I Am The Crime
A Fine Mess
New O’Spada Remix, Video
Feb 5th
I don’t claim to stay on top of what O’Spada are up to, but I do think they’re pretty good and I gotta support my fellow Swedes, right?
This time it’s a remix of the track “Ten Strikes” done by French producer DAZE, as well as a video of the original version of the song done by “two Englishmen using old stock footage and stop motion animation to create a very surrealistic experience.” Yeah, you be the judge of that.
Personally I think the DAZE remix is much sharper than the original. O’Spada in general seem to go for a sort of late 80’s dance sound that sounded old even back then, but it still has a nostalgic value.
O’Spada’s next single “Pay Off” is due in February and the album (with the same name) will be out sometime before summer.
O’Spada – 10 Strikes (the will of will & george video) from Will Cummock on Vimeo.
Charlotte Gainsbourg in Flaunt Magazine
Feb 3rd
I’m a sucker for pretty pictures of pretty people, especially if the people in question also happen to be very talented. This is why I’m bringing the latest issue of Flaunt Magazine to your attention. Besides starring in a beautiful series of photographs taken by Kurt Iswarienko, Charlotte Gainsbourgh is also being interviewed in this issue (obviously that’s not her on the cover though).
The French songbird talks about collaborating with Beck on her latest album, the emergency brain surgery she went through after suffering a blow to the head in 2007, and how indulging in Lars von Trier’s controversial movie “Antichrist” helped in her recovery.
To read the full interview, just follow the cut at the bottom of this post.
~Charlotte Gainsbourg – “Me and Jane Doe”~
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall…
Feb 1st
Despite already featuring them on the site twice, I haven’t given Desire a proper introduction yet. To be honest I wasn’t even planning to but it only seems appropriate now that they make their third appearance (albeit with the help of some guest stars).
Hailing from Montreal, Canada, Desire consists of Megan, Johnny and Natty. Befitting their Italian disco sound, the band is signed to American label Italians Do It Better, home of similar artists Glass Candy, Chromatics, Nite Jewel amongst others. Their album II was released last year and – while far from perfect – got some heavy rotation on my playlist.
The reason I’m having these guys on the site again is because of a remix of their song “Miroir Miroir” that fell into my mailbox last week. It’s done by Mirror People, also known as producer Rui Maia, and features The Dark Esquire whose vocals have replaced Megan’s.
So to the question at hand – who is the fairest of them all (um, both)? The original or the remix? I think they both have strong points but I am inclined to like Mirror People’s version better because it has a darker and more mysterious touch to it while Desire’s is more direct and upbeat. And even though the remix is slightly longer it actually feels less repetitive than the original. But there’s not doubt that I enjoy both versions. Why choose anyway?
~ Mirror People – “Mirror Mirror” (feat The Dark Esquire) ~
Crime Waves
Jan 24th
~ PNAU feat. Ladyhawke – “Embrace” (Fredrick Carlsson Epic Mix) ~
Is there such a thing as sci-fi pop? Well, if not then that’s what I’m dubbing this. The synthesizers make me think of a spaceship so if they were to make a video of this version, that’s where it would take place: on a cool spaceship with white interior. The song was great to being with but I really like what Carlsson did with it. It is indeed rather epic.
~ Terribly Empty Pockets – “Drunk On Gasoline” ~
I might be completely off on this one, but I think it sounds like something that very well could have been on The Go-Betweens’ 16 Lovers Lane album. The strumming guitars, the sing-a-along melody… It was the first thing that popped into mind anyway. Can’t deny that it’s a good song though!
~ Isolation Years – “Michael (If You Cannot Row)” ~
Swedish band that I personally think are a bit underrated here. This is from their 2005 album Cover The Distance which is probably my favorite thanks to this song as well as “Nurse Hands”. Took me awhile to get used to the male vocals as I found them a bit drab at first but now I quite like them. But if you haven’t heard these guys before then this might be a good song to start with as it also has some nice female vocals in it.
~ The Muttering Retreats – “Awkward Poetry” ~
Quirky pop with a touch of twee. The album is rather uneven in song- as well as vocal quality depending on who’s singing. Generally I find the female vocals more engaging than the male on this album, but this song is actually an exception.
~ Seabear – “Lion Face Boy” ~
Icelandic Seabear’s name is as cute as their jangly indie-pop. This one has a rather carefree and cheerful feel to it. A feel-good song basically that also happens to be their latest single.
Fragments Of Winter – “Skyrockets”
Jan 22nd
It could very well be the season of winter or simply my melancholic mood, but lately I’ve had a craving for cold, instrumental electro-pop. The American Dollar’s latest album Atlas seemingly being the catalyst, one-man project Fragments Of Winter (real name Tristan Irvine) has now also joined my current musical rotation of chilly cold pop.
Although it borders on a Jean Michel Jarre-sound a few times, Skyrockets is a very enjoyable album. The songs do indeed sound as if they are made out of winter fragments with its cold, snow-clad soundscape, but also of sparkling colours and fireworks. I think Tristan puts it best himself though:
“The songs are mainly surreal and visual, defined by a melancholic, cold and often despairing sound; at the same time, on top of it, everything is so full of colour, bright lights and loud noises, just like fireworks in a night sky.”
Best tracks: “Astonishing”, “In The Dead Of Night”, “Bitter Colours”, “Sweet Implosions”, “Five Hundred Thousand Feet Below Ice”, “A Flower, Smashed” … basically mostly the first half of the album, not that the other half isn’t good, just not quite as memorable. A track-by-track documentary by Tristan himself can be found here.
Best Of 2009 Mix
Jan 17th
Illustration by Carolyn Alexander.
I don’t particularly like doing best of lists but I felt the need to make up for my slack around here lately, hence this mix. Basically it’s songs that stood out for me during the year or represent albums I listened to a lot. It’s probably a bit inconclusive because a) I can’t remember everything I listened to and, b) I currently have a headache which gives me a free pass for not spending a lot of time compiling this. The mix is divided into two parts and consist of the following artists and tracks:
Part 1 [Download]
Autopilot Is For Lovers – “Come Now”
Hello Seahorse! – “El Segundo”
A Horse And His Boy – “Sidewalks”
Tegan And Sara – “On Directing”
The Mary Onettes – “Symmetry”
Noah And The Whale – “Blue Skies”
Phantogram – “Futuristic Casket”
Bat For Lashes – “Sleep Alone”
Linda Mirada – “Solo”
Beach House – “Silver Soul”
Kent – “Krossa Allt”
Band Of Skulls – “Bomb”
deVries – “What a Wasted Life”
Gliss – “Lovers In The Bathroom”
Florence and The Machine – “Cosmic Love”
Part 2 [Download]
Taken By Trees – “The Greyest Love Of All”
POLLYester – “Run In My Stocking”
Lay Low – “I Forget It’s There”
City Of Satellites – “Control”
Friska Viljor – “If I Die Now”
Jesca Hoop – “Whispering Light”
Zero 7 – “Swing”
Little Dragon – “A New”
Audionom – “Girls and Boys”
Stuck In The Sound – “Quais”
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – “Up From Below”
Lightning Dust – “Antonia Jane”
Desire – “Don’t Call”
The Black Heart Procession – “The Witching Stone”
VAST – “You Should Have Known I’d Leave”
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
Jan 11th
I can’t seem to be able to make up my mind whether I want to continue with this site or not, but until that decision is fully made, here are a few new tunes that I kind of like:
~ LANTERNS. – “Midnight Psalms (Alright!)” ~
~ Boy Genius – “Blame Love” ~
An Apology Of Sorts
Dec 6th
I’m sorry for the lack of updates lately, but things have been a bit crazy: my niece has some sort of mysterious illness causing her to faint which no doubt has the whole family worried, my mom scared the living daylights out of us by falling and hitting her head (she’s OK now) and then I got a stubborn bout of the flu. A bunch of birthdays and – of course – Christmas is coming up now, so I can’t promise that things pick up any time soon, but I’ll try!
Tigercity Tour Dates, Album, Video
Nov 10th
Electronically driven indie-rockers Tigercity have a couple of US tour dates coming up, in support of their new record Ancient Lover.
I’ve had a quick listen of it and have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised. They sound rather like a modern (and judging from the picture, a less glamorous looking) version of Roxy Music most of the time, and coming from someone who loves Roxy Music, that is indeed a compliment.
Besides the album and tour, the guys also have a new video for the single “Fake Gold” which you can view here (and don’t miss the mp3 at the end of the post).
Ancient Lover is out this week.
Tour dates
11/6 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
11/7 – Kansas City, KS – The Brick
11/8 – Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews
11/10 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge*
11/11 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court*
11/12 – Boise, ID – Nuerolux*
11/13 – Missoula, MT – The Palace*
11/15 – Seattle, WA – Nectar*
11/17 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios*
11/18 – Salem, OR – Willamette University*
11/20 – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex*
11/21 – San Diego, CA – Beauty Bar
* w/Neon Indian
~ “Fake Gold” ~
60 Watt Kid – “Virtual Plastic Surgery”
Nov 9th
Taken from their new album We Come From The Bright Side, the video for 60 Watt Kid’s “Virtual Plastic Surgery” is as kooky and awesome as the song itself.