I’m normally not for posting twice in one day about the same song, but there is plenty now that needs to be said about the Cassette Kids‘ new single “Spin”, which I’ve had on repeat at such an obsessive rate it would make Glenn Close blush.

Over the last 12 hours I’ve basically thrashed a MySpace rip of this song. And over these intense repeated listens, I’ve enjoyed learning most of the words and singing it at a very high volume in my car. It’s been a REALLY good day for music for me because this is pretty much all I’ve listened to. It’s one of the most incredible love songs about music I’ve heard in a bloody long while, and that chorus is so radio-ready it can’t possibly not do well.

I remember when it eventually clicked (after about the 17th consecutive listen) in my head that Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” was one of the greatest radio-ready pop songs of all time. This is just as radio-ready. It’s infectious, it’s sort of about the world ending – but not really at all about the world ending, but more about if it were ending that the idea of a particular song being one you’re okay to hear right before you die. So in other words = Very Overly Great.

I really loved the Cassette Kids when they released their debut EP and have fawned over them on the blog a few times in the past. I LOVE them now though. This song has put them in a first-class different league.

If people don’t buy this single I’ll actually consider not bothering anymore. I just love it so much. These guys have combined all of their childhood (and young adult) musical and life influences into what’s shaping up to be one of those really special Australian electronic-pop-hybrid albums of the year. 2010’s Presets or Cut Copy, if the new material I’ve heard is anything to go by.

Stars in the making, each and every one of them. I can’t bloody wait for the video clip or for the song to be available on iTunes.

THE NEW CASSETTE KIDS SINGLE IS EVEN BETTER THAN THEIR LAST.

I caught the Aussie four-piece live the other night supporting for Calvin Harris here in Melbourne (review and pics of the Calvin portion tomorrow), where they showcased a mixture of older songs with some as-yet-unreleased material from their upcoming debut album, Nothing On TV.

“Spin”, single number 2 from the record in question, has a VERY big chorus; it’s like throwing Roxette, No Doubt and Ladyhawke into a grinder and serving the result in a glass full of ice. Incredible.

The video clip was shot this week in Melbourne, but until that’s made available on the web, you can hear “Spin” in full over on the bands MySpace.

http://www.myspace.com/cassettekids/

Cassette Kids are shaping up to be one Australia’s greatest hopes, not only for 2010, but beyond. “Lying Around” should have been bigger than it was, and “You Take It” remains an important staple in Australia’s Indie-pop scene.  Their debut EP We Are STILL gets spun frequently on my stereo, and now there’s “Spin”, an accomplished and sophisticated slice of infectious pop music that somehow trumps all of their already stellar work. It’s also a song about songs, one of my favourite topics in Pop.

To top it all off, not a single one of the members is very ugly at all, are they?

She topped the BBC’s Sound of 2010 list and xolondon’s been (rightfully) banging on about her since October last year. It’s probably about time I said something about Ellie Goulding.

I’d listened to a few of the leaked Ellie tracks in that time, liked what I heard, but didn’t really return to them until last week. Driving in my car, I’d just uploaded a Goulding playlist to my iPod on a drive down the coast… And I have to say that, honestly, that was the first time I really listened to Ellie Goulding. I listened to every word and it wasn’t long before I was intoxicated by her voice and her stories.

I’m a sucker for strong, powerful and – more often than not – sad lyrics, I’m sure I’ve said it a hundred times. Ellie’s way of story-telling is incredibly emotional. The songs have this gorgeous folk foundation, but then have this slightly tarted-up electropop tinge as well.  You can bop to the beat and cry all at the same time.  And then there are the lyrics, in particular those from my favourite of the available tracks, “Guns + Horses.”

“And let’s join forces. We’ve got our guns and horses. I know you’ve been burned but every fire is a lesson learned.”

“But I wish I could feel all it for you. I wish I could be it all for you. If I could erase the pain, and maybe you’d feel the same. I’d do it all for you. I would.”

And then there’s the excellent “Under The Sheets”, which has its own telling and biting story told through the chorus.

“We’re under the sheets and you’re killing me. In this house made of paper, your words all over me.”

“Where did the people go? My hands are empty. You’re not the answer, I should know. Like all the boys before, like all the boys before.”

Magical.

Ellie’s debut album is released on March the 1st this year. I eagerly await its arrival because, lyrically speaking, we could have another Lungs on our hands.

When I saw Nomi Ruiz performing with Hercules & Love Affair in December 2008 for the Nevereverland Festival, I was pretty mesmerized by her incredibly unique and rather androgynous voice. If any of you caught the shows you would have heard Ruiz performing the usually Antony-fronted “Blind” – you’ll also know then that Nomi’s version was JUST AS good as the original.

I was at the festival after-party at the now defunct Third Class (one year and nine days since it closed its doors) nightclub, and at one point at roughly around 2AM, Nomi Ruiz came strutting through the hallway entrance and through to the bar where I was standing. She was with one of her Hercules bandmates, and as she got to the bar, she threw her incredibly small purse on the ground and started to salsa dance in front of the bar.

I was in love.

Little did I know that she’s been busy with a project called Jessica 6. My good friend Patch (who’s behind the so-incredible-you-must-bookmark Waves At Night) brought the video clip for “Fun Girl” to my attention this morning and now I’m even MORE in love. In May last year, Jessica 6, comprising of Nomi Ruiz and two of her former Hercules & Love Affair tour band mates, released a double-A-side of sorts – the first track is the aforementioned subtle mid-tempo disco ROMPER, “Fun Girl.”

