Welcome to adbreakanthems latest feature New Tube | New Music. Here we offer you an up-to-the minute guide to all the young, alternative, largely unknown or, in some cases, unsigned bands and artists whose music has served to keep the commercial breaks sounding fresh and exciting over the last few weeks. Your guide this month is Nicky Thompson.
Dan Croll
Title: Home
Record Company: Universal - Decca
Brand: Cathedral City
It’s been an action-packed coupe of years for British singer/songwriter, Dan Croll, since his debut single From Nowhere blew up BBC Radio 1 airwaves. His new, folky track Home can be heard in the background of the latest advert for Cathedral City but the world of synchronisation is nothing new for this multi-instrumentalist from Staffordshire. Just last year Croll delved into the world of video game sound-tracking having several of his songs featured in Grand Theft Auto V and Fifa 14. His stint with Bastille and London Grammar during their respective tours has enabled him to embark on his own European jaunt in support of his debut album Sweet Disarray.
Artist Website: http://www.dancroll.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/dancroll
Skalpel
Artist: Skalpel
Title: 1958 (Skalpel Remix)
Record Company: Ninja Tune
Brand: DFS
Not every artist takes ‘incorporating one’s influences’ quite as literally as Skalpel. So much so that DJs Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudlo directly infuse their influences into their own sound, blowing off the dust from those classic 60s Jazz records and merging them with modern Hip Hop beats. Dubbed the ‘Polish Fatboy Slim’, the duo from Wroclaw who first formed in 1998 spent years honing their sound before releasing their debut album, Polish Jazz, which not only garnered praise from the Polish press but caught the attention of current record label, Ninja Tune. The duo are currently making waves in DFS’s spring advert with their appropriately titled 1958, a tune that boasts big horn riffs and a restless bass line.
Artist Website: http://ninjatune.net/artist/skalpel
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/Skalpel
Tourist
Artist: Tourist
Title: Placid Acid
Record Company: Method Records
Brand: Very.co.uk
You may not have heard of William Phillips for a good reason - this electronic producer values his anonymity, theorising that privacy naturally breeds creative leeway. Going under the alias of Tourist, such “freedom” enabled Phillips to quickly release two EPs after moving to London in 2012; the first being Placid Acid of which the title track can be heard in the latest clothing advert for Very Online. A lover of dance and UK garage, Phillips believes being a seasoned pianist brings a raw emotion to his music that often gets buried beneath the digital blips and bleeps of dance. In 2013 he signed to Disclosure’s record label, Method Records, where he was to release his third EP shortly after but it was pushed to April 2014 due to popular demand of fans for a US tour. Evidently, this ever-increasing American fan base is indicative of just how big this Brighton born producer is going to be - whether he likes it or not.
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/musicbytourist
Radkey
Title: Romance Dawn
Record Company: Little Man Records
Brand: GiffGaff
Radkey is the surname of teenagers Dee, Isaiah and Solomon; three brothers who hail from St. Joseph, Missouri. Raised on their father’s record collection which includes the likes of Ramones and Nirvana, the self-taught trio stole SXSW festival in 2013 with their hell-raising performance – an opportunity they won with a demo submission that impressed booking agents. Fast forward a year later and the boys have the backing of a record label and a new EP to boot; the lead track Romance Dawn landing a spot in GiffGaff’s April ad. The track remixed by UNKLE still contains all the familiar punk edges but with an ambience typical of its remixer’s style. Now with a string of European dates lined up it looks like Radkey is set to expand their following across the pond.
Artist Website: http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/prod/Radkey-DevilFruit-LittleManRecords-93632.html
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/radkeyband?fref=ts
Vinyl Hearts
Title: Let's Go
Record Company: Peer Southern Productions
Brand: Pringles
From the magnificent mind of Eric Arjes comes Vinyl Hearts of Nashville, Tennessee – the “US answer to Florence and the Machine” as some in the press would have it. Discovered by Grammy Award winning Stephen Short in 2007, Arjes spent his formative years writing and producing with other renowned collaborators, and has cited Short as a mentor, manager and friend. His knack for catchy hooks and dynamic guitar riffs eventually landed him a deal with Peer Southern Productions, a label which distributed the band’s hit single Let Go. In an advert appropriately titled ‘Anthem’, the U2 influence is undeniable but this isn’t the track’s first TV spot, having launched in Disney’s Muppets Most Wanted theatrical trailer a few months prior. Vinyl Hearts are currently working on their sophomore EP which fans can look forward to at the beginning of 2015.
