Opening with Dance, Dance, Dance and Let it Fall, what immediately becomes apparent is just how brilliant her touring drummer Lars Skoglund is, as he lays down a belting, exciting rhythm for the rest to follow. El Perro del Mar then comes back out on stage to provide backing vocals for the third song My Love, which Lykke Li dedicates to the people who put their hands up as being the most heartbroken in the room. One of the two to do so is wearing a black shirt and red braces. I doubt that there is any correlation to be found here though.

The evening then continues with Little Bit, Window Blues, and I'm Good, I'm Gone, before Breaking It Up finally gets people down on the small dance floor in front of the stage, as Lykke Li sings through a loudspeaker. They howl for more afterwards. "We really should play some more dance music," she muses by way of response. "It is just that we know none!" However, she does offer up what seems to be an unplanned regga reprise of I'm Good, I'm Gone. The audience is still not sated though. This time Lykke Li tries to appear a mite concerned, reminding everyone that she is still only a debut artist. Nevertheless, there is one final song - a cover of A Tribe Called Quest's Can I Kick it?

Yes she can.

To be honest, I feared for her before the show. Dublin crowds are notorious for talking loudly right through support acts and the sight of her acoustic guitar standing there in lone defiance, as the crowd swelled up beforehand, gave me a real sense of foreboding for what was to come. However, in fairness, she commanded a huge amount of respect when she played and quite justifiably so!

Her set was a nice balance between her two albums to date, with songs such as "Party", "Candy", and "Dog" from her eponymous debut album giving way to "How Did We Forget", "Do Not Despair", and "Glory To The World" from this year's From the Valley to the Stars. I particularly liked how well that the melody of the curiously submissive "Dog", the sultry swing of "How Did We Forget", and the poignant optimism of "Do Not Despair" respectively translated into her live performance.

Do check out some of her music here!

12th june-el perro del mar-the sugar club

14th june-deerhunter, high places, white williams, dan deacon, jape-vicar street 27th july-daniel johnston, sparklehorse, scout niblett, norman blake-whelans

15th-metronomy-andrews lane theatre

20th - holly golightly-whelans

The following reviews were all published on our old website between May 2005 and December 2006.

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El Perro Del Mar
El Perro Del Mar •••½
Memphis Industries

Three years ago, a chic-looking Swedish girl went on a Spanish beach holiday when a dog popped out of nowhere onto the shore. The girl, named Sarah, was inspired by this, went home, worked hard, wrote an album, swapped a lot of CD-Rs, got signed to the same label as The Pipettes and Field Music and toured with José González and Calexico. I suppose that this slightly odd fairy-tale goes a long way to explaining exactly what her project is about. Albeit, of course, nothing to do with canines. Musically, however, this is a debut offering that interestingly mixes the sublime with the unusual.

Because, while bittersweet, longing and often alienating, El Perro Del Mar essentially creates delicate, minimalist retro-pop by blurring a kaleidoscope of playground string quartets, gentle handclaps and Supremes-style harmonies with the vulnerable vocal of a chronically depressed Nina Persson and the mild kitsch of Petula Clark in her heyday. Yet she does it in such a way that it makes you want to stop sobbing into your milkshake in favour of doing ‘the monkey'; this is a collection of songs made for the cool chicks in tight pencil skirts wiggling their bums at ne'er-do-well boys named Kenickie. Songs with a dignified sound that will also appeal to ladies what lunch. Songs that will be cherished, most strikingly, by anyone who's ever been in love. And been dumped. And, shortly afterwards, had someone drive past and splash a giant puddle all over their best diamanté.

Upsetting and confusing, yet undeniably refreshing, from the melancholy "be-bop-a-lula" of ‘Party' and comforting Argyle sweater-wearing stroke of the head that is ‘This Loneliness', to the pant-flashing mantra ‘It's All Good', and resigned yet slinky Brenda Lee cover, ‘Here Comes That Feeling'. In short, each track is a chapter in a frighteningly frank journey into the female psyche, an empowering celebration of grown-up teenage heartache on the outside, pure bubbling neuroses on the innards. Meaning that, by bringing a whole new perspective to being a woman in the Noughties, these seemingly cute ditties, fraught with determination and extreme femininity, just might not be for everyone. Still, if any of the above sounds a bit like you, twirl gum round index finger, fluff out petticoat and have another vodka. Rest assured you're in good company.

Anna Claxton
originally published June 16th, 2006 

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Justine Electra
Soft Rock ••••
City Slang

There's nothing like laying it all on the line up front, and with such a watery title, Soft Rock doesn't leave much to the imagination. But getting past the immediate subconscious associations (that are, incidentally, wrong and mostly unfounded), there is something truly sincere about these recordings. That's not to say that they don't run the gamut of the good and bad, or that their appeal isn't wholly subjective, depending on the willingness and mindset of the listener, but there is something about them. First track ‘Fancy Robots' is a prime example, where the cut and crazy synth rumblings could be construed as brilliance, or, alternatively, a little bit bland and lacking the requisite punch to pull the entire song through. Luckily, this here listener feels it to be the former.

As a whole, Soft Rock succeeds as a near masterpiece of patchwork. ‘Killalady' boasts an offbeat groove, heavenly chimes and delicate harmonies that could make an angel's cheeks turn beetroot, combined with just enough roughness to keep up levels of intrigue and lyrics that sound familiar to the lives of those you know. All that accompanied by social commentaries that make a mockery of the bloated, predictable industry standard (e.g. "hip-hop guys showing their underpants") make this an undisputed highlight. Similarly, the airy blues stylings of ‘Blues & Reds' skulk their way into the depths of your memory as the song burrows itself a nice little nook that it refuses to get out of. Elsewhere, the fantastic ‘Calimba Song' is reminiscent of a Tom Waits minimalist classic, with an almost childish marimba motif that's carried forth by the sort of saddened vocals that would suit the back porch of a crumbling South Carolina farmhouse (she's actually Australian but lives in Berlin).

At the opposite end of the spectrum lie the repetitive, keyboard-based ‘Autumn Leaves' and ‘President', both of which scrape and haul their way to the finish. There's something distinctly terrifying and disturbing about the execution of the latter in particular. The worn radio sound, the whine of a pacemaker, the basic drum programming, the lyrics - feelings of desolation and hopelessness aren't exactly helped by Electra's singing of genital death.

Soft Rock is so chock full of quirk and choreographed madness that it would be extremely interesting to see how the songs might transcribe to live performance. Its crazy bass sounds, scrapings against junk for percussion, stark acoustic riffs and Tori Amos / Fiona Apple-esque backing vocals all add to the appeal; it would be a crying shame to lose the fragments of instrumentation and subtle effects that elevate Electra above her more predictable peers. Put simply, Soft Rock is like one of those close friends you only seem to see once every couple of years, in the summer. The attraction is there, but it's something that will be nice to lose just to come across again later so the love for it stays ever faithful.

Gary Munday
originally published July 23rd, 2006 

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Electrelane
Axes •½
Too Pure

Brighton is, as far as I’m concerned anyway, only good for taking your relatives to when you can’t be bothered to drive into London or up north, and perhaps to provide an easy apex of convergence for various rallies (cars, cycles, hippies and politicians, for example). Oh, and sanctuary for aging cheesy DJs. So I was really hoping that East Sussex four-piece Electrelane would show me a new town, a revitalised seaside resort brushed clear of its cobwebs, with newly painted shop fascias and nay a broken lightbulb on the rides.

Plugging in my headphones, I was transported in an instant to Electrelane’s creation, with a packed lunch, petty cash and a camera provided. The town is called Axes. People are milling around. Above the gentle lap of the waves, intriguing sounds are abounding. There’s a vague sense that somewhere nearby The Fall are jamming with Tom Waits, Blurt and assorted prog rockers. Yes indeed, Axes feels pleasantly arty, the sun is shining and the temperature is just perfect for a day trip.

Shame then that having spent a few hours treading its highways and byways, I can’t help but feel that the town planners could have done more with Axes to make it more attractive to casual visitors. Although this third album once again proves that Electrelane are skilled musicians and are able to hold an exceptional rhythm, it seems that nowadays that’s just not quite enough to make the masses voluntarily flock to Axes. It’s the kind of town that will rarely find its way into anyone’s much-loved holiday snaps.

This particular day trip feels much like a Sunday stroll along the promenade. Despite the desolate, almost ghostly sleeve hinting at a dark netherworld, the outlook at Axes is actually pretty mellow; mostly instrumentals with the occasional highlight coasting in on a much-appreciated breeze. Without the irrepressible gusto of these, anyone visiting Axes might be tempted to just fall asleep on a bench overlooking the shore, missing the last train home.

