MTV IGGY

This Artist of the Week race was especially feisty with Jez Dior from the US, As They Burn from France, and Japan’s Pirates Canoe all vying mightily for the brass ring. But the results are in and it’s Pirates Canoe, the Kyoto bluegrass trio/sextet, for the win!

Congratulations, y’all! Your heart string plucking Americana is victorious!

Bono, rock star and AIDS fighting anti-poverty activist, has added a new job title to his lengthy LinkedIn profile. He says he’s “embraced his inner nerd” and gotten down with the facts. Calling himself a “factivist” he’s pushing the well-known but criminally underrated idea the knowledge is power.

In this case, he says knowledge has the power to challenge inequality. A lot of his facts are pretty inspiring and some of it is even good news. He swears that he’s studied the data and not only is extreme poverty declining worldwide but it would be pretty easy to keep things rolling in that direction.

Whatever your feelings about U2, Edun or those sunglasses, set them aside for a sec and listen to the man’s TED Talk:

I love deep house as much the next shape-shifter, but I prefer things a tad more techy these days. Adam Cotier, who is a rising name in London’s underground house circuit, has swapped the decks for the production suite and is set to release his synth-heavy, deep tech-house debut single, “My Life,” on April 1. This is definitely where it’s at right now!

Shystie, Lady Leshurr, Lioness, Ms Dynamite, RoxXxan, Amplify Dot, Mz Bratt… We’re all thankful for what the sisters have offered the UK MC game thus far, but there’s definitely room for one more. After a long hiatus, London’s Lady Lykez is back with a new swag and a new single called “Eurgh!” – where she shows off a different flow in each verse, and gets sick all over Jamal Hadaway’s head-banging grime beat. “I was in the studio freestyling over this instrumental and I felt it was so dirty and gritty,” she says. “All I was getting from it was just straight… EURGH!” If Lady Lykez is sick enough for you, cop the single when it’s released on April 28.

Finally, the long awaited album from Rudimental is on its way and they’re bringing it Home. After teasing us with eargasm singles, the debut album is slated for release April 30th on Big Beat records. The East London quartet have scheduled an American takeover in support of the album, starting in Austin at South by Southwest, where they will perform both live band and DJ sets at prestigious showcases like The Fader Fort, Green Label Sound, and Hype Machine, followed by Ultra Music Festival, New York and Los Angeles.

The internet went bananas over the band’s smash single “Feel the Love” now they’re going berserk for “Feel The Love” (Kill Paris Remix) by LA-based funk master, DJ and on the rise producer, Kill Paris of course.

I just love how soulfulness oozes from the UK. Song bird Emeli Sande and Angel Haze also make appearance’s on the album. Rudimental gives us a treat  to experience a five-track sampler until its official release.

Stream “Feel the Love” (Kill Paris Remix) here:

I hope you can make it out to their US tour dates because it’s going to be live!

3/13- AM Only 2013 SXSW, Showcase @ La Zona Rosa, Austin TX (DJ)
3/14- Green Label Sound @ Lucille, Austin, TX (DJ)
3/15 – Fader Fort SXSW @ Austin TX (live)
3/15- Hype Machine Presents SXSW @ Hype Hotel, Austin TX (live)
3/16- Black Butter party @ Bardot, Miami FL (DJ)
3/17- Ultra Music Festival, Miami FL (live)
3/18- Black Butter party @ Santos, New York NY (DJ)
3/19- Bowery Ballroom, New York NY (live)
3/21- Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco CA (live)
3/22- Black Butter Party @ Key Club, Los Angeles CA (DJ)
3/23- Troubadour, Los Angeles CA (live) 

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, reigning princess of J-pop 2.0, has some pretty insane videos out there. The viral power of “Pon Pon Pon” aside, “Fashion Monster” was pretty nuts, while “Furisodeshon” was a two-tone aesthetic tour de force. But this one for her new song “Ninja Ri Ban Ban” might be the awesomest, not to mention cutest.

The song is about being in love with a ninja (They’re hot. What?) and the video finds our musical heroine toggling between futuristic ninja garb and a romantic kimono get up. It’s an anime meets feudal japan kind of deal and something about it is making us swoon. Yep. We’ve fallen for a ninja too and her name is KPP.

We live in a cold, cold world, and the financial climate is getting chillier by the day. The recession has hit every country in some way or another and, in my very humble opinion, it’s the young people who have been hit the hardest – with higher university fees, lesser job opportunities and house prices sky-rocketing. Manchester’s dubstep and D&B outfit, Virus Syndicate, tackle said issues in their new Document One-featuring single, “Cold World.”

Nika D, the group’s central MC, tells MTV IGGY: “We’re living through times of high unemployment cutbacks and recession. England is changing, and not for the better. “Cold World” is an example of what our British youth are faced with in today’s world.” The track: anthemic. The video: cinematic. Big words, I know. If you don’t believe me, see for yourselves…

In the run-up to Fade To Mind and Night Slugs’ collaborative showcases at SXSW this weekend, Bok Bok – the man behind London’s forward-thinking Night Slugs label and club night – just uploaded a new 54-minute promo mix to keep grime, juke, and house heads excited until they take the stage. For those not lucky enough to attend the Texas-based music festival this year, I think it’s best you listen to it now, download later, and put it on repeat from Friday onwards so that you don’t feel left out. Don’t you?

Tracklisting:

01 – (unknown) – (unknown) [Night Slugs Club Constructions]
02 – DIVOLI S’VERE – What I Want Ha (Ckunt Diet Remix Instrumental) [Qween Beat]
03 – BOK & TRAGO – Work This Pussy [Night Voyage]
04 – JAM CITY – (unknown) [Night Slugs Club Constructions]
05 – DIVOLI S’VERE – Giddy Up Ha [Qween Beat]
06 – L-VIS 1990 – Ballad 4D VIP [Night Slugs]
07 – RUSHMORE – Couture [Trax Couture]
08 – DJ SLIINK – Follow The Leader
09 – BOK & TRAGO – Hole Driller [Night Voyage]
10 – DJ SLIINK & MIKEQ – Werk’d It [Fade To Mind]
11 – KOWTON – F U All The Time bootleg
12 – JEREMIH / JOE / WILEY – (AKITO bootleg)
13 – JAM CITY – How We Relate To The Body (HELIX bootleg) [Night Slugs]
14 – JACQUES GASPARD BIBERKOPF – For The Women
15 – IKONIKA – Backhand Winners [Hyperdub]
16 – DAT Oven – Icy Lake (L-VIS 1990 Refix 1) [Night Slugs / Fade To Mind]
17 – BOK BOK – MJT (LOL GURLZ Black Nail Polish bootleg) [Night Slugs]
18 – KINGDOM ft KELELA – Bank Head [Fade To Mind]
19 – JAM CITY – Love Is Real (MOKONA bootleg) [Night Slugs]
20 – 151 FEVA GANG – Shaking My Dreads

Download for free: H E R E