I'm Edei, fly me

Midweek I glimpsed the rarest of things: a bona fide live showcase. In these days of fewer and fewer new artists getting a bite of the financial apple, it was quite exciting to troll down to the launch of Edei (pronounced Ee-dee). My mate was even more up for it: "It's been years since I went to one of these things." Like how long? "Er, Eternal. When there were four of 'em".

The money behind Edei is well-deserved though. The 22 year old Londoner has a raspy, distinctive voice that sounds like she's been doing it for years. Have a listen to her cover of Plan B's Prayin' here. She's also very at home on stage with an easy-going, confident performance. And the music? One track, Inside Information, was an instant classic laden with strings and pathos, totally suited for a cold November night. The upcoming single, Loved, is a perfect introduction.

The team behind Edei, from producer Misreid and co-writer Connor Reeves to the backroom bods who coped with Joss Stone will mean she'll get some attention, but as ever, radio play will be the catalyst in her album launch. Loved will sound great on the radio and with Adele's mammoth new track Rolling Deep due out on the same day, January 16th, the play lists will be looking for other organic sounding tracks to butt up against. And with Adele's Chasing Pavements studio boffins working on Edei's new album, there's more than a chance for her bother the charts.

EDEI "Loved" (clip) by Edei Music

The blog that eats itself

Just because I can and because I think this is a much better use of space on the revamped myspace, here's a demo of a song I've been working on with the fabulous Holestar. This is Dirty Men. Think gay men's thoughts sung by a lesbian playing a tranny. It's not hard. Or it will be by the end of the track...

Clicky Linky here: Dirty Men - Holestar by phileastend

Let us know your thoughts!

Together's amazing

As Chartrigger says, some of the Pet Shop Boys videos have been lacking the usual creative flair. Maybe not this one, but definitely this one. So it's refreshing to see the new video for Together. Admittedly, the classic girl dance versus boy urban dancers isn't new, but at least it's classic PSB.

Can I get? Can I get get? Yes, you can

I'm in love with a German boogie star. Hamburg-based producer, Marco Niemerski aka Tensnake, does the kind of music that makes our Indian summer feel like July. His summer anthem, re-released last month should be riding high on the charts. Admittedly the time may have passed, but if you want an excuse not to dig out that bloody winter coat, just put on your speedos, sit in front of a big light, pop on the Raybans and bathe in the glorious warm funk of Coma Cat. Oh. And buy it here.

A fine bromance (reprise)

It's enough to make me quote Kenneth Williams: "What's the bloody point?" The reasons for Blogger taking down posts are becoming more draconian. I received notice that the one below was taken down. Why? I'll leave you to judge whether my own campy humour, a picture of Grum and a video for his latest single infringes anyone's copyright. If it's about offending sensibilities, then it all becomes a bit more Big Straight Brother, which is worrying...

Hetero yet totally non-hetero, I love a good bromance. And this video from Grum for their new single Through the Night hits the spot. Granted, I'd rather see Ashley Judd and Ryan Reynolds a-huggin' an' a-fruggin' but these two mulleted cops are still pretty do-able. Check them out at 2:16.



Grum is a Scottish bloke called Graeme Shepherd who became the blogger's delight last year with his single Heartbeats. He'll soon pop up on a forthcoming Pet Shop Boys release with a remix of West End Girls, and no, I haven't heard it yet, but Chris Lowe has and he lurves it. So that's nice.

Gypsies, cats and Toto

Now if you go wandering in the woods of Stoke Newington, London, namely Clissold Park, you'll more than likely bump into this pair strumming on a guitar and beating on a paint tin to a background of soft rock synths. Gypsy and the Cat - which one's which, who can say - have upped sticks from Oz and settled over here producing big anthemic pop; the kind that raises a smile through tears. Sniff.

Xavier Bacash and Lionel Towers (FAB names) have a brand new album out, Giglamesh, which is like hearing Toto's Africa for the first time. It's a fresh yet classic sound. Nice to see Art Malik popping up in the vid below for their recent (amarze) single Time to Wander filmed just down the road from me outside the Tate Modern.

Aeroplane take off my fashion ideas!

That pesky Belgian duo, Aeroplane, have ram-raided my fashion cupboard and nicked all my ideas for this season's outfits. The cheek! Anyhoo, it makes their video for the newly released single, Superstar, stand out from the pack. Go buy it here.



After DJing around the globe over the summer, they've finally landed their new album We Can't Fly and parked it on my iPod. It's got their trademark languid groove with a few 'rockier' numbers I'm less keen on. But as a debut, it's well worth the wait.

It's kinda scary but oh so thrilling...

Well, Monsieur Electrosexual has created a monster. This duet with Mz Sunday Luv is deep and massive, like a thumping heartbeat on a dancefloor heady with amyl. I Feel Love is out now as an EP with three other all-meat tracks (clicky here for the UK - oh, and here and here).

New Yazoo single!!!

28 years after the original version was played every week as the theme tune for the BBC's cheapo saturday show Get Set For Summer, Yazoo's Get Set is OUT NOW! As a single!! Here!!! I remember the TV show being outside a lot, but with a British summer, that usually meant bands looking pissed off, slipping onstage as their peacock hairdos flattened in the drizzle.

Yazoo - Get Set (1982) by phileastend

Vince Clark and Alison Moyet had a ball reconnecting with each other and the Yazoo back catalogue on the Reconnection world tour last year. The songs were massive live and Vince, being the studio nerd he is, had all the original synth sounds which meant it was like listening to the two albums Upstairs at Erics and You and Me. But with Alison's belting 28 year older voice, they were given a new twist. Check out the live experience below.

Yé-Yé music

Years ago, in high school, my headmaster told me the French called pop music 'Yé-Yé music'. It wasn't meant as some cultural snippet but as a sneering put down. He was the same headmaster who blubbed to the local press when Neil Tennant wrote It's a Sin about his time at the same school. In other words, the man was a boring shit who hated pop music. And by dismissing Yé-Yé music, he missed out on something joyous. No wonder he was miserable. Here are two pop songs currently making me feel vindicated.

First up is a bunch of thrift store guitar twiddlers turned All Saints stadium pop gods. One Night Only have grown up - due in part to lead singer Georgie Craig's Glamorama-type existence as Burberry's pin-up boy - and become Keane/Duran Duran. I love bold, confident music, but the lyrics have to match. "The big screens, the plastic-made dreams" has such an 80s anthemic ring, it belies the true age of the singer (er, 20). Say You Don't Want It is now a bona fide top 40 hit, ripe to sound mammoth in Wembley Stadium.



Next up is someone who really doesn't need any poking from me. Web-rat, Sky Ferreira's One is everywhere at the moment. It's the kind of clever pop that gets on people's tits but others think is nothing short beautiful, just like the fashion shot of her above. Honestly, she doesn't need to bother after this.