10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

Reason 1 - Talented Players

You just have to look at some of the quality players who will be on show during the tournament. All major European club sides have representation at the event....Manchester City, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Chelsea, Paris St Germain, Arsenal, Marseille, Newcastle United, Lyon, Celtic ....  

Heres a fantasy 11 made up of some of the talent that will be present at CAN 2012.

1- Germain Sanou (St Etienne & Burkina Faso)

2 - Kolo Toure (Man City & Ivory Coast)
3 - Souleymane Diawara (Marseille & Senegal)
4-  Karim Haggui (Hanover 96 & Tunisia)
5- Siaka Tiene (PSG & Ivory Coast)
 
6- Adel Taarabt (QPR & Morocco)
7- Mohamed Diame (Wigan & Senegal)
8- Sulley Muntari (Internazionale & Ghana)
9-  Seydou Keita (Barcelona & Mali)

10- Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast)
11- Fredric Kanoute (Sevillla & Mali)

10 Reasons Why we Love the African Cup of Nations (CAN)

On January 21st, Equatorial Guinea will take on Libya in Bata in the inaugural match of the 28th edition of the African Cup of Nations.

This years championship (to be jointly held in Eq. Guinea & Gabon) will be the last year the tournament is held in an "even" year as following pressure from European clubs and football governing bodies, the tournament will move to "odd" years as to avoid World Cups & European championships.

Next years 2013 CAN will be held in South Africa after recent political turmoil in Libya.

In the next ten days prior to the tournament starting, we offer ten reasons why the African Nations is a fantastic football tournament and on a par (or even better) than the Euro & World Cups.

    

Three Music Tips for 2012 (3/3)

No. 1 - Ronika  

When an artist cites, Shannon, Gwen Guthrie, Tom Tom Club as major influences you know an early 80s inspired sound is not far off. 

Hailing from Nottingham, the Ronika vibe does indeed tip its cap to that early NY 1980s sound of Jellybean Benitez productions but in a clever and studied manner that make a very contemporary 2012 club sound.

Earlier offerings "Do or Die" and Forget Yourself" showed what Ronika was cooking, but her tour de force was 2011´s single of the year with the release in October of the ultra, ultra infectious "Only Only". 

Currently working on her début album and with a mass of critical acclaim constantly growing, Ronika looks like a sound bet for some of the best uplifting, infectious, hook laden pop we can expect in 2012.

 

Video for "Only Only"

For more info http://ronikamusic.com/

Three Music Tips for 2012 (2/3)

No. 2 - Frank Ocean

Having already written tracks for the likes of Brandy, John Legend and Beyonce, 2011 was the year that Frank Ocean emerged as an artist in his own right. 

His début release essentially a mix tape as opposed to a bona-fide album "Nostalgia, Ultra" was scheduled to be released via the Def Jam label, but after alleged internal problems the release surfaced as a free download on Oceans Tumblr blog. 

Time will tell when and with whom the début album will be officially released but rest assured major guest collabs and left of centre samples ( Ocean sampled MGMTS "Electric Feel" and The Eagles "Hotel California" on tracks on "Nostalgia, Ultra").

Kanye West, watch your back !

for more info - http://frankocean.com/

Three Music Tips for 2012 (1/3)

No. 3 - Strangers

London trio, Strangers have released three EPS during the course of 2011, each one building on the previous and demonstrate a band growing in confidence, stature and ideas.

The new EP3 and its lead single "Promises" (described by The Guardians Paul Lester as a futurist version of Elton John & Kiki Dees "Don´t Go Breaking My Heart) feature the vocal talents of Lara Smiles and obvious reference points are best bits of a blend of the sounds of White Lies and Hurts.

Check out the covers of Japan's "Ghosts" and Lana del Rey´s "Video Games" on the groups You Tube page, both these covers give an insight to the influences of a group we'll certainly be hearing more from in 2012.

For more info on Strangers - http://bornstrangers.com/

Top 3 Albums of 2011 - No 1

Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow

The the old line about waiting for a London bus "you wait for ages then two come along at once" can also be applied to Kate Bush´s recording output this year.
After a 12 year gap between "The Red Shoes" and her last official release, 2005´s under whelming "Ariel", earlier this year we saw the release of "Directors Cut" (essentially re-recordings of tracks from The Sensual World & Red Shoes periods).

Rumours then circulated that the new Kate Bush was a concept album with Snow as the main theme and many´s a nerve jangled even amongst her most loyal fans.
They have not needed to worry, as "50 Words for Snow" is a fine, fine return to form from one of England's finest female artists of all time.

Albeit a "loose" concept album with snow, cold & Winter as central themes, with its sparse instrumentation and Bush´s unique vocal style, "50 Words for Snow" is one of the most intimate, warm and moving albums recorded in recent times.

 

 

Video segment for "Wild Man" (single released from the album)

 

 

Our Top 3 Albums of 2011 - No 2

Florence & the Machine - Ceremonials

The difficult second album ?
Far from it ! With "Ceremonials", Florence returns with the most assured of follow up albums which oozes artistic confidence from start to finish.

Apart from the epic and melodramatic sound of the album, the high calibre of the writing and a big full production sound via producer Paul Epworth (Bloc Party, Friendly Fires), the key element in the albums arsenal is undoubtedly Florence´s incredible and powerful vocal range.

There's a point (1.38) in the albums opener "Only If For a Night" when she sings that she "did cartwheels in your honour", which re-assure the listener that the quirky lyrics that made début album "Lungs" so enchanting remain a key element of the fabric of the songs on "Ceremonials".

Although the album is sonically a natural successor from "Lungs", with its mix of...it shouldn't work but it does, danceable indie, stadium rock, shades of goth, omnipresent big drums and harp solos, the end result is a far more ambitious, complete and epic sounding album.

1st single from the album " What the Water Gave Me"