The Scoundrel Squirrels are a one piece outfit fronted by mastermind ‘Mondie’ who hail’s from Leeds but is based in London. The Scoundrel Squirrels and are set up to fuse the wonders of music to the glories of an England football World Cup campaign. They exist due to the firm belief that a tournament as massive and as captivating as the World Cup should have a soundtrack to feast the ears whilst the spectacle of England’s progress to the finals absorbs the mind. The Scoundrel Squirrels have had previous success with 80’s Leeds Indie outfit ‘The Pleasure Garden’ who are known for their EP ‘Sacrilege In Smalltown’, featuring the songs ‘Love Paradox’, ‘Whites Of The Eye’, their opus, ‘Feel Of A Thousand Whispers’ and their biggest hit single, ‘On a Midnight Picnic’. Mondie had a stint with ‘Big Hearted Arthur’ with the EP ‘Soaked In Wine’ featuring the title track, plus two other belters ‘My ID’ and ‘Judo Throws’. Mondie released his first solo single ‘Too Late’ and follow up’s ‘Angst-Ridden’ and ‘Speak Louder’ and has also featured in Italian Indie band ‘The Grinning Moondogs’ before launching the World Cup songs ‘England’s Roar’ (South Africa 2010 ) and Glory ! Glory […]
TESTING – A$AP Rocky
Influenced by the Southern-style swagger of UGK and the rhymes of his hometown heroes the Diplomats, A$AP Rocky gave up slinging drugs in Harlem and moved to Elmwood Park, New Jersey, where he started rapping. By the time he had completed his GED, the self-proclaimed hood outcast had already gained comparisons to Wiz Khalifa and was being championed by Fader magazine, Stereogum, and rap superstar Drake, due to the Internet-leaked singles “Peso” and “Trilla.” In 2011, just after he turned 22, A$AP Rocky released the Deep Purple mixtape and followed it months later with the digital release of his debut effort, the street album Live.Love.A$AP. After signing a reportedly large deal with Sony, the album was re-released in February of 2012. Even without an official debut album, the rapper rounded out the year with a nomination for BBC Radio’s Sound of 2012 poll, performing alongside Rihanna at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, playing Lana Del Rey’s husband in the singer’s “National Anthem” video, and landing a spot in a television commercial for the popular video game FIFA Soccer 13. His official debut album, Long.Live.A$AP, finally landed in 2013 and featured the single “Goldie.” Santigold, 2 Chainz, Kendrick Lamar, and […]
Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes
It only took Shawn Mendes three years to realize his pop dreams. After catching a wave of fame on Vine, he steered it into solo stardom with two chart-topping albums, a world tour, and a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. Then, the Toronto-area native got right to work on his third album, an adventurous voyage of texture and tempo, with songwriting support from pop heavyweights like Ed Sheeran, Julia Michaels, and John Mayer. Lyrically, he’s still the same Shawn—brooding, broken, heart on his sleeve—but age and experience have emboldened him; heartbreak is no longer a curb on his powers, but his creative fuel. With a skillful balance of poise and risk-taking, he explores slick funk (“Particular Taste”), soulful piano ballads (“Perfectly Wrong”), and Kings of Leon-inspired pop-rock (“In My Blood”), showing us just how much he’s capable of. Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes
Goodbye & Good Riddance – Juice WRLD
Chicago-area hip-hop musician Juice WRLD delivers introspective lyrics atop melodic production, echoing Travis Scott and Post Malone. Born Jarad Higgins in 1998, the Calumet Park artist grew up playing piano, drums, and guitar, turning to rap freestyling in high school. Influenced by rock music and Chicago drill from Lil Durk and Chief Keef, Higgins began recording as Juice TheKidd, a moniker derived from his haircut, which resembled 2Pac’s in the film Juice. His early tracks were all posted online, leading up to 2017’s Juice WLRD 999 EP. Produced by Nick Mira and Sidepce, the set included the singles “Lucid Dreams (Forget Me)” and “All Girls Are the Same.” Both tracks would also land on his official debut full-length, Goodbye & Good Riddance (Interscope), which peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200 upon release in May 2018. ~ Neil Z. Yeung Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes
No Shame – Lily Allen
With her omnivorous musical tastes and cheeky attitude, London-based pop singer/songwriter Lily Allen made a name for herself almost as soon as she released her demos on the Internet. The daughter of comedian Keith Allen, Lily spent most of her childhood bouncing from one school to another; in fact, she attended 13 different schools between the ages of five and 15. This constant moving meant she didn’t have much of a chance to make lasting friendships, so Allen entertained herself with books and, especially, music: she listened to everything from T. Rex, the Specials, and the Slits to the Happy Mondays and drum’n’bass, and even ran away to see the Glastonbury Festival when she was 14. After she left school a year later, she realized that music was the only career for her. Allen concentrated on her songwriting and singing, developing a style that was equally sweet and bratty; late in 2005, she set up a MySpace page and posted demos of her songs, as both individual tracks and as part of two limited-edition “mixtapes” that also featured tracks by Dizzee Rascal, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Ludacris. The critical acclaim for her work fueled Allen’s publicity, leading to tens of […]
ye – Kanye West
In the span of three short years, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract and, ultimately, a wildly successful solo career. West paired his beats with tongue-twisting raps and a self-assured, flamboyant personality. His dapper fashion sense set him apart from many of his rap peers, and his confidence often came across as boastful or even egotistical, albeit amusingly so. This flamboyance, of course, made for good press, something that West enjoyed in spades during his sudden rise to celebrity status. He was a media darling, appearing and performing at countless awards shows (and winning at them, too), delivering theatrical videos to MTV, and mouthing off about whatever happened to cross his mind. He frequently spoke out against the rampant homophobia evident in much rap music, posed for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ, and even claimed during a televised Hurricane Katrina fundraiser that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” West courted controversy, no question about it, but his steady presence in the celebrity limelight couldn’t eclipse his musical talent. His production abilities seemed boundless during his initial surge of activity, as […]
Lost & Found – Jorja Smith
Jorja Smith is an English R&B singer/songwriter whose soulful, jazz-tinged cadence, heartfelt lyrics, and retro sound invoke names like Alunageorge, Nao, Lulu James, and Amy Winehouse, the latter of whom the Walsall-based artist cites as her biggest influence. Smith issued her debut single, “Blue Lights,” in 2015, but it was 2016’s powerful “Where Did I Go?” that began turning heads. That track, and the follow-up single “Beautiful Little Fools,” eventually culminated in the late-2016 release of Smith’s debut EP, Project 11. The following year saw her international profile elevated via her multiple appearances on Drake’s surprise playlist/LP More Life, which saw her holding court among a bevy of high-profile guests like Kanye West, Young Thug, 2 Chainz, and Travis Scott. That same year, Smith released a pair of her own singles, “Beautiful Little Fools” and “Teenage Fantasy,” as well as the collaborative single “On My Mind,” with Preditah. In January 2018, she released the dark and moody “Let Me Down,” which featured U.K. grime artist Stormzy. ~ James Christopher Monger Get this now from: https://www.apple.com/uk/itunes
KIDS SEE GHOSTS – KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Kanye West & Kid Cudi
If ye, Kanye West’s solo album released one week prior, was him proudly shouting about his superpower—bipolar disorder—from the peak of a snow-capped mountain, KIDS SEE GHOSTS is the fireside therapy session occurring at its base. Both Kid Cudi and West have dealt with controversy and mental illness throughout their intertwined careers. It’s all addressed here, on their long-awaited first joint album, with honesty and innate chemistry. Kanye’s production pulsates and rumbles beneath his signature confessional bars and religious affirmations, but, centred by Cudi’s gift for melodic depth and understated humility, his contributions, and the project overall, feel cathartic rather than bombastic and headline-grabbing. On “Freeee (Ghost Town, Pt. 2)”, the sequel to ye highlight “Ghost Town”, both men bellow, “Nothing hurts me anymore…I feel free” with such tangible, full-bodied energy, it feels as though this very recording was, in itself, a moment of great healing.