All three Mini Viva singles are nominated for the 2010 Popjustice Twenty Quid Music Prize. "Left My Heart In Tokyo", "I Wish" and "One Touch" are all included in the shortlist for the annual Popjustice awards.
Now in its eighth year, the prize rewards the best British single of the last 12 months and is given out on the same night as the Mercury Prize. In order to be included in the shortlist, singles are required to be "literally amazing". This is the first time that an artist/group has been nominated with three songs.
The winner will be decided and announced on September 7 and will receive twenty pounds (cash). Judging takes place in a London pub and judges are selected from readers of Popjustice.com (you can apply here). Here's what happened last year.
The Shortlist:
* ‘One Touch’ by Mini Viva
* ‘Left My Heart In Tokyo’ by Mini Viva
* ‘I Wish’ by Mini Viva
* ‘Once’ by Diana Vickers
* ‘Bad Boys’ by Alexandra Burke
* ‘I Am Not A Robot’ by Marina & The Diamonds
* ‘Kickstarts’ by Example
* ‘Wonderful Life’ by Hurts
* ‘Real Late Starter’ by Nerina Pallot
* ‘Bittersweet’ by Sophie Ellis-Bextor
* ‘I Won’t Kneel’ by Groove Armada
* ‘Never Leave You’ by Tinchy feat Amelle
Mini Viva - One Touch
Written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Carla Marie Williams, Britt Love, Frankee Connolly, Florrie Arnold, Lisa Cowling, Tim Powell. Produced by Brian Higgins & Xenomania.
Mini Viva - I Wish
Written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Owen Parker, Lisa Cowling and Morgan Mackintosh. Produced by Xenomania.
Mini Viva - Left My Heart In Tokyo
Written by Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Annie Strand, Fred Falke, Carla Marie Williams and Xenomania. Produced by Xenomania.
Previous winners:
2009: Girls Aloud - The Promise
2008: Girls Aloud - Call The Shots
2007: Amy Winehouse - Rehab
2006: Girls Aloud - Biology
2005: Girls Aloud - Wake Me Up
2004: Rachel Stevens - Some Girls
2003: Girls Aloud - No Good Advice
New single from Alex Gardner called "Power Of Greatness" "Feeling Fine". Click above to watch a live performance of the song at Dingwalls for MTV Presents.
Alex Gardner is currently touring with JLS and is flying off to Spain today to start shooting his new video.
Saint Etienne have announced that the deluxe editions of Good Humor (1998) and Tales From Turnpike House (2005) are set for release on October 4th. Both albums will be re-released with an extra disc of b-sides, rare tracks and unreleased material.
Tales From Turnpike House is a concept album about life in a block of flats in Islington, London. It features two tracks co-written and produced by Xenomania ("Lightning Strikes Twice" and "Stars Above Us"). One of the b-sides, "Got A Job"/"Gotta Jump" was also produced by Xenomania.
The albums are the latest in an on-going Saint Etienne re-issue series that has so far seen the release of Finisterre, Tiger Bay, Foxbase Alpha, Continental, So Tough and The Sound Of Water.
Saint Etienne have also announced that they have started writing their new album.
Florrie's Call 911 (The Remixes) EP is now available to download on most digital outlets. Click here to buy.
"Call 911" was written by Florrie, Fred Falke, Brian Higgins, Miranda Cooper and Carla Marie Williams. The digital EP comes with remixes by disco-house legend Fred Falke, the French duo Beataucue, the Dutch techno-house producer Bart B More and the Italian electro-house DJ His Majesty Andre.
Tracklist:
01. Call 911 (Fred Falke Remix) 7:07
02. Call 911 (Bart B More Remix) 6:27
03. Call 911 (Beataucue Remix) 5:56
04. Call 911 (His Majesty André Call Me Instead Remix) 4:37
"Call 911" is the lead single to be taken from the Kitsuné X Ponystep compilation CD, in stores now.
Florrie is giving away her music for free in the FLAC file format, specially for DJs and audiophiles. Besides MP3s, you can now download Florrie's music in this lossless format – visit her new Free Music Downloads page.
FLAC stands for 'Free Lossless Audio Codec', an audio format similar to MP3, but lossless, meaning that audio is compressed without any loss in quality.
