Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest has been universally lauded since its release and rightly so. It's a terrific album with great melodies, harmonies and pretty everything you could want. Definitely one of the albums of the year, but that is really not a surprise.
Having had the album for a while now I'm glad to see that the choice for second single is also my personal favorite track (well, one of two fav's with Ready, Able being the other). Good on you, Grizzly Bear.
While You Wait For The Others is a true break-up song filled with heartbreak and big emotions. The song builds terrifically and hits you right where it hurts. Right where you want it to hurt. Something we all can relate to now and then.
... and you gotta love a song that has a version with Michael McDonald doing the vocals. Pure genius.
Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
Monday, September 14, 2009
Death Is Not The End of This Song
“YACHT is about group consciousness. YACHT is about the individual man or woman. If you believe these assertions to be contradictory, consider the Triangle: it is both a collection of points and a shape.” (YACHT mission statement)
YACHT makes electronic dance-y music in the classic DFA vein (which incidentally also happens to be their label). Their songs have the spoken vocals over dance-y music á la LCD Soundsystem, which just seems to work really well and projects a sort of effortless cool.
The Afterlife is, to me, their best song to date. The song is jampacked with little details and really showcase their ability to mix all kinds of weird (for lack of better words) sounds to create what is essentially a party/pop song. Not your conventional pop song, but a pop song nonetheless. I am particularly partial to the lyrics of the song as, with a subject such as death, it could easily become cheesy and contrived. Rather, on this song the lyrics come off almost, well, insightful. Sample lyric:
"It's not a place you go
It's a place that comes to you
And it's not about who you know
or who is in your heart
It may come as a surprise,
but you are not alone
All that you have is not what you own"
Not something you expect from a dance song.
YACHT - The Afterlife
YACHT makes electronic dance-y music in the classic DFA vein (which incidentally also happens to be their label). Their songs have the spoken vocals over dance-y music á la LCD Soundsystem, which just seems to work really well and projects a sort of effortless cool.
The Afterlife is, to me, their best song to date. The song is jampacked with little details and really showcase their ability to mix all kinds of weird (for lack of better words) sounds to create what is essentially a party/pop song. Not your conventional pop song, but a pop song nonetheless. I am particularly partial to the lyrics of the song as, with a subject such as death, it could easily become cheesy and contrived. Rather, on this song the lyrics come off almost, well, insightful. Sample lyric:
"It's not a place you go
It's a place that comes to you
And it's not about who you know
or who is in your heart
It may come as a surprise,
but you are not alone
All that you have is not what you own"
Not something you expect from a dance song.
YACHT - The Afterlife
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
I've Softened Shipwrecks Right From The Start
Internet hype is a weird thing. Bands seem to come out of nowhere to be the next OMFG-this-is-better-than-if-Jesus-played-in-the-Beatles. The XX are one of those bands and who am I not to rave about them? Exactly. So I'm just gonna go ahead and jump on the bandwagon. They are awesome! Like like like... like Jesus featuring Hot Chip doing indie-ish rock with an R'n'B twist. Now strike the Jesus-reference. Better.
I haven't actually heard the full album yet - creatively titled XX - , but judging from reviews then it looks really interesting. Not being one to jump the gun (right) I'm just gonna go out on a limb and claim this to be one of my favorite albums so far this year... sometimes you just know, okay. Presumptious as I clearly am.
I've had a really hard time (read: scratched my head a few times) trying to pick between their two singles/videos so I took an executive decision and now I'm posting both. Yup, that's a class in Decision-Making 101 for you there.
The songs are called Crystallised and Basic Space, and they're minimalistic pieces of indie-pop brilliance. It's bare-bones kind of stuff with no superfluous effects or anything. Timid voices singing deeply intimate lyrics, sterile sampled drums played live and then great warmth from the weaving dual guitar play. Suffice to say that on the evidence of these songs, I like this band. *Hype Alert*
The XX - Crystallised
The XX - Basic Space
I haven't actually heard the full album yet - creatively titled XX - , but judging from reviews then it looks really interesting. Not being one to jump the gun (right) I'm just gonna go out on a limb and claim this to be one of my favorite albums so far this year... sometimes you just know, okay. Presumptious as I clearly am.
