Santi White (a.k.a. Santogold) debut album: “Santogold” is in one word good!. Interesting sounds, some pop, some reagge, some glam, and some voice!… my favorite song is L.E.S Artistes and Creator. Creator is quite unique, at the beginning it used to annoy me, but after few plays I became a fan. It is hard for me to compare her with anybody else, perhaps some Macy Gray and some Cocorosie… but then again perhaps not!…
I heard this song in a podcast and got into my head for the rest of the day. The song was “Its not you its me” from “Coconut Records”. Got no choice but to look’em up. The band (one man band - Jason Schwartzman) has put only one record out: Nighttiming, and the whole album sounds pretty silly if you ask me, but damn, I can’t get some of the tunes out of my head. So let me share my pain with you…
You can here some of their stuff at his myspace page: http://myspace.com/coconutrecords
West Coast
Its not you Its me
Ireland has given us many fabulous musicians over the years. Among them are luminaries such as U2, Van Morrison, Enya, Thin Lizzy, The Cranberries, and of course Sinéad O’Connor. Today, I read in The Wall Street Journal about another Irish band called Bell X1 (X one and not eleven) about to release their first album in the United States. This album, called Flock, was first released in Ireland in 2006 and went on to become a multi-platinum selling one vaulting them to superstardom in the Emerald Isle. I had never heard of the band until today and curious, checked them out online. They sound awesome and are like a cross between Coldplay and Radiohead, if that’s even possible.
There are many of their songs on youtube (including some from Flock) but the following from an earlier album stood out for me. It’s called Tongue and is a high rocking number. Wear headphones if at work.
A couple of nights ago I was flipping channels waiting for Weeds to download. I happened to stop at MTV music channel in HD, which believe it or not, it actually shows music, go figure!. Anyways there were showing James Blunt acoustic show. The only thing I knew about the guy was that he was behind a song my niece really likes: “You are Beautiful”, which I find particularly sappy for my taste. I heard a few songs, because his music is mostly acoustic anyways.
Among the few songs I heard there was this one that both Vanessa and I liked, I guess more for the lyrics than anything else, the music is ok and he delivered it quite well in the acoustic show. The song is “Same Mistake” and is worth listening to.
The song is part of his latest album “All the Lost Souls”, which it took me half listening to realize that the style is not my favorite. It actually reminded me a bit Dido, whose songs all sound the same after few chords. Very uninteresting.
The studio video is terrible… you can be the judge. The surrealistic camera is very much misused. I am sure Mr Aronofsky will be dissapointed. But of course that is just my take.
The unplugged version is also in youtube, but for some reason the embedded link is not available. You can get it at youtube by clicking here.
A Drink and a Quick Decision is Grand National latest album, isn’t that a great title?
I have not heard the whole album, I downloaded about 5 tunes from emusic. The song called “Animal Sounds” is pretty good and perhaps one of the most interesting so far. I am still getting used to the style. At times it sounds like a less acoustic Coldplay; in many other a less inventive Depeche Mode. I guess a bit too 80s for me.
This is their second album, the first had a pretty good title as well: “Kicking the National Habit” - haven’t downloaded anything from it yet so can’t comment.
In emusic they have it categorized as “smooth electropop”… yes I thought the same thing, what the hell is “smooth electropop”?. Well evidently there is enough on it to be a genre, check out what wikipedia says about the genre.
take a listen…
Animal Sounds
Cut By the Brakes
Spoon’s latest album is even better than their last one Gimme Fiction. They have a very unique-their own style. I really like how their use the piano in the background of their songs. Their lyrics keep being superb; KUDOS to them.
I could talk more about this album, but every review I’ve read so far will give you better insight than I can.
Enjoy
The Ghost of you lingers
My little Japanese cigarette case
The Underdog
There is this album that I really liked and I had acquired, and then lost, and then reacquired. The album is Formica Blues, the only album released (actually there were two releases of the same album) from british band Mono; thus the reason I had never heard back from them again. I traced the lead singer: Siobahn De Mare (e with tilde) to this rather obscure band called Violet Indiana. Just out of curiosity I downloaded the first song from Roulette (released in 2001): Air Kissing. Good tune, got excited and downloaded the whole album, dumb mistake! The album is just plain flat, nothing much happens anywhere, it is like listening over and over to the same song. Not quite what I was expecting, after some people (fans?) rave’d about it. There are a couple, ok maybe three, songs that worth the effort of tuning in and listening carefully.
They have a couple of more albums out: Russian Doll released in 2004, and Casino in 2002. Not sure if there are still together or not… oh, yes, I don’t really care.
damn… i found this review at pitchfork…
Life in Mono from Formica Blues
Air Kissing
Little Echo
I recently acquired Bowie’s collaboration with Arcade Fire recorded live at Fashion Rocks. It only has three songs. In this album there is a version of “Life on Mars?”, and what an odd song that is. As I was listening to it the lyrics made no sense to me. So I searched for the lyrics, only to find out that indeed they don’t make any sense. There are comparisons to as if Dali would have written the lyrics. I can see why, I mean :
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! Look at those cavemen go
It’s the freakiest show
Take a look at the Lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he’ll ever know
He’s in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
Sometimes it is hard to realize how much history and thoughtfulness can be behind a song that at first glance would not make you think that is the case. By doing some more digging I came across this history behind the song itself, and at least some things start making sense. I find great the parody to Frank Sinatra and my way, it does come up, even without knowing the history behind it.
making sense?… as I was reading the link above I noticed the Flaming Lips had made a cover. Nothing can prepare you for this version, if you thought the song itself was weird I invite you to hear (experience) the Flaming Lips version.
Bowie/Arcade Fire version
Flaming Lips
More pop, I guess everybody is getting ready for the summer. The turn is for 1990s, the sort of ska-punk-pop-ish from Glasgow whose new single See You at the Lights was made available today in preparation for the US album release of “Cookie” sometime in July. The tune is good and catchy, a little too much like Franz Ferdinand, Hard Fi, and the new wave of brit bands.
Of course they have a myspace page with some of their older stuff, which is a bit more punk than this new song, and pretty interesting, very raw.
“See you at the lights” is available at their myspace page and also here…
Once again from Entourage… in episode 43 “Welcome to the jungle” the closing song caught my attention. The credit goes to Chester French and their only “published” song (at least the one where they sing - available in iTunes): She Loves Everybody. The song is really good. Good pop. There is little information on the band, you can find some stuff at their myspace page. They have four songs available at their page… so you be the judge. I really like “She Loves Everybody”; “Beneath the Veil” is pretty good as well, though the end is a bit self-indulgent. The other two… nothing special… just ok tunes.
Can’t share a song cuz don’t have it… but listen at their myspace page.
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