Frank Vs Metronomy

So just under two weeks ago I became a dad. And the very first bit of music Frank heard was a snippet of Salted Caramel Ice Cream on the 'gram.

Bit of banger for a first song plus a bangin' video to boot.

And that was just the start of the mini Metronomy wave that Frank, Plus One Loo and me have been on since. The English Riviera happened to be in the Celica on the drive home from the hospital. We've been devouring their videos through the NOW TV stick. But perhaps biggest of all, Loo and I have tickets for Metronomy's Bristol show in November, which we've pencilled in as our first night out together. Metronomy Forever is blates on pre-order too.

Can't flipping wait.

Related posts: All 20+ Metronomy posts are here.

Original image: Lotus Head from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

BABii Buzz

Back on the Buzz train this month. Missed out on Trash Kit and Mort Garson albums but picked up the debut from BABii. Full review below, decided to repost here as I couldn't crowbar the last line into the magazine review...

BABii
HiiDE (Deathwaltz Originals)
***

HiiDE is the debut album of icy holographic electro pop from Margate’s BABii. And it kind of falls between two stools. Compared to the precision tooled synth pop of your Sigrids and your Robyns of this world, its lacking the killer hooks that worm their way into your head.

On the flipside it doesn’t quite have the sonic inventiveness of your Grimes and your FKA Twigs. What you’re left with is a pretty, sugary sweet, well-made pop album (dub don Adrian Sherwood produces here) that’s just unsure where to sit.

The “ii”s don’t have it. SE

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Cold War Pop

Hands up, before this week I had no clue who Virna Lindt is, or Tot Taylor who produced this, nor The Compact Organisation, which is the label that ties all this together.

All I know is that Intelligence is glorious icy pop from Sweden. A kitsch mishmash of Cold War spy games, 60s film scores, and 80s new wave.

Shout out for the subtle flutter VCR effect on the YouTube video - it's the little things isn't it?

In fact the album Intelligence is from - 1983's Shiver - is well worth a listen.

And while it may be simplistic to draw a line from Lindt's shimmering sing-speak singing style to the work of fellow Scandinavians Annie and Sigrid, fans of the them, or sophisticated pop in general will find plenty to enjoy on Shiver. A curio from a fascinating time in music.

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• I Like Lectric Motors
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• Urgh!

Original Image: Lynn/Vanhanen 2012 [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons