Holy Ghost! – I Know, I Hear (Youtube)

I don’t know much about Holy Ghost! so here are some official facts about this video that I have just made up.

1. It’s in black and white.
2. It has handclaps.
3. There are bleeps and bloops.
4. There’s some serious drum action involved.
5. It is quite long but doesn’t outstay it’s welcome (which in this genre is nice for once).
6. It is extremely listenable.
7. See 6.

That’s probably all you need to know at the moment.

Robyn – Hang With Me (Vimeo)

Here is the new video for Robyn’s new single. It’s really very good if you like Robyn and really very good if you don’t like Robyn. Sometimes that’s how music works.

The video feature some exciting “on the road” type footage of service stations, hotel rooms, coach seats and the like. You don’t get many decent videos like this any more because they’re all swanning off covering women in paint or whatever else is in vogue these days.

It also raises the question of how Robyn takes her tea. I’m thinking peppermint but it’s Robyn, it could be builders for all we know. She might be a warm drink rebel. Incidentally Jónsi takes his green tea with half boiling water, half cold water.

Anyway yes this is a good Robyn song and Body Talk Pt. II is going to be brilliant.

Last night I appeared on LBC 97.3FM to give my “expert opinion” as a blogger/broadcaster/human on the Mercury Prize. With Cristo Foufas I talked about the full list of nominations including Laura Marling and The XX, talked about what the prize means to the public and the music industry, and gave my tip for the winner.

If you didn’t manage to catch it live (and shame on you for not) you can only go and listen to my dulcet tones via the player below.

Is the Mercury Prize still relevant? LBC 97.3FM by markhiggins

Essentially I said Laura Marling was amazing and Dizzee Rascal is a bit less than amazing, as well as wheeling out some amazing facts about the 1994 award.

Massive thanks to Ruth Barnes as I was covering for her and Cristo Foufas for bein such a genial host. Radio is ace.

Stars and Sons – Futureproof (Youtube)

Here is the new single by Brighton-based indie poppers Stars and Sons. This single is as good if not slightly better than the last one I wrote some words about, If It’s Good For Me. This one is slightly creepier and therefore slightly better.

Given that we all know triangles are the best shape, using them in the video was always going to be a winner geometrically speaking. It’s a very sweet little track – at first I wondered where the hook was before realising it’s the entire flipping song.

It will grow on you like an indie rash, I guarantee!

You might have noticed that some award nominations got announced today. Well, clearly I’m going to weigh in on what should win because that’s how I do things.

This should win the 2010 Popjustice Twenty Quid Music Prize because it is basically brilliant:

And this should win the Barclaycard Mercury Prize 2010 because it is actually amazing:

If either Marina or Laura don’t win their respective awards I will be SEVERELY MIFFED.

Klaxons – Echoes

Here is the video for the new Klaxons song which is called Echoes. I will review it by comparing it to their illustrious back catalogue.

Klaxons songs it is a bit better than:

It’s Not Over Yet
Magick

Klaxons songs it is a bit worse than:

Atlantis To Interzone
Golden Skans
Gravity’s Rainbow
Totem On The Timeline

So somewhere nearer the bottom of the middle, then.

The new album artwork is bloody good though.

Architecture In Helsinki – That Beep (Youtube)

One thing you can take for granted when it comes to music these days – if a band has a place in their name, they probably don’t come from there. Egyptian Hip Hop are from Manchester, Le Corps De Mince Françoise are from Finland. and avant-garde indie poppers Architecture In Helsinki are from Australia. I think they do it just to make my job that little bit more confusing.

Blogger befuddlement aside, this is a quirky little pop track with a predictably mental video. There’s some blue bits. And some yellow bits. I don’t really get it. I don’t think I’m meant to. Not to worry though – aside from the video you’ve got a track that is very beepy and therefore very nice.

School Of Seven Bells – Windstorm (Youtube, audio only)

I don’t usually post stuff if it hasn’t got at least a few moving pictures to go with it, but I’m prepared to make an exception today.

I interviewed School of Seven Bells back in December at All Tomorrow’s Parties for 6 Music, and the combination of me being tired and them being tired did not lend itself well to a classic interview. They do, however make some rather fantastic music, with this new single from new album Disconnect From Desire being a case in point. It’s just bloody amazing – swirling, ethereal dreampop.

I had the pleasure of seeing them again when I was working on Lauren Laverne’s show last week, and if you hot foot over to the show page you can listen to the session again. I thoroughly recommend it.

Monarchy – Love Get Out Of My Way (Youtube)

Here is a song by London type electro duo Monarchy, who have secured the prestigious Monday slot on this blog by making a song that sounds a bit like the Scissor Sisters doing some Daft Punk covers. Which would have made a great new Scissor Sisters album actually, but that’s for another time.

Some robotics, boxes and squares in the video then. The track itself is highly listenable. Album’s out in the autumn. Get nice.

Breakbot – Baby I’m Yours (Youtube)

I made this really rather outstanding track the Bitter Fingers Single of the Week in this week’s Pile of Promos, which you can (and should) read again. Now I’m posting the video though, and what a video it is!

Watercolours and dancing and there’s a pretty lady in there as well. I think, she’s just paint really. It’s a fantastically innovative and perfectly executed video for a track which, if there’s any justice, will get a tonne of airplay and become a “summer anthem”, as I believe the kids call them these days.

It’s the sort of track that just makes you want to dance, and I suggest you chase that feeling. I already am, it’s making typing a proper nightmare.