LOVE. (edit: Download the MP3 from here!)

And then there’s the flip-side, the surprising ballad, “Not Anymore.”

ALSO LOVE.

There’s no real murmurings of whether we’ll get an album this year but I’m hopeful. Will definitely be cheering these guys on in 2010.

This post is dedicated to my high-school buddies; in particular Ben, Michelle and Nicole.

I’m not sure I’ve ever written about Courtney Love before. Perhaps if blogs had been around back in the 90’s when I was in high school I would have. During those formative teenage years – although still a slave to pop and dance music – through my grungey/alternative doc-martin wearing friends, I’d learnt of this marvellous creature named Courtney.

She was, in my young, confused eyes, the Rock ‘n Roll answer to Madonna; Loud, abrasive, unapologetic, intelligent, outspoken and misunderstood.  The only difference was that what you got from Courtney WAS Courtney. Where Madonna would sometimes put on a show, or the ‘persona’ of that Creamy Smooth Pop Icon Goddess, Courtney was just… Courtney. She swore, she burned bridges; she didn’t care. There was no show (or at least one that wasn’t put on), more often than not, that special blend of crazy she would deliver (and still does) was the 100% real thing. With all her flaws (perfect in my eyes), she was the kind of female Icon and – God forbid if my Mother ever knew of this – role model that my teenage-self perhaps needed within my immediate line-of-vision; that obvious kick up the arse to come into my own. Hole were the ultimate band in my eyes; they were everything and then some.

From Pretty On The Inside, to Live Through This (their overall best album), to Celebrity Skin (their other overall best album), even the often-forgotten My Body The Hand Grenade… just like a Madonna album in my collection, they are timeless.

When Courtney went solo, I was thrilled. “Mono” had given me exactly the kind of song I had expected from her, and although her first album as a solo artist, 2004’s America’s Sweetheart copped a lot of flack critically (and commercially), most of that album is actually outstanding.

But 2010 looks to be the year that classic rock ‘n’ roll musical force she was in the 90’s returns. Tweeting like crazy, you’ve no doubt heard the stories that Courtney’s follow up to America’s Sweetheart will now actually be the follow up to Celebrity Skin. Courtney’s reformed Hole, and whilst Eric Erlandson’s certainly not happy about it, I bloody well am.

Some of the tracks that have surfaced over the last two years from these ‘Hole’ sessions are – already in demo form – some of the best pieces of work she’s done yet. “Letter To God” is monstrously epic, “Never Go Hungry Again” validates the Marianne Faithful claims… these are EXCEPTIONAL additions to Hole’s already stellar back catalogue.

My love for Courtney once again prevents me from seeing things objectionably. I understand that Hole may not exactly be Hole without Eric Erlandson, but I never really looked at him, did I? Sure, he wrote and played a strong part in Hole whilst they were Hole, but in a world where we can oust the last-remaining original Sugababe for a Eurovision contestant, why is any of this a surprise? At least we have one remaining original member in Hole; it also just so happens to be the most important one as well. Hole might not be Hole with Eric, but it is more Courtney than it ever was Eric’s. Maybe not to him, but certainly to a lot of the bands fans.

Hole’s “Nobody’s Daughter” is released at some point this year, and it’s already the album I am most looking forward to in 2010.

(Picture taken from Courtney Love’s MySpace.)

Happy New Year!

Here’s what I got up to, and then some.

> My New Years Eve was single-handedly the best New Years Eve celebration I’ve ever, ever had. It was small; a group of no more than 8 at one time, primarily situated most of the evening in a small outdoor laundry room, but by God did we make a lot of noise for that tiny little laundry room.

> New Years Day was celebrated at the Summadayze Music Festival, which has been running for as long as I can remember on NYD in Melbourne. I’ve been to quite a few over the last 10 (11 now?) years, but this years was by far and away the best yet. Great atmosphere, good tracks; and Solange…

> Met Solange. She was LOVELY. Here is a picture.

> Technotronic played for 15 minutes in thunder and rain. They were set to perform at 8pm but, due to being late, were then moved to 9:30. By the time their equiptment was set up, it was 9:45 and the stage closed at 10pm due to sound restrictions. Really, really disappointing. Whosever fault this was is besides the point; sure, Technotronic could have learnt to be on time for their first Australian festival appearance, and sure; Future Entertainment could have gotten the acts tech-folk to set up their equipment at 9pm instead of 9:30… but pointing the finger doesn’t solve the fact I did not hear them perform “Move This.” A somewhat bitter ending to a monstrously good day.

> Sebastien Leger took the title for my set of the day; playing Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and The Aztec Mystic’s “Night of the Jaguar” cemented that fact quite early on.

> During the recovery period (hem hem), I watched a LOT of Better Off Ted, starring Geelong’s own Portia de Rossi. Portia is from Geelong, AND SO AM I.

> Everyone is (rightly so) losing their shit over the amazing new Roisin Murphy single, “Mama’s Place.” Clicky Clicky.

> I’m not sure if I’ve said this before, but you can follow me on Twitter now…

Much more positive about 2010 than I was this time 2009. Here’s hoping it stays that way! Now that the silly season is out of the way, expect some regular blogging…

Charge those glasses; it’s 2010!!