Endre Buzogány
originally published September 1st, 2005 

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Electrelane
Rock It To The Moon [reissue] •••½ 
Too Pure

The three E's - Envelopes, (Saint) Etienne and Electrelane. These artists are similar, not just musically, but because it takes an acquired taste to like them enough to listen to their albums the whole way through. Originally released in 2001 and now getting a well deserved reissue, Rock It To The Moon has had plenty of time to grow on me, but it's quite likely that after only 14 minutes and six seconds, when only two tracks have played, any mainstream indie lover will be fitting on the floor, calling for it to stop, PLEASE stop!

Personally, I love it. I can't get enough of shrieking strings placed randomly over beat after beat after beat. I love how music like this can burst away from its field of destruction and jump into a techno dance worthy of David Brent. I love the demented circus sample at the end of ‘Long Dance', and how ‘Gabriel', the track sequenced directly after, sounds entirely different. So different, that if it weren't for the loop of fuzzed out voices in the background, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a different band.

Electrelane were relatively young when this album was recorded, but it doesn't show. Rightfully, the album should have propelled every member to stand in the clouds with Air and Ladytron, looking down on the bands that aspire to be them. I can only assume this didn't happen because of the indie (and predominantly male) ‘uprising' that occurred at the same time; they just weren't given the time. Of course with every album that relies on this form of music, there is a point when even the most hardcore electro fan has to say, "enough is enough" and turn the volume down. There are days when you just don't want to listen to what is essentially one album-length song that flips and does cartwheels all over your ears. But there are also days when you just itch for something that can do that, people who don't aspire to live during the Romantic era or to make your ears bleed, and for those days, Electrelane are your band.

Tiffany Daniels
originally published March 6th, 2006 

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Electrelane
Singles, B-Sides & Live ••••
Too Pure

If ever there were a band more often better in principal than actual fact it's Electrelane. While the Brightonian electro-quartet couldn't be cooler if they were actually four very cold snowwomen, there's always been some- thing essentially a bit boring about them. That's not to write off any band who would give their debut album as daft a name as Rock It To The Moon; it's just that said album is about a million times less fun than the title would suggest. Better in all ways except name is odds ‘n' sods collection Singles, B-Sides & Live, the band's best album to date (excepting perhaps last year's Axes).

Relative incoherency is actually the record's biggest plus, as rather than saddle us with hours of interminable Wurlitzer jams, every few songs heralds a change of direction as abrupt as a slap to the face. Thus the, er, interminable Wurlitzer jams of Electrelane's cinematic early line-up give way to the ragged B-side ‘I Love You My Farfisa', which in turn segues into tracks from the mighty I Want To Be The President EP, which is still the best of their early works.

However, it's halfway through when things get really interesting; an astonishingly rickety cover of Bruce Springsteen's ‘I'm On Fire' sounds like it could derail at any moment, and it's all the more heart-stoppingly beautiful for it. From then on frail, bizarre live tracks and covers (including a haunting version of Roxy Music's ‘More Than This') shed the studied hipster stylings and usher in a looser, more emotive band capable of reducing you to tears without boring you to get there.

Andrzej Lukowski
originally published November 23rd, 2006

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Missy Elliott
Respect M.E. ••••½
Goldmind / Atlantic

Nearly an entire decade has elapsed since Missy ‘Misdemeanor' Elliott exploded onto the scene with 1997's phenomenal debut Supa Dupa Fly and single-handedly revolutionised both R&B and hip-hop (and, consequently, radio). Not that you'd know it; with her anthemic style and incendiary guerilla flare, even Elliott's earliest singles still sound fresh and it's no mean feat that her albums continue to blow away almost every one of her chart rivals, Stateside at least. Given her ubiquity all over the media, it has probably escaped most people's notice that Elliott's fortunes have been rather less glittering here in the UK, with just one of her albums (2001's Miss E...So Addictive) sneaking into the top 10 on the lowest rung. That's despite a healthy clutch of singles hitting the upper echelons of the charts, though, rather perversely, the only #1 single to bear her name on these shores was the credibility car crash of 1998's ‘I Want You Back', a collaboration with ex-Spice Girl Melanie Brown. It makes perfect sense then that a greatest hits collection such as this be compiled to remind non-residents of North America why Elliott's career has been one of the most lofty and artistically fruitful in recent memory.

Indeed, Respect M.E. ought to be listed in the urban dictionary as an archetypal greatest hits; it's that good. Each song is a powerhouse display, uniquely showcasing Elliott's craft and frenetic wordplay. Of course, some of the credit must go to her various partners in rhyme - most notably longtime collaborator / friend Timbaland, with whom she has no issue of sharing the glory - but Elliott is the true star here and constantly reinvents her sound using dance, R&B, hip-hop and good old-fashioned pop laced with a truly wicked sense of humour. Elliott has been smart to recognise that the club is where her talent shines brightest, her sound and larger-than-life persona big enough to fill any Saturday night sweatbox. And when she wants to get folks moving, boy does she ever. ‘Get Ur Freak On' and the fabulously sexual trailblazer ‘Work It' are so fine that they'll forever hold their own special place in dancefloor mythology, while sonic oddities like ‘Pass That Dutch' and ‘Gossip Folks' squeak and gibber like hip-hop songs possessed by a mischievous robot devil.

On ‘She's A Bitch', ‘One Minute Man' and ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)', Elliott combines sass and neo-feminism with irresistibly pulsating thumps, while the Basement Jaxx remix of ‘4 My People' and the techno-tribal ‘Lose Control' (featuring Ciara and Fatman Scoop) make a convincing case for Elliott as a queen of gay disco, up there with the likes of Madonna and Kylie. Even on sample-heavy tracks like ‘We Run This', which features a notable chunk of the oft-sampled ‘Apache' by the Sugar Hill Gang, Elliott has enough pride and grit to make the song still rock and be completely her own. Of course, there's more to Missy than just her club sound and the slower jams here are far from mediocre. ‘All N My Grill' featuring Big Boi and Nicole Wray is funky and shows a slightly more vulnerable side that her dance songs do not, while ‘Hit 'Em Wit Da Hee' with the always effervescent Lil' Kim is unapologetic in its fierceness.

If the sheer diversity of her sound occasionally baffles, it's only that there are very few artists who consistently stay ahead of the game, who constantly innovate and keep their early tenacity going. Respect M.E. displays Elliott's uncanny ability to do this; what's more, her genius and considerable staying power already proven, there can be little doubt that this will be the first in a line of essential compilations from this truly gifted and artistic visionary.

Aaron Alper
originally published October 27th, 2006

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Enya
Amarantine •••
Warner Bros.

The trio that is Enya, fronted and personified by Irish songstress Eithne Ní Bhraonáin, needs no introduction. From 1987's The Celts, to 2000's A Day Without Rain, Enya have carved out a unique musical niche that has generated fans from every corner of the globe, and, it seems, an equal number of critics. It certainly appears in vogue to dismiss Eithne and her songwriting partners Roma and Nicky Ryan as New Age fluff, constantly recycled nonsense that's suited only for muzak and bookshop tannoys. But while some of us chuckle at the hint of truth therein, such a sweeping rebuttal is woefully inaccurate. The rank and file of Enya fanhood may be no place for an indie snob, but the sheer popularity of their music is no accident. Their unique orchestrations unabashedly create pure moods that are perfect for practically any occasion. That they are also about as inoffensive as a slice of white bread doesn't hurt sales either. But whilst there is nothing remotely challenging about the music of Enya, there is a certain something to savour. Something familiar and comforting like a warm house at Christmas and reassuringly safe like a cup of herbal tea.

Predictably then, Amarantine is unlikely to disappoint Eithne's legions of fans. In keeping with its title, which refers to a mythical eternal flower, it's a longer and more satisfying album than A Day Without Rain and is subtly different from her previous releases. Abandoning the trademark Gaelic lyrics for a dabble into Japanese was certainly brave, yet works surprising well. ‘Sumiregusa' is a striking blend of Japanese lyrics and ethereal vocals evoking visuals of geisha and white cherry blossoms, and may very well be the most innovative thing the trio has done in a decade. So much so that it nearly even manages to trump Amarantine's crowning achievement - that of Roma Ryan's creation of the new language Loxian, a tongue inspired by the works of Tolkien, that appears on three of the album's dozen tracks. Inevitably, by virtue of its indecipherability, the use of Loxian adds a little more to the fantasy and mystery of just what Eithne is singing about; those of us versed in more mundane languages, however, will just listen to those tracks as we always have with the Gaelic ones, enjoying the sound of the words rather than the actual poetry.

To be fair, a higher expectation would have been folly. The trio have found a working formula and it's one that they pretty much stick to throughout. At times it can be overwhelmingly obvious - for example, ‘It's In The Rain' sounds remarkably like ‘China Roses' from The Memory Of Trees, the title track is practically a carbon copy of the massive chart hit ‘Only Time' from A Day Without Rain and ‘The River Sings' harkens back to 1987's often-sampled ‘Boudicea'. But despite the formulaic nature of the album, fans of Enya would expect little else, nor, it seems, do they really care to. Amarantine may do nothing to win new fans, but its soothing and comfortable sounds will at worst retain the masses who have come to love Enya for those overlapping vocals and synthesized swells. And since A Day Without Rain was the world's bestselling album in 2001, perhaps comfort is really the point.

Loria Near
originally published March 19th, 2006 

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Espers
Espers II ••••
Drag City

In parapsychological terms, the word ‘espers' means ‘ghost hunters', or rather ‘extraordinary supernatural phenomena explored and revealed'. It's an astoundingly fitting description for this six-piece psychedelic folk act from Philadelphia, centred on the trio of vocalists Greg Weeks, Meg Baird and Brooke Sietinsons. The self-explanatory, Led Zeppelin-aping title aside, Espers II is a dark and melancholic mixture of traditional folk and freak electronica, like listening to a 1960s folk tape whilst watching a spaceship land outside your muslin-curtained window - simply outlandish. This is in fact their third full-length release, following last year's unusual covers record The Weed Tree, and things are getting progressively weirder.

Opener ‘Dead Queen' is a spooky, graceful affair that mixes high-pitched trembling electro sounds with medieval guitar melodies and airy female vocals. What starts quite simply slowly evolves into a thickly-layered, eight-min epic; strings, electric guitars and synthetic sounds combine to create layer after layer of countermelodies, culminating in a wall of dissonant sound that almost drives you to discomfort. The beauty of Espers is that although they use a modern approach to recording, the technology never seems to compromise the songs' authenticity; modern and classic elements blend together extraordinarily smoothly.

‘Widow's Weed' and ‘Cruel Storm' offer a more rhythmical approach, though both are equally melancholic and dark. Sometimes reminiscent of a funeral service, sometimes like a lonely summer night's walk though a sinister forest, the arrangements are simple but clever. Another mini-epic, ‘Children Of Stone' is an emotional masterpiece that is justly given the time it needs to evolve rather than reaching a premature conclusion. Various interludes - first a flute then a squealing theremin and lastly a swooning cello - truly accentuate the rare, strange and fragile beauty of this uniquely harmonious composition.

‘Mansfield & Cyclops', ‘Dead King' and ‘Moon Occults The Sun' also blend the new with the old in clever ways. Rhythmical and textural layers and the use of dissonant and sometimes unbearably high electronic sounds have a freaky and dark effect on the listener. The closely miked recording of the vocals is just as unsettling and will leave you wondering how something so distant and unearthly can be so near.

Espers may indeed be hunters of ghosts but listen to this latest excursion into the future-past and you'll find they're not beyond indulging in a little haunting of their own.

Anja McCloskey
originally published July 2nd, 2006 

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Evanescence
The Open Door •••
Wind-Up / SonyBMG

In the early autumn of 2003 Evanescence seemed to have the world at their feet. Their debut album, Fallen, was acclaimed across the globe, picking up awards and well on the way to multi-platinum status. Their songs had been heavily featured in that summer's blockbuster movie? well, 'Daredevil' anyway? but how soon the dam did burst. Co-founder Ben Moody walked out mid-way through a European tour citing "musical differences", a fan backlash was building up in the States as the band distanced themselves from their Christian roots and their 2004 CD/DVD live set had "contractual obligation" written all over it.

In view of all this, it's a miracle not just that The Open Door exists but that it's actually quite decent. In comes former Limp Bizkit and Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo and suddenly lead singer Amy Lee is claiming that they're functioning more as a real band than ever before. That said, the focus of the album remains squarely on Lee and her pre-Raphaelite, Goth chic presence looms large over proceedings. As with Fallen, it's her vocals that draw the disparate sounds scattered across the thirteen tracks together into one coherent whole. It's in the cohesiveness stakes that The Open Door really scores points over its predecessor, despite songs ranging from the pop-metal of single 'Call Me When You're Sober' to the 'My Immortal'-esque piano and strings of album closer 'Good Enough' via the cod-operatic stylings of 'Lachrymosa' and 'Cloud Nine's curious sci-fi backing vox.

Musically, Balsamo's addition seems to have paid off. His bone-crunching riffs are more convincingly metal (albeit with an inevitable 'nu' flavour) and alone form a pretty satisfying core around which the lush strings and keyboards are layered. Lee's vocals are impressive, benefiting from her almost operatic power and projection when stretching out in the high register. Equally strong at all pitches, she captures an emotional performance rather than simply providing bombast. And that's a good thing as, lyrically, this is much more interesting than much of the genre. 'Lithium' explores the dilemma facing those suffering from depression –medicate but lose the vital spark that defines who you are or struggle to live with your own demons? – whereas 'Weight Of The World' asks real questions about identity and self-worth.

So you see, there's plenty to explore through this particular door. If you loved Fallen then there will be much to appeal to you here. If your tastes extend into the rock, metal or emo genres you will similarly find much to enjoy. And even if Lee and co. leave you cold, you have to concede that it's a damn fine example of triumph over adversity.

Trevor Raggatt
previously unpublished

Ya hablé de ellos sutilmente cuando toqué el tema de Dilandau. Y francamente, cada vez me gustan más. Los descubrí por casualidad, vi el nombre y me llamó mucho la atención (normal no?), mira, justo lo que les pasó a los de Hipersónica.

El Perro del Mar, cuyo curioso nombre explican muy bien aquí, está formado por un único componente, la sueca Sarah Assbring.

Con su segundo disco, para mi se consagra como artista. Su estilo es pop, pero alejado de fuertes golpes de guitarra o batería. Como algunos dicen, es un "pop minimalista", y hasta la comparan con James Taylor o Carly Simon. Tiene una voz envolvente, que francamente, relaja y reconforta. Me recuerda un poco a la banda sonora de la película Mi vida sin mi.

En su MySpace puede escucharse todo el álbum, y si alguien se anima, dejo aquí el torrent.

¿Qué os parece?

]]> http://twentysevenviews.wordpress.com/?p=243 Sun, 11 May 2008 19:12:03 +0000 twentysevenviews http://twentysevenviews.wordpress.com/?p=243 There was a little Swedish invasion that occurred on May 8, 2008 at Bowery Ballroom in New York.  El Perro Del Mar, Lykke Li and Anna Ternhein showed us that it's not only Swedish boys invading but the women too.  All three performers with their own unique sound and style gave great performances.   Each act were quite professional and performed without a hinge.  The highlights of the night were the times that Lykke Li came on stage to perform during El Perro Del Mar's set.

Check out some of the videos below:

El Perro Del Mar performing "How Did We Forget"

El Perro Del Mar performing "Somebody's Baby"

El Perro Del Mar perfomring "You Can't Steal A Gift" with Lykke Li

Lykke Li performing "Little Bit"  This song has also recently become one of the staple songs on my iPod that I can just not stop listening to.  Her sultry voice just gets to me every time.

Lykke Li performing "Dance Dance Dance"

Anna Ternheim performing "The Ones They Blame"  The stripped down version of this song was so beautiful.  The song's lyrics just hit me and almost put a tear to my eyes.  This is a definitely favorite as I like it much better than the version on the album.

Parece que depois de todo bafafa provocado pelo Radiohead com o lançamento do álbum 'In Rainbows', vários outros artistas resolveram se enveredar na web pra divulgar os seus novos trabalhos. Agora o hype já não é aparecer no TRL e dar entrevista pro Carlson Daly, agora a bola da vez é disponibilizar material de graça online e confiar no poder do boca-a-boca dos fãs.

Nesses últimos dias o CSS jogou o 'Rat is Dead' no site, o Last.fm disponibilizou o mp3 de 'Glory to the World' do El Perro del Mar, o Nine Inch Nails deixou o álbum novo inteiro na web, o Coldplay deixou o novo 'Violet Hill', Madonna deixou o 'Hard Candy' no MySpace (ok, ela confia no taco dela e só deixa ouvir na web). A grande dúvida é: será que isso funciona?

Parece paradoxal pensar que dar algo de graça possa ajudar nas vendas de alguma coisa, mas na minha opinião, principalmente para a música, é um ótimo caminho. Eu, por exemplo, baixei todos os citados acima. De verdade, nessa lista só gosto mesmo é de Madonna, El Perro Del Mar e CSS, o resto só conheço pelo que toca na rádio (e acho bem blah). Primeiro ponto: já que está disponível, pessoas que nunca ouviam tal banda vão baixar pela curiosidade.

Eu adorei o novo single do CSS, indiquei pra gente que eu sei que iria gostar, postei em um twitt e ainda fiz um post por aqui. Imagino que só pela indicação, muita gente que nunca ouviria se ariscou a ouvir. Segundo ponto: O boca-a-boca na web se espalha, o que pode angariar novos fãs.

Com mais fãs, mais gente vai buscar trabalhos antigos, CDs, camisetas, shows, enfim. Terceiro ponto: A divulgação acaba sendo mais barata que as grandes campanhas das mega gravadoras, sem mega ações promocionais, sem grande viagens para as MTVs around the world, e ainda com possibilidades de alcançar milhares de pessoas de vários países.

Eu não sei como as gravadoras estão lidando com esse novo cenário e se realmente vai ser uma onda pra ficar, mas eu pessoalmente acredito que pode dar certo principalmente pras bandas independentes. Tom York deu uma entrevista falando que o 'In Rainbows' foi uma experiência única e que não fará isso de novo. Talvez ele possa mudar de idéia mais tarde.

Bom, voltando pras pílulas de música, essa é a 'Glory to the World' que eu falei lá em cima.

PS: Se quiser os downloads, é só clicar nos links do post!

El Perro Del Mar - Glory To The World

El Perro Del Mar - How Did We Forget

El Perro Del Mar has made a playlist of her current favourite tunes available exclusively at Tokion Magazine.

Tracks:

1. “God Yu Tekkem Laef Blong Mi” - The Choir of All Saints
2. “Piano Trio in E flat, Opus 100″ - Franz Schubert
3. “De Svarta Ryttarna (Flykten till Vadstället)” from Sagan om Ringen - Bo Hansson
4. “Mètché Dershé (When Am I Going to Reach There?)” - Mulatu Astatke
5. “Microbes” from Wonderwall - George Harrison
6. “Klara Stjärnor” from Musik Genom Fyra Sekler - Jan Johansson
7. “Bafoulabe” from New Ancient Strings - Toumani Diabaté
8. “At Last I’m Free” from Nothing Can Stop Us - Robert Wyatt
9. “Domini Fili Unigenite” from Gloria - Antonio Vivaldi
10. “Got To Move” from Churchical Chants of the Nyabingi

El Perro Del Mar (apparently it means ' Dog of The Sea' in Spanish) is a new name to me though she has released three albums so far. She is Sarah Assbring, which reads like a made-up name to me but then again so does Prince Rogers Nelson. Despite the Spanish name and the Assbringing, Ms. Del Mar is actually Swedish. I just discovered a mightily fine song by her called 'How Did We Forget', from her new album,  'From The Valley To The Stars' which is due in May. You can watch it below and download it from here.

[audio http://osaldalingua.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/take10b.mp3]
19 Lovely Lovely Love: Alaska in Winter
20 Strange Invitation: Beck
21 Sea of Love: Cat Power
22 Just Like a Woman: Charlotte Gainsbourg & Calexico
23 Doctor Blind: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton
24 Só tinha de ser com você: Elis & Tom
25 Changes: Seu Jorge
26 Yellow Submarine: The Beatles
27 You My Lunar Queen: Cousteau
28 Boobar: Tindersticks
29 Hey, Don't You Cry: Stuart A. Staples
30 Serpentine: dEUS
31 Belle and Sebastian: Belle and Sebastian
32 Nature Boy: Lisa Ekdhal
33 Toothpaste Kisses: The Maccabees
34 John Wayne Gacy Jr.: Sufjan Stevens
35 Saddest Vacant Lot in the World: Grandaddy
36 String: Tunng
37 Eternal Flame: Joan as Police Woman
38 Love Will Tear Us Apart: Nouvelle Vague
39 Tire Swing: Kimya Dawson
40 Dream On Girl: Rita Redshoes
41 Seahorse: Devendra Banhart
42 Sacred Mountains: Aniwida And Nik Tyndal
43 JCB: Nizlopi
44 More Than This: Brian Ferry

Lykke Li - En liten popdirigent med mye energi, tydelig forkjærlighet for syttitallet, skulderdansing som bare slås av Erlend Øyes fotbevegelser og ikke minst, svært treffende låter.

Foto: Underdusken.no

Konserten som helhet var svært gjennomført og bra, fra El Perro del Mars intense start, via Lykke Lis energiske dirigering av både musikk og felles dansing, til en samlet avslutning hvor et tidlig syttitall dirret i lufta. At Björn fra Peter, Björn og John har hatt en finger med i spillet var tydelig og ga det lille ekstra. At trommisen så ut som om han var i slekt med Thomas fra Ralph Myers and the Jack Herren Band, hva engasjement angår, gjorde det heller ikke verre. Det som sviktet mest var nok et lite dansevillig Trondheimspublikum, men der får vi skylde på at garderoben på Samfundet ikke var åpen, slik at de fleste hadde mer enn nok med å holde fast i jakken i en overfylt Klubben.

Ingen tvil. Lykke Li blir garantert ikke mindre populær fremover. Hun har et låtmateriale som blander nyere lyder og sjangre med god gammeldags lykke fra syttitallet. Hun har en hårfrisyre i god Agnetha Fältskog (A i ABBA) stil. Hun gir gode Feist vibber. Det ment å være suksess.

De svenske jentene besøker Bergen i dag og Oslo i morgen. Absolutt verdt et besøk.

And frankly, in modern times, it has to be pretty unique to catch my attention or else I'll probably just put it into the purgatory of itunes and wait for it to appear on random play.

Life Without Buildings-Any Other City. 

For some reason I feel like starting with an older album. One that got totally lost in the shuffle a number of years ago. Angular, scratchy, rhythmic, sassy, esoteric, all words that describe the best post-punk albums of the 80's. And this one fits all of them, despite coming out in 2000. Yes 2000. So being ahead of it's time and brilliantly retro at the same time left it with no audience of course.(just like what happened to Chat and Business by Ikara Colt around the same time.) And yes it's out of print, so you'll have to hunt it down.(No, it's not even easy to find online.)

Los Campesinos-Hold On Now Youngster

Just wait they'll end up on the soundtrack to Gossip Girl and you'll hear them if you haven't already. I don't say that with disdain, they deserve it. Smart, playful rock and roll that actually lives up to the hype of last spring's original e.p. Even though the album doesn't have "We Throw Parties...You Throw Knives," which is actually kind of a travesty, but I suggest buying the digital version and adding the singles/ep tracks to your burned version/itunes.

Lil Wayne-Tha Carter III

Weezy's 800th album of the past two years finds him solidifying his spot as the modern day Kool Keith and strangely straddling mental institution and utter genius.(Like most artists worth a damn.) He still hasn't topped "Fireman" though. You should probably check it out. 

Ladytron-Velocifero

As a fan for seven years, I was hoping for Ladytron to kind of settle into a Stereolab kind of mode, where they explore the same territory, occasionally straying for some weird avant-garde jam out, but still putting out these brilliant songs that just cannot be ignored. And you know what they have, except for the fact, that none of the songs are even close to brilliant.

The Long Blondes-Couples

I go to Long Blondes next because somehow they went from being decent, stylish also ran rock band, into the modern version of Missing Persons. Seriously it's good. Forget the last album, put on the tune Century, and be surprised.

Foals-Antidotes

C'mon they have a song called Mathletics. Surprisingly decent post-post-disco-whatever it is now punk album. Whenever they release a compilation about this era of music, I have a feeling Foals will in fact be on it.(For either Cassius or Mathletics, alone.) Worth finding on a type of file transfer that starts with a T. 

El Perro Del Mar-From The Valley To The Stars

I think Sarah Assbring(aka El Perro Del Mar) makes even cupcakes sound depressing. She continues with her depressed Crystals-era Phil Spector moodyness, but she also adds some fantastic organic chamber pop elements, which adds the brilliance and raw emotion that the last album lacked. Think"Desertshore"-era Nico, maybe Margo Guryan. Yes those are heavy hitting names, but I think this second album is putting her in shouting distance of those underappreciated singers.

The Kooks-Konk 

Over.

Does It Offend You, Yeah?-

Just call them EMF 08'.

Crystal Castles-S/T

Hey Alice Glass really is like "Bang" era Karen O! The best thing about this 8-bit album is a combination of old songs you've played out(and need on an official album), new jams that surpass the old, and amazing, danceable rage.

The Ting Tings- We Started Nothing.

Stop Apple ads before they kill again. Poor CSS. They never had a chance. (sorry to my Chiat Day peeps, but I'm sorry. Enough is enough.) Anyway, back to the Ting Tings. The two singles are ok, but I swear I liked them better when they were made by The Prototypes.(They're from France. Worth a check out Wait weren't they in an ipod ad too? I can't even keep track. Just go get some Devo albums, you'll be happier, ok.)

Neon Neon-Stainless Style

It's a concept album about Delorean! And the album needs to be fixed as much as the cars always had to be.

Blood Red Shoes-Box Of Secrets

I can't tell if they are going to be the new Kills or not.  Similar lineup and dynamic(1 sexy boy and 1 sexy girl). Maybe a dash more pop. Not as much sneer. But, the songs have better refrains and a strange frenzy that builds in a Bay City Rollers meets Thin Lizzy kind of way. You could love it, you could hate it. But, "I Wish I Was Somebody Better," is on the short list of the half year's good singles.

Did Animal Collective put out anything new?

Ok, thank God. I've heard enough bad indecipherable Manson family style sing alongs, drum circles, and acoustic guitar to last me for the rest of the decade.(That one is for Candice!)

