This week's Wake Up is by the amazing Friends, who are featured in pretty much every single Tip List Of The Best Music Band Of 2012 Critics Choice Sound Of Now This Year, or whatever it's called, Friends are set to live up to the hype and the hoopla with their new single 'Friend Crush'.
For the uninitiated, the girl-fronted Brooklyn quintet are Samantha Urbani (vocals), Lesley Hann (bass, percussion, backing vocals), Nikki Shapiro (guitar, keyboards, percussion), Matthew Molnar (keyboards, percussion, bass) and Oliver Duncan (drums). They create the kind of music that makes you want to use the word 'groovy'; but we'll just call it hipster pop.
With a video featuring crystals, tiger heads, shells, glitter and writhing magic women, don't be fooled by 'Friend Crush''s platonic and playful title. This single oozes with lip-biting sultriness and hazy harmonies that make your heart pound, Urbani huskily cooing 'I wanna be your friend/I wanna plan something nice for the weekend'. Which basically translates as 'do you fancy coming over, taking your top off and lying down on a shag pile?'
Otherworldly and full of frenzied funk, 'Friend Crush' is marvellously seductive.
By Harriet Gibsone
