Kate Nash Round Two!

It seems such a long time since it started but still, my fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundation. Back in 2007 Kate Nash revealed Foundation her first single, and every time I listen to it I can’t stop adoring that song, overpowered with a strong feeling of a relationship ending. It doesn’t have to be personal, for so many it wasn’t, but Kate’s voice won everybody on her side in that tale of her relationship.

Three years after her debut album Made of Bricks, she is releasing My Best Friend Is You. Her new musical material is a tour de force a la Kate Nash. Unquestionably Kate comes back with renewed strength and desire. With this new album she consolidates her passion and dedication for music, revealing vivacious instrumental and emotional lyrics voiced in her own special way. She starts with tracks like Paris, where she makes the violin not another tear whipping instrument but rather a string bomb and Kiss That Girl (another 60’s reminiscent sound) where beside the violin she engages effective drums. This way Kate begins the mentioned tour.

Even if just after only two tracks she softens the pace, the song Don’t You Want To Share The Guilt strikes an emotional chord with its softness and depression. Her voice is almost lifeless and the monologue of rage provided towards the ending just pulls it off. As almost all songs, this track is rewarded with something special on the instrumental level too. She makes the Triangle a star like only rare artists ever did.

Further more surprisingly, the song I Just Love You More, brings out the wild Kate - naughty Katey. What am I saying? You’ll hear it when listening to the song. Word of advise: no big volume, unless you wanna be naughty too. With tracks like Doo-Wah-Doo, Kate returns to the 60’s sound a little, and redirects her negative feelings this time towards a female. And with Take Me To a Higher Plane, she returns to the oh so effective violin.

So far Kate has taunted with the 60’s sound reminiscence, well with I’ve Got A Secret she just goes all the way.

Don’t You Want To Share The Guilt had a rage-full monologue. It was surprisingly powerful. Ha! That was pish-posh. Mansion Song has the real rage-full monologue. Boy oh boy, Miss Nash can utter the ‘f’ word so hot. This song is just sexy atrocious. It’s not the mouth of a truck driver, but she does sound a lot like Joan Jett (in her troubled youth) and with a Courtney Love attitude.

No, Mansion Song was real. Not a delusion. Early Christmas Present and Later On succeed as definitely intended to twist you further by sounding like a classic Kate Nash in a merry tempo. Pickpocket is what Kate started her musical journey with. And You Were So Far Away is what soft is for Kate. But she ends her second album with big feelings: hate and likes. I Hate Seagulls is a song of pure romance.

Foundations is an amazing song, guaranteed for anybody who adores it to adore Kate Nash. Luckily with this new album Kate proves why anyone would adore Miss Nash starting that song.

A Short Announcement.

I think it's only fair to let you, our readers, know we won't be posting that often the next month or so. All three of us, me, Smaranda and Leilana, are busy with college related issues. We have to study and all the chaos surrounding those issues leaves little time for other things, even writing about the one thing we love most, music. I promise that as soon as we get things together, we'll be back six days a week, as you were used.

Nancy.

Good Shoes, Good Beats

Good Shoes - The Way My Heart Beats

Unseeing Eye!

Rufus has a new album called All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu. Rufus who? Rufus Wainwright. Wainwright? Yes, Wainwright – artistic contribution in American literature, journalism, cinema and music. Not to mention crème of the 19^th century American society. So with such an impressive genealogical tree, Rufus must have inherited talent, musical one, like all his brothers and sisters. One of his sisters is the Marta Wainwright. Let’s just throw words like Set The Fire To The Third Bar to refresh memories. Anybody who has seen 'The History Boys' was even more mesmerized of the ending because of another incredible recording of Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, with Rufus’s voice. Rufus’s interpretation completed an extraordinary movie. Yes, just a song, but not just a voice.

From all his previous releasing, and this new one as well, Rufus seems a bohemian artist, a romantic. A romantic singer and instrumentalist whose weapon, lover (he seems to actually caress it) and muse, is the piano. To say that the man knows his piano is putting it mildly. Rufus actually succeeds in using, expressing and reaching musical sensuality with honors.

New York is one incredible world. It is not surprisingly that Rufus chose to add a certain song on his new album. Thus first track, entitled Who Are You New York?. Where he so classically traces, some of New York’s most amazing sites. It is not a fast tempo song nor a slow one. It’s definitely not a ballade or an anthem. It’s an ode. The second track is a lament. The title announces beforehand so: So Sad With What I Have. The piano is his shoulder to lament on. And what a shoulder!

The next piece is something of a revival of sound. Dedicated undoubtedly to his sister Martha. It is a sight into family matters. Troubled matters: an angry relation with his sister and a troubled family due to their mother’s health. Unfortunately their mother, Kate McGarrigle, passed away in the beginning of 2010.A song like Give Me What I Want And Give It To Me Now, stands tall above others because of the upbeat tempo. The track is as vivacious as it can get in Rufus’s will.

Immediately next vivacious is let go, cast way, and is replaced by melancholic tracks. Oh, Mr. Wainwright does melancholy so well. A Woman’s Face is a heart pierce of a song. Poetics, vocals and of course the piano are at their peak. A few keys make a dramatic sound, a touching fatality that supports the voicing. He has a voice to remember, similar to that of Greg Laswell or Damien Rice.

On tracks like True Loves and What Would I Ever Do With A Rose? Rufus proves romanticism ‘till the last key note. And how can not a true romantic sing a little French, ergo Les Feux D’Artifice T’Apellent - if you are expecting a translation, you shouldn’t be. The song chosen as closure for this album is Zebulon. That touches delicate matters to the artist, like Martha. The piano is amazingly touching, something that maybe only the great Cole Porter could so easily and powerfully achieve.

So it’s not a stretch to say: Oh Rufus, the album is de-lovely!

picture courtesy of Wikipedia

GIRLS, you are not DUMb !

American-esque all-girls band Dum Dum Girls charges into the new decade with a brand new album I Will Be. I will be frank and declare that this album is as provocative and powerfull as a leopard print garter belt attached to black stockings. After listening to their album, where femininity rules and nags in the most seductive way, you easily can catalogue the Dum Dum Girls as the 2000 version of The Ronettes. But luckily in all the resemblance they manage to lay their own path.

These dum dum ladies explore a cool genre and musical brand by creating and exploring charming voices that go on being quite diffused. I mention voices because there is more than one component of the band that sings. A happening worthy of true praising, since none of them alone, would seem to be extraordinary, on the voice level at least. Together they make a difference, an actual decent one.

The girls go on and around their voices they add and so do compliment some songs with a new thing. New things such as a classical and boyish snare drum rhythm in It Only Takes One Night, Oh Mein Me (they make even German sound good) and in Yours Alone. Or an homage to Nancy Sinatra on Bhang Bhang, I’m a Burnout and even a male voice as guest on Blank Girl.

On other tracks they merge cunningly modern beats with the already 60-ish sound. Ergo tracks like Rest of Our Lives and Baby Don’t Go. If the album I Will Be was catalogued as a fancy garter belt, the track I Will Be is definitely the lacy bra. No push-up, just good fabric, if you think of it. From fast tempos (Everybody’s Out, Lines Her Eyes) to slow, endearing ballads (the magic duo Baby Don’t Go / Rest of Our Lives), the girls can deliver on both ends of any instrument.

The Ronettes were amazing, like Isis, Hera and Juno in one band. There has long been a feeling in the air of something even a little reminiscent of them. Something good not copy-cat. The Dum Dum Girls are to be patted on their heads and encouraged to take it to the next decade with even more style and power.

Who Is MGMT?

Here’s a statement that might shock: MGMT (and Andrew Vanwyngarden in particular) love the 60s. The headbands, the long skirts, the psychedelic videos, Vanwyngarden talking to animals, these sort of things hint that the above statement is true. Ok, maybe the music as well. News that they would team up with Spacemen 3’s Peter Kember for their new album wasn’t much of a shock. Yes, it spawned endless ‘OMG! THIS IS GOING TO BE EPIC”, but it pretty much followed the “60s were all the rage” line. News that Gaga and Kanye influenced Congratulations overshadowed the collaboration. Fear took over and a murmur of “You know, they were great back in the day, these guys, but now… man, I just don’t know what happened to them’. Alas, we all coward behind the mouse before pushing the download button when Flash Delirium was posted on the band’s website.