I've had a really hard time (read: scratched my head a few times) trying to pick between their two singles/videos so I took an executive decision and now I'm posting both. Yup, that's a class in Decision-Making 101 for you there.
The songs are called Crystallised and Basic Space, and they're minimalistic pieces of indie-pop brilliance. It's bare-bones kind of stuff with no superfluous effects or anything. Timid voices singing deeply intimate lyrics, sterile sampled drums played live and then great warmth from the weaving dual guitar play. Suffice to say that on the evidence of these songs, I like this band. *Hype Alert*
The XX - Crystallised
The XX - Basic Space
Monday, August 10, 2009
A Crude Art, A Bovver Boot Ballet - Equally Elegant And Ugly
Wild Beasts released one of last years best albums in Limbo, Panto and they seemed to have followed it up with an even better one in Two Dancers. Marvelous. The first single of the album is called Hooting and Howling and it is truly one of the best songs of the year so far.
Personally I'm big lyrics kind'o'guy, and in the case of this song the lyrics are mindblowingly good. Hayden Thorpe not only possesses a great voice and impressively nuanced falsetto (which he puts to great and often use), but also some serious writing chops. Every line is genius, beautifully describing a late night brawl as if it were - to quote the song - "a bovver boot ballet".
It's like reading something by Fitzgerald - simply awesome. Enjoy the lyrics in their entirity below the video.
Wild Beasts - Hooting and Howling
Carry me hooting and howling
to the river to wash off my hands
of the hot blood, the sweat and the sand
Any rival who goes for our girls will be left thumb sucking in terror
and bereft of all coffin bearers
A crude art, a bovver boot ballet - equally elegant and ugly
I was as thrilled as I was appalled, courting him in fisticuffing waltz.
Now I'm not saying the lads always deserve a braying.
And I'm not saying the girls are worth the fines I'm paying.
We're just brutes bored in our bovver boots.
We're just brutes clowning 'round in cahoots.
We're just brutes looking for shops to loot.
We're just brutes hoping to have a hoot
Hooting, hooting and howling
Personally I'm big lyrics kind'o'guy, and in the case of this song the lyrics are mindblowingly good. Hayden Thorpe not only possesses a great voice and impressively nuanced falsetto (which he puts to great and often use), but also some serious writing chops. Every line is genius, beautifully describing a late night brawl as if it were - to quote the song - "a bovver boot ballet".
It's like reading something by Fitzgerald - simply awesome. Enjoy the lyrics in their entirity below the video.
Wild Beasts - Hooting and Howling
Carry me hooting and howling
to the river to wash off my hands
of the hot blood, the sweat and the sand
Any rival who goes for our girls will be left thumb sucking in terror
and bereft of all coffin bearers
A crude art, a bovver boot ballet - equally elegant and ugly
I was as thrilled as I was appalled, courting him in fisticuffing waltz.
Now I'm not saying the lads always deserve a braying.
And I'm not saying the girls are worth the fines I'm paying.
We're just brutes bored in our bovver boots.
We're just brutes clowning 'round in cahoots.
We're just brutes looking for shops to loot.
We're just brutes hoping to have a hoot
Hooting, hooting and howling
Today Was A Good Day
Nike knows a thing or two about shoes, athletics wear... and ads. I recently saw the full ad for Nike SB (Nike Skateboarding for those not in the know... aka moi until, uhm, recently...), which I immediately fell for. Well, as much as you can fall for an ad. Hard.
Anywho, the ad features some great panoramic shots and a skateboarder called P-Rod (yeah, I don't know him either), but most importantly it evokes memories of Mike Mills awesome video for Air's All I Need. It's that great feeling of serenity that the skating freely and the laidback music gives off. In the case of the ad, Ice Cube's classic Today Was A Good Day (re-mixed to fit the ad... leaving out the AK47 reference was probably wise) provides the musical and storytelling backdrop, which works marvelously. Kudos Nike... now, do I get a free pair of sneakers for this? Pretty please.
Anywho, the ad features some great panoramic shots and a skateboarder called P-Rod (yeah, I don't know him either), but most importantly it evokes memories of Mike Mills awesome video for Air's All I Need. It's that great feeling of serenity that the skating freely and the laidback music gives off. In the case of the ad, Ice Cube's classic Today Was A Good Day (re-mixed to fit the ad... leaving out the AK47 reference was probably wise) provides the musical and storytelling backdrop, which works marvelously. Kudos Nike... now, do I get a free pair of sneakers for this? Pretty please.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Everyone'll Be There At The Burial In Your Head
Going away on holiday without phone or internet so this will be the last post for the next three or four weeks... Gonna get my tan on [and the crowd goes wild].
Anywho, on to more serious matters. The music.
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson not only has the longest name in music ever (it is so long that you actually remember it just because it is so long), but also writes great songs. Buriedfed is a dramatic and rousing song that builds and builds in a really captivating manner. It starts out slowly with just the guitar and his raspy-ish voice (great voice too). Slowly and steadily more instruments and other effects are added and it becomes this great big song. It really drags you in.
If I was to do a comparison - and I have to - then I'd say that it sounds a bit like if Bright Eyes and Grizzly Bear had a love child... not only a great visual, but sonically amazing too. I really like this song, and I'm sure you will too.
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed
The song is available for free and legal download here.
Anywho, on to more serious matters. The music.
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson not only has the longest name in music ever (it is so long that you actually remember it just because it is so long), but also writes great songs. Buriedfed is a dramatic and rousing song that builds and builds in a really captivating manner. It starts out slowly with just the guitar and his raspy-ish voice (great voice too). Slowly and steadily more instruments and other effects are added and it becomes this great big song. It really drags you in.
If I was to do a comparison - and I have to - then I'd say that it sounds a bit like if Bright Eyes and Grizzly Bear had a love child... not only a great visual, but sonically amazing too. I really like this song, and I'm sure you will too.
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed
The song is available for free and legal download here.
Some Say We Walk Alone
The Horrors released their sophmore album, Primary Colours, this spring and it really surprised me (as it did most others, I suspect). I liked their first album (read: tolerated... I mean, it wasn't great), but this second album is really truly great. From beginning to end a great album, and one I'm quite sure will end up ranking very high on my end-of-year list (my beloved list... Mmmmmm).
I realize this post is slightly (read: very) belated and overdue, but I forgot to write back when I first heard the album (cue: sympathy). I could have just not written anything, but I haven't been able to stop listening to the album since I got it... so naturally a post was needed (yes, life is full of hard choices).
Sea Within A Sea was the first single from the album and still very much a standout track for me. It is one of the best songs, if not the best, I've heard all year and I just can't get enough. The song reminds me of krautrock á la NEU! (which is a massive compliment), while also borrowing from one of last years best songs; The Rip (by Portishead). This is probably much down to Geoff Barrows (of Portishead) producing the album.
Longwinded ramblings aside, this is a great great song which I love love. Yes yes.
The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea
I also heavily recommend listening to second single Who Can Say, which draws a bit more on personal fave's Joy Division. Again, awesome song.
I realize this post is slightly (read: very) belated and overdue, but I forgot to write back when I first heard the album (cue: sympathy). I could have just not written anything, but I haven't been able to stop listening to the album since I got it... so naturally a post was needed (yes, life is full of hard choices).
Sea Within A Sea was the first single from the album and still very much a standout track for me. It is one of the best songs, if not the best, I've heard all year and I just can't get enough. The song reminds me of krautrock á la NEU! (which is a massive compliment), while also borrowing from one of last years best songs; The Rip (by Portishead). This is probably much down to Geoff Barrows (of Portishead) producing the album.