The Kills-Midnight Boom

Speaking of The Kills, I do in fact love this album, but it's REALLY top heavy. The first three songs carry so much weight, that it's almost unfair to the rest of the album, and because it's a more refined version of "No Wow," it suffers from not having the same kind of shock and impact that that album had in spades. "Tape Song" is the sexiest thing they've put out though, which is saying alot. And since it actually lives up to the hype and expectations set by second single "Cheap and Cheerful," it's actually worth going out to buy. 

Martina Topley Bird-The Blue God.

Pitchfork is wrong. Per usual. It's Martina(ex-Tricky ingenue) meets Danger Mouse(ATL! what). I really don't need to say more. Dark, woozy, yet danceable. Martina please stop taking five years to put out albums, it makes us all too sad.

Clinic-Do It!

Sounds like a combination of "Internal Wrangler" and "Walking With Thee." Basically it sounds like Clinic on a good day.

Be Your Own Pet-Get Awkward

I dig the band. I dig the show. Jemina Pearl is cute. But, the US release of this album is castrated so poorly that there is no point in getting it. Two of the better songs("Black Hole" and "Becky") are on a seperate US only EP and the rest of the album REALLY suffers without them. It's worth listening to, it just sucks that the record company has indeed screwed the band and the fans.

Santogold-Santogold

It's an ok pop album. I'm not gonna be one of those backlash critics hating it just because it's MIA-lite. Which it is, mind you. But, unlike them I realize that it's 2008 and MIA's "XR2" is both a year and a half old and enjoyed by people who think Shiny Toy Guns have an original sound. So I figure why not have some one else do their take on it, especially when "Creator"  has made the vacants tear up the club for like six months. 

Mala Rodriguez-Malamarismo

Now, if you want good new rappers just get Mala Rodriguez. She's mean. Her nickname means "bad." The beats are all NY style. She's hot. She's Spanish. All you need to know.

Hadouken-Music For An Accelerated Culture

Die new rave! Die! Ok let's not go that far. But, I haven't heard an album this disappointing in awhile. No "Tuning In." No "Dance Lessons." I liked those tunes. But this is a bunch of cluttered tunes that seem to be 8-bit, new rave, white boy grime, which seems to have congealed into one Jesus Jones-esque putrid puddle.

These New Puritans- Beat Pyramid

"Elvis, I wasn't talking about that king. I wasn't talking about that king. Or hairdo's." So says the best line of arguably the best song of the year. This band is already someone and you don't know it, so you better introduce yourself. A dash of no-wave, some 80's danceteria, a Fall influence, and a lot of arty awkwardness makes the band totally and utterly unstoppable. It's not everybody's cup of tea, trust me. Anyway, the album uses rhythm brilliantly, whether it's the spoken word vocals, drum machines, or of course an angular guitar. I'll break it down like this... People love Vampire Weekend because they are oh so rhythmic. (Which is fine if you support more people like Paul Simon and Sally Struthers exploiting Africans.) But, the smart, good, interesting, much more with it version of a rhythm based band is fucking These New Puritans.

There don't say I didn't give you anything tunes wise for the year.

So, I've been in a bit of a music funk lately. Not sure why, but nothing caught my attention and I couldn't really get in the mood to write any new reviews. I suppose this happens to everyone, but I've slowly been attempting to reboot and get back on track.

I was going to post a new top 10 from my iPod, but it is a mess right now. I mean, of the Top 20 songs right now, 8 are from the new Girl Talk album, Feed the Animals, which I recommend to everyone, everywhere (heck, you can download for a price of your choosing). I've also been quite fond of the new Fleet Foxes album, but it doesn't even register on my iPod playcount because I listened to the physical CD while working in the lab (a real CD? Go figure). My other recent acquisition that has gotten a lot of playing is the Silver Jews Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea.

Oddly, the late spring releases, on the whole, have sort of disappointed me. I was really looking forward to the new Islands record, Arm's Way but it fell flat. Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs just hasn't stuck, but then again both Transatlanticism and Plans took a few months to sink in. El Perro Del Mar's From the Valley to the Stars was just a little too laid back to the point of narcolepsy and the Long Blondes' "Couples" was a disaster compared to the treat that was their first album. Maybe this has been why I've been unable to stay focussed on music lately: too much disappointment.

Les révisions de mon Bac m'ont permis, de prendre un peu de temps et d'écouter attentivement quelques albums mis en réserve depuis trop longtemps. Je ne sais pas bien faire des critiques d'album, alors je m'excuse d'avance pour la faiblesse d'argumentation de ces avis. Bref, en voici le bilan.

-----------------------------

The Offspring! Je suis consciente d'avoir perdue la moitié de mes lecteurs rien que d'avoir évoqué ce nom(déjà que il y avait pas masse..), mais maintenant que je suis lancée...La réalité est que j'aime bien les Offspring, depuis longtemps, d'ailleurs, et mon passage au rock indé n'a pas réussi à me les faire oublier. Car, oui mes amis, The Offspring sort, avec "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace", leur 8e album. Quoi qu'on puisse dire, leur albums ont toujours été très "impérieux", une espèce d'aura s'en dégage, enfin...c'est culte, quoi!Alors oui, il crient, oui, ils ont mis l'ampli trop fort, mais merde, c'est l'été, ca fait du bien, et si c'est bien fait; moi, je ne dis pas non. Bon, en ce qui concerne l'album, je dois dire que je suis un peu déçu tout de même, l'impression de l'album est assez glauque, beaucoup de lourdeur mais quelques de tubes, c'est certains. Toutefois, ils restent fidèle à eux même (c'est un peu comme Oasis, c'est toujours la même chose mais vu que tout est bon ben forcément on aime tout.). Intégrité et tubes, que demandé de plus...Ooh, je suis sur, on vous aurez dis que c'était les Hives vous n'auriez pas bronchés....^^(j'aurais fais de même,d'ailleurs)

• The Offspring - You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
• The Offspring - Stuff Is Messed Up
• The Offspring - Takes Me Nowhere

-----------------------------

Albert Hammond Jr. (Je l'appellerais Albie, si ça ne dérange personne.) revient avec son nouvel album à la belle pochette et au beau nom : "¿Cómo Te Llama?." J'avoue n'avoir pas été subjugué par son premier album, mais tout de même, c'était bon...Cet opus est loin d'être mauvais. Apres de multiples écoutes, cet album est plutôt bien d'ailleurs, moins que Gfc, le premier single, ce qui donne à la toute première écoute un amer gout de déception, mais une fois franchie le cap, on apprécie bien comme y faut. Bon, pour moi, ca ne sera pas un coup de cœur (il y a comme même chanson très inquiétante type Lisa) mais un petit album pour la bonne humeur.

• Albert Hammond Jr. - Miss Myrtle
• Albert Hammond Jr. - Spooky Couch
• Albert Hammond Jr. - You Won't Be Fooled By This

-----------------------------

Finalement, je reviens au deuxième album des Fratellis; "Here We Stand". J'ai enfin dépassé le stade "bruyant" (surement grâce au traitement de choc façon Offspring) pour arriver au stade "franchement cool". Mais quel swing mes amis!(cette phrase sonnait nettement mieux dans ma tête...désolé) Sincèrement, c'est un très bon album pou les Fratellis, bien sur, ca ne sera pas la révélation de l'année mais comme je l'ai dis auparavant, c'est l'été et MERDE, quoi, cette album c'est du rock'n'roll de plage écossaise, faut se jeter dessus!

• The Fratellis - Milk And Money
• The Fratellis - A Heady Tale
• The Fratellis - Acid Jazz Singer

-----------------------------

J'ai récemment découvert El Perro Del Mar, jeune artiste suédoise déjà auteur de deux albums brillants! D'autre en avait parler bien avant moi,peut-être s'agissait-il d'un buzz de la blogosphere il n'y a pas si longtemps, mais pas beaucoup de trace alors je tente une approche, même si ca sent un peu le vieux.. J'avais déjà proposé sur ce blog, quelques extraits de ses deux albums : It's All Good et Glory to the world

Premier album, en collaboration avec (encore un suedois) Jens Lekman, est une pure merveille. Je sais, je dis toujours ça, je pue l'hyperbole. Mais ne vous fiez pas à mes mots, écoutez le plutot. Une pop bien aiguisée, sucrée sans être visqueuse, vive sans s'affoler. Cette album est une douce nuance entre les différents univers musicaux de Suède (Une légère différence entre les groupes Hard Rock(dont je ne pourrais finalement pas donner de nom....argumentation foutue...mais bon), les Hives, et Jen lenkman par exemple...). On pourrait bien critiquer cet album pour des centaines de raison( mou du genou, pop déjà vu....) mais je reste convaincu que c'est l'impression qui conte le plus; alors, je ne sais pas pour vous, mais après "El Perro Del Mar"(2004), je me sens mieux...

