Your Drums, Your Love

I am treading water for your love

If you haven't noticed, bloggers are super nerds. In that, they get their kicks from rather uncommon, even questionable, sources. Normal people shouldn't care about bounce rates. So if your pulse has ever risen due to a Google Analytics statistic, you can consider yourself a nerd too. A thing that tickles music bloggers in particular is one when of their "pet bands" -- that is bands they've been championing since the baby stages of their career -- make it big. AlunaGeorge are one of my pet bands, and I have reason to be pretty giddy about that.

We first posted on the British electronic pop duo in Feburary 2011, when they had nary a Hype Machine mention; just some solid demos and a well-designed site. Their banging single Make No Mistake became a springtime anthem for myself and whichever girlfriends I could convince to have a listen. Fast forward 18 months, and AlunaGeorge have broken the surface of today's murky music waters, having been featured everywhere from Pitchfork to Annie Mac's radio show. Their unique blend of warped, now-shuffling-now-stomping electro pitched with almost childlike female vocals has found its stride, and the duo are set to release their new EP, Your Drums, Your Love October 7th, which they'll support with a headlining tour. We never doubted they'd be big.

Stream Your Drums, Your Love, and download a stellar breakbeat-influenced N55 remix of Put Your Hands Up

Your Drums, Your Love by AlunaGeorge

Put Your Hands Up (N55 Hi Emotions Remix) - AlunaGeorge

Make No Mistake

"Baby, you don't even know what's in my head."

Photo by Marc Van Dalen

Once again, I’m accompanying the changing of this week’s Lip-Stick with a proper post. I promise I’ll quit doing that regularly, but I felt compelled to give some information on the artists behind this week’s song because they are very green. In light, I thought it would only be appropriate to try and send some attention their way by highlighting them (and their awesome song) on here, rather than just posting their music with no explanation. I’m delighted to present AlunaGeorge, a very new, very small band from London, England. I found their song Make No Mistake while browsing the annals of the now-defunct (but still amazing) blog Fucking Dance.

On first listen, I didn’t know quite what to make of this song. As Jamila of Fucking Dance quipped, I think this is what they call "a banger", and it is indeed, at least in the instrumental sense. However, it is one of the least ‘traditional’ bangers I’ve heard, as the thumping, gritty beat is topped off by some of the—for lack of a better word—cutest female voices I’ve ever heard. The disparity between the crunch of the accompaniment and the sweetness of the vocals makes for quite the unique formula, and allows the song to transcend ‘club music’, and places it more so in the ‘rocking pop’ category, akin to Britney Spears’ new dubstep-influenced pseudo banger. Because it eschews all acceptable practices in making banging club songs, I was on the fence regarding whether I should love it or hate it. I was especially uncertain as to whether it should be allowed on the blog, as I have a distinct ‘no bang0r’ rule. That is, until I found myself whistling the bridge on the train. Then singing the chorus quietly to myself as I walked around the city. Finally, after the play count on the song hit 40 in a week, I decided to stop worrying if the song was ‘acceptable’ for the blog, and just post the damn thing. Even if I shouldn't love it, I do; hopefully you will too. Just wait until you get to the chorus. You'll see what I mean.

So here you are, LOOSE L!PS’ first bang0r. I promised myself I’d never post one. But, as AlunaGeorge has proven here with their combination of grit and cutesy that somehow works, I’m coming to find that rules are made to be broken.

Make No Mistake--AlunaGeorge