Longwinded ramblings aside, this is a great great song which I love love. Yes yes.
The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea
I also heavily recommend listening to second single Who Can Say, which draws a bit more on personal fave's Joy Division. Again, awesome song.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Summer Is Here... This Is It (What!)
Summer is here! Which means that it is time to pause with winter records for a while and start listening to some happy and summer-y music... well, at least to some extent... Right now there are two songs that, for me, really sum up that summer is here. Those two are; Camp Lo's Luchini and The Very Best's Warm Heart of Africa.
How can you fail with a beat like this? Luchini has that breezy Dynasty "Adventures In The Land Of Music"-sample that to me just screams summer. I just want to lay back with something cold in my hand and chill in the sun... yup, I chill. [Stop laughing...]
I really really really really like this song.
Camp Lo - Luchini aka. This Is It (What?)
Next song...
The Very Best released a mixtape-y sort of thing last year ( FYI, it is free and legal here) where they did semi-covers... that is, they rearranged, remixed and re-did songs, such as their cover of Architecture in Helsinki's Heart it Races called Kamphoho (one word; awesome). The group consists of Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya and French- Swedish electronic duo Radioclit and have in my opinion made one of the best songs of the summer so far. The beat actually surprised the first time I heard it and I had to hear it twice before I really got it. But then it really got me. I'm already a sucker for Esau's voice so with the sunny and happy backdrop it was sure be an instant hit avec moi... oh yeah, the song also features Monsieur Koenig from Vampire Weekend (we like his voice too...).
The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig)
How can you fail with a beat like this? Luchini has that breezy Dynasty "Adventures In The Land Of Music"-sample that to me just screams summer. I just want to lay back with something cold in my hand and chill in the sun... yup, I chill. [Stop laughing...]
I really really really really like this song.
Camp Lo - Luchini aka. This Is It (What?)
Next song...
The Very Best released a mixtape-y sort of thing last year ( FYI, it is free and legal here) where they did semi-covers... that is, they rearranged, remixed and re-did songs, such as their cover of Architecture in Helsinki's Heart it Races called Kamphoho (one word; awesome). The group consists of Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya and French- Swedish electronic duo Radioclit and have in my opinion made one of the best songs of the summer so far. The beat actually surprised the first time I heard it and I had to hear it twice before I really got it. But then it really got me. I'm already a sucker for Esau's voice so with the sunny and happy backdrop it was sure be an instant hit avec moi... oh yeah, the song also features Monsieur Koenig from Vampire Weekend (we like his voice too...).
The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (feat. Ezra Koenig)
Wouldn't It Be Sweet If She Could Die Of A Broken Heart
I really like this song. The simple use of the keyboard obviously does it for the song, but I have to say that the video really helps me along too. The whole aloofness of the singer (Morrissey fan much?) really adds to the lyrics and the whole feeling of the song. The sepia-tinged colours also says all you need to know about what decade these guys want to look/sound like they're from... I'm still confused by the leadsinger's hair though... but maybe that's just me.
... finally, I really like the backing vocals. Especially the "Zoooh Zoooh"s (or is it "Sue Sue"?), which makes me think of Sympathy for Devil.
Catchy tune. Lovely lyrics. Great song.
Golden Silvers - Arrows of Eros
... finally, I really like the backing vocals. Especially the "Zoooh Zoooh"s (or is it "Sue Sue"?), which makes me think of Sympathy for Devil.
Catchy tune. Lovely lyrics. Great song.
Golden Silvers - Arrows of Eros
Thursday, June 25, 2009
I Promise That I'll Run Away With You
Speaking of all time favorite songs... I could write endlessly about why this is one of the best songs ever, but I'll just let the song speak for itself. Love it.
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
The Cure - Just Like Heaven
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