• El Perro del Mar - Here Comes That Feeling
• El Perro del Mar - Dog
• El Perro del Mar - Party

Néanmoins, le deuxième opus m'a nettement moins convaincu, sans pour autant me décevoir d'ailleurs. C'est toujours dans le même esprit, peut-être légèrement moins pop donc légèrement moins accrocheur de sac à main (entendre "accrocher vite"). Peut-être faut-il encore une multitude d'écoute pour saisir vraiment la profondeur de cet album....Je n'en sais rien. "The Valley To The Stars" est bon déjà, peut-il être excellent comme son prédécesseur?

• El Perro Del Mar - Jubilee
• El Perro del Mar - Inner Island
• El Perro del Mar - How did we forget

EDIT : Avec quelques mois de retard, "Midnight Boom" des Kills est franchement...oui, il m'a fallu un peu de temps...

The problem is chiefly in the pacing, or to be more accurate, the lack of anything representing a change of pace. Individually, the compositions are actually pretty inspired. Glory to the World moves at a funereal pace, Assbring barely has to bother singing, and the melody’s almost childlike in its simplicity, yet it’s genuinely heartbreaking. The same applies to You Can’t Steal A Gift and How Did We Forget, so much so that listening to all three in succession actually has a detrimental effect.

Fans of the album have used terms like ‘cohesiveness’ and ‘uniformity’, but I’m not buying it. From The Valley To The Stars is simply a collection of mostly good and occasionally great songs that just doesn’t quite work as a whole. I’m not asking Sarah Assbring to cheer up, I like her just the way she is, but what I would like to see next time is a bit more variety and just a few tempo changes. It's not too much to ask is it? (6)

Album review published on NORIPCORD.COM

...well, that and completely tone-def.

if you want to read a review, there are plenty floating around the blogosphere.

all i ask is that you check out the cohorts: el perro del mar & anna ternheim:

anna ternheim:

el perro del mar:

]]> http://noiseplusplus.wordpress.com/?p=93 Mon, 19 May 2008 23:36:05 +0000 Matty http://noiseplusplus.wordpress.com/?p=93 This week I was able to see a couple more shows. This week was definitely the lesser of two weeks when compared to last week. The bands I intended to see were a little disappointing but through them I found a couple bands that I would have never found before.

Anna is a solo, acoustic, indie-folk Swedish singer/songwriter that opened as a "Special Guest" for El Perro Del Mar and Lykke Li. The fact that she was opening was pretty interesting after I checked out the three band's LastFM pages. She was listed as having 2.4 million listens, while Lykke Li had 650k listens and El Perro Del Mar had 950k listens. Regardless of stats and statistics, she was really good. Her voice sounds better live than it does on her recordings. Also her non-singing Swedish accent is really hot! I was not expecting much from this "Special Guest" but instead of found an awesome new band for my chill-out playlist.

[audio=http://noiseplusplus.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/anna_ternheim_-_to_be_goneclip.mp3]

(Clip of "Anna Ternheim - To Be Gone [0:38 min])

Before this concert I had heard of but I hadn't actually heard anything from Lykke Li. For some reason I had a completely unfounded idea that she wasn't really someone I would be interested in. With this in mind, when I heard her stuff I was pleasantly surprised. Out of all the bands this week, she was definitely the most entertaining. Her music (at least most of it) is upbeat and fun, which fits perfectly which her similarly styled stage presence. Lykke Li was another fresh addition to my music repertoire this week.

[audio=http://noiseplusplus.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/lykke_li-im_good_im_goneclip.mp3]

(Clip of "Lyyke Li - Im Good, I'm Gone [0:39 min])

As opposed to the first two bands, I had heard a little bit from El Perro Del Mar before I saw the show. She is really hit or miss for me. I really like the songs Dog and God Knows but I wasn't into much more than that. A friend of mine really likes El Perro Del Mar so I thought it would be fun to go to her show anyways. My opinion of her live performance was pretty similar to my opinion the albums I had listened too. She played both the songs I really liked and I thought they were great. Her other stuff was just a little too slow and uninteresting for my tastes. My friend on the other hand thought it was amazing. So if you like all her stuff, I'd bet you'd like her live.

[audio=http://noiseplusplus.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/el_perro_del_mar-dogclip.mp3]

(Clip of "El Perro Del Mar - Dog [0:39 min])

Tokyo Police Club is up there in my list of favorite bands. That is at least if we are talking about their first album. Their latest album Elephant Shell is pretty good but isn't even in the same league as their first album. It has two songs that are first album worthy (Tessellate and Your English Is Good). That being said, having at least one full album of wicked tracks under their belt I was super excited to see them live.

Sadly I was let down. First off, we got their late (which is normally not an issue because they had two openers) and they had already started. We only missed a song or two but we quickly got in the middle of the crowd ready to jump around. They played mostly their second album with some of their first album sprinkled in the set list. This left the audience standing around for most the show with intermittent jumping around for their well known songs. This led to a very high highs and low lows kind of show.

To top it all off the entire set was only 50 minutes (including the 5-10 we missed). Although I'm sure this wasn't the band's decision it left me feeling ripped off. I was left with a saddened and empty walk home at 10:30. It makes me feel bad writing negatively about a band I love but this show was just not good. I hope they pick it up next album and I will definitely try out their live show again.

[audio=http://noiseplusplus.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/tokyo_police_club-your_english_is_good.mp3]

(Clip of "Tokyo Police Club - Your English Is Good [0:43 min])

# INFO spécial "Charlotte passe son BAC donc ne peut pas écrire" : Santagold, Julian Casablancas et Williams Pharell sortiront un Trio très prochainement! Source

# INFO spécial Inrocks : Démissionnaire des Arctic Monkeys après le carton de leur premier album, officiellement par dégoût des tournées incessantes, le bassiste Andy Nicholson reprend du service. Avec l'aide de quelques camarades, notamment le batteur des Monkeys Matt Helders, Drew McConnell des Babyshambles à la guitare ou John McClure de Reverend & the Makers au chant, il a ainsi monté un nouveau groupe nommé MONGREL -la nouvelle petite troupe est actuellement en en cours d'enregistrement.

En écoute : She and Him - "Volume One"( 2008 )

1. The Spinto Band - Summer Grof
2. El Perro del Mar - It's All Good
3. The Greenhornes - Nobody Loves You
4. Arja Kastinen - Alla pehkovan petajan
5. Audio Bullys - Gimme That Punk
6. Jamie Lidell - Figured Me Out
7. Verbal - Manifest Destiny(Get Down)
   
8. Verbal - Walk In The Park
9. The Ting Tings - Be The One
10. The Bird And The Bee - How Deep Is Your Love (Bee Gees)

Pix : Teenagers et Justice

Vendredi, je suis allé voir la présentation du nouveau single des Cocorosie dans une galerie d'art, embarquée à l'improviste par une amie fan. Bon, niveau présentation pouvait faire mieux (passe deux fois le clip (assez étrange d'ailleurs) puis balance de la musique-autre un verre de ponch et hop c'est déjà fini, donc pas de rencontre avec les artistes ect ect...un peu déçue) mais le titre en lui même est pas mal du tout. Un tube tout dessiné ; au bout de deux fois seulement, on l'a déjà en tête, je ne sais pas vraiment si le tube est creux ou non, seul le temps nous le dira. On voit déjà au loin débarqué un album bien plus typé électro que le précédent, toujours avec le style particulier des Cocorosie marqué au fer rouge. Nouvel album à guetter. Je viens de me réécouter l'album de MGMT. J'avoue être un peu passé à coté de quelque chose. A vrai dire j'ai tellement été subjugué par Electric Feel que tout le reste ma paru, certes très bon, mais voilà. Et là j'ai l'impression de devenir vraiment fan mais quelque chose de vraiment profond. L'album de The Bird And The Bees est excellent, ainsi que les EP. Une petite douceur à l'état pure. Ensuite, sachez que PEUT-ÊTRE (et si je le mets en majuscule, c'est pas pour rien) Zack Starkey quitte Oasis...encore un qui s'est fait viré par les Gallagher... Nouvelles chansons pour The Spinto Band sur leur myspace.

PREMIÈRE PARTIE DES KINGS OF LEON AU ZENITH LE 8 JUILLET : LES MGMT.MERCI!!!!

Ensuite, pour ce qui est de la Playlist, nous avons bien évidement le nouveau (en bonne qualité!) des Cocorosie, une reprise de Estelle (que pourtant, je n'aime pas tant que ça) plutôt sympathique, un petit air familier et assez intéressant d'El Perro Del Mar, un B-side du single Wondering des Dirty Pretty Things qui serait apparemment dans le nouvel album, lui aussi très sympathique et enfin une petite des Evaporators pour finir un peu en cacahuète.

1. El Perro Del Mar - Glory To The World
2. Cocorosie - God Has A Voice And She Speaks Through Me
3. Dirty Pretty Things - Chinese Dogs (Demo)
4. Estelle - She's So Lovely (Scouting For Girls)
5. Evaporators - Nard Nest

Et cadeau bonus des Dirty Pretty Things aussi dispo sur leur site : Hippy's Son . Personnellement, je n'arrive pas vraiment à accrocher mais le temps viendra où je changerais surement d'avis....comme d'habitude, d'ailleurs....

Le clip de Danger! d'Electric Six, juste parce que c'est très drôle...

Pix : Carlos Barât et Alex Turner

But tonight I was finishing up my book for 'Boxes & Bindings'. The book/box combo had to be a documentation of something. It was a very vague syllabus for an assignment. I made a small, landscape-oriented, rectangular, 4-leaf bound, hardcover book. Inside I made roughly 2 1/4" slit that vertically stands halfway of the paper. The documentation element comes in by inserting a ticket from a concert or lecture that I'd attended within the past year. The title of the book is "All My Friends," which is reminiscent of my love affair for LCD Soundsystem(in fact, one of the tickets inside was a show they pulled off way back in April or May 2007). The box was a slight wrapping with a bad cut-job at the top, where the book could be inserted. I really wasn't putting my 'all' into this, because I knew it made slight difference and I'd been doing ok in that class for some time. Besides, I'm transferring to MassART for the fall, ain't I? I finished up some notes for the exam today as well and that wasn't as big a deal because I'd already had a bunch of them written down from my instructors powerpoints. My mother caught me in the act of awake around 6am and told me I really need to go to bed because of the obvious. Now remember, I'm in Sagamore, MA which is about a good hour-long ride from Boston. I passed out around 8am and awoke at 3:30pm. I soon found this was a bad idea; either that or I needed to wake up earlier or not take as much time as I did showering. I let my mother know I was currently in overdraw with my account and she came to the rescue; and when she comes to the rescue, she does. She gave me $100, which I thought was way too much dough, but it came in handy this weekend. I'd left sometime around four and didn't arrive at the dorm hall where I could park my car until five-forty-five. I really wanted to get there at five-thirty so I could make it out to the shuttle and not have to take the T in. I haven't solidified why, but I have a bit of a gripe with the T. Regardless, I arrived late and therefore would most likely be late to 'History of Modern Design'.

I sort-of dashed for the T at Harvard Square because I missed last class unintentionally because I was finishing a paper last Wednesday/Thursday. I had my MacBook open and everything. I was on studying, practically, on-the-go. It's almost like nothing mattered except getting to class on time. Upon the arrival to Kenmore and dodging the car doors, I broke my wrist-watch. This disappointed me because I've had that thing since I saw Justice play in NYC last October and pretty much since I've been friends with Brit & Paul(I'll talk about that in another post). When I staggered in through the class-room doors, eight minutes late. I saw nothing but an expo going on in our usual classroom. I even saw some classmates just lounging. I thought to myself, "This is what I stressed for? This is what I broke my wrist for?" But of course, I focused on where the class was being held for the day. I asked the classes Teachers Assistant(don't ask!) if she knew where my would-be destination was. When I arrived, I took the final, and it wasn't as difficult as I thought I'd be, because some of the most difficult issues, for me at least, weren't on it. About fifteen minutes to completion, my teacher handed me back my Paul Rand essay. I love Paul so it wasn't that difficult to write or research. My eyes widened like no tomorrow–I got an A! The only thing he was decisive about were minor grammar issues. Also received was my pop quiz from two weeks back and I got a 9/10 from that. I suddenly felt so confident that no problem would hold me back with the rest of the exam. Afterward, I sat in front of AIB and smoked what I believe-to-be way-too-much cigarettes my partner-in-crime Carolyn Geason. We planned the rest of the evening; We'd go to UBurger and get some onion rings, head to CVS and grab some gummy worms/Sprite on the way to her apartment, work and watch 'Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law', and I would crash at her place. I even got to watch what-is-now ancient episodes of 'Darkwing Duck' because apparently Carolyn loves her saturday-morning Disney cartoons.

Today was about as expansive as that last sentence and from Friday onward, things sped up and got more fun with time.

Friday
We awoke at 7am after passing out at 2am. Carolyn had been dealing with some difficulty involving the unavailingness of Lesley Universities poor mail/check efforts for her hours working in the computer lab. We'd taken the T back to AIB and right in time for me to hop onto the shuttle where I would then return to the car to ensure it wasn't towed and sure enough it was safe and sound with all of my artwork inside. I went to my room and took a shower because I felt disgusting after the late night work with Carolyn. It was so hollow, my room; Hardly anything inside but the clothes I was changing into. Returning to AIB and killing some time until my afternoon class, I DJ'd with Traktor in the lounge whilst senior students were growing more and more nervous with their critiques. When class time came, I wasn't worried at all. I knew my book wasn't overly significant, but it didn't matter at all: What did, was that class would end shorter today and in pure honesty I was anticipating my exit. I think everyone in that class was. Teacher gave a good verbal lashing to me regarding my book critique. She suggested that I wrote something significant about an event on the paper where my ticket was slit into. I actually reflected and yes, I did have plenty of memories that would've worked well on the pages. She told us to all take a fifteen minute break while she evaluated our final books and I just stayed put. As soon as class was over, I snagged the shuttle, almost literally, to my dorm and upon arrival signed out of my dorm room. I was a bit worried that now I was signed out, my car was vulnerable to anyone to tow. At my student center, which is about a half mile away, I called Paul and asked if I could stay the night after the Swedish Music "Taking over the world" Tour with Anna Ternheim, Lykke Li, and El Perro Del Mar. I also asked him if he had parking available at his space. I browsed around and eventually found a spot that is usually two hours only except weekends starting at 6pm friday. I snagged one and-even though-in the next day or so I would check on it, it'd still be in good condition; Not a bump or a scratch, which is a relief.

Upon arrival, I thought I'd go to see my friend Mandy. I've plotted earlier in the day by text messages to meet up with her around 5:30pm and around that time she'd found some friends that she wanted to hang out with. Oh well, there's aways next time... Later in the evening Paul and I went to the Middle East for the show, and it was quite an elegant evening. We met with his online friend Gabrielle who is actually surprisingly nice and I hope to chill with her more often in Boston. I kind of went off on a few talks and almost ranted which I don't like that well. I haven't been to the Middle East Upstairs since New Years for the Throwed! party with my pal E-Marcé. In fact, I met him that night and we became good friends. I guess I could say I have some history with the venue overall. Anna started off the evening with some good songs. She played by herself using a piano and a guitar: Alternating between the two for the songs. Anna had a good voice. Paul says her songs are performed with either a good band or herself and he thinks the orchestrated versions are better. I can't really say so because a/ I haven't heard the girls music before and b/ I actually enjoyed the singled out performances more. Lykke Li took the stage and I was so hyped. The three of us dance, dance, danced. There came a point in one of her songs where I started to blow bubbles and Gabriella actually told me that people really loved it when I did so. I didn't get any compliments so I wasn't taking it as a good thing; No one punched my sorry ass so I guess that's also a good thing.
I actually chilled out a bit too much when I was listening to El Perro Del Mar. Funny, because the lead, Sarah Assbring(yes, Ass Bring) was very angular and geometric in appearance. However, the show was as good as Anna's and she had some similar songs-except this time with a band. After the show, Gabby took out some Virginia Slims, one-twenties, and I had a smoke with her. Man, these cigarettes were way too long and too thin; They were girly cig's so I couldn't discount her for it. I said goodbye to Gabby and Paul told us that we should be friends while he's away. I'd agree; she does like herself some AIR.

It was after 1am and we were waiting/praying(at least I was, internally) for the sixty-six T bus to his house. The bus actually had left early when it picked us up and half-way had to turn around and recover it's tracks. While walking we talked about a bunch: New York vs. Boston, Swedish Music vs. Electronic Music vs. Shoegaze Music. I love talking to Paul because not only is he an interesting character, but someone who at least gets me to a degree. We stopped at the Brighton Tedeschi and grabbed some treats to keep us awake. When we arrived back to his place, we finished what we'd started, along with his roomate Bryan. We watched two Star Wars movies and I made it roughly a half-hour into the third one before longing for some shut eye. Literally, I was sliding in and out of consciousness.

Saturday
Today was more laid back because all that was being done was some apartment surfing with Brit, and what soon became the new addition to our line-up, Bryon. My evening was filled with the design show. It was very nice and subtle, I saw many of my classmates from this past year. Some of them, I'm actually really glad didn't show up because in some honesty I don't like them. The design work was as good as often as I gave compliments to the hard-working (or so I think) designers. I was really disappointed with the keynote speaker because the presentation wasn't originally supposed to be a review/lecture of his work. And might I say, the work quite frankly, sucked. I was even more let down when I'd discovered that Matthew Carter, the one-man/typographer who I designed a mock exhibition on this past semester, was the original choice. It wasn't for nothing, though because I got to see Carolyn again and she looked fabulous that evening. Granted, she was only dressed the way she usually does in front of AIB, but her hair was a bit touched up and so was the make up she was wearing. Everyone was honestly looking their finest-I was just being a overzealous Paul Rand. I collected business cards from some students who's work and card were well designed and some I grabbed because they are my friends. I really enjoyed Michael Armenta's work because although he used Helvetica, he had a really eye-catching typeface that he designed himself. His Coptic-stitched scrap-swap-file was really creative and visually fresh from page to page. I also discovered from Carolyn that Daniel was gay, which had me interested only because I'm gay and single; However, I've never met the guy, which is in itself a shame. I had a beer and cig(s) with Carolyn on the way to South Station and even took a few good photos with my cell phone. She loves her camera-almost in some cases, too much. I called up Paul when I arrived at Warren Street on the B line and he opened the door for me. It was an incredibly brief goodbye. After a lengthy ride home, I wrote last nights entry (!the first!) regarding this entry. So here it is. What a weekend.