Luckily, the song’s all-over-the-place atmosphere/instrumental was sign that maybe Gaga and Kanye influenced them in the way that they tried really hard to make an album that could never come close to the mainstream. Insane as it was, Flash Delirium was finger-licking delicious. It was Of Moon, Birds and Monsters’ younger, moodier and more paranoid brother. And just so, Congratulations picks up just were Oracular Spectacular has left us. The band is morphing, Andrew’s new found passion (being Dr. Doolittle the white edition) and Peter Kember shape (and influence) the sound is a grand way.

Their influences move from Bowie and Flaming Lips (while still owing a great deal to the two) and come closer in time: It’s Working’s eerie vocals and aural instrumental have a delightful scent of Blonde Redhead. But as soon as you sink into the album, you come to realise the temporal closeness was just a trick. Song For Dan Treacy sounds more like The Beatles and the British Invasion, while still anticipating the mood shifts of Flash Delirium. Something’s Missing is so surreal (and a bit too short) you actually think it was a breeze not an actual song. And its blooming, glorious end leaves you craving for more.

Quickly passing by Flash Delirium (for the sole reason that we might get stuck here for several days), we move on to what could just be the most overwhelming song on the entire record, I Found A Whistle. And honestly, you can’t tell what it was that made you sing as loud as you could and maybe made you feel a bit teary. Maybe the incredible acoustic guitar, or the song’s crescendo, or the way Vanwyngarden doesn’t sound (for once) like he’s kidding and being way too ironic for his own good. We’ll just ignore the need for a bonfire and a bunch of hippies singing around it.

And when John isn’t enough, the guys turn to Sean Lennon: Siberian Breaks’ intro sounds awfully like it belongs to Sean Lennon’s Into The Sun. But, like the rest of Congratulations, it’s not really just one thing. It’s trippy but calm. There are mood shifts by the dozen but not for one minute do you get confused or find it hard to follow. It’s Sean for a minute but it could be Leonard Cohen or The Who just as well. Some might go ahead and call it indie-prog but the song defies tags like mad and plays with a diversity of sounds, concepts and musical niches. It shamelessly takes you on a rollercoaster music ride and forces to listen to it from second one to minute 12:09 without even the slightest desire to press next.

While Siberian Breaks ends in what might as well be slow motion, Brian Eno starts like a mad chase. Its alert key shifts add up to the hilarious story and make for one fun future festival anthem. If not, at least the next soundtrack to some Scooby Doo movie. Because we’re in subtle land, MGMT offer us Lady Dada’s Nightmare. Yes, you can think of She-who’s-name-we-must-not-speak. It’s simply haunting (sure, the screams in the back and the though of Gaga’s face help) and has a great progression chord. Just that, somewhere deep inside, you were craving for some lyrics just so you could use them in a random conversation about She-who’s-name-we-must-not-speak.

The album draws to an end, the title song kicks in and it’s something like “Hello, Marc Bolan”. Relaxed as it is, Congratulations is an incredible mix between 70s Bowie, T-Rex and contemporary Devendra Banhart. And, for once, instead of the playfulness and edge of youth, MGMT sound mature and deeply melancholic. As the song ends, as you hear the hand clapping, you feel like giving the band a big round of applause. For maybe it is not perfect, but Congratulations is a soulful, fun, boundary-shacking experience. Ever since the debut, we were all sure MGMT had so much more in the bag and with this second album they prove the bag is bottomless. Imagination had no limits and neither do MGMT.

*photo courtesy of www.whoismgmt.com

Dark Night Of The Soul

Among those bands we love or deeply hate, we all have some we think of as… OK. Those bands we can’t really say something coherent about besides that magic word. You’ve heard them once, might remember how they sound (though most of the times, you don’t). Occasionally, there will be those OK bands you kinda enjoy but most of the times, these bands aren’t able to convince you to listen to their music more than once. Then again, if one of their songs comes on the radio or is played in a club, it won’t bother you.

Matt Pond PA, sadly, were one of those bands. Their latest release, Auri Sacri Fames, was deeply forgettable thought not bad musically. Too lo-fi, you said and left it in some dark corner of your hard disk. The Dark Leaves, their new album, however (hence the were) is a nod better. Starting, while unremarkably entitled for the intro of the album, is a fun folk song, slightly bubbly but still showing a bit of despair. And then the songs flows nicely into one another, all of them leaving the impression of a mixture of Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes.

