Mixtape #1

Every month from now myself and Chloe will select 5 tracks each that have been looped non-stop in our ears and share them with you so you can enjoy them just as much as we have. There will be a mix of indie, house and maybe a touch of chart music to get your mits on so keep an eye out!

Here are this month's top 10 tracks...

 

 

Alt-J – Hunger of the Pine

Alt-J’s return was highly anticipated and they didn’t let their fans down with their release of Hunger of the Pine, the first single from their new album This Is All Yours. This track doesn’t stray far from their renowned quirky sound but it definitely shows a subtle hint towards a new direction that the rest of the album might be directing them in. The track also contains the sample of a Miley Cyrus track, 4x4, which somehow works so if Alt-J can include the works of Miley Cyrus and still make a song worth listening to then all credit where it is due.

Paolo Nutini – Iron Sky

Paolo Nutini’s comeback album was welcomed with open arms and high ratings with his new sound and rejuvenated sex appeal. However, away from all the glitz, Iron Sky is a track that you could listen to repeatedly for many of year. Nutini’s lyrics capture a feeling around the UK in the last few years and the inclusion of Charlie Chaplin’s speech from The Great Dictator adds a glorious element to the track but packs a punch in reiterating the meaning behind the song.

 

George Ezra – Barcelona

George Ezra’s rise to the top has been very subtle but sudden with his track Budapest but scratch beyond the surface of his first album, Wanted on Voyage, and this gem of a track is beautifully sang and it certainly catchy. Ezra’s voice is brilliant throughout the album but this track shows a softer, simpler side to his range and will melt the hearts of all those buttery fans around the globe.

 

 

 

Ten Walls – Walking with Elephants

 

Lithuanian producer Mario Basanov, also known as Ten Walls, has hit the UK charts running with his house track Walking with Elephants. The mellow nature of this track is definitely one for a chilled house party but watch out for any remixes of this track as its catchy bass line is waiting for someone to get a hold of and use to its fist pumping potential.

 

 

Rampa featuring Meggy – Everything (Sonny Fodera Remix)

 

Defected Records are well known for their Deep House and Tech House and they have released a cracker of a track here that will no doubt get played in nightclubs around the world. Former MixMag ‘Hot Six’ DJ Sonny Fodera has got a hold of this track and placed in amongst the Tech House and House genres with its dancey beat and catchy lyrics. Watch this space!

 

 

Jamie T - Zombie

The return of Jamie T has been highly anticipated by both of us among many fans I'm sure, and whilst his comeback track 'Dont you find' is great in its own right, I didn't get the instant feeling of wanting to play it on repeat as I have with so much of his past material, Zombie however, I did. Perhaps a slightly more 'poppy' tune for him but never catchy in an annoying way,I think he's too cool for that...

 

 

 Hozier - Take Me To Church 

Irish musician Andrew Hozier-Byrne released this song as his debut EP in 2013, but it has taken me until recent weeks to truly appreciate it. The lyrics are excellent and I just can't stop listening to it, despite its blues like melody not being the happiest sounding of songs, plus the music video is certainly thought provoking and moving to say the least. His debut studio album Hozier was released just days ago as well which I can't wait to hear. 

 

 Calvin Harris ft John Newman - Blame

This is about as far as I get with dance music at the moment, although I'm sure Jordan is itching to show me more of the stuff he's into, I'll settle for the arguably more 'chart' offerings for now. Ofcourse this is no criticism to the two highly successful men who've collaborated for this track. I've always been a fan of Newman's soulful vocals so mixed with a song that would go down well in a club is a easy hit for me. 

Ed Sheeran - Don't

Now I'd written Ed Sheeran off in the past as a pop guilty pleasure, I guess I just associated him with a massive young teenage following and assumed he wasn't for me, despite loving some of his earliest songs. Fast forward to his latest album X and it's as if him and his sound have matured, and it's as if he's taken a turn away from the mainstream, for example of his collaboration with Rudimental, Bloodstream (which is class). But back to X, he still has his slow thoughtful songs that he does so well, my personal favourite is One, as well as hints towards his more poppy sound but done in much less obvious way, Don't has been getting played on repeat most recently and I love the punchy lyrics showing a different side to Ed, definitely no longer a guilty pleasure.

Nicki Minaj - Anaconda

Okay so not my usual genre of music but I can't help it, I love is lady and this song. Listening to this song when I'm tired and on my way to work definitely gets me channelling my inner Nicki to the point where I strut into work like I own the place, and that's not even getting into the video, all I have to say is go on lass, if only everybody had her confidence!