Toy
Left Myself Behind/Clock Chime (Heavenly)
From the Libertines to the Enemy, the prosaic and clumsy have triumphed in post-Britpop UK guitar music. Toy, garnering press as abundant as their spectacularly far-out hair, continue the good work of pals the Horrors in righting things. Left Myself Behind combines a pretty melody with a European muscularity; shoegaze taking a violent turn. Clock Chime brings sensuality into the sun-kissed pastoral, as if you're watching a 70s documentary about hedge-laying, only for a dozen nudists tripping on mushroom tea to frolic into shot.
Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble Feat Emika
Pretend (Soul Clap mix) (!k7)
Groups of clever Germans in suits are sadly lacking in today's pop climate. Step forward BBFE, who translate the precision of Kraftwerk via acoustic instruments. This new remix collection, however, sees them re-engineered back into dancefloor-ready tracks, with the standout Soul Clap rework also featuring Ninja Tune's Emika, known for making albums out of samples from Berlin's Berghain nightclub. Buildings might dance to this.
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
John Taylor's Month Away (Domino)
Currently on a well-regarded stroll around the UK, with this tour single – and 2011's Diamond Mine LP – Hopkins and Creosote eschew the lachrymose sentimentality that blights much modern-day folk-pop. Instead, severely plucked acoustic guitars, field recordings and a slowly emerging electronic pulse steer this to a lush build. The lyrics suggest the titular protagonist is a rare salt of the sea; the music hints that the sly old dog might have been up to something more saucy in his 30 days away.
Gotye Feat Kimbra
Someone That I Used To Know (Island)
The video for this has ratcheted up 50m views on YouTube; not bad considering that the first thing you see is a close up of Gotye's manky toe. Foot fetishists and chiropodists aside, it's easy to see why it strikes a chord, combining radio-friendly rhythms and vocal acrobatics that sound like Sting jumping on the spot, desperate for a wee.
Nik Colk Void
Gold E (O Genesis)
Tim Burgess's O Genesis has put out a bewildering array of releases, from cult Nashville beardy R Stevie Moore to a spoken-word record by poet Jack Underwood. This seven-inch by Nik Void of avant techno types Factory Floor is one vinyl side of bowed guitar droning that has a polyurethane cast of itself for a sleeve. This can also be played, but over time the sound will alter as the polymer degrades. You don't get that from an Adele MP3.
