As mentioned before, the NME Awards tour just keeps getting bigger… with this show, on Sunday 26th February at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, also taking place.

Marina and the Diamonds always put on an impressive show and it’d be great to see her playing a relatively big arena.  With a new album on the way in 2012 (we hope) this will a good opportunity to hear what she has been up to since the release of Family Jewels at the start of 2010.

Tickets are a pretty steep £23.10 and available from Ticketweb.

Rob

In a year that even the British music press admit was p*ss awful for guitar bands, The Drums were one of the few bands that continued to stand-out.  Their surfer sounding music provided a distinctive sound reminiscent of evening sunsets strolling by the beach with the water trickling over your toes…

…ok, so every song sounds pretty much the same however that is not the point – it’s a good same The Drums generate!  A feel good same.

As part of the every expanding NME Tour in the new year they will be playing a show at London’s Roundhouse on February 27th.  I saw the Drums play the NME tour a few years ago and they certainly impressed live.  Well worth catching them if you can, and tickets are a bargain at only £16.60 direct from the Roundhouse.

Should be a good’un

Rob

Emeli Sande’s debut album has not even been released yet and she continues to grow.  From Tabernacle to Koko.  From Koko now to Shepherd’s Bush Empire… at this rate she’ll be playing the O2 by the summer and on Neptune by Christmas.

Her rapid ascention is the music world is not surprising though given the exciting nature of her live shows.  Emeli is already an accomplished performer who keeps adding fresh new material in only the way new artists can.

Once her album, Our Version of Events, is finally released on February 12th, I expect this gig to sell out in days so I advise you to move fast if you want to go.  Don’t say I have not warned ya (to be fair floor seats have already sold out and are being touted by “The Scum” on Seatwave for £30+)!

The show takes place on Monday 16th April and tickets are £18 (at face value) and available from Ticketweb.

Should be a good’un where you sit

Rob

Yep, Eric Roberson is back in London for a special Valentines Day gig at the Jazz Cafe, London.  Being Cupid’s special day I’m sure Erro will be firing up the slow jams and cracking the jokes to help everyone enjoy the evening.

The Jazz Cafe is a venue that always brings the best out of Mr. Roberson.  It’s small intimate setting is perfect for a singer who loves a crowd interaction.

Tickets are £20, and available from HMV Tickets or Ticketmaster.  For those that don’t know (or always forget) Valentines Day is the 14th of February!

Definitely a good decision is you are stuck for ideas… and probably an even better idea if you are single!  Let him know and I am sure Eric will be providing tips throughout the night!

Rob

Mystrogen – UK Rap-Up

We couldn’t kick-off 2012 without a nod to Mystrogen for his remarkable UK Rap-Up – seven minutes of pure entertainment.  January 1st, first thing I do is look for his update. Skillz, Skillz who?  It is all about the UK rap up these days, I don’t even know if Skillz put one out for 2011.

Click play and enjoy

Skillz – 2011 Rap-Up / Welcome 2012

OK… so just looked it up, and while it is not on Mystrogen’s level, is still worth a look.  All I can say is America had a boring year compared to the UK in 2011 (if they are to be judged by their rap-ups!)

Aretha Franklin – People Get Ready (J. Period Remix)

J. Period is better known for shouting all over his mixtapes and generally being a nuisance to anyone who wants to enjoy music.  Hats off to him for this remix taken from the Wake Up Radio! Mixtape though.  A nice re-working of a classic soul record.  Even though he does usually shout over records, we still love him because record’s he shouting over are usually hot!

Mike Posner – Marauder Music

Mike Posner’s album was somewhat of a musical flop – the ultimate disappointment after two years of solid mixtapes.  Well he is back to his finest with his latest mixtape The Layover.  The David Guetta-esque poor man’s Euro-Pop is gone and the laidback, sophisticated hip-hop beats are back.

This one is probably my highlight, very chilled introspective song about “the game”

It has been a trying start to the year for me, hence the lack of updates (less than usual).  Still thought I should post this up quickly.

On Thursday 12th January at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Tickled Pink celebrate their 15th Anniversary with a charity shin-dig.  The line-up is looking like a who’s who of current Pop; The Saturdays, Alexandra Burke, Chipmunk and also Dionne Bromfield (who I really really like).  Even Little Mix are getting an outing (if you like that kind of thing… shame on you!).

All proceeds go to the cancer charity…

…that said, tickets have not yet sold out and you can get £10 off the face-value price of £30 by using the following code when checking out via Ticketweb (here)

Tick20

And before you think it, no you are cheating a charity out of £10, you are giving them a £20 donation they would not have gotten before.  Times are hard, your concious is clear!

If you go, have a great time and click here for information about Tickled Pink

Rob

Kicking off 2012 with a look back at my most played tracks of 2011…

1. Example – Last One Standing (Ed Sheeran Mix)
2. Ed Sheeran – She
3. Beyonce – Countdown
4. Jazzy – Dominatrix
5. Ed Sheeran – Let It Out
6. Melanie Fiona – It Kills Me
7. Emily Browning – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
8. Michael Kiwanuka – I Need Your Company
9. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (Beatnick & K-Salaam Mix)
10. Natalia Kills – Mirrors

How on earth I listened to Countdown so much baffles me no end – Last.fm don’t lie though!  Have a super 2012 everyone.

Even though I have been to many many gigs in my time (too scared to count how many), seeing Jill Scott was in one of live music dreams come true.  It got me the thinking though; which other artists do I still really want to see live more than any others.  Which artists would I instantly part money with, miss my child’s birth for (well may be not that but still you never know).

So without further ado, the first of a few posts about people I really, really, really, really, want to see come to London to perform!  If I won the lottery, making these gigs happen would be the first thing I do…

Please, please come to London… Christina Milian

It is a mystery why Christina Milian is not one of the #1 R&B artists in the world right now.  It bamboozles me.

She’s delivered three consistent albums with gems such as Dip It Low, Say I, Got To Have You, Foolin’, Whatever You Want… all songs i’m sure if Beyonce or Rihanna released them would be #1 records.  As a singer alone she a beautiful voice; piquant and distinctive.  A tone like a sweet zestful citrus perfume that vivaciously caresses your eardrums.

Record for record, she is up there with the best of them.  Although probably a little more focused on her acting now (which is a real shame for us music lovers) evidence suggests she can still put together a great floor-filling track.  If she collected all of leaked records over the years; Peep Show, Zipper, Into The Sunset, Stalker, and her single from last year Us Against The World she would have another superior album to her name.

On top of her musical prowess, factor in her unrivalled beauty (well only rivalled by that of my sweetheart – sorry Christina), her seemingly genuine and tender personality, shown through her love for her daughter Violet, she seems like a lovely person who should be a role model to the world.

Why DJs, media types etc., seem not to like her flummoxes me. I love her (did not realise how much until writing this).

Superstar or not, it would be a dream come true to see her play a gig in London.  Two provisos though; 1) that she plays with a band (I had a dream Mamas Gun stepped in to play her tunes and it was the greatest show on earth), and 2) that she brings along her dancers (I am a red blooded man after all).

So. Christina Milian. Please, please, please, please, with three cherries, four strawberries, Make-Up For Ever Lipstick, Christian Loubioutn boots, and Sticky Toffee Pudding come to London for a gig!

Recommended Venue – Supper Club, Westborne Park

This intimate and super classy venue would fit Christina Milian perfectly.  Bright, airy and with great acoustics.  A performance by Ms. Milian here would be the envy of Europe

Ultimate set list (in no particular order)

AM to PM ~ When You Look At Me ~ Spending Time ~ Satisfaction Guaranteed ~ Got To Have You ~ For Real ~ Into The Sunset ~ Stalker ~ Peep Show ~ Miss You Like Crazy ~ Dip It Low (incl. Reggaeton Mix) ~ Whatever You Want ~ I Can Be The Woman ~ Foolin’ ~ Say I ~ Who’s Gonna Ride ~ Boombox ~ Zipper ~ Us Against The World

Rob

HMV is bringing its Next Big Thing series of gigs back for 2012 (a strange move considering the retailer is moving so far away from music now they’ll soon have to change their logo to a chimpanzee playing Dance Central 17!).

Either way, you cannot deny the prospect of Yasmin playing Borderline is more than a little tasty.  Yasmin is a new(ish) artist that I not only like, I am starting to truly admire.  Unlike many new artists on the scene she clearly knows her roots.  Her latest single, Light Up The World, is a real testament to this, a throwback to early nineties vocal jungle that could sit beside many of the classics from the time.

On twitter she is always waxin’ lyrical about one tune or another… the frigthening thing is her recommendations are pretty much always on point.  She was screaming about the Man Down Remix months before most people had even heard California King Bed!  The girl knows her music.

Her DJ set at Lovebox this summer was one of the Friday highlights, she was dropping tunes left-right-centre.  Not current tunes, those floor fillers from the late 90s, early 00s that fill you with joy as you reminisce.

Given this, a live show from her could be a very special thing indeed, especially if she decides to do a Katy B and cover some of the greats (Katy singing Gabrielle at Lovebox = made my musical year!).

So for £10, if she covers some classics or just sticks to her own songs it will be quite a night either way.  I would pick up your tickets quick though because at that price they won’t be around long.  Tickets are available from Ticketmaster… just joking HMV Tickets (it is their festival) here.  Oh, and the concert is on Sunday 5th February.

Rob

Extremely short notice on this one.  Finley Quaye of nineties UK reggae fame is doing a small intimate show on Wednesday (14th December).

He is playing Monto Water Rats, Kings Cross.  No idea why, probably to test some new music, hopefully to play the classics. Either way, it should be a nice little gig whatever he decides to play.

Tickets are £15 and still available from Ticketweb here.

Rob