Best of the Blogs: Disco Naïveté

Every few weeks we’ll be inviting some of our favourite bloggers to get involved with Last.fm and write a guest post. It’s a great opportunity to hear something new from some of the most celebrated tastemakers in the blogosphere, and we’re proud to be kicking things off with Disco Naïveté.

Based in Belgium, Disco Naïveté focuses on independent music, ranging from up-and-coming artists to more established acts. Founded in late 2009 by Jarri Van der Haegen, Disco Naïveté has grown to be one of the most recognised music blogs today, with credits ranging from Pitchfork to The Guardian.

Jarri has racked up an impressive 167,000 scrobbles since August 2008, which on average is an incredible 116 tracks per day! Find out what he’s listening to here.

Over to Jarri for his three picks:

Antony – ‘Landslide’ (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

I don’t get goosebumps when hearing a new song very often, but when I first heard Antony Hegarty’s (Antony and the Johnsons) cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Landslide’, there was no way around it.

“Well, I’ve been afraid of changin’ / cause I’ve built my life around you” – lyrics like these inevitably bring up emotions; and if there’s one thing that can bring a song to the next level, it is emotions. And if there’s one singer that has emotion in his voice, it is Antony. Goosebumps for 3 minutes and 41 seconds straight. This isn’t just a cover: it’s so much more. Something straight from heaven, possibly?

The Neighbourhood - ‘Female Robbery’

The Neighbourhood are one of the most exciting bands around right now – their mix of classic Californian beach vibe with elements of hip-hop and pop is easy on the ear and makes you nod along in no time. The band released their 5-track debut EP ‘I’m Sorry…’ not too long ago and decided to re-release one of the highlights ‘Female Robbery’ as a single. A slightly altered version to be specific, as the jam was remastered by Emile Haynie (Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, Kid Cudi) and sounds more energetic and aggressive than before. Zack Sekuler & Daniel Iglesias Jr. have directed a cinematic, stylish video for ‘Female Robbery’, which continues the band’s vintage black & white atmosphere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfnzRarY6Jg

Arthur Beatrice – ‘Midland’

The National, Grizzly Bear, Beach House, Bon Iver – by the end of 2013 you can add Arthur Beatrice to this list of indie’s finest bands.

This quartet has been causing quite a stir the past few months in and around London, slowly but solidly paving their own path to stardom. Debut single ‘Midland’ was stunning already, and with follow-up ‘Charity’ Arthur Beatrice confirm the rumour that they are indeed the next big thing. With a contemporary indie rock/pop vibe and influences from the aforementioned greatest indie bands, it seems like the sky is the limit.

Join the Disco Naïveté Last.fm group here.