[SKOA Presents] The BBC 6 Music Blog Awards 2013

Has it really been a year since we last did this? Oh how time flies when you're having fun, that's how the saying goes, isn't it?! Anyway, the good folk at the BBC and the amazing 6 Music have been kind enough to ask us back for another round of awards and we're having our own category again and need to get you guys involved once more. Last year we picked...The Album of the Year That You Never, Ever Skipped a Track On...Ever. And the winner was Bon Iver's beautiful self titled album. A tonne of awesome blogs are once again involved this year and the show will air later this week.

This year we threw some ideas together but the one that stuck was this: "The EP or Single That Has(Had) You Most Excited About A Full Release"

There's several that immediately have jumped to the front for us personally but hey, we wouldn't be awesome without you guys, so of course we want your opinions and your suggestions. We'll have a winner this weekend and the show will run from 6-8pm on Sunday Feb 24th on BBC 6 Music so get your votes and suggestions in ASAP!

To vote you can leave a comment below or hit us up on Facebook or Twitter but be sure to @ reply us and include the hashtag #Blog6Music so we don't miss any votes! The awards ceremony is set to take place this Friday on BBC 6 Music, from 7PM onwards and are presented by the wonderful Tom Robinson. START VOTING NOW and show your love for your favourite album. We'll add a shortlist later today of the front runners but for now, anything goes... 

Our shortlist:

The 1975 - Sex EP

David Bowie - "Where Are We Now"

Disclosure - "White Noise" Feat. AlunaGeorge

[Listen] MUST - "Just Wait"

We've mentioned MUST previously via their summer filled surf-pop track "The Devil Lives" and today they return with an energetic track titled "Just Wait". For a band who were only conceived in the summer of 2012 they're making some great sounding music. The song will appear on their 3-song EP that's due out on the 1st of April via Heart Throb Records.

You can check out another track of theirs called "Graceland" over here.

[News] Parklife Weekender announces new location, adds more artists

After last week's announcement of Parklife Weekender's initial line-up they've followed it up 7 days later with the brand new venue location. As the festival has continued to grow in previous year's, Platt Fields park just couldn't hack the amount of people there and last year was the last time it would take place there. Rumours had been rife about where the event would take back. Wythenshawe Park last year got approval to hold gigs of a large nature so I thought that was a sure thing but it is fact Heaton Park that will hold 2013's Parklife Weekender. This is sure to continue the festival's growth in the coming years too.

Along with the location announcement, The Temper Trap, Boddika and Baauer have been added to the bill. I can see that whatever tent Baauer is playing in, it will most likely have a large crowd going absolutely bonkers during that track.

[Watch] Hawk Eyes - "You Deserve a Medal" (Official Video)

Hawk Eyes return with a brand new video for a personal favourite of mine from their more than impressive album, Ideas. The visual accompaniment for their track "You Deserve A Medal" is a stop motion clip, animated and directed by Jack Sutton. It's definitely a good thing to point your eyes towards if you're feeling a little sleepy and out of it. Guaranteed to put a spring in your step*. I bumped into Paul at a show a few weeks ago and had a brief chat about new material and all I'll say at this point is that what he described sounds very bloody good and is sure to impress old and new fans alike.

Ideas is out now.

*Not actually guaranteed to put a spring in your step. We're not miracle workers.

[News] Miike Snow frontman Andrew Wyatt Announces Solo Album, Streams Lead Single "And Septimus…"

As the frontman for Miike Snow, Andrew Wyatt is normally accompanied by production duo Bloodhsy & Avant. After extensive worldwide festival and tour circuits backing up Happy To You, it seems Wyatt would like some time to himself.

On April 16th, Wyatt will release his debut solo album, Descender. The album, according to Rolling Stone, will see the vocalist making use of a 75-piece philharmonic orchestra, as well as guest appearances from The Libertines’ Anthony Rossomando and former Interpol bassist Brad Truax.

For a sense of what to expect from Wyatt's solo affair, he's streaming the first single, a charming, regal cut titled "And Septimus...". Stream it below.

[News] Frank Ocean Confirms New Album in Progress

Frank Ocean revealed to BBC radio host Zane Lowe that he is indeed working on a new album, confirming this during a recent interview Lowe's Radio One show. Ocean said that he has made significant progress on the album, about "10, 11 songs into this next thing". He added, "it's another cohesive thing, bordering on a concept record again. At the end of channel ORANGE there's 'Golden Girl,' and it's this beach scene, and I kind of wanted to extend that feeling to the next album altogether, and kind of make it that theme. So I'm going to Bora Bora when I get back."

Ocean also mentioned that he plans to work with Danger Mouse and King Krule, that he and Pharrell have been hanging out, and that he’s a huge fan of Tame Impala. Stream the full radio interview below.

UPDATE: It appears Frank Ocean has been recording with Depeche Mode, frontman Dave Gahan revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

Apparently Ocean was in the studio next to the band, spoke Gahan. He continued, saying, "I was singing, Martin [Gore] on guitar, a few of the other guys. Suddenly in the doorway, I sensed this presence, and I realised there was this guy standing there just watching. An assistant came up to me in between songs and said, ‘Do you mind? Frank Ocean is here working in another studio and really wants to meet you guys.’ I wouldn’t have thought he would have even known who we are, but it turns out he’s a big fan."

Who knows whether or not the recordings will make it onto Ocean's sophomore album, but we can all just drool over how good that would sound

[News] Bonnaroo 2013 Lineup Announced

Bonnaroo unveiled its 2013 lineup yesterday, dishing out a bill topped with Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, R. Kelly, The National, Kendrick Lamar, The xx, Passion Pit, Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, Wu-Tang Clan, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Wilco, and Björk.

Rounding out the lineup are Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Cat Power, Local Natives, Tame Impala, Alt-J, Dirty Projectors, Swans, Baroness, Japandroids, Death Grips, Earl Sweatshirt, Killer Mike, Father John Misty, Purity Ring, The Tallest Man on Earth, Divine Fits, ASAP Rocky, Big K.R.I.T., Action Bronson, Four Tet, Wild Nothing, DIIV, HAIM, Cults, Charli XCX, Billy Idol, ZZ Top, Gov’t Mule, John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension, Dwight Yoakam, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Lumineers, Of Monsters and Men, Portgual. The Man, The Gaslight Anthem, Matt and Kim Pretty Lights, Boys Noize, AraabMUZIK, A-Trak, The Vaccines, Glen Hansard, Calexico, Porter Robinson, Amadou & Mariam, Lee Fields & The Expressions, John Fullbright, JEFF the Brotherhood, Deap Vally, Walk the Moon, and The Stepkids.

Tickets for Bonnaroo go on sale Saturday February 23rd at Noon EST on the festival website. Bonnaroo runs from June 13-16 in Manchester, Tennessee.

[Watch] Tame Impala Perform "Elephant" on Fallon

Tame Impala made their late-night debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back in 2011, and now they're back on Fallon's show, bringing their raucous psychedelic sound Stateside. The Australian outfit performed the Lonerism single "Elephant". Catch the replay above.