this the hook

this the hook. Just a few boys from the UK that share an ear for alternative/indie/rock/electronic/hip-hop music. Sharing the tunes (and other stuff) we like. Peace

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I really hope that Charlotte OC gets more recognition; not only for her incredible voice but also for her talents as a songwriter. This is really beautiful.

A song to be heard.

[On a side note, I can’t help but think that some day this  song could be played in clubs - at least in some sense. The first few lines of the chorus are exactly the kind of vocals that dominate today’s house music. With a little distortion and a more bigger bassline I could see this becoming huge!]

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Its been a good few years since I heard a song from this guy. The title to his new track ‘Sharpness’ is a lil’ bit misleading; it’s actually a very smooth, classy arrangement. Jamie mentioned on his Beats1 premiere that he’s been listening to a lot of D’Angelo - going off this track I would say that influence is definitely coming through in his work! Thumbs up

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Its raining where I am right now. So, queue the perfect summer house tune! Purple Disco Machine with the groove

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Youth Club bringing the beach vibes. Tune!

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Apparently the kid behind this song is only 18 years old... mad! Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, Thomston is signed to the same label as Lorde, and fellow newcomer Broods. With a little radio play this song could be huge. Sonically, the track packs a real punch, with powerful downbeat production . But more than that, the lyrics are extremely mature, you fully believe Thomston when he sings ‘I’m in this for the long haul / I plan on staying around’

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Its hard not to hit play when you see cover art like this! Chilled vibes from DC based producer Ben Gorvine. Reminds me of Bonobo

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I can’t stop listening to this. The Knocks are just two dudes making music from Chinatown, NYC. This song is the perfect embodiment of slow groove - steady beat, piano, saxophone, and that oh so sweet bass guitar. A classic in my eyes!

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Currently blowing up music blogs the world over, Prelow’s ‘Mistakes Like This’ really has something special to offer listeners. On the band’s Soundcloud page, it’s tagged as ‘Indie Rock’ - this seems like a bit of an injustice in my view as I’m sure the hip-hop community would embrace this song with open arms (and they have; check out the Skizzy Mars remix). A bit like  The Neighbourhood, hip-hop and rock influences are used to create a really refreshing sound. That chilled vibe and old school beat you can hear right from the intro is reminiscent of what some call the ‘golden era of hip-hop’. Most of all, the lyrics are actually pretty deep, and far more honest than your average indie / rock song. They confront feelings and sex in a very meaningful ‘matter-fact’ way, something that hip-hop has always been great at. 

‘and my dick takes over / and I’m thinking about your lips / but we’re too damn sober / for mistakes like this’

(Basically about a guy who wants to make a move on someone but knows its the wrong thing to do. It’s very relatable, and hilarious)

Prelow take the best bits from both genres, and mixes them in a really cool way. So, what do we call this kind of song? Hip-rock? Whatever the answer to that may be, calling it indie rock would definitely be a mistake.

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Really liking this - nice, chilled acoustic for a Sunday afternoon. Cool shirt Lewis

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I first listened to this song when I saw it was top 5 on Hype Machine. Duets as good as this are a rare thing these days. But, they seem to come naturally to ‘Oh Wonder’ as this song is full of gentle, dreamy harmonies. Beautiful.

The London duo are releasing a song each month until their album is out in September. 

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Sunset Sons are a small band making big waves in the radio-sphere with new song ‘Medicine’. ‘She Wants’ is one of their earlier releases - its really refreshing to hear a piano feature in this kind of song - something not seen so much in recent popular rock music. She Wants is off their first EP ‘Le Surfing’ - named after the bar where the quartet hang out in south west France. Great summer tune!

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Bringing back an oldie in a fresh new way. Dennis Kruissen remixes a  modern classic for the house scene. Could Flo drop this at Glastonbury?

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9 tracks into the new Caribou record ‘Our Love’ (and with only one left to go) you get the feeling things are about to kick off in a big way. As weird and wonderful Caribou’s music is, I've always felt there’s been a lingering potential for a much bigger sound - kinda like M83. I think Dan Snaith must be a fan of the band because ‘Back Home’ does just that. The song just builds and builds - until the last 50 seconds where it just explodes. Epic.

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Have to say I’ve been hooked on this song for a while now. I first heard Seinabo Sey on the Kygo remix of her track ‘Younger’ (which is wicked too by the way). I really like her voice, its kinda soulful, but dark and deep at the same time. Pistols At Dawn demonstrates this perfectly. I’ve seen many blogs calling this as the next bond theme tune! The way I see it,  she’s brooding over her relationship with a lover, asserting that the time has come to finally confront things. The song is very true to her Swedish / Gambian roots too; there seems to be a lot of great electronic music coming from Scandinavia recently, and the backing vocals sound almost tribal. That gun sample is wicked too!

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You would be swiftly forgiven for having never heard of Jai Paul. The man is an elusive figure; although he signed to XL Recordings in 2010, only a mere two singles have been released under his moniker since then. However, it’s easy to see (or rather hear) from these songs that this dude is immensely talented. This was made even more clear when an album of demos was allegedly stolen from his laptop and leaked to the audio platform Bandcamp. I’m a huge fan of his sound - the variety of samples packed into the demos is crazy - especially considering they are unfinished. No one knows what Paul is up to now, but fingers crossed he’s working on new material. Watch this space.

Jasmine is his best work to date IMO. The songs is a heartfelt ode to a girl Paul was once with (real or not I don’t know), and desperately wants back. If you listen in a decent pair of earphones, you can hear the bass roll from one ear to the other, its incredible. 

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This song is so so good.

‘As if this moon of ours only shines a half to make me feel whole /

As if I haven’t felt your breath in every step I take when the wind blows’

  After reading those lyrics, you might guess that ‘Worry’ is a heartfelt acoustic about loss and heartbreak. It kind of is, but its so much more than that – the verses are softly spoken, and when the chorus hits its pretty explosive; there’s a nice bounce to the track. Garratt packs a lot of emotion into it, but keeps that groove. Toppp

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There’s no doubt Royal Blood are kicking up a fuss right now, and rightly so!. Their self-titled album is the biggest selling British rock debut in the last 3 years. Not a bad feat for a small band from Brighton. They sound very much like the White Stripes – which isn’t a bad thing as I’m sure everyone wishes the band were still releasing records. What’s all the more impressive about Royal Blood is that the bulk of their sound comes from only a bass guitar and drums. This was definitely the case when I saw them supporting Arctic Monkeys. No compromises to the live sound either, these guys are LOUD.

One of the tracks they played was ‘Hole’. Its such a sick song, and one of my favourites from them, no idea why it’s not on the record. Heavy guitar riffs and crashing drums, surely a mainstay in their live setlist. Real drum & bass!!