2014 Hype: Realize You - Empress Of

It seems almost impossible to get any information about Empress Of, which is kind of ridiculous because despite her aloof approach to PR she is screaming for some cross-over success. With slinky indie sass meets snappy synth pop melodies it's hard to figure how you could not love every one of the handful of tracks Lorely Rodriguez has put out as Empress Of.

Rodriguez is Brooklyn based and appears to divide her singing between English and Spanish, with her Systems EP featuring two tracks in each language. That EP is good - Hat Trick being a particular highlight. But the track that has me most excited and caught my attention in the first place is the the single she released towards the end of last year, Realize You. There's a high-art angle to all of this - a sort of synesthesia that comes from Rodriguez's experiments with colour, as explained on Dazed Digital last year when they interviewed her.

Realize You is a beautifully slinky yet stumbling and obsessive record. Soft bubbling electronic melodies and those gorgeous slightly Germanic, slightly techno drums. It is Rodriguez's vocals that steal the show though, her obsession shining through, scary yet alluring: I want to be your boyfriend / and I want to be your girlfriend / and I want to take you there / and I want to watch you do it.

1 November. . .Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavic 2 November. . .Pitchfork Paris 3 November. . .Hit the City Festival, Eindhoven 5 November. . .Birthdays, London 14 November. . .El Plaza Condesa, Mexico City 16 November. .

Check out Hat Trick below:

SYSTEMS A 1 Hat Trick 2 No Means No B 1 Tristeza 2 Camisa Favorita PREORDER via DOUBLE DENIM (World ex. North America) http://doubledenimrecords.bigcartel.com/product/dd019-empress-of-systems-ep PREORDER via TERRIBLE (North America) http://terriblerecords.bigcartel.com/product/empress-of-systems-ep http://www.facebook.com/empressof https://twitter.com/empressoff

There is also quite a bit more on the Empress Of Soundcloud page and a rather surreal video for Champagne:

This is probably the last in my series of posts on artists I'm tipping for big things in 2014. You can read the rest here and check out my Spotify playlist containing some of the bands best songs (and some bands I haven't had time to cover) here.

2014 Hype / Stream: Brain - Banks

I'm already about 57% in love with Banks, and I barely know anything about her. Born and based in LA she started to gain attention last year when she toured in support of The Weeknd and released a couple of pretty stunning EPs last year. Her sound isn't a million miles from The Weeknd's, but definitely benefits form Banks' femininity - this is rough edged indie R&B and I can't wait for an album. It doesn't hurt matters that just looking at her makes my eyes hurt.

All of Banks' material to date has been pretty stellar but her latest track Brain, produced by Shlomo, kind of blows them away:

iTunes: http://po.st/BanksBrain Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/track/1ryZH6Cu7CTEArHpPWUFC2 www.facebook.com/hernameisbanks twitter.com/hernameisbanks @banksbanksbanks www.hernameisbanks.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shlohmo/215424843565 twitter.com/shlohmo @shlohmo http://shlohmo.tumblr.com BANKS "LONDON" EP Now Available - PURCHASE HERE: smarturl.it/banksep UK HEADLINE TOUR // COACHELLA // GOVERNORS BALL and more tour dates up at: http://hernameisbanks.com/shows

Whilst you are here, check out Warm Water and This Is What It Feels Like:

Don't forget to check out the rest of my 2014 hype here, and listen to the Spotify playlist here.

2014 Hype / Video: Hide - FKA Twigs

FKA Twigs was getting all sorts of hot love in 2013 following the release of her excellent track Water Me. There is something intriguingly oblique about both London-based artist Tahliah Barnett's music and identity but based on the amount of hype building for her forthcoming material, increased fortunes seem somewhat guaranteed.

This live video courtesy of label Young Turks and Dazed Digital doesn't pack quick the same musical punch for me but it sure proves FKA Twigs packs Personality with a capital-P.

If you haven’t done so already check out the video for Water Me:

More hype here. Listen to more hyped songs on Spotify.

2014 Hype: Jungle

More hype for your ears in the form of Jungle, the mysterious duo who have been hyped for the last few months of 2013 and seemed destined to tip over into the big time in 2014. There's a slinky funk to their sound that melds smooth soul with an trace of aggressiveness. Think OutKast meets TV On The Radio.

They also make pretty awesome videos. Enjoy.

Don't forget to check out the 2014 hype Spotify playlist and the other posts in this series.

Video: Wanderlust - Wild Beasts

Ahead of their new album Present Tense, due out on Domino on February 24, Wild Beasts have released the video for lead single Wanderlust. It feels like a departure for Wild Beasts, more electronic and there is a more solemn and ominous atmosphere.

The co-production on the album comes from Lexxx and Brian Eno portégé Leo Abrahams. The press release says we should expect a step-change in production once the album drops, and if this is anything to go by then I'm excited. Cue my jazz hands.