Ahead of the eagerly anticipated debut album from the most exciting band on the planet, The Vaccines, we are delighted to announce the exclusive release of “The Vaccines - Live From London, England”. The 11 track live album was recorded at their sold out show at Kings College London on 29th January 2011 and is the first ever released live material from the band.

Having just completed the NME Awards Tour alongside Crystal Castles, Magnetic Man and Everything Everything, they also played sold-out shows at both New York’s Bowery Ballroom and Spaceland in L.A.

The Vaccines’ debut studio album ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’ will be released for Spotify Premium subscribers on March 14th and for free users on 28th March and features the incredible tracks; Post Break-Up Sex, Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) and Blow It Up.

For more on The Vaccines head to www.thevaccines.co.uk.

R.E.M. is set to unveil its latest album, Collapse Into Now, and Spotify listeners can check out a 5-track sampler for a taste of what to expect from the new album.

Additionally, we’re running a competition, giving all Spotify users a chance to win:

• A Fender Squier Stratocaster guitar, signed by Michael Stipe
• A Sonos S5 – a high-performance wireless music system
• A signed photograph of the band
• A special Spotify playlist, which will be automatically added to their Premium account

Spotify users can enter the competition by visiting the contest page today.

UPDATE: Big congrats to jammie443 for winning the big prize!

Tinie Tempah was the star of this year’s BRIT Awards, winning two BRITS and performing a stunning medley of hits from the last 12 months.

The most nominated artist going into the night and the best selling debut artist in the UK in 2010, Tinie Tempah won the award for British Breakthrough Act and for British Single for his breakout hit ‘Pass Out’. Both awards were chosen by public vote.

Tinie begins his sold out UK tour this week and has announced a very special show for the Teenage Cancer Trust series on 27th March at The Royal Albert all, making his first appearance at this iconic venue.

We also have an opportunity to enter into a draw to win tickets to see Tinie Tempah live at the Hammersmith Apollo on Friday February 25th and meet him backstage on the night! Visit the contest page today, a winner will be picked on Wednesday.

Hyperdub is a London based label that was founded in 2004 by DJ and Producer Kode9 after fermenting as a webzine that emerged in 2001. The label’s first release was a weird beatless version of Prince’s ‘Sign o’ the times’ by Kode9 and mc/poet Spaceape, suffused with spine-chilling dread, at a point when dubstep was still just a dark glint in UK garage’s eye.

Since its inception then, and as laid out clearly by the 2009 5 years of Hyperdub compilation ‘5’, the Hyperdub virus has remained under constant mutation, spraying out in several musical directions, from Burial’s haunted and melancholy mutation of 2-step, to Ikonika’s crying synths to King Midas Sound’s evolved, cinematic take on Lover’s Rock. Hyperdub stands out as a label for not following the crowd or going the easy route. Kode 9’s track ‘Black Sun’ created a dissonant template that’s now filtered through hundreds of other’s productions, and the label has constantly sought new ways to listen and respond to music on the dance floor, from Quarta 330’s Chip-beats, Zomby’s early releases, Darkstar’s early vocoder garage, (now evolved into to a live band with an arresting debut album ‘North’), Cooly G and DVA’s inspired takes on UK funky, Terror Danjah’s Afro-botic Grime and LV’s shifting reggae and kwaito variations.

Kode9, renowned DJ and owner of the Hyperdub label, has put together a playlist to celebrate Hyperdub being available on Spotify.

Hyperdub are also giving away a collection of records to one lucky Spotify Premium user. To enter the competition simply subscribe to the Hyperdub playlist.

Cee Lo Green, who was one half of the Gnarls Barkley duo that brought us the 2006 smash hit single ‘Crazy’ seems to have done it again! After a short hiatus he has rocketed to the top of the charts with his massive single ‘F**k You’ which has become a global phenomenon.

His highly anticipated album ‘The Ladykiller’ will be released on November 8th and features more up tempo, catchy tunes which are sure to have you tapping your toes within seconds. However you needn’t take our word for it as, Spotify Premium users are being given the exclusive opportunity to stream this amazing album, a whole week before it is released.

So for your chance to listen to one of the most incredible neo – soul/ R&B releases of the year. Sign up to Spotify Premium now and enjoy the Ladykiller’s soulful vibes.

Rather than an annotated playlist for the month that was, this month Drowned in Sound has compiled a selection of playlists to soundtrack your wet summer mornings and the turning of grey afternoon into indian summer evenings…

Drowned in August 2010

August was a strange month for releases. Festivals and the Arcade Fire (strangely absent from Spotify), the fantastic Scott Pilgrim film soundtrack (click to read our interview with the film’s star Michael Cera and director Edgar Wright) and Klaxons kind of overshadowed a lot of really interesting smaller releases but then again, there weren’t a great deal of album of the year contenders. Meanwhile, there were lots of great singles from the likes of Everything Everything and Gonzales. Click here to play and explore this month’s playlist.

Also, if you missed them, click for Drowned in July 2010 and Drowned in June 2010.

Drowned in Sound 2010 - Q2

Earlier this year, we compiled a playlist featuring the best bits of the first quarter of the year (you’ll find that one here) and due to the overwhelming response, we’ve compiled a playlist for Q2, which explores the swirled electronics of Ikonika, LCD Soundsystem and Emeralds before exploring the big guitars and broken hearts of The National and DiS’ one-to-watch tip for 2010/Mercury Music Prize nominee, Villagers.
Click to play this playlist

Reading & Leeds Festival 2010

If you’re heading to Reading & Leeds festival this week or plan to watch the coverage on TV/via the web, here’s a playlist with our picks from the line-up get you in the mood. Or if you have a premium account, to stick on your iPod in the car instead of listening to The Get Up Kids’ back catalogue. Click to play this playlist

The Neptune Music Prize 2010

DiS has announced the nominees for the The Neptune Music prize, our alternative to the Mercury Music Prize. You can vote for your favourite of our picks. If you’re not au fait with all of the nominees, we made this handy Spotify playlist to sample a little bit of each.

Lastly, if you have enjoyed this and/or any of our previous playlists, please take a second to vote for DrownedinSound.com in the BT Digital Music Awards. Thank you.

You’ll find plenty more Spotify playlists by DrownedinSound.com here.

The summer is winding down but our friends over at ShareMyPlaylists.com provide us with yet another in their series of excellent playlist posts to get your week started. You can check out thousands of playlists at ShareMyPlaylists.com - they’ve got a little something for everyone.

Mark Webster’s The Soul Of The Beatles
Eve wondered what the Beatles would have been listening to from the early days in Liverpool to the hazy days towards the end of their career? Well this playlist by playdio gives us a small snippet of what would have been ringing in the ears of the Fab Four. From Isaac Hayes theme tune to Shaft to a live version of Slippin’ Into Darkness by War, it may surprise you. Fascinating playlist.

Soundtrack To July 2010
The first of the month saw iamnottheenemy take a look back to all the tracks that were making it big in July. All the big guns were out in force during the sweltering summer month including Mark Ronson & Business Intl, We Are Scientists, Foals, Bombay Bicycle Club, Faithless, Danger Mouse and many many more. Finding all the good songs so you don’t have to, this playlist is hit after hit.

Continue reading… »

Klaxons new album ‘Surfing The Void’ is released on 23rd August and the band have hooked up with Spotify to offer Premium subscribers a global-exclusive first listen from this Friday, 20th August.

Most ‘long awaited’ second albums tend to be doused in tribulation and tragedy – drug addictions, breakdowns, in-fighting, reclusiveness or just plain old writer’s block. Not Klaxons’ ‘Surfing The Void’. The wild and winding road that led them from 2007’s ‘Myths Of The Near Future’ to a comeback so spectacular it makes Avatar look like The One Show takes in UFO sightings, shamanic rituals, two scrapped albums and a rotten apple-cum-svengali named Mr Tabernacle. It’s one of rock’s most incredible stories and it elevates Klaxons from one-time scene pioneers to bona fide rock’n’roll legends.

Upgrade to Spotify Premium now to hear the groundbreaking new album and check out their great live video below.

Newcomer Sky Ferreira has already been a sensation on the internet and now she’s set to break into the mainstream. Her first single, One, is now available on Spotify and be sure to check out the exclusive behind the scenes footage of the making of the single below.

One Night Only return with their second album, the self titled ‘One Night Only’, on the 23rd August. The first single from the album, ‘Say You Don’t Want It’ is out now. It features the actress Emma Watson, who frontman George Craig met while modelling for Burberry, and if you haven’t seen it yet you should check it out in the video player below.

If you’re new to the band, you should catch up with what they’ve been up to over on their YouTube channel and the album sampler on their Facebook page with give you a feel of what their new album sounds like.

If you like what you hear, you should also download the album track ‘All I Want’ for free and you can pre-order the album.