Frontier Sounds Singles Selections

Not to start things on a negative note but good singles were, in my opinion, slim pickings this week. There are two factors that can sum up this unfortunate occurrence which have been beautifully illustrated in two recent articles in the Guide section of the Guardian. 

The first is the immergence of the New Boring, the likes of Ed Sheeran and co making unbelievably dull, ambitionless pop music for the mass market (see the excellent article here). 

The second factor is the unknown popularity (well it’s Radio One's fault) of what I like to call popstep, that is rubbish, annoying, obnoxious sounding dubstep, which is what Radio One plays whenever they mention "New Music." Or as the guide describes the phenomena, it's like "Meathead dance producers across the country have been developing a new style of dramatic, largely unlistenable dupstep in a bid to soundtrack the Beeb's Olympics coverage and make a fortune. So far the it’s been a two horse race between Nero and Chase and Status. The winning track will be decided by a k-holing Kelly Holmes at a Peckham house party later this month"


To Illustrate this collective point. above are just two of the dull and, or obnoxious singles out this week. 

Okay so that Youngman track isn't quite the grating popstep of which we speak, it's saving grace being Skream’s on production, but it still serves to illustrate a point. That is the occurrence of this turgid, music-churned-out-to-a-formula position that pop music finds itself in and is leaving the whole scene stagnating. Dub step base, R and B body, last 16 bars drum and bass, equals Radio One airplay and singles sales. Yawn.

To something I do now like in the from of everybody's favorite Tamil fringed female rapper M.I.A. I know George likes this one being a huge Paper Planes pusher. This is her latest single, Bad Girls and it is a tune!

To counteract my somewhat negative start, my single of the week is a somewhat wholesome and pleasant affair and reminds of a fleeting, youthful summer romance, the pang of being apart during the honeymoon period where all you want to do is see each other all the live long day; I could listen to this all the live long day.