Better In The Dark

On The Radar: Issue #2 is all about the synths, funk, and a little bit of pop. This week we talk about sexy socialites, explorers, and being afraid. 

Charli XCX is tired of getting requests to write another 'I Love It' because it's not going to happen. She said: "We’ll never write a song like that ever again. I just kind of want to get out of that for a bit and do my thing." But she doesn't regret giving away the song to Icona Pop in the first place because they are "totally owning it". 

Now, she's focused on her second album and already released its lead single, SuperLove, to which Yeasayer just did a remix of.

Stereogum recently did a Q&A with her and I'd like to share this bit about their shared feelings towards pop music.

STEREOGUM: I think sometimes people want to imprint too much meaning on pop music when a lot of it is about that kind of simple, release. 

CHARLI XCX: Exactly. And I think it can still be meaningful, but I don’t think it has to be overly clever and ridiculously meaningful. I think stuff can be dumb and easy and be really important.

They also talk about the ultimate karaoke songs and the biker gang that tried to run off with her while shooting her music video for SuperLove in Japan. (Read the full article here)

Tha Funk Lordz are back with Sexy Socialite. Chromeo are at it again and bringing the funk back for their third studio album, White Women, which has yet to be given a release date. This 6-minute single has Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem, Museum of Love) playing drums for Dave 1 and P-Thugg. It's been said that the new album also includes appearances from Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, Solange Knowles, and Toro Y Moi. But for now, you can look back and reminisce on the Reddit AMA they did a month ago. (Listen)

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Music On My Mind

This week's music highlights:

The 1975 performs a Tiny Desk Concert and it is beautiful, sweet, and endearing. Matthew Healy's on his own in the NPR office with only his guitars to accompany him but this just makes it a little more heartfelt and personal. Check out the video. 

Kings of Leon does Robyn's Dancing On My Own. There's something about Caleb's voice that makes everything he sings so sensual. Check out the video. 

Bastille does Miley's We Can't Stop. It's quite genius of them to sneak in Achy Breaky Heart in their cover. You're missing out if you haven't heard it yet.  Check out the video.

London Grammar is most likely going to win this year's Mercury Prize award, says almost everybody. With the success Alt-j has received upon winning last year's award, it's safe to say London Grammar is going places too. Listen to this amazing song, Hey Now, off their debut album, If You Wait. Listen to the song. 

The Take Away show we've all been waiting for, Take Away Phoenix. The first time they were on, it was 2009 and a random couple on their wedding day just happily stumbled upon Phoenix playing 1901 at the Trocadero in Paris, France. It was pretty epic. Now, we get a 21-minute movie from La Blogotheque. There's Thomas singing on a PA system to a plane full of sleeping passengers, the band performing by the Museum and National Estate of Versailles, then doing so on a rowboat, and an acoustic of Countdown while on a stroll at a park. It's everything you wished to see for yourself. Check out the video.

So french fries, anyway... I mean, this performance of The Neighbourhood's Afraid is pretty funny, right? [You'll get the fries reference after watching.] Check out the video.


Check out these legs... or are they hotdogs? It's quite hard to tell sometimes but it sure is a laugh. Hot-dog-legs