As usual the last few weeks have have seen the commercial breaks providing a platform for some of the best and brightest new acts around. And as usual adbreakanthems roving reporter Nicky Thompson-Quartey has been out there finding out who they are and what they're about. Take it away Nicky...
Apparat
Title: PV
Record Company: Mute
Brand: Jaguar Landrover
Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TAT6126JD4
Since co-founding his Shitkatapult label with Punk-Techno DJ friend Marco Haas in 1999, Sascha Ring has released a slew of dance and techno recordings which have captivated IDM fans around the globe. Ring’s brand of synth electronica sound has been described as almost orchestral-like while dark, emotionally charged songs like Goodbye elevated a particularly unforgettable, nail biting scene in the season 4 finale of the smash hit US series Breaking Bad. Further tracks in UK teen drama Skins meant that somebody had to recognise the fuss this German producer was kicking up sooner or later. That ‘somebody’ was Mute Records who signed him in 2011. After celebrating the new deal by changing his nomenclature to Apparat, Ring has continued making waves in the sync world with credits including trailer spots for feature films like Prisoners and the upcoming blockbusters Taken 3 and The Drop. Big brands have picked up on him too with such as Baileys, Land Rover and Glenlivet licensing Apparat tracks over the last 18 months.
Artist Website: http://www.apparat.net/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/apparat.official
Phantogram
Title: When I'm Small
Record Company: Barsuk
Brand: Gillette
Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMpbgjAyiSE
Not too long ago, childhood buddies Josh Carter (guitar and vocals) and Sarah Barthal (keyboards and vocals) were just two more Greenwich Village hipsters. But they soon developed a unique sound based on psychedelic trip hop beats and hypnotising rhythms. Initially operating under the moniker Charlie Everywhere they released a debut EP in 2009 on Sub-Bombin Records called Phantogram. It boasted two cuts Mouth of Diamonds and When I’m Small which created a real buzz in hipster circles after the latter was featured in the MTV adaptation of Skins. It has subsequently resurfaced in Gilette’s #ByAHair ad. Phantogram’s collaborative spirit extends beyond working with OutKast’s Big Boi and the Flaming Lips. Currently touring their most recent album, Voices, Phantogram has wowed audiences and critics alike with their captivating performances and it shouldn’t be too long before this New York born and raised duo make their way from the small screen into the charts.
Artist Website: http://www.phantogram.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/Phantogram
Jasmine Thompson
Title: Everybody Hurts
Record Company: Unsigned
Brand: BBC One
Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_AF49aiBSg
Everywhere one looks on YouTube there are hopefuls plugging their renditions of whatever is currently regarded ‘popular music’. Despite the many thousands of loyal subscribers who wax lyrical about them in the comment sections very few of these internet sensations have made the successful transition from cyberspace stardom to the charts. That’s where Jasmine Thompson comes in. This fresh-faced cover version artist caused it a bit of a stir online with her take on smash hits like Titanium by David Guetta. But her acoustic guitar reimagining of Chaka Khan’s Ain’t Nobody rendered the track virtually unrecognisable to the point that Sainsbury’s saw it fit to license it for a recent food campaign. Looking to repeat that formula, BBC 1’s Eastenders used Thompson’s delicate approach to REM’s Everybody Hurts for an angsty, tear jerking trailer in which several key cast members mimed the heartfelt lyrics. Thompson is unsigned making a case for the much-contested new age of DIY musicianship. From the Internet to your telly, Thompson’s evolution and continued rise to fame proves that she has a voice made for more than the online music community.
Artist Website: http://www.jasminethompsonmusic.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/TantrumJas
Parlour
Title: Devil's Eyes
Record Company: Brattwell Recordings
Brand: Guinness
Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IclxdEoVskg
Parlour is the brainchild of Angela Won-Yon Ma, better known as the guitarist with psychedelic pop band, Carousels. When this Londoner finally becomes a star in her own right it will, in part, be down to the efforts of Guinness Amplify – an Irish-based talent scouting agency dedicated to promoting only the best of the best. It’s easy to see why the brewing giant chose the shoe gazing Devil’s Eyes for its Artist’s Journey spot. The throbbing, droning hypnotic vocals over strung-out ambience perfectly embodies the inspirational message the commercial sets out to convey. Unsurprisingly much of the unique guitar tone Ma brought to Carousels’ recordings is echoed in her solo work. As Parlour she has collaborated extensively with Test Icicles’ Rory Atwell, who produced and played drums for her debut single, My Love on the Marshall Teller label, after she had contributed vocals to Zaragoza, by one of his many projects, Warm Brains. Parlour is currently playing UK dates and is tipped as a talent well-worth watching in 2015.
Artist Website: http://parlourmusik.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/parlourmusik
Kleerup
Title: Let Me In
Record Company: Warner Music PLG
Brand: H&M
Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJILNLKxo7g
Swedish producer Kleerup is best known for providing the scintillating string and electronic flourishes on the 2007 smash hit With Every Heartbeat. It was a song that set white-haired R&B star Robyn on a much-anticipated comeback and gained her first UK Number One. Since re-launching Robyn’s career, Kleerup has earned a reputation as being something of a David Guetta clone, devising remixes for bands like Roxette, the Cardigans and eccentric singer-songwriter Mika. He has also racked up a string of top female vocal performances on his tracks including his half-sister Neneh Cherry and sultry Swedish songstress Lykke Li. Debuting in the H&M’s Autumn Collection spot, Let Me In features his latest female conquest, Susanne Sundfor, who croons over a relentless bass line you won’t be getting out of your head too soon.
