Fridae

Free Download: Sohodolls "Pleasures of Soho"

If you have ever been to London, you know that Soho has plenty of fun to offer. From the stylish mass couture at Top Shop on Oxford Street to the late night debauchery of Shadow Lounge. The Sohodolls tap into Soho's unique energy with their punchy electro-pop that captures the "decaying and desperate glamour, savagery and sex" of the London district.

The glammed up and pimped out Sohodolls are Maya von Doll (vocals), Ana Doll (keyboards), Gavin Jay (bass) and Toni Sailor (guitars). The group first got together to create their "shock pop" when Ana put out an ad to start a band. Musically, they share a love for Soft Cell, Blondie, Nick Cave and Kraftwerk. The dolls are all about showing some attitude while delivering the goods to justify it. "We rock," says Sailor in a press statement. "But we live and dress the part too. We're hugely honest, you know. The blood is real and the eye-liner is on also off-stage."

The Sohodolls also throw in a little sexual innuendo to stir the rumor mill. "This is a band where the girls all belch and fart, while the guys wear make up," Von Doll says in their biography. "And we're all straight. At least I think we are."

The group was initially signed to the famous Poptones label and put out the sweet & sour club hit "Prince Harry." Currently, the dolls are on A&G Records and preparing the release of their new single "Stripper" on July 4. Check out the excellent video of the song here. You can pre-order the single at Amazon.

While Kylie is preparing a comeback, Scissor Sisters are gearing up to take over the world and Goldfrapp is losing steam, space must be available for the Sohodoll's on the crunchy side of the pop spectrum.

Download Sohodoll's crazy fun electro anthem "Pleasures Of Soho" from the group's web site or stream it first:

---

Stream Natalie Walker "No One Else"
Natalie Walker is one of the most intriguing new talents I have heard in a while. The 23-year-old Philadelphia-based vocalist and songwriter has released her debut single "No One Else" in anticipation of her first album "Urban Angel" that is due out on August 22. While some bloggers are raving about the spunk of Lilly Allen and Uffie's dancefloor kicks, I much prefer the timeless melancholy of Natalie Walker on a gloomy day like today.

Walker wraps her distinct vocals around a mixture of soul, folk and electronica that invokes memories of artists like Portishead, Bjork, SIA and even Alison Krauss. Raised in a strict Christian family, Walker was not exposed to a lot of pop music during her teen years. Instead, she listened to gospel and folk music. But when she heard the progressive sounds of Portishead, it dramatically changed her musical scope. "I remember the first time I heard Portishead. I freaked out. I fell in love with Beth Gibbons' voice. It was strange and different. That was sort of the beginning of the down-tempo, trip-hop vibe for me," Walker says in her biography.

She explored trip hop and other electronic music when she formed the group Daughter Darling together with hip-hop producers Travis and Stephen Fogelman. They released the album "Sweet Shadows" independently in 2003. Her solo effort "Urban Angel" was produced by production team Stuhr and prominently features Walker's ethereal voice.

"No One Else" is available now as a digital single in all iTunes music stores worldwide. The track was remixed by The Amalgamation Of Soundz, 10Sui, !mposter, and The Vector Warrior. Many thanks to Walker for allowing me to exclusively stream "No One Else."

Stream "No One Else" by Natalie Walker:

---

Stream Nelly Furtado "Loose"
Nelly Furtado's new album "Loose" doesn't drop in the U.S. until next Tuesday. However, the record hit stores in Europe today and if you can't wait another week you can download the entire album on 7Digital starting today. You can also listen to short samples of "Loose" here. The final cut of the CD includes the modified version of "All Good Things" that does not (as initially recorded) include Coldplay's Chris Martin's vocals. After the much-hyped collaboration between Furtado, Martin and Timbaland, Geffen decided to pull Martin's contribution last minute. Rumors indicate that Geffen found the Furtado-Martin duet to rocky for the record. I have heard the track back in March and I have to say that it was anything but rocky. I'm thinking it has something to do with a songwriter legal issue. Hopefully, the original cut of the song will surface as a rare b-side one day.

In related Furtado news, "Maneater" hit the coveted number one spot in the U.K. this week. If you can, check out the extended album version of the song that is a little funkier than the single cut.

Stream samples of Nelly Furtado "Loose"

---

Free Download: Kaki King "Yellowcake"
If Melissa Etherdge, Ani DiFranco and Jose Gonzalez would have a little sister her name would be Kaki King. The Atlanta native who now lives in New York City has been called the queen of acoustic guitar with her unique fingerstyle technique that she perfected playing in New York subway stations. King once said that she regards the acoustic guitar as a percussion instrument just like the drums she used to play in her high school band. In fact, King always thought that if she would get her big break in the music business it would be as a drummer.

King, who is openly gay, is currently preparing the release of her third album "Until We Felt Red" on August 8. Produced by John McEntire, the album promises to offer "some of the beautiful, ethereal fare that distinguished King's past releases, but unlike earlier efforts, its inspiration lies in modern rock and pop, not acoustic music," according to a press statement. A clever move by King to reach beyond her eclectic coffee house audience.

The introverted "Yellowcake" is the opening track on "Until We Felt Red." Its soft and subtle tones are a bit crunchy at first, but give it a few spins and you will be mesmerized by its natural beauty. Visit King's MySpace
page to also download the track "Gay Sons Of Lesbian Mothers." (Thanks much to King's management for allowing me to post this track.)

Download "Yellowcake" by Kaki King or listen to it first: