six-piece band from Reykjavík, Iceland. Although only a couple years old, their debut album ‘My Head Is An Animal’ shows off their beautiful chemistry. If you’re like me, you won’t be able to stop listening to their stories of magical creatures, legends, and adventures. 

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Rich Aucoin | IT

Halifax’s Rich Aucoin is an act that simply must be seen to fully appreciate. Self proclaimed “motivational crowd karaoke”, the Rich Aucoin experience draws crowds in for a night of interactive singing, dancing and overall joy. If you’re into dance parties with glowsticks, confetti, silly string and parachutes, Rich is your man. Featured here is the fantastic music video for “IT” from Aucoin’s latest release, We’re All Dying To Live. If you ever get the chance, see this man live. It will change your life.

Official Website (Free download of “IT” available here!)

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PUSH (3D Music Video)

  • 79 Plays
  • My ThingsDragonette

Dragonette | My Things

Dragonette are a three-piece electropop band based sometimes in Toronto and sometimes in London. You might recognize them from their international hit collaboration with Martin Solveig, Hello, but they already have an impressive catalogue of their own material available. Known for their flirtatious and sexually-charged lyrics, it should come as no surprise to fans when frontwoman Martina Sorbara exclaims, “Just get your titties of my things!” in the chorus of My Things.

My Things comes from Mixin To Thrill, a collection of remixes from their sophomore album, Fixin To Thrill. Dragonette are currently putting the finishing touches on their to-be titled third album scheduled to be released mid-2012. The first single from their new album is coming soon.