Stornoway - Zorbing

A: Stornoway
S: Zorbing
C: Beachcomber's Windowsill

They are Britain's indie poppers of the hour and from Oxford. Some may call them the new 'Mumford&Sons', but then I would never compare one ban to another. It is the biggest mistake when describing music, I think, let alone comparing it. There is no comparison in music anyway. It is either your taste, or it isn't. That's all.

Belle and Sebastian - The Blues Are Still Blue

A: Belle and Sebastian
S: The Blues Are Still Blue
C: The Life Pursuit

What is it about the Scottish? Charming, funny, and overall very very talented. Both singer Stuart Murdoch and Stuart David on bass were unemployed when attending a government-sponsored music course in 1996. And it simply all happened from there on. By the way, they are sweetest and great fun to watch live. If you get a chance, go.

JJ - Let Go

A: JJ
S: Let Go
C: No. 3

Recommended live on stage last night by the simply stunning The XX, comes another double-letterd band, without the 'The'. JJ stands for Jules and Jim, named after a French movie, although Joakim Benon und Elin Kastlander come from, yes - you were right: Sweden. Call their sound Indie Pop/Electronic/Balearic Beat, or don't - enjoy.

Robbie Williams + Gary Barlow - Shame

A: Robbie Williams + Gary Barlow
S: Shame
C: In And Out Of Consciousness: Robbie's Greatest Hits 1990-2010

A salute to bro'mance!
And a salute to one of the biggest make ups in pop music history. It might not be the biggest song in history, but it is a pleasure to listen to lines like 'out of sentimental gain I wanted you to feel my pain'. It is like flickering through a diary: 'so I got busy throwing everybody underneath the bus - and with your poster 30 foot high at the back of Toy-R-Us'.

Wir Sind Helden - Alles

A: Wir Sind Helden
S: Alle
C: Bring Mich Nach Hause

In order to celebrate the fantastic return of the fantastic band with their fantastic new album, here is their fantastic first single of 'Bring Mich Nach Hause' - as in 'Bring Me Home'. It actually doesn't sound as cheesy in German as it does in English, Ronan Keating had a record with exactly that title, as I said, in cheesy English. No, in German it all sounds all very sweet and honest.

M.I.A. - XXXO

A: M.I.A.
S: XXXO
C: /\/\/\Y/\

Oh my, it's so gorgeous it hurts. Probably one of the most unpronouncable album names in music history (/\/\/\Y/\), the video of XXXO makes you, or me, for that matter, wanna order a beef chicken shrimp crab diced liver okra bean tamarind curry -
all rolled into one dish. And get a tiger as a pet, of course.

Fujiya & Miyagi - Ankle Injuries

A: Fujiya & Miyagi
S: Ankle Injuries
C: Transparent Things

Just when we thought we have seen it all, there comes a video which is all so gorgeous and new all over again. Not that new actually, since it was released about four years ago. Anyway, Fijii and Mijii or however the band is called are from Brighton and have been described somewhere between James Brown on Valium and Wire doing popular music.

Interpol - Lights

A: Interpol
S: Lights
C: Interpol (out 03.09.10)

It is always the same old story with Interpol and they releasing a new album - you like the first single and can't wait for all the other amazing tracks. And once you get the Cd, they all sound the same, exactly more or less. Which is why you have to enjoy the first single as much as you can. Video directed by Mr. Charlie White.

Maximum Balloon Feat. Aku - Tiger

A: Maximum Balloon Feat. Aku
S: Tiger
C: Maximum Balloon (out 21.09.10)

TV On The Radio visionary Dave Sitek does it solo this autumn, on September, 21st. Anyway, he is kind of losing his contrary reputation. According to Foals, who said that whilst producing their album, Dave was walking around his studio, with a knife in one hand, and a bottle of Whiskey in the other one. That was then, this is now.

Lucy Pearl - Dance Tonight

A: Lucy Pearl
S: Dance Tonight
C: Lucy Pearl

You know, if you felt asleep on the sofa last night like I did, there is always another chance tonight. Lucy manages to put that perfect summer breeze feeling into one song only, the one where you've cooled down from the hot day a day like today was, that mellow feeling of the first drink around the time right now, before you go out, the relaxed mood, before the excitement starts. If you manage to do that, I'll even forgive the bad makeup she's wearing.

Yannick Aellen - The Devil (Is A Woman I Never Slept With)

A: Yannick Aellen
S: The Devil (Is A Woman I Never Slept With)
C: Dark Crooning - EP

See, now if I wrote that song, it would all be very clear why I never slept with the bloody devil if it was a woman. Which is probably why I don't sleep with women full stop. However, I do adore the ladies, you all know that. Enough about me.
On Yannick Aellen: "The devil (is a woman I never slept with)" has already become the catwalk song and favourite of Berlin fashion label Kaviar Gauche. Yannick Aellen's music has long since been a standard for British-Taiwanese label Victim by Mei Hui Liu.

