Esser, a 23 year old UK native, created an album’s worth of forward-thinking, explosively catchy electronic pop songs in his bedroom. ‘Braveface’, with no label or marketing behind it, incited the Kaiser Chiefs to bring him on a sold out arena tour as their opening act, motivated Cee-Lo to enlist Esser to do production on his upcoming solo record and it caught the attention of legend Don Letts who recently performed with Esser on stage in London.

Free Download: “Long Arms”

Aside from attracting the ears of tastemakers across the world, Esser’s talent as a songwriter is undeniable. With a knife-sharp sense of style, lyrical wit and bombastic production skills, Esser’s approach to pop songwriting comes from a distinctly British standpoint, flush with undercurrents of ska and dubstep. This is some of the catchiest and smartest pop to come out of the UK in a long time.

The first single from ‘Braveface’, “I Love You”, will is out as a limited edition 300 copy vinyl pressing complete with a handmade letterpressed jacket with a remix by Prince Paul.

The video involves a food fight turned a bit wrong, be sure to check it out!

Watch “I Love You” video:

“I Love You” will be followed up by an album on Chocolate Industries, which gives Esser’s extraordinary imagination full rein.

Produced by Lexxx (Crystal Castles), sidekick of the A-List mixer Mark ‘Spike’ Stent (U2, Madonna), Esser’s debut album ‘Braveface’ will include songs of peculiar brilliance. There’s “Headlock”, which sounds like an inspired collaboration between Pharrell Williams and Jim Noir, and contains the surprising lyrical plea “Bury me in sand like a knackered stallion”.

‘Braveface’ is set for release late summer 2009.

Esser North American Tour Dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

June 15 – New York – Le Royale Presented by GBH and Fader Magazine
June 17 – Toronto – Wrongbar NXNE showcase
June 18 – San Francisco – Popscene w/ Miike Snow
June 19 – Los Angeles – Echoplex The Faint (Dj set)
June 20 – Chicago – Sonotheque Show with Maluca (Mad Decent)

More On Esser:

Esser Official Website
Esser on Twitter

Kaiser Chiefs, who released their third album ‘Off With Their Heads’ in October, follow up the Top 5 “Never Miss A Beat” with a new mix version of the album track “Good Days Bad Days”.

Watch Good Days Bad Days video:

Kaiser Chiefs on amazon.co.uk

Kaiser Chiefs on amazon.com

Keyboardist Peanut was taken ill in Sao Paulo during the band’s South American tour on 6 November. This caused him to miss a tour date in North America, a television appearance with John McCain and the video shoot for Good Days Bad Days. “It’s weird because I’m not in it. There’s a little sign on my keyboard saying ‘gone to hospital be back in five minutes’,” he tells BBC Newsbeat. “I’m there in spirit.” – Read the full interview at BBC Newsbeat.

The single, released on December 16th, 2008, features a new mix via the wizardry of Lexxx – whose credits range from the likes of Madonna and Gwen Stefani to Black Kids and Crystal Castles – and is available on CD b/w “Addicted To Love” (Appendix 1) – a slower electronic version of the album track that the band recorded with Mark Ronson and Eliot James during the album sessions – 1-sided 7″ vinyl and a digital bundle with the added bonus of “Acting Up” and a Calvin Harris remix of “Good Days Bad Days”.

Meanwhile, ‘Live At Elland Road’ has been released – the band’s triumphant hometown show at Leeds United’s football ground on DVD, which also features tracks from the band’s appearance at the BBC Electric Proms in 2007.

Kaiser Chiefs – Live at Elland Road on amazon.co.uk

The band, who have been in South America for a series of shows as well as a whistle stop tour of the States, return to the UK on the live front with a headline slot at this year’s XFM Winter Wonderland at Brixton’s Academy on December 2nd before heading out on a full UK tour in 2009.

Kaiser Chiefs February/March 2009 tour dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

February

22nd Nottingham Arena
23rd Sheffield Arena
24th Birmingham NIA
26th Edinburgh Corn Exchange
27th Aberdeen Arena
28th Newcastle Arena

March

2nd Manchester MEN
3rd Liverpool Echo Arena
4th Cardiff CIA
6th London Wembley Arena

Kaiser Chiefs Official Website
Kaiser Chiefs MySpace

Confirmed for this year’s five day festival are Mark Ronson and Kaiser Chiefs both of whom will be staging unique collaborative performances for the crowds at The Roundhouse in Camden and for those watching and listening on the BBC.

Taking place from October 24th to 28th 2007, BBC Electric Proms is specifically designed to create new moments in music. Each performance seeks to create something different. It may feature collaborations between new and established acts or new material performed for the first time. Whatever the artists decide, audiences are guaranteed to see and hear something truly memorable.

Mark Ronson and guests with the BBC Concert Orchestra

Mark Ronson will be performing reworked tracks from his hugely successful album ‘Version’ featuring very special guests including Lily Allen, Terry Hall, Santo Gold, Candie Payne and Tim Burgess.

Further artists and performances will be announced in the next week. The festival can be viewed and watched via a number of different platforms on the BBC:

Radio – There will be live and recorded broadcasts from all areas of the festival on BBC Radio 1, 2, 3, 1Xtra, 6Music, The Asian Network and World Service.

TV – Highlights from this year’s Electric Proms will be screened on BBC Two with additional performances available to Freeview, satellite and cable customers via their red button interactive service.

Online – Complete performances will be available to watch for a week after the festival along with photos and interviews at bbc.co.uk/electricproms

Full listings information will be available on the Electric Proms website shortly.

Festival Director Lorna Clarke said, “I am delighted that the first artists on this year’s line up have embraced the central challenge of the Electric Proms – to create new moments in music. I know that they will give our broadcast audiences across the country something truly special.”

There will be further additions to the line up revealed on 10th September and tickets will be on sale from midday 12th September 2007.

Last year over 250,000 people visited the Electric Proms website with over 850,000 requests to watch performances. Electric Proms venues include The Roundhouse, The Barfly, KOKO, The Electric Ballroom, The Jazz Cafe, Dingwalls and Cecil Sharpe House.

For further ticket information and details please visit:

Electric Proms – BBC Website

“Flowers In The Rain” had just been released when Tony Blackburn selected it to be the first song played on Radio 1 on September 30th, 1967.

To coincide with this portentous event, Salvo Records/Fly Records will be re-issuing “Flowers In The Rain” as a limited edition 7″ and CD single on August 20th 2007, as part of the 40th Anniversary Series campaign for The Move. The Move’s first two critically acclaimed studio albums, Move and Shazam, will be released the following week on August 27th as deluxe expanded editions.

Other artists and tracks featured on the Radio 1 anniversary album include:

Kylie Minogue covering “Love is the Drug” by Roxy Music (1975)

Lily Allen covering “Don’t Get Me Wrong” by The Pretenders (1986)

Robbie Williams covering “Lola” by The Kinks (1970)

Amy Winehouse covering “Cupid” by Johnny Nash (1969)

Girls Aloud covering “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus (2001)

Natasha Bedingfield covering “Ray of Light” by Madonna (1998)

Hard-Fi covering “Toxic” by Britney Spears (2004)

The ultimate UK summer compilation CDs have been released this month, capturing the sounds that have been buzzing around UK radio stations over the last few weeks: NME Presents The Essential Bands – Festival Edition.

The NME Essential Bands – Festival Edition compilation includes two discs with bands that will be all over the UK festival circuit this summer. NME has chosen some of the hottest bands today for the compilation discs, which feature songs by Muse, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Snow Patrol, The Killers, Klaxons, Kasabian, Gossip, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, CSS and more.

“2007 is going to be a bumper year for festivals. There are more events than ever before, meaning every music fan will have the chance to catch some of their favourite bands in the great outdoors. I’m predicting one of the greatest summers on record, and this CD is the ultimate soundtrack to it.” – NME editor, Conor McNicholas

Disc One:

Kaiser Chiefs – Everything Is Average Nowadays
The Killers – Bones
Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control
Razorlight – Before I Fall To Pieces
Kasabian – Shoot The Runner
Muse – Starlight
The Twang – Wide Awake
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Weapon Of Choice
Fall Out Boy – Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
Jet – Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
The Rumble Strips – Alarm Clock
The Automatic - Raoul
The Rapture – Pieces Of The People We Love
CSS – Off The Hook
Noisettes - Scratch Your Name
1990s – See You At The Lights
The Maccabees – Precious Times
Pull Tiger Tail – Let’s Lightning
Cold War Kids – Hang Me Up To Dry
Jarvis Running The World

Disc Two:

The View – Same Jeans
Klaxons – Gravity’s Rainbow
Maximo Park – Our Velocity
Bloc Party – The Prayer
Low vs Diamond – Heart Attack
The Hours – Back When You Were Good
Keane – A Bad Dream
Thirteen Senses - All The Love In Your Hands
Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position
Little Man Tate – This Must Be Love
Gruff Rhys – Candylion
Bright Eyes – Four Winds
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. – War Of The Worlds
Alterkicks – Good Luck
Long Blondes – Giddy Stratospheres
The Wombats – Backfire At The Disco
The Rakes – We Danced Together
Enter Shikari – Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour…
!!! – Must Be The Moon
The Cribs – Men’s Needs

For a taste of the new NME Presents The Essential Bands – Festival Edition compilation CDs, listen to samplers:

Kaiser Chiefs – Everything Is Average Nowadays

Kasabian – Shoot The Runner

Razorlight – Before I Fall To Pieces

The Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control

The Killers – Bones

Buy NME Presents The Essential Bands – Festival Edition on Amazon.com

Buy NME Presents The Essential Bands – Festival Edition on Amazon.co.uk

By: Jenny May