Also, for a while I've assumed the identity as a freelance designer as .fuss. That's no longer the case. I accepted the fact that .fuss just made me stand out, but in the wrong context. From now on my design is considered under the influence of foley design. I'd use my first name, but that just sounds so plain and uncreative; RJ Foley Designs doesn't have a very attractive ring to it either. At some point I'll find a creative name to guise under, but just not anytime soon. I finished up today sketching out a system for the identity and more work on the promo book that'll be worked on, printed, bound, fucked, and sent out to all my favorite designers, studios, record labels, magazines, and otherwise. I got some good ideas today regarding it and a nice visit from my father.

I'm going to post the very Paul Rand essay that got me an 'A' in a bit after this entry.

Portishead

Here are a couple tracks from the latest Portishead album. It's been quite a long time since the last album and there are a couple really good songs.

*RIGHT CLICK, THEN PRESS ‘SAVE AS’ TO DOWNLOAD*

DOWNLOAD: Portishead - Machine Gun

DOWNLOAD: Portishead - We Carry On

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Lykke Li

Lykke Li, from lovely Stockholm, Sweden...

DOWNLOAD: Lykke Li -Breaking it Up

DOWNLOAD: Lykke Li - Little Bit

**Lykke Li opens for El Perro Del Mar at the Mod Club (722 College St) Tonight. (That's Sunday May 11, 2008)**

DOWNLOAD: El Perro Del Mar - Glory to the World

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Drive By Truckers

Here's a fantastic song from the consistently rocking band Drive by Truckers:

DOWNLOAD: Drive By Truckers - Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife

*RIGHT CLICK, THEN PRESS ‘SAVE AS’ TO DOWNLOAD*

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> Eu disse que faria algum especialzinho pro povo nórdico do meu coração. É por isso que, além dos cinco motivos para amar o norueguês Sondre Lerche e o sueco Jens Lekman, ainda colocarei aqui pra vocês mais doces do povo lá da Escandinávia. Enjoy!

Cinco motivos pra amar Sondre Lerche:

01) Sua amizade com o Brasil: Quem conhece só um pouquinho do Sondre, sabe que ele tem uma relação muito próxima com o Brasil. Pelos meus (não tão) vastos conhecimentos de sua vida, ele ainda não visitou o país, mas é louco pra conhecer o Rio e é super amiguinho do Milton Nascimento.

02) Sua preocupação com os direitos humanos: Há alguns meses Sondre visitou Lesoto e escreveu em um post bem interessante contando a experiência. Dá pra sentir ao ler o texto como ele se preocupa com essas coisas... é uma graça!

03) Seu talento: Antes de completar a maioridade a Sandrinha já tinha contrato com uma gravadora. Tudo bem que a Avril Lavigne também tinha, mas vamos separar as coisas...

04) Suas letras: É fácil achar que Sondre é até americano quando você lê as suas letras: são perfeitas, sem nenhum erro, e CHEIAS de gírias. Aprendo muito com ele. Ótimos exemplos: "Phantom Punch" (Do you wanna feel the Phantom Punch? / Isn't it already far too much?) e "Say it All" (Play it again and say it all / You know the punch line / It's all in the punchline). Phantom Punch = Karma, Punch line = a 'graça' de uma piada.

05) Eu, Meu Irmão e Nossa Namorada: Eu não sei se o filme é bom, mas Sondre é responsável pela trilha sonora e o ótimo Steve Carell está no elenco. A trilha sonora ainda conta com participações de Regina Spektor e Lillian Samdal. Mais sobre o filme aqui.

Mais sobre Sondre Lerche:
No myspace do cantor você pode ouvir três músicas da trilha sonora do filme: 'To Be Surprised', 'My Hands Are Shaking' e 'Modern Nature', essa última com a voz fofa de Lillian Samdal.

Cinco motivos para amar Jens Lekman:

01) Sua transparência: Todo mundo que presta um pouquinho de atenção nas letras do Jens, vê que ele tem uma amiga chamada Lisa e que ele ainda é apaixonado pela Sara. Esses são só alguns exemplos de como o Jens consegue deixar bem claro tudo o que ele sente e o que ele pensa sobre as coisas. Ir em um show dele é dançar ao som das histórias da vida dele, que ele conta em suas músicas.

02) As letras retardoromânticas e seus trocadilhos: Eu não preciso falar muito sobre as letras do Jens, só preciso dar alguns exemplos, como "A Man Walks Into a Bar" (A man walks into a bar / orders a beer and a bowl of peanuts / but the bar turns into a spaceship / and the bartender gives him a hair cut / I cant remember the end of that joke / you once told it to me when we smoked / on your fathers expensive cigars / all I remember is the part of a man walking into a bar) e "Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo" (My heart is beating, beating like Ringo / as I pull into the drive-in bingo)

03) Os posts em seu site: A sessão 'smalltalk' do site oficial do Jens é a coisa mais deliciosa de ler: Jens faz posts tão simples, mas dá logo pra notar como ele é doce. O post mais fofo é aquele do dia primeiro de maio do ano passado, em que ele fica todo feliz com a notícia de que a Kirsten Dunst gosta dele. "Kirsten likes me! Kirsten likes me!"... Quem não gosta?

04) A voz: Eu lembro a primeira vez que eu ouvi uma música do Jens Lekman - a faixa era 'Julie' e a única coisa que eu sabia sobre ele era que ele era sueco e que ele foi eleito um dos caras mais sexy da Suécia. Não vou dar muitos detalhes, mas eu apaixonei rapidinho depois de ouvir a música, coloca sexy nisso heh.. hehhehe.

05) Sua caretice: Querendo aparecer um pouquinho, tava eu na Invasão Sueca com a Vanessa. Eu tava segurando o chopp do Jens enquanto ele autografava uma folha da agenda da Barbie da Van, e apareceu um estranho perguntando se o Jens não queria dar uns teco com eles. Jens sorriu, disse que não, e continuou com a gente.

Mais sobre Jens Lekman:
Para você poder confirmar tudo o que eu escrevi aqui, leia a entrevista que o sueco deu para o Coquetel Molotov. É impossivel não se apaixonar por ele...

* Falando em Coquetel Molotov, eu quero pq eu QUERO que a próxima Invasão Sueca tenha uma edição aqui no Rio de Janeiro. Eu não sei e nem procuro saber pq o povo desistiu dos cariocas, mas em 2006 eu tava lá e presenciei a falta de educação que o público mostrou no show do Erlend Oye (que nem sueco é?), mas né, acho que a gente merece uma nova chance. Por favooor, ainda mais se o Jens voltar...

> O que eu aprendi com o povo da Dinamarca?

Que você não deve querer mostrar seus dotes intelectuais e cantar letras em norueguês do of Montreal, principalmente aquela chamada "Labyrinthian Pomp". Eles podem, assim, achar que você quer some pussy, pq é isso que a letra diz.

Que "du og meg" pronuncia-se "du oi mei".

Que lá todo mundo passa a mão em todo mundo. Eu apertei a bunda de dois.

Dinamarca é cultura!

> Já falei demais do Sondre Lerche e do Jens Lekman, então vai aqui algumas dicas de bandas e artistas nórdicos que merecem ser ouvidos:

El Perro del Mar (Suécia)
Vapnet (Suécia)
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names (Suécia)
Love Is All (Suécia)
I'm From Barcelona (Suécia)
Hell On Wheels (Suécia)
Sambassadeur (Suécia)

Kings of Convenience (Noruega)

Vamos aumentar essa lista? Não consigo mais lembrar de coisas boas desse canto do mundo, e a Suécia tá ganhando batido. Mas não posso esquecer de comentar da grande influência que a Noruega tem na nova fase do of Montreal, e como a Dinamarca exporta ótimos bateristas (Lasse Petersen do The Rakes e Lars Ulrich do Metallica)!

Deixo vocês agora com um video super bacana da banda Suburban Kids With Biblical Names, "Loop Duplicate My Heart":

> Ok, paramos de falar da Escandinávia agora? Próximo post desse tipo, deixo a Aline fazer, e não duvido nada que seja pro Canadá! :P

- Tchau