Blog: Hype.fm

1. King Krule is unchallenged in the top spot this week, seeing his popularity rise 1253%. Formerly known as Zoo Kid, the barely legal teen has a striking, physical, resemblance to La Roux. His music however, is rather more pleasant, he playfully toys with notions of Future Garage,  Darkwave, Blues and Hip Hop, all with the unbridled enthusiasm that befits his tender years. His oeuvre, burgeoning as it may still be, is brimming with bitter-sweet, forlorn and unrequited tension.

2. David Lynch making second position this week is delightful. He is what you would call a genius, if you’re weren’t aware that doing so would ultimately contribute to the complete devaluation of the word. He is objectively a rarefied, challenging, surrealist film maker and now musician. It’s his first sustained foray into music and fans of his films probably won’t be too surprised by the eerie, otherworldly ambience he applies to his mechanical, almost chaotic beats; enjoyed by 611% more enlightened people this week.

3. 120 Days, probably not named after the latest jail sentence handed down to Lindsay Lohan, might be named after that book about orgies. The sound is likely to be gratifying to those impressed by a list of influences including Joy Division, Neu! and Kraftwerk. They make dysptopian opuses suffused with polyrhythmic and taut electro that is relatively true to those influences without the same level of emotional engagement. The Norwegians are 483% more popular.

4. Lars And The Hands Of Light are our number four this week with 401% hype, they are in Last.fm’s fifth spot, but we featured non-mover ASAP Rocky last week. Scandinavia covers a lot of land mass, so it should be hardly surprising that we’ve got our second representative in this Danish band; fronted by a former member of Junior Senior’s band. Un/fortunately Lars has shifted musically from Camp-Kitsch-Pop to a more archetypal Scando-Indie-Pop sound. It’s really rather well executed too, like a laid back Suburban Kids With Biblical Names.

5. The Wheels Of Sorrow’s appearance at number five, six, are proof that 395% of Last.fm are well informed of their rising Russian Post-Hardcore groups. My reference points for this genre are limited but TWOS have the power pop appeal of Lostprophets, Gallows’ well yielded aggression and that very precise, technical drum sound perfected by Slipknot. They should appeal to fans of other recent-comers to the hardcore field; While She Sleeps.

Words: Liam Ward