Friendly Jack

Friendly Fires – Skeleton Boy

Currently travelling up and down the country as part of this year’s NME tour, 2009 looks set to be another busy year for the St. Albans trio. Instantly catching you with its groove, the track will send you catapulting to the nearest dance floor. In the wake of ‘New Rave’ we had a flurry of indie bands grabbing the nearest synth and, let’s be honest, it was starting to get just a little contrived. However Friendly Fires mix of disco, post punk and Balearic influences shows how effortlessly they separate themselves from their peers. Skeleton Boy is four minutes of pop perfection that will inspire life into even the most insipid indie disco. 

Jack Peñate – Tonight’s Today

London troubadour Peñate returns with a new single that is a rapid departure from his previous work. It seems the singer songwriter has ditched his frantic punk sound, as well as that stupid hat, and has discovered world music. Wait no come back! As strange as it sounds, the result is a pleasant surprise. While his debut album could have easily been confused with a number of London bands, Tonight’s Today sets Peñate apart from the pack. Produced by Paul Epworth the track fuses soul, Graceland era Paul Simon and even the more blissful end of house. With a release date cannily timed with the clock change, this could be the first defining summer song of 2009.