Song : The Night VI : “Fears”

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French/English outfit The Night VI have been discussed on here a few occasions this past year. We thoroughly enjoyed their Still Thinking of You EP and have very high hopes going into next year for them. When not working on their recently completed covers project, they have been hard at work in the studio creating new tracks that, hopefully, we can expect to see on a full-length in the very near future. The first fruit of those labors is the heartbreaking and intimate song “Fears.”

According to singer Sophie Rose-Harper in speaking about the song with When the Gramophone Rings, the song “was written in 2 parts, with the verses written in the winter and the chorus in the summer. I felt I needed time to breath a little when working on it but when we revisited it in the summer it all started to make sense. It’s a song about giving up on something you have put all of your energy into but then like a lullaby it provides a voice or higher being in the chorus, speaking up and giving you a shake to remind you that only you can find your way back from loss or failing. Looking back I guess the seasons informed the changing positive and negative emotions I was feeling.”

Song : Raleigh Ritchie : “Bloodsport”

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One of the releases we are looking forward to in early 2014, January 5th to be precise, is promising Bristol, UK artist Raleigh Ritchie and his EP Black and Blue. The EP is made up of four tracks. We have already heard “Overdose” and “Free Fall,” but new cut “Bloodsport” is easily the best of the batch so far. Soulful vocals with a smooth R&B edge is the most appropriately description for this one. Stream it below.

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Song : Summer Camp : “Last Christmas”

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We love Christmas time here at MOKB. Being in the cold Midwest, there is nothing better to warm up the cool chill than Christmas lights and holiday cheer. The label Moshi Moshi are getting in the spirit by giving away an EP A Christmas Gift for You From Moshi Moshi. It will feature songs from Idiot Glee, Slow Club, Indigo Star Cruiser, among others, and this cover of Wham!’s classic “Last Christmas” by Summer Camp. In addition, the label is giving away a playlist of song pulled from their 2013 releases that can be downloaded for free by liking their Facebook page.

Song : Jimi Goodwin : “Oh! Whiskey”

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Doves have always been one of the most underappreciated bands around. In a perfect world, they and Coldplay would reverse positions. So while we are not getting a new Doves LP, we are just as excited to have the band’s frontman, Jimi Goodwin, releasing a solo LP, titled Odludek, through Heavenly Recordings on March 24th.

“I wanted to make this mad mixtape,” says Goodwin. The kind you’d pass back and forth with your mates; eclectic as fuck. That’s the way we’ve all discovered music over the years isn’t it? We join our own dots to make it all make sense. As I got into making the record, it felt like I was proving something to myself, making a point that I could do all this on my own. You know – I can play bass, I can play guitar, I can orchestrate. As the methods changed, the original concept stayed intact. It’s me, powering through ideas, kapow kapow, no pause for breath. It’s not trying to be wilfully eclectic; it’s just a reflection of how I schizophrenically devour music.”

The first single is “Oh! Whiskey.” It is a beautiful track that could be described as a folkier Doves song. Grab a listen below.

Song : St. Vincent : “Birth In Reverse”

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After her album with David Byrne, Annie Clark aka St. Vincent, has a new self-titled LP on the way on February 25th via Loma Vista. Serving has her fourth full-length, the eleven tracks that comprise the album were arranged and demoed in Austin before properly recording in Dallas with John Congleton handling production. According to Clark, she “wanted to make a party record you could play at a funeral.”

The first single is the frantically charged “Birth In Reverse” that puts Clark’s exceptional guitar skills on full display. The song is a more playful and energetic than anything we can recall in her excellent catalog. Stream and download the track for the price of your email below.

Song : Warpaint : “Biggy”

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A month or so ago, we posted the first new track, “Love Is To Die,” from Warpaint’s forthcoming self-titled LP due out in January via Rough Trade. Today, they have revealed another new song named “Biggy” that they are streaming and, also, giving away for free download during the next 24 hours as a thank you to their fans. From their Facebook:

Yayo you

We want to give you a gift from us just cuz we love you..
For the next twennyfour you can download a brand new song from the new album..BIGGY.

Enjoy x

MOKB Premiere : Strange Talk : “Falling In Love” (Chris Alarcon Remix)

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The last year plus has been a big year in Australian music with elctro-rock band Strange Talk being one of those breakout artists. This past year, the band released their debut LP, Cast Away, to solid buzz across the blogosphere. To have a little fun, back in September, the band reached out to fans asking for remixes of songs “Climbing Walls”, “Cast Away”, “Falling in Love” & “Eskimo Boy”, which comprise their self-titled EP. The selected winners receive a Soundcloud pro account, Cash, and a spot on a remix EP to come out digitally in January. Additionally, we can expect a new full-length from Strange Talk around spring/summer 2014.

Out of over 120 submissions, one of the chosen ones is Nashville’s Chris Alarcon and his remix of “Falling In Love.” According to the band, they liked how the reworking sounded “like a BIG Swedish style main room track” and how Alarcon “managed to make the verse really house with the piano.” Check it out below and check their Soundcloud for other great remixes.