Artist Website: http://kleerup.net/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/kleerupmusic?sk=wall
Electric Guest
Title: This Head I Hold
Record Company: Downtown
Brand: Ford EcoSport
Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayBWgoB-1dg
Electric Guest’s mainman Asa Taccone is a man with a sense of humour who originally started out in the satirical pop band Lonely Island. There, he teamed up with his brother Jorma Taccone to make a range of ‘digital shorts’ for the famous comedy sketch show, Saturday Night Live. The Taccone bros would often play dress-up while crooning ironic lyrics that mocked pop culture. Their most famous skit was the raunchy Dick In A Box featuring Justin Timberlake. But it was when Asa met Matthew Compton he became inspired to something greater than just a novelty act. More brotherly love arrived in the form of Todd Dahlhoff and Tory Dahlhoff and the quartet formed Electric Guest. The band has pleasantly surprised critics and audiences with their sophisticated funk pop style and have gone from Saturday Night Live to Late Shows with David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon, as well as playing SXSW (South by Southwest). Meanwhile they continued to expand their growing UK fan base with BBC sessions and performances at Leeds Festival. This Head I Hold was the first single from the band’s critically acclaimed album Mondo which found its way into the Billboard Top 20 in 2012. Mondo gained the band a spot on MTV's list of Artists to Watch in 2012 as well as NME's Radar Band of the Week in February 2013. The latest advert from Ford cars isn’t the first time the band’s music has been married to motion pictures. Their tracks can be heard in popular US series like Teen Wolf and the controversial, award winning HBO series, Girls. Such appearances have legitimatized Electric Guest as a serious funk band capable of going toe to toe with the best of them.
Artist Website: http://electricguest.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/electricguest
Gary Clark Jnr
Title: Bright Lights
Record Company: Warner Music
Brand: Calvin Klein
Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enzT6uBZgZQ
When still only 17 Gary Clark Jnr had an entire day named after him by the Mayor of his home town Austin Texas. A superlative blues guitarist who has been favourably compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix Clark is also the first artist ever to receive Grammy nominations in both Rock and R&B categories before winning Best Traditional R&B Performance at the 2014 ceremony for his song Please Come Home. Clark has been lauded and praised by just about everybody in sight including US president Barack Obama who witnessed his performance at the White House’s Red, White and Blues event. He has collaborations with a wide range of iconic artists such as Sheryl Crow, Eric Clapton, Foo Fighters, Jay Z, Metallica and Dave Matthews Band to name a mere few and in December 2012 was featured as a ‘special guest’ on the Rolling Stones’ 50th Anniversary Tour. Clark’s songs can be heard in various cinematic features but Bright Lights - which pays tribute to blues icon Jimmy Reed - remains Clark’s his most synced side. The track has appeared in everything from US drama series House of Lies to the 2012 video game Max Payne 3. Clearly a much sought-after and respected artist, it can only be a matter of time before this Austin boy wonder makes a permanent mark upon pop culture.
Artist Website: http://www.garyclarkjr.com/gcjlivealbum
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/GaryClarkJr
Tove Lo
Title: Not On Drugs
Record Company: Universal
Brand: Boohoo.com
Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RxT2agzwUQ
It was while studying at the Rytmus Musikgymnasiet (Sweden’s Brits School equivalent) that Tove met and befriended Icona Pop, the sassy electro duo who subsequently set the club (and the charts) alive with their lyrical, shouty party anthems. She soon landed a publishing deal with Warner Chappell and a trip to L.A where she would work with legendary Swedish hit-maker, Max Martin - a man know for penning classics for legendary pop stars like Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, N Sync. Together the two began co-writing and producing a number of tracks and in 2013 Lo finally blew up with the hit single, Habits. It was a track that generated such media frenzy that Universal Music Group took notice and signed her on the spot. Lo’s style is spunky, electronic but with the sophistication and sobriety needed to be taken as a serious artiste and not just a hit machine. She has penned tunes for other female acts such as the aforementioned Icona Pop, Girls Aloud and Cher Lloyd. Lo’s album Queen of the Clouds was released globally in September 2014 and included the two-step Boohoo soundtrack Not on Drugs (Just In Love). After being exposed to this catchy earworm, so are we.
Artist Website: http://www.tove-lo.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/tovelo
Josef Salvat
Title: Diamonds
Record Company: Sony
Brand: Sony 4k Ultra HD TV
Ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_DT-mg_3IA
Described as a curious blend of Morrissey and Lana Del Rey, this overnight Internet sensation is fast becoming one of Australia’s most promising stars. Josef Salvat blew the mind of bloggers and keyboard warriors everywhere when his debut single This Life created mass online hysteria seemingly out of nowhere. The singer-songwriter originally studied Law but after graduation he was able to put music at the forefront much to the relief of his manager who had been “waiting patiently” for Salvat to complete his studies. Thereafter he moved to London in 2009 where handing out copies of homemade demos to random members of the public complemented his considerable online activities. Salvat praises the Internet for giving him the platform to reach a huge demographic so quickly but recognises its potential pitfalls: “there is no chance to make any mistakes because everything is under such scrutiny so early on. You have to undergo this learning curve in public.” Thankfully, Salvat hasn’t put a foot wrong thus far. He’s already played the O2 Academy Brixton and Lovebox Festival but reveals his desire to “pay his dues” by doing some more live dates for his fans down under. By now you would have heard his haunting rendition of Diamonds, originally performed by feisty pop sensation Rihanna in Sony’s 4K Ultra HD TV spot. Salvat is currently working with Razorlight’s producer Rich Cooper in an effort to take to the road with a larger body of work, and remains confident he will fulfil his wish as more doors begin to open. Watch this space.
Artist Website: http://www.josefsalvat.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/JosefSalvatMusic
