Laura White

Now, obviously everyone watches X Factor. Even Bauman and Björk watch X Factor. I know for a fact The Boy Least Likely To are fans of the national hub of identity that is this Saturday and Sunday evening social phenomenon.

Anyway, so last year, I was devastated. My world was utterly rocked, and not in the good way, by the ongoings of X Factor. I vowed to hate it forever, but carry on watching, if only from a curious sociologists point of view (ha). When Laura White was voted out of last year's competition it left a bitter taste in my mouth and some grandiose metaphysical questions about the worth of television, the general public and a certain Louis Walsh.

But now, after 'a break' -- by which, I mean, not a break, an agreed amount of time that artists that have participated in the X Factor are banned from releasing any material as such as they become famous to the great annoyance of ITV and Simon Cowell whom have not been able to gain any monetary profit from -- LAURA WHITE IS BACK!!

I'm not sure I wholly love the single on initially hearing it. But I still back her most deserved rise to success after the disaster that was 2008!



Her sound is only two-clicks away from Alexandra Burke's and Cheryl Cole's. So if Laura White doesn't do well then we can view this as being down to the power of money, promotion and the big labels. Not a lack of talent! She's gorgeous!

Buy her single here! Go Laura!

Miike Snow

Excuse me a moment whilst I go all chart-hugging. But I currently cannot escape this song. I have a poor little dance to go along with, but it does require that I am entirely in my own company.

Miike Snow is pretty much loved at the moment. I'm enjoying the popularising and beautiful utilisation of drifting techno sequences. It is working in favour of the changing seasons. Honestly, put it on your MP3 player and listen whilst doing a night-time bus journey through a twinkling city centre, preferably past a river.

And I congratulate the subversion of the current trend to drop all vowels from your act name. Fucking add some! Come on Miike! You could probably get some more in there. If your not MSTRKRFT you probably just don't do it as stylishly.



And here is a remix. There are a few out there, but this is my favourite by Savage Skulls.

Miike Snow - Black & Blue (Savage Skulls remix) [via YouSendIt for 7 days]

Wiley

We'll start with the obvious and less than positive remarks.

a) This appears to be Wiley's response to Dizzee's crazy-mad hit Bonkers. Agree?

b) Who is doubting Wiley all the time? As The Other Half pointed out, he often seems to take, what not many people even notice is, a break and then triumphantly returns with a song lambasting anyone who had been dissing him. So, lets just stop all that silly nonsense. Otherwise you'll have to answer to this EskiGirl. And Wiley, just calm yourself.

So, I must admit I'm liking this embrace by grime of bass and big beats. Wiley really seems to have taken on a sound that for a lot of other grime artists wouldn't be able to stand up against. It is fucking full on. We've gone beyond provocative and entered reactionary. But it really isn't going to come close to toppling or troubling Wiley. I'd like to see more of this. Any recommendations, do share.

Here is the track. Just a still-picture video, I'm afraid.

We've not had a Hot Chip post for a while..

So why the hell not? Eh?

Hot Chip - Playboy

Delightful. I demand you agree.

Mr Hudson

Mr Hudson - Exclusive: Forever Young on MUZU


I'm not sure I entirely have my thoughts in order with regards to this artist. But there might be a glint of something that is attracting me, like a magpie, with hoardful curiosity.

White Williams

This is is wonderful.

Although it made near suicidal with frustration for quite a long time. Whilst working at the retail chain CD's would be sent to pop in our CD player and play. Designed to be cool whilst subliminally encouraging shoppers to be happy, enjoy their shopping experience and buy many items from the shop. I had a pretty macbre fascination with those compilations. I think part of me wanted it to be my job to compile them and send them out. I think I'd have been very good at it. I used to get excited when we got a new CD and would spend quite a while pouring over the track-listing. Well, we'd had this CD for a while and I always found myself doing a little boogie and a bit of sing, much to the amusement to customers, idiots, to this song. So I worked out the other songs on the CD before and after and went to look for the tracklisting. And, I swear to you, swear, I think every tracklisting since the shop had opened was there except that one! I went near mad. Everyone knew about it, managers, the Saturday kids, customers. In the end I stole the CD one night to take home and have The Other Half listen to, "Oh yea. I know this." "Right. So what is it? Who is it?" "I can't remember. But it isn't Hot Chip" Thanks for telling me something I already know. This went on for sometime. I was delirious. I put lyrics in Google, to no avail. I nearly sent it to friends of mine in the blogosphere, but couldn't let them in on my sheer mental degeneration. Eventually I decided to get on with my life. Or what I had left of it having excluded anything other than this track.

And do you know what? As dishevelled as my mind is, I can't remember how it became know to me that it was by White Williams. I think my BestFriendHouseMate might have somehow had something to do with it. I'm not sure any longer. But I now have it on 7" vinyl which I purchased in Camden recently. And somehow that makes it all okay.

So here is the track that I had wanted to share with you all for so, so long.

White Williams - Violator [via YouSendIt for 7 days]

There are new things to have mini-breakdowns about, so please, no comments on how easily I could have resolved this situation.

CELEBRATE!

A distinct, some would even say seismic, shift is taking place. Here at the home of Pop Cultureddd there is much change occuring. Which will hopefully lead to a reinvigorated, rejuvinated and intellectually stimulated author*. At the same time this new era occurs the demise of Jo Whiley has finally happened. The joy imparted is tantamount to all my Birthday's and Christmas's coming at once. I am a very happy lady. Now I could carry on wallowing in somebody else's misfortune (my Mummy would be very proud, she artfully finds hilarity in other people's pain, not in a horrible way, but, you know), but this is probably not very becoming.

So check this out. I love it. Ignore the Whiley before and after.



Woo!

* - I'll still be fucking poor though, probably more so infact.