Songs you may have missed: Songs I may have missed edition

Oh lordy. Two weeks off and so much good music to catch up with. Here are some of the highlights, accompanied by a desultory 5-word review.

1) Lana Del Rey - High By The Beach
The template has been refined.




2) Chvrches - Leave A Trace
The creation of a star.




3) Hailee Steinfield - Love Myself
Amazing songs deserve better visuals.





4) Disclosure ft Kwabs - Willing & Able
One to sink into deeply.





5) Dmitri Vegas & Like Mike ft Ne-Yo - Higher Place
Luscious, lilting late night anthem.





6) Calvin Harris & Disciples - How Deep Is Your Love
Generic dance music video ahoy.




7) Duran Duran - You Kill Me
Spot the clunky Bowie reference




8) Krept & Konan - So Long
Samples SWV's Rain. Is good.






9) Robin Thicke - Back Together (ft Nicki Minaj)
He's still going? Sadly, yes.




10) FKA Twigs - In Time
Uncompromising but compelling but bonkers.





11) Odesza - Light (ft Little Dragon)
Wispy, hypnotic and bloody brilliant.





12) Little Mix - Black Magic (live on the Late Show)
Bring back TOTP. Tomorrow, preferably.




13) The Dead Weather - I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)
Potential new TOTP theme song.

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14 songs you may have missed: Demi Lovato falls over edition

A semi-regular round-up of noteworthy songs, videos, and musical ephemera from the blog's "to do" list.

Lots of great new songs here, proving that 2015 isn't going to be quite the dud it seemed two months ago.

1) Demi Lovato - Cool For The Summer (lyric video)
In pop, the smallest details matter. Here, it's the portamento on the phrase "body type" that transforms the chorus from predictable to phenomenal.

After you watch the lyric video, you may also wish to see this out-take, in which Demi takes a nasty fall then totally styles it out by diving into a pool. Classy.

#NOTCoolForTheSummer #FuckIt 😂😂😂😂

A video posted by Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) on Jul 5, 2015 at 2:16pm PDT

2) Example - Whisky Town
For those of you who don't live in London, this is what the morning commute is like EVERY DAY.






3) Kwabs - Fight For Love
I thought this was going to be a yawnsomely earnest electro-soul track - but then the hop-skip chorus came along and swept me off my feet. Delightful stuff.






4) Jess Glynne - Don't Be So Hard On Yourself
And stop comfort eating, too, you're looking fat.





5) Melissa Steel - You Love Me (ft Wretch 32)
A year after Melissa Steel scored a top 10 hit with Kisses For Breakfast, she returns with this irrepresible Rodney Jerkins-produced track. Would sound perfect while dancing under a sprinkler on a scorching hot summer day.






6) Little Mix - Black Magic (acoustic)
Damn, those girls can sing.






7) Sigala - Easy Love
I'm not sold on this - but it sounds like it'll be massive. A balls-out Balearic anthem that chops up Michael Jackson's vocals from ABC to impressive effect.







8) Janet Jackson - No Sleeep (lyric video)
A "glimpse into our creative space" or "a surprisingly low budget lyric video". You decide.





9) Leon Bridges - Smooth Sailin'
In lesser hands, Leon Bridges' retro-fitted soul would be a kitsch curiosity. But that voice. Man, that voice.






10) Eden XO - Torn / Don't Stop Believin'
It's Natalie Imbruglia's Torn! It's Journey's Don't Stop Believing! It's a new song in its own right! It's better than it could have been!






11) Rob Madin - Amnesia Du Soleil
AKA The bloke of Brett Domino, who's surprisingly joke-averse solo material is worth a listen. Also, the video stars Legs & Co.





12) Hudson Mohawke - Warriors (ft. Ruckazoid & Devaeux)
Kanye's right-hand man. Large on hooks, low on subtlety.




13) SVE - BLKNBL
The title stands for Black and Blue, fact fans.





14) Iris Gold - Goldmine
One to watch. More importantly, one to listen to.

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Must listen: Kwabs - Perfect Ruin

Bermondsey boy Kwabs has been bubbling under for a year or two now but, if there's any justice in the world, his new single should see him instantly promoted to music's a-list.

Perfect Ruin marries a glowing gospel melody to the stark arrangement of a James Blake b-side, and it's a song to reckon with - largely thanks to Kwabs' stunning, from-the-pit-of-his stomach vocal.

Originally released in 2013, it's been remastered for the singer's debut album, Love + War (due in May) and given an appropriately icy video, filmed in Scandinavia.

Watch below. Then watch again.

Kwabs - Perfect Ruin

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Must listen: Kwabs

Say hello to 23-year-old newcomer Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong (don't worry, you can call him Kwabs), who's just been put on Radio 1Xtra's Hot For 2014 list.

Possessed of a stunning, honeyed baritone, his vocals remind me of Seal when Seal was good, adding depth and soul to the swirling electronic grooves he's been creating with Dave Okuma and SOHN (Jessie Ware, Banks). Kwabs himself describes his sound as the "meeting place between elements of old-style gospel with more current sounding music". And everyone loves current sounding music, don't they?

His latest song, Wrong Or Right, is the title-track to a forthcoming EP. The video, which features some mesmerising slow motion choreography, is right here.

Kwabs - Wrong or Right

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