Artist Website: http://www.vinylheartsband.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vinyl-Hearts/134667650019231
Caravan Palace
Title: Rock It For Me
Record Company: Wagram Music
Brand: Superdrug
With their unwavering robot fetish still intact (as their sentient dancing mechanical men videos would have you believe) self-proclaimed 'Electro Swing’ band Caravan Palace has come back, um... swinging. Garnering revitalised interest on the back of this TV spot, Caravan Palace is touring Europe once more, supporting a foray of new singles to boot. It was just 6 years ago that their self-titled debut stormed the top 20 of every European country and that success has seen them go on to do extensive touring around the world; never catching a break until 2012. Two years after the French act’s critically acclaimed sophomore album, Panic, Superdrug have plucked this little gem for their 50 Year ad campaign and it’s as if the band never left. Rock It For Me combines the traditional instruments of Gypsy Jazz with Daft Punk inspired electronic sounds - the result of a renewed line up that sees the addition of programmer and trombone player, Antoine Toustou.
Artist Website: http://www.caravanpalace.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/CaravanPalace?fref=ts
Son Lux
Title: Lost It To Trying
Record Company: Joyful Noise Recordings
Brand: Jaguar Landrover
It’s hard to believe that little is known about Son Lux. Over the years the post rock/alternative hip hop artist has accumulated an impressive list of collaborators and has also composed scores for a range of commercials (IKEA, Coca-Cola, Audi) network television (American Horror Story) and major theatrical releases, namely the 2012 sci-fi smash, Looper, and yet has seemingly sunk under the radar. Could this TV spot be where Lux finally makes the transition from hidden wonder to house hold name? It looks promising - Lost It To Trying was named by popular online music magazine, Pitchfork, as one of the best new songs of 2013. The track comes from Lux’s third studio album, Lanterns, and encapsulates the ethereal atmosphere the classically trained multi-instrumentalist is known for. Let’s hope 2014 is the year of the Lux.
Artist Website: http://music.sonluxmusic.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/sonlux
Miss Li
Title: I Can't Get You Off My Mind
Record Company: National
Brand: Durex
Right off the bat, Swedish singer Miss Li draws obvious comparisons to the likes of Duffy, Pixie Lott and the late Amy Winehouse, and much like her contemporaries her lyrics boast salacious tales of romantic affairs and sexual escapades. Perhaps such an honest approach to feminine sexuality is why Durex saw it fit to include this provocative track in their spring ad. I Can’t Get You Off My Mind is an instant eyebrow raiser propelled by the sultry twang of Li’s voice over a sensual beat. Inspired by various Blues and Jazz musicians growing up, Li has churned out a number of releases since 2006 but never gained any traction until her fourth studio album, Dancing the Whole Way Home, which earned Li her first top 10 in Sweden and ignited her long-standing career in the world of synchronisation. She’s since gone on to have tracks featured in network television shows, notably Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and Weeds.
Artist Website: http://missli.se/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/missliofficial
Eagles Of Death Metal
Title: Miss Alissa
Record Company: Ant Acid Audio
Brand: Nike
These days Josh Homme has a lot on his plate what with fronting Queens of the Stone Age, not to mention the endless collaborations with famous buddies like Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Arctic Monkeys etc etc. It’s really a surprise the man still has time for high school friend Jesse Hughes and the little garage-rock band they formed way back in 1998. The curious case of Eagles of Death Metal who - shocker – are not actually a death metal band documents a long history of stop and starts due to the tremendous success of Queens of the Stone Age. Three successful studios albums between 2004 and 2009 plus a couple of global tours later, it seems Homme is ready to recommit his focus using a bag of old tricks - as this marks the second time the duo from Palm Desert, California have synched for a Nike ad, the first being back in 2008 leading up to UEFA Euro. Miss Alissa is the perfect oldie from that very era to remind fans why that promised 2014 album couldn’t come soon enough.
Artist Website: http://eaglesofdeathmetal.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/eaglesofdeathmetal
Eliza And The Bear
Title: Friends
Record Company: Eliza And The Bear
Brand: Bulmers
First thing you should probably know about Eliza And The Bear: there’s no Eliza and, thankfully, there’s no bear. The title spawns from a series of dark poems by Eleanor Rees - which doesn’t have anything to do with the band’s music either... not when happy tunes like Friends are blaring in the background of Bulmers ‘Live Colourful’ TV ad. Instead, you get five laid-back lads from London who are just thankful for “having the best job in the world”. Whereas a lot of rock bands are less forthcoming when crediting their contemporaries for fear of inviting a rivalry, Eliza and the Bear have no qualms in listing Bombay Bicycle Club and Arcade Fire as key muses to their creative development. Citing their first headlining show at St Pancras Church as a defining experience, the five-piece have been concentrating their efforts on the live circuit with dates lined up for the O2 arena and Lollapalooza festival. Hopefully, this year’s TV spot is the beginning of new and exciting things for this up-and-coming act.
Artist Website: http://elizaandthebear.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/elizaandthebear
