Hoink: It's Jessie J again

You can't hold back a well-oiled publicity machine genuine talent like Jessie J for long.

Here she is with the official video for Price Tag, which materially contradicts the "I can make one of those expensive videos you like so much" message of her last song. Assuming, of course, that Do It Like A Dude was delivered with the deadpan seriousface of Jon Snow reading a news item about a riot. Which it wasn't. So what are you chatting about?

Jessie J - Price Tag

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Gone but not forgotten: John Barry

Film composer John Barry has died aged 77 after a heart attack. While most of the tributes will rightly focus on his work for James Bond (but not the iconic theme tune, which was written by the famously litigious Monty Norman), I thought it'd be nice to remember another unforgettable pop moment he gave to the world.

Here's Beat Girl by the John Barry Seven - as sampled by... well, see if you can work it out.


John Barry Seven - Beat Girl

A profound and original talent. Rest in peace.

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Jessie J - Price Tag (Benny Page Remix)

If you go out tonight and the DJ doesn't play this, he is doing it wrong.

Jessie J - Price Tag (Benny Page Remix) by PurplePR

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"I wonder what your boyfriend thinks about your braces?"

Great pop lyrics don't have to mean anything. In fact, it's better when they don't.

Which of these phrases better evokes the limitless frontiers of the human experience: "I Am The Walrus, goo goo ga-choo" or "I-I-I-I-I Will Always Love You"?

Would you rather live is a world where people say "I'm wearing all my favourite brands, brands, brands" or one where Kimberly Walsh purrs "let's go eskimo"?

Have you ever, like Katy Perry, felt like a plastic bag?

I rest my case.

The quote at the top of this article is from a song called Rill Rill by Brooklyn duo Sleigh Bells (who've been in the studio with Beyoncé this week). Their album, Treats, is 40 minutes of bonkers noisepop, crammed with lyrical non-sequiturs and thrilling riffs. Mostly, it sounds like Concorde crash-landing on a field of wasps - but on Rill Rill they reign in the distortion for three minutes and go all sexy.

At least, I think it's supposed to be sexy. There's a blissed-out, post-coital allure to singer Alexis Krauss' vocals - but she's singing about weathermen, fist fights and tarot cards.

The kitschy video, which appears to have been directed by Robert "Grindhouse" Rodriguez, doesn't shed any light on the song's meaning. But it does feature a bleeding telephone, which is something.

Sleigh Bells "Rill Rill"


If Beyoncé's next album sounds anything like this it will be amazing in capital letters.

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Robyn in "makes terrible song" shocker

It's been, what, five weeks since we last had some new material from Robyn so this new song, which hit the internet on Wednesday, is massivley overdue. STOP SLACKING, CARLSSON, WE HAVE A POP DEFICIT.

Bad Gal is a collaboration with Diplo-affiliated dance act Savage Skulls & Douster. It sounds like Flight Of The Conchords doing Reel 2 Reel. And not in a good way.

Savage Skulls & Douster ft Robyn - Bad Gal

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Lykke Li's new video, a scholarly analysis

Hello Lykke Li, and thank you for submitting your new video I Follow Rivers to Youtube. We have some feedback that you may be interested in.

PROS
:: The song is excellent. Congratulations.
:: Is that a djembe you're playing in the verses? We love a djembe, you see.
:: You look like Michelle Pfeiffer in Witches Of Eastwick. "Mi" and, indeed, "aow".

CONS
:: The two-minute wait for the chorus. That's an eternity on radio.
:: Put your shoes back on. You'll catch a chill.
:: It's all a bit Seventh Seal, isn't it?
:: You're going to get a rash if you keep snogging that beardy man so vigorously.

Thank you for time.

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers


PS: If you enjoyed that, there is also a fantastic remix by indie lynchpin Dave Sitek. It sounds a little something like this.

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers (Dave Sitek Remix) by LykkeLi

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