This time, the trouble with Matt Pond PA’s work is that it all sounds the same. No longer deeply unremarkable, the album stops representing an object of interest for the listener after song… four, Remains. So while they might make you tap your foot, hum along or get a mild obsession for a random song off The Dark Leaves (I do strongly recommend The Dark Leaves Theme, a dreamy and bluesy piece), Matt Pond PA fail to bring a solid work to the table. Sadly, if I might say, because they do have a lot of potential.

Hip Hippie !

Often people make that cheesy remark towards their significant other, the one that goes something like “If I got you than I own the world’’. If the significant other is a girl, she gets all mush, and the dude voicing it thanks whatever movie he fished it out of. And if the case stands the other way around, the girl pops the romantic remark to which the guy gets all cocky and swells himself like a peacock. I mention these because translated into a musical scenery and you get a drum kit and a guitar (with give or take a bass) you got the perfect tools to pop an album. You could own the musical world.

American band Harlem launch this year their second album. Name of the album? Well considering the fact that the album is nothing more than a string of inspired tracks from late bohemian 60’s stage, the name is Hippie. Indeed dreadful fashion (Buddha, those pants – awful), but great political stir. Curiously the boy-trio from Harlem presents their new album under a proper wrapping for such a strong influence. The album sounds exactly like a raw demo recording, but great sound nonetheless. Track after track the drumming beats with passion and strength and the string instruments complete evenly the sound equation.

There are songs to be remarked, and shall be from the quite long list, and that do stand for a clear characterization. The beat makes a fine breakthrough from a fired up, oh-so-reminiscent like Gay Human Bones and Friendly Ghost, to a slightly addictive cool Spray Paint and a feminine/romantic Be Your Baby. Even the amazing Faces, with its vocal repertoire and dandy instrumental, or the melancholic cherry Prairie My Heart make the list fit for a hippie album. Towards the end, with Stripper Sunset, the boys gets a tad aggressive, all play and fun but we can jam seriously too – statement. It’s doomed to like this change of mood and the idea of taking it further. The next song Pissed levels the change and Poolside gives a mild closure far from a finality idea.

The album is not exceptional. But it supports the name or vice versa. Every bit of this album is a constant great reminder of a certain current, of a most loved inspiration. It follows it and pays a dazzling homage to a defining movement dedicated entirely to youth.

picture courtesy of Amazon

Distorted Abyss !

On a cultural level, Kingdom of Norway is home of all historical hot Vikings. But on a musical level, we must mention it is the home of Serena Maneesh. Serena appears as strange looking boys parading around as a cool band with a tall skinny blond girl on guitar or bass. Her hair stops the retina from moving forward to her instrument, musical one of course. You do notice a string instrument being floundered on her thighs, nevertheless. But because it’s rather large one, it’s a bass. What can I say, I once had intentions towards bass but just didn’t have the hair.

The guys from Serena Maneesh, (big apologies for the girl but due to the cock majority ergo…), they release a second album, 5 years later from their previous self titled debut album, S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor. Song after song, you quickly become convinced that Serena rocks it. The old school coated with that 2000 musical foam of let’s jam like cool people and see what comes out of it is there. The voice for them is not that important, that is very obvious. But it merely entices, like another noise in the crowded background (Reprobate), or used simply as a swift whisper. (Blow Your Brains In The Morning Rain).

If the voice is alluring and barely there, the sound is another matter completely. It is alluring as well, but, most important, it is far from clean. The distortion is being fervidly abused, a statement maybe, that the dudes are instrumentalists above all else. And furthermore the intended aggressive, edgy (Melody for Jaama) and provocative feeling (Ayisha Abyss) coming from the sound is becoming a reality. All those attributes round up successfully towards the sixth track on this album, towards Honey Jinx. Still, each song is like destined for a treasure discovery, or more adequately saying an instrument discovery. The complexity of the orchestration makes a rather subtle invitation for the audience to listen closely and then separate in a more logical/easier way, each instrument’s sound.