It stands out as the fastest and most widely supported lossless audio codec, and the only one with an open-source implementation. You can play FLAC files in your favorite player just like you would an MP3 file. Learn how to play FLAC files.
Florrie's "Call 911" remixes EP will be released digitally tomorrow.
The compilation Kitsuné x Ponystep is released today on CD and as a digital download. A new remix of Florrie's "Call 911" worked by French duo Beautaucue is included in the tracklist.
Parisian label Kitsuné teamed up with London fashion/music/culture webzine Ponystep this summer for a new compilation, mixing London edge with Parisian chic. The mixtape was edited and made into a cohesive piece of work by Jerry Bouthier from JBAG.
Kitsuné x Ponystep opens with the big late '80s bang of Róisín Murphy's latest single "Momma's Place" and moves through the Italo beach house of Munk's "La Musica", Freeform5's remix of the Lindstrøm classic "I Feel Space", the funky tribal rhythms of Rainbow Arabia's "Holiday In Congo" and Beataucue's frenetic vocal editing of Florrie's "Call 911". There's room for indie, disco, electro-pop and synth-rock over the 20 tracks, always with dancefloor-aimed sounds.
Kitsuné x Ponystep tracklist:
1. Róisín Murphy - Momma's Place
2. Bag Raiders - Turbo Love (Light Year Remix)
3. Munk - La Musica
4. Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk (French Horn Rebellion Remix)
5. Voltaire Twins - D.I.L. (JBAG’s Hot Pop Remix)
6. Florrie - 911 (BeatauCue Remix - JBAG Edit)
7. JBAG ft Louise Prey - X Ray Sex
8. Adamski - I Dream Of You (2010 Version)
9. Lindstrøm - I Feel Space (Freeform5 Remix / JBAG Re-Edit)
10. D-Pulse - Highway To Saturn (JBAG Edit)
11. Jupiter - Mama Used To Say
12. Act Yo Age - La Fumo Loco (In Flagranti Remix)
13. Rainbow Arabia - Holidays In Congo (Myd Remix)
14. Lo-Fi-Fnk - Steppin’ Out (Popular Computer Remix / JBAG Re-Edit)
15. May 68 - My Ways
16. David E Sugar - Party Killer
17. Booka Shade - Regenerate
18. Bunny Lake - Army Of Lovers (JBAG’s Hot Pop Remix)
19. Mustang - Try To Dance
20. Das Pop - Fool For Love (Aeroplane Remix)
Florrie has sent out a new remix through her mailing list. This time "Come Back To Mine" has been reworked by another Xenomania collaborator, Jaxon Bellina.
Don't forget to sign up to Florrie's mailing list to receive exclusive updates and downloads like this one (don't worry, she doesn't spam!). Download it for free:
Michael "Jaxon" Bellina is a German producer known for his work with Moguai and Phil Fuldner.
Some of his Xenomania co-creations include Kylie's "Mighty Rivers" and "Heartstrings", Girls Aloud's "Fling" and "Something Kinda Ooooh", Mini Viva's "Bedroom Viber", Sugababes' "In The Middle" and the songs on the St. Trinian's 2 soundtrack.
Florrie was yesterday's New Band Of The Day in The Guardian. Paul Lester writes:
«Having studied Music Technology, she knows about programming and remixing and has worked the controls at Xenomania HQ for the likes of the Saturdays, plus she writes music and lyrics. That's three careers right there: drummer-for-hire, writer-producer, and pop performer in her own right. (...) She completely bypasses the sweaty authenticity of groaning determination for a slicker, brighter sort of pop desire. This comes across in her music. It's breezy.(...) Her co-compositions are great, her self-penned stuff (Fascinate Me, Name in Lights) shows promise, she's a model, she's a musician and budding programmer/producer ... No wonder she's not been signed yet. »
In other news, Florrie is the cover girl for this month's Flavor magazine. Click here to see a set of pictures shot by Cameron Smith, with styling by Phoebe Arnold.
Xenomania is a songwriting and production house based in Kent, England. It was founded by songwriter and producer Brian Higgins.
Since 1996, Xenomania have written, produced and remixed tracks for a string of successful artists including Girls Aloud, Pet Shop Boys, Sugababes, Dannii and Kylie Minogue, Saint Etienne, Cher, Gabriella Cilmi and many others.
