Elisabeth Elektra – Crystalline (Elektra’s Dance Mix)

As we further prep our best of the year lists in terms of albums and non-lp tracks we are on the search for anything we’ve overlooked earlier in the year. This weekend we stumbled across one such artist and album. Elisabeth Elektra released her album ‘Mercurial’ some months ago and thanks to a new remix we are delving deeper into it. Elektra has remixed her own track ‘Crystalline’ reshaping it slightly into a more dancefloor ready electrobop. Elisabeth’s vocal styling recalls Sarah Nixey at times and there are obvious and well earned iamamiwhoami comparisons too thanks to the other worldly nature of both looks and sound. Here’s the remix and be sure to check out ‘Mercurial’ on Bandcamp.

Blue Hawaii – I Felt Love (Suzanne Kraft Remix)

Those Blue Hawaii cool cats just shared a remix package for their recent ‘Under 1 House’ release. We’re hooked on the Suzanne Kraft take on ‘I Felt Love’ which adds some laser guns synths and morphs into an Italo meets techno banger.

Sonny Grin x Kats – You Know Somethin’

Our 2nd feature in recent weeks for Sonny Grin/Kats comes via ‘You Know Somethin’. Loving the slinky acid jazz flecks which infiltrate this chilled disco house groover. As always we love the spoken word samples and the artwork is divine. A winner all round.

Ali Barter – Twisted Up

Our fave Aussie pop punk queen is back. Ali Barter returns with the Taylor Swift meets Liz Phair-at-her-most-gnarly ‘Twisted Up’. There’s always a big pop moment lurking underneath Ali’s crunchy riffs.

Best new (and not so new) festive music volume 3 (2020) – The Secret Chord, Beverley Knight, Charlotte Qvale, Kim Wilde

It was a crisp, bright but chilly morning here in T&D land so some heartwarming festive tunes certainly hit the spot. In the third of our series of winter wonders we share a couple of newbies alongside two tunes we know we will be listening to for many, many holiday seasons to come.

First up how about a synthwave Christmas album? That would be a great idea. Topping that tracklist would be ‘Christmas On The Moon’ from the recently released deluxe edition of The Secret Chord’s ‘Tranquility Base’ album. It’s everything you want from a snowy Scandi synthwave track.

Next up British queen of soul Beverley Knight goes full on Phil Spector/The Ronettes mode with the rollicking ‘A Christmas Wish’, taken from the ‘Loss Adjuster’ movie.

Then a song which genuinely pains us that it’s not better known as it’s the most beautiful thing you’ll hear. Charlotte Qvale’s ‘Oslo (Gets Cold This Time Of Year’ makes us yearn for brighter days when we can travel again and the Norwegian capital is definitely on our radar as somewhere to visit before too long. We’ve included the video because, well, it’s flippin’ lovely.

Finally, for this post, a track from the greatest winter album of all time. Kimmy’s ‘Wilde Winter Songbook’ is available on vinyl (at last) and the packaging and artwork are stunning so get on it peeps. Just listen to the four part/three generational harmonies on the Wildes’ take on the Fleet Foxes classic ‘White Winter Hymnal’.

Solå – B Mine

Kicking things off gently this weekend with some introspective but still synthtastic Scandipop courtesy of Teases & Dares newcomer Solå. She has an EP on the way early in 2021 going by the name of ‘Feel What I Feel’. We’re impressed on first listen to ‘B Mine’ and think this talented Norwegian might become a regular feature here at T&D.

Korky Buchek featuring Fossy – Holdin’ On

Korky Buchek nail the nu disco sound with some help from Fossy. The vocal serves some Sophie Ellis-Bextor laid back cool and the beats thump along very nicely.

Don – Helpless

Kayslee Don’s vocal sounds richer than ever before on new single ‘Helpless’. Stylistically there’s more than a hint of Jenny Lewis or Mandy Moore but the vocal harmonies also recall Wilson Phillips. All very ladies of the canyon in the right way.

James Blake – The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

WHAT a vocal performance from James Blake on his spine tingling cover of ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’. All this one needs is that voice and a haunting piano. Simply beautiful.

Classixx & Local Natives – Weekends

Huge Classixx fans here. Apparently they chanced upon Local Natives at a wedding in Mexico and decided to collab! Crazy story!! Glad they did though as ‘Weekends’ is a laid back bop combining the best of both of their musical worlds. Squelchy synth work on the chorus is much to be admired.