Whether Serena Maneesh have made the long waiting worthwhile, is not that much of a debate. Because from all this musical work presented in the form of this new album they sure prove that is was worth it, otherwise you don’t get or are into them. Greetings serenity.

picture courtesy of Amazon

The Candy Man

We're making a habit out of missing the launch dates of Arctic Monkeys videos. Probably because the last ones were utter shit. But with My Propeller, they seem to try and wash away all their visual sins. And we forgive them.

Energy Is All

What makes a good album? Maybe nobody can answer this question properly. Of course, we can elaborate a sort of a theory and say "Well, a good album is an album with intricate instrumentals, some kick-ass vocals, and deep/introspective/funny in a pleasant way lyrics." But the truth is that sometimes you start to listen to an album, you actually like it, but you can't say why.

Maybe you're wondering what's with the babble. Well, the main idea is that another Swedish musical release is on its way now, and I'm talking about Love Is All's new album, called Two Thousands and Ten Injuries, which will be released on 23rd of March. At first sight, it's not that kind of oh-my-God-I-love-it-it's-a-fucking-good album. Actually, one could say that you might not particularly remember any of these twelve songs.

And still, you have to give this album thumbs up, and there are a few reasons why. First of all, it's about Josephine Olausson's voice, which is crazy in the best sense possible. And then the instrumentals. You can't actually call them "elaborate", the guys (and girl) keep it simple, so simple that it's actually refreshing, like a glass of cold water on a hot sunny day. Least but not last, you might not remember any of these songs after the first play of the album, but you remain with the impression of a nice, energetic and cohesive piece of work, which makes you want to listen to it once more – and that's the point where you might actually fall in love with tracks like Bigger Bolder (punk all the way, baby!), Take Your Time (that keyboard line is wonderful) or Repetition (pure drum energy). And so, at the end of the day, you realize that we're actually talking about a really nice album.


*photo courtesy of Love Is All official site

Romance Part 2!

How can you not love the Deschanel sisters? Whether you like the one digging in dirt for bones with an adoring detachment in the Bones TV show (that’s Emily), or the one threatening a mocking bird’s life with a BB gun and chanting The Smiths alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt in an elevator, I can’t decide. Due to an event back in 2006, Zooey and M. Ward decided to expand their collaboration and form a band. This time in 2010, She & Him are back with their second album entitled Volume 2.

Volume 2, as his predecessor, holds thirteen tracks that without any surprises continue to expose Zooey’s enchantingly soft voice. I always considered that characterizing two people as salt and pepper is not quite dry or foolish, but rather the ultimate condiments, musical ones of course, and the perfect combination, the heavenly match. And in music that is a real delightful feast. Is Zooey with her vocal timbre the salt and Ward the pepper, you choose. By their musical talent, both instrumental and voice, they mix it up and contribute on all levels, scoring again something completely romantic.

Acoustics is a brand for She & Him and they flaunt it continually. The percussion shows mostly brushes dancing on snare drums, on songs like Home or Thieves. And the drumsticks are used with great fragility (Lingering Still) or are just purposely left out. On tracks like Home and In The Sun, the clapping becomes an actual instrument and the piano is added just like another great spice. And In The Sun also has electric guitars here and there, sprinkled throughout the song. That same thing happening in Over It Over Again. Whether it’s only Zooey (If You Can’t Sleep) or both Zooey and Ward (Ridin’ In My Car or the amazing song Thieves), both purely enchant. Their new volume is as sweet as a sunny day in May, dancing or sinking your toes in the warmest sand running away from the waves. Now, that’s cute and romantic.

A Rumor In Africa

The National – Terrible Love

In my world, it’s sheer blasphemy not to play The National’s music on repeat. If a song comes on the player, I listen to it at least twice. Which means less time to listen to other songs/bands. And because time is of essence these days, I’ve been trying to fight it now. I really have albums I should be listening to at least once. Alas, I have failed. I wake up singing it, I feel sorry I don’t have it on my phone, I have to play it before I go to bed. And I don’t even have a decent version of it but the rip of their Jimmy Fallon live. And I now realise I could’ve written one line: Damn them, they’re doing it so right again it hurts!

