We had a very successful and productive scout through the latest uploads on Triple J Unearthed over the weekend. One of our best finds was Hattie Oates’ ‘Goodbye’ – this one smacked us right round the lugholes on first listen – I mean the chorus and vocal production are right up there with the best of Olivia Rodrigo. Expecting Hattie to absolutely fly in 2023.
Well as debuts on Teases & Dares in 2022 go this one is right up there with the best. Bella Deer announces her arrival in a very big way, flying out of the gates with ‘Bloom’. The chorus is Florence sized and will be sung around stadiums for years to come. There’s also a little of the Pearl Charles bluesy country to this too. We sure won’t be afraid to turn the light on in your direction Bella. Epic!
Earlier this year we fell in love with Bino Biscotti’s collaborative track with Bunny X ( who are going to feature sooo many times on our year end songs of the year rundown!) – the thunderous ‘Testarossa’. Bino is back with synthwave siren JJ Mist on ‘Kiss Kiss’ (not the Holly Valance smash by the way!). It’s an Italo Eurodisco stomper taking us back to fantasy summer vacations of yesteryear with JJ channelling pop sirens like Samantha Fox, Sabrina and Spagna – Europop queens!
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Cool It Down’ album has been the surprise package of the year for us. We had not anticipated such a synthy danceable sound but are definitely not complaining. ‘Wolf’ is a highlight from the album and indeed a contender for song of the year. We noticed that another of our faves, Boys Noize, got in with the first remix yesterday and it’s collossal. All of the drama, pomp and cinema of the original track remain yet the beats go harder and faster and we are simply in awe. Staggeringly good.
It’s always a pleasure to be sharing new Ann Streichman music on Teases & Dares. She’s a regular on these here pages and if you have missed her so far she has a clutch of bops in her catalogue. Her new collaboration with Moodssupply is brassy warm electrodisco and a sumptuous treat. The production is slick and the artists’ vocals are a beautiful collision.
We are always sure to check out new releases coming from artists, DJs or producers associated with Vicious Records in Australia. We sure stumbled across a banger with this one thanks to Vicious label DJs taking turns on remix duties. Zoe Badwi takes Lucy Pearl’s classic funkster ‘Don’t Mess With My Man’ and, with Sgt Slick’s help, barrels onto the dancefloor with this energetic and 80s tinged disco house monster.
Nina’s ‘I’ll Wait’ was originally featured in the movie ‘There’s No Such Thing As Vampires’. The track got a dreamy remix courtesy of Make Up And Vanity Set earlier in the year. Now, however, we think we might have happened across the definitive version. Radio Wolf’s gnarly new production adds extra spookiness and an edge perfectly timed for Halloween. Indeed the song now feels like a sinister sister to ‘Carnival Night’. Nina of course remains our angelically vocalled heroine and we know she has a whole heap in store in 2023 which is destined to knock your socks off.
Two years ago Faerie swept into our life with the beguiling and aptly named ‘Fever Dream’. She’s back with a new song and a musical reinvention. ‘k-town’ is some trippy psych pop which is part Tame Impala with a soupcon of Fleetwood Mac. The vocal production is delicious and leaves us in a foggy autumnal haze. Here’s the gorgeous lyric video which accompanies it.
Over the past decade, Maja Francis has become one of the most featured artists on Teases and Dares. Our love affair with this talented Swede was cemented during a visit to the Popaganda festival in Stockholm many years ago. The highlight of that weekend remains Maja, alongside Seinabo Sey and Amanda Bergman, performing an acoustic version of ‘Last Days of Dancing’ at the end of the night with the audience stood in darkness on the edge of the park.
Maja is a participant in the new series of the popular Swedish TV show ‘Sa Mycket Battre’ (So Much Better) which involves artists interpreting classic songs by fellow Swedes. As part of the promo for the show Maja has shared her breathtaking spin on ‘Douchebag’, originally by Molly Hammar who is actually one of the hosts of the show.
After a lengthy absence, previous T&D regulars Ekkah bounced back earlier this year with ‘Waiting 4 You’. They follow that with a slice of slinky and synthy Italo – this being ‘All Night’. This one is bit less warm disco and a bit more neon night drive. We love whatever these ladies turn their hands to and this track is a welcome addition to their flawless catalogue of singles and remixes. Out now on Future Disco.
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