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

A: Katy Perry
S: Teenage Dream
C: Teenage Dream (out 24.08.10)

'Teenage Dream' is your midlife crisis and your summer holiday breeze all rolled into one. Wondering tho what Lady Perry will be up to in a couple of years. After all, she can sing it all as long as she wants, she will not be a teenage dream forever. Nobody is and nobody knows better than me, who is still 19. Ok maybe 20. Looking 18, tops!

Lissie - In Sleep

A: Lissie
S: In Sleep
C: Catching A Tiger

Fancy some talent this summer? Catchy as can be, it has to be folk rock, obviously. Elisabeth Maurus, known to her friends (you, me and the rest of the world) by her stage name Lissie, puts terrible back into the enfant: in her senior year of high school, she was expelled "over something stupid that she did, but it was sort of like the culmination of just a lot of negative things that had happened". Who cares, you go girl.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Come Undone

A: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
S: Come Undone
C: Hawk (out 20.08.10)

They say that Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan is the nicest duet since Nancy Sinatra and whoever she sang with. Or was it somebody else? Can't remember now. Doesn't really matter, I'd say it's the most perfect duo around these days. I was worried about posting this one because there is no video, but hey - the cover is that stunning, you can't have everything.

I Am Kloot - Proof - 2010

A: I Am Kloot
S: Proof - 2010
C: Sky At Night

L: 28.08.10. Zurich Open Air

An old video, with the new audio. Probably my favorite song by my favorite band from my favorite home town Manchester. There is so much meaning in those lyrics, it is a whole psycho analysis in less than three minutes. Put it on repeat, again and again, it will get to you eventually.

Dragonette - Easy

A:Dragonette
S: Easy
C: Fixin To Thrill

Why wear clothes when your naturally beautiful in underwear? Martina Sorbara of Dragonette shows you how. And just between you, me and the strobelight: it is easy - hard as it looks.

Klaxons - It's Not Over Yet

A: Klaxons
S: It's Not Over Yet
C: Myths Of The Near Future

Fresh of their debut album back in 2007 comes this all time Klaxons favorite, in order to celebrate their new album 'Surfing the Void', which will be out on friday. And in order to celebrate XFM's BestNonFest one final time.
If you are up for a free Klaxon gig, simply join XFM's virtual queue on Facebook.

Darwin Deez - Radar Detector - XFM Week 6

A: Darwin Deez
S: Radar Detector
C: Darwin Deez

Darwin Deez is an American indie folk band from New York City. The group's frontman Darwin Deez (Darwin Smith) attended Wesleyan University and was formerly a guitarist for the Creaky Boards. Whatever. The video is ace anyway.
If you wanna see the NextBestHype fro free, just join the online queue on XFM for the BestNonFest.

Foals - Miami - XFM Week 5

A: Foals
S: Miami
C: Total Life Forever

Ha - laughing my pants off here. How can a band go from 'Spanish Sahara' to 'Miami' on the same album!? I won't make a hype out of it though, it would probably be too late for that anyways but when Foals were the next best hype back in the days of their debut, Keyboarder Edwin Congreave said: "Hype is like a fever. It makes you feel ill".
See the hype non-hype at the BestNonFest, join Xfm's virtual queue on Facebook to win tickets and all sorts of other stuff.

Breaking News - Scissor Sisters - Any Which Way Video

A: Scissor Sisters
S: Any Which Way
C: Any Which Way - Single (out 20.09.10)

Sciss-o-licious video for Scissor Sisters' new Single 'Any Which Way' - out September 20, 2010. By the way, they are live in Zurich on November 15, 2010 - get your tickets on Starticket.

MGMT - It's Working - XFM Week 4

A: MGMT
S: It's Working
C: Congratulations

Ehrm, when did they start wearing clothes? I thought they will run around half naked forever and for always. Never mind. MGMT stands for management, for all those of you who didn't know already.
And you all can stand in line online to win tickets to see MGMT live at XFM's BestNonFest. Simply head over to facebook and start wining tickets and all sorts of stuff.

Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This - XFM Week 3

A: Manic Street Preachers
S: If You Tolerate This
C: This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours

This is my favorite Manic Street Preachers song, tell me yours. The Preachers still hold pop music's biggest mystery, which is, in fact, super creepy: in 1995, the night before an U.S. tour start, Richey Edwards disappeared from his hotel room and hasn't been found or seen again. Ever.
Win tickets to see the remaining Manic Street Preachers live at the BestNonFest Festival. Simply join the virtual XFM queue on facebook.

Biffy Clyro - Many of Horror - XFM Week 2

A: Biffy Clyro
S: Many of Horror
C: Only Revolutions

There was a certain time last year, when a certain line from a certain song was on constant repeat on my walkman: when you hit me, hit me hard. Pure pure genius. Take a strong feeling and put it into simple words, that's all you need to be a good song-writer. Makes me wonder why there aren't more strong lyrics around.
Win tickets to see Biffy Clyro live at the BestNonFest Festival. Simply join the virtual XFM queue on facebook.

Mumford & Sons - The Cave - XFM Week 1

A: Mumford & Sons
S: The Cave
C: Sigh No More

For me personally, still the best new band of 2009. The members of Mumford & Sons share a common purpose: to make music that matters, without taking themselves too seriously. Four young men from West London in their early twenties, they have fire in their bellies, romance in their hearts, and rapture in their masterful, melancholy voices. I think that works mighty fine.
Win tickets to see them live at the BestNonFest Festival. Simply join the virtual XFM queue on facebook.

Chromatics - Hands In The Dark

A: Chromatics
S: Hands In The Dark
C: After Dark

See, yesterday the writing was on the wall, today it is on the floor. This is how quickly things can change. Anyway, I will keep this one short and dedicate the song to a certain fella in a certain city called Berlin, who's taste in music is somewhat darker than mine, I've been told. Actually not that much darker, it is just that I like the ladies slutty and the boys depressed, not the other way round.

XFM Week Announcement!

Listen up boys and barbarellas: get ready for next week's next theme week. With the festival season almost over, we celebrate the line-up of the greatest festival - that isn’t a festival.

Imagine seeing all your favourite artists without the inconvenience of a wallet-emptying ticket price, lukewarm beer, the inevitable portaloo hell and standing in front of a lunatic with a vuvuzela!


Simply stand in line online : join XFM's virtual queue and win gig tickets & CDs & festival paraphernalia.

Xfm is available on 104.9 FM in London, on 97.7 FM in Manchester and across the UK on digital TV and online at xfm.co.uk.

Sean Bones- Lets Do Somethin' Else

A: Sean Bones
S: Lets Do Somethin' Else
C: Rings

I guess the writing is on the wall, literally. Apparently, it all started with swim trunks, a Summer Reading ‘zine and sunscreen. Oh, and a 7-inch; we can’t forgot that part. The result is an easy, breezy mission statement for Sean Bones, a project he describes as “music that might cause people to scratch their heads a bit, only to realize that scratching their heads would make a good dance move.” Indeed.

Arcade Fire - City With No Children

A: Arcade Fire
S: City With No Children
C: The Suburbs

In order to celebrate the third Arcade Fire album, which was released on monday, here my favorite track of it. Basically, the whole album is great and worth buying, like any other Arcade Fire album. But flickering through my iTunes library this morning, I have to say that The National remains the best album 2010 so far, for me, personally, of course. I would never compare one band to another because each one is defined within its own rights. Anyway, buy The Suburbs, buy it now.

Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now

A: Tiffany
S: I Think We're Alone Now
C: Tiffany

Since we're doing all things '80s and I can't be bothered searching the hottest shizzle du jour today, there is one song that we shall not forget about. And one question that has to be raised: was that video ever really happening? To quote some user of youtube: The 80's were so much better the first time around. Kids these days can try to copy the clothes and replicate the music, but they'll never get it quite right. You just can't reproduce the energy, the fun, and the attitude of the 80's. If you were lucky enough to have experienced it, you know what I'm talking about. And if you weren't, well, I just feel sorry for you.
Ääähm. Amen.

Norman Palm - Easy

A: Norman Palm
S: Easy
C: Shore To Shore

From yesterday's boring I'll take you to today's easy. There is more to Norman Palm than being easy, it is the simplicity of his songs that is captivating in its own right. In short, as in life, sometimes when you produce songs, it is the small stuff that has the biggest impact on us. I hope you get the picture of what I mean, otherwise you will need to buy the whole album. Now.

The Pierces - Boring

A: The Pierces
S: Boring
C: Thirteen Tales Of Love And Revenge

Now here are the Pierces with their theory of boredom, and then there is January Jones as Betty Francis in Mad Men Season 3, who tells her daughter that only boring people are bored. You pick your side. They are both super sexy anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

Robyn - Hang With Me

A: Robyn
S: Hang With Me
C: Body Talk Pt. 2 (out 06.09.10)

Loving this. Loving the song, loving the video, loving the hair and loving the earphones. There were times when Lady Robyn was all about 'wanting to be', now she just 'is', and it is so much better. Body Talk Part 2 is out next month. I'll keep you posted on all things Robyn to come. Can't believe she was the opening act for that woman (Madonna) on her last tour - wait another couple of years and it will be the other way round.

Miniature Tigers - Cannibal Queen

A: Miniature Tigers
S: Cannibal Queen
C: Tell it to the Volcano

Hmm, where should we start here? The part where Miniature Tigers stay up all night with Neon Indian, fine-tuning the laser-like synths of their infected sound? Yeah, that sounds about right. The band’s come a long way since Rolling Stone named them one of MySpace’s 25 best artists in late 2006 and this video was shot in the same firehouse as Ghostbusters, by the way.