65daysofstatic – Weak4

With these guys, it’s really different. 180 degrees different, even. I always tell myself I should listen to their music carefully but I never do. Weak4, their new single, is probably their first song that got me. It is true what they say, if we were to judge by this little gem, the new album due in April is going to be epic.

Like A Monkey With A Miniature Cymbal

Turns out this is comedy week in video land... Check out the moment when the five Hot Chip show up in the middle of the crowd.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

...and this, darlings, is a musical rainbow.


1. Kumm, Red Coffee
Angels & Clowns (2003)

One of the best songs written by a Romanian band. It has a wonderful instrumental: the violin, the keyboards, the drums and the guitars blend together just perfectly. But the main beauty of it is actually given by lyrics (an example: "turn off the light and fill me up with coffee, let me undo your skin from my hands"). It is the kind of song you have to listen with somebody else at your side, at least at a live concert. That is if you don't want to sink into a never-ending sadness.


2. R.E.M., Orange Crush
Green (1988)

According to Michael Stipe, Orange Crush is the story of a young American football player, who leaves his home for the war in Vietnam. The song's title is a reference to a chemical defoliant used in the Vietnam War (Agent Orange). It is a catchy tune, and its lyrics are really ironical at some points ("we are agents of the free, I've had my fun and now it's time to serve your conscience overseas").


3. The Raconteurs, Yellow Sun
Broken Boy Soldiers (2006)

This is a love story, another one of those stories where he is a shy guy who is in love with her, and she is just a bitch with a cold heart. However, the song is not a lament (it would have become really annoying otherwise). It actually keeps a very light tone, due to instrumental, but also due to the vocals.


4. Pink Floyd, Green Is the Colour
More (1969)

This is one of the Pink Floyd songs that appear on the soundtrack of More (a 1969 film, which is about a young student who tries to forget about his conservative life and ends up tragically). It is a gentle acoustic ballad and it gives a very peaceful feeling. Roger Waters stated in a concert that the song is about Ibiza (which is the main location of the movie).


5. Placebo, Post Blue
Meds (2006)

The title represents a metaphor for "deep helplessness". It is the story of a person who is so much in love that forgives every mistake the partner does, because he or she is the sole reason for living. It has also references to drugs ("bag of golden brown", which means heroin). As singer Brian Molko said, "Our lyrics are more twisted. We talk about impossible love, complicated love, destructive love. As destructive as drugs."


6. Duke Ellington, Mood Indigo
(1930)

A very well known jazz composition, this song has been sang by many artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Nat "King" Cole. On the original recordings, Ellington turned upside down the traditional jazz arrangement, putting the trombone right at the top of the instrument's register, and the clarinet at the lowest. The song is performed both as an instrumental and as a vocal (the verse "I'm just a soul who's bluer than blue can be" makes me shiver).


7. Coldplay, Violet Hill
Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)

This was the long expected comeback of the band, back in 2008, and it is the first anti-war song written by them. It starts with a piano line performed by Chris Martin, with the rest of the band joining him short after. The lyrics are not just a protest against the war, but also a story of a man in love with a woman who does not love him back ("If you love me, why'd you let me go?")

On The Stereo

Seriously, Jules...

VideoPhone

I like my moments of consumerism. Capitalist whoredom. Moments when plain brainless commercial songs fill my elitist heart with joy. No, really, I like Timbaland’s The Morning After or Rihanna’s Rude Boy. I keep it a secret, but I like those songs. Surprise, surprise, ever since Let’s Dance, like a plastic Jessica “Is it chicken or fish” Simpson, I jumped on the Gaga bandwagon (and made no secret out of it). I’ve played Bad Romance at parties and rejoiced when NME gave The Fame Monster an 8/10. I admire her for writing her own lyrics (imbecile at times, but her own) and for being able to pull some off-the-hook outfits.

But my elitist self decided that backlash is upon us. There is only as far as I can go and the name “Beyonce” is one of my limits. I hate that woman. She is nothing but a talentless, vulgar attention whore. And she has ugly legs. Now Gaga brings upon us The Apocalypse and records a song with this woman I would gladly put down using a shotgun. The end is near, my friends. Save yourself and your Smith vinyls while you can.

Bad taste? Tacky? More like plain stupid. Ok, I love the cans. But the rest is awful. God awful. There are too many abrupt cuts in the evolution of the song (forget about remembering the song after you watch the video), the story line is boooooring, the lines are so cliché it hurts. And, can you bail someone from a prison? Not a simple police station, but a state prison. Gaga is embarrassing in her attempt to reinvent herself once more (forget that Bowie-esque chameleonic ability), Beyonce is over-whelmed by it all.

Verdict: OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!!

P.S.: The video is also further proof Beyonce can’t act. The song is

proof she can’t sing (or at least can’t pick the instrumentals that fit her

voice). Gaga can’t act either, but at least she can sing.

Look At This!

We Were Promised Jetpacks describe their new EP, The Last Place You'll Look, as a some kind of "The Twilight Sad meets Frightened Rabbit". Some critics agreed. But it is also to be noted the sound seems to be more melancholic than the one on the debut album. Something just as important is the fact that the new EP features three new songs and two new versions of some songs of their debut album

It sets of with A Far Cry, Adam Thompson's voice backed off by a guitar which builds some kind of a dreamy atmosphere. After a minute and a half, the drums enter powerfully and keep it that way until the end. However, this seems to maintain the atmosphere I was talking about earlier, rather than to bring you back to reality. The next in line is the alternate version of Short Bursts, one of the most energetic tunes on their debut album, and I must say it is very interesting to observe the way this “bring the house down” tune is turned into a slower piece, with a more than wonderful and elaborated instrumental (I'm sure I've heard violin out there somewhere, and those drums continue to kick ass).

After that it's time for The Walls Are Wearing Thin, a two minutes instrumental piece, really slow, maybe the most calm part on the material. Then comes With the Benefit of Hindsigh, another slow tune, with powerful guitar riffs and heavy drums that don't actually let you fall asleep. Oh, and that violin… The last song is a new version of This Is My House This Is My Home, the sixth track on their first album, and it's quite difficult to decide which version you should like the most. They are both strange in the most wonderful way possible, with a more pronounced touch of sadness on this version (that violin again…).

In short: it's a very good material and it certainly makes you put yourself some questions about how their next album will sound.

*photo courtesy of myspace.com/wewerepromisedjetpacks

Not Sleeping Here!

Charming Scandinavian musical fragrance. Fragrance number 357 or so. I told you before, Scandinavians are pouring artistic human beings into the world’s musical market; and not only. This time it’s The Kissaway Trail, a band form Denmark that step up to dazzle with their second LP entitled Sleep Mountain. There is such a strong feeling of a musical grandeur when listening to this gathering of idyllic like songs.

The voice is sweet and with a true matching passion to the sound made by all instruments that we’ve come accustomed to in these last decades of contemporary music. The sound is not completely fresh, it does contain the youthful/innocent touch, but it can also give a certain reminiscent feeling. Whether it’s from the vocal timbre or even more from the overall orchestration. Nevertheless even if we’ve heard it already, The Kissaway Trail scent here is not just burrowing but rather developing the strong influences, thus challenging and succeeding to capture attention.

It is really laudable the fact that this album can easily face a chameleonic attribute or better say function. If originally I declared the album as a passionable romanticized statement, I then, just as easily, pictured it as a genius soundtrack. Philadelphia for the perfect kiss scene, Sdp for an editing of happy scenes, New Lipstick for a bike ride on a sunny day, even Enemy for a sad or a pensive scene where the character is rummaging through his memories. The track called Friendly Fire could be used in a reuniting scene, Prelude for a dramatic ending or the song Don’t Wake Up, for a Hollywood ending. And even though the lyrics may not fit at all, quite poetic and strong ones I may say about every one of them, the sound alone is a tour de force. It proves eloquence, consistency, composition, elegance and class performances from each instrument.

An album that is simply delightful from top to bottom is to be congratulated and made reason for a request of as many more like these or better to follow. From The Kissaway Trail, from anybody, but let there be known that The Kissaway Trail with Sleep Mountain are on that list of plain good albums. Listen to it loud and it will capture you.

picture courtesy of Amazon

Back to you, Keith!

Sometimes it's better for us to shut the fuck up and let bands speak. So we should let We Are Scientists describe their own comeback:

'With the budget of a 30 Seconds To Mars clip, the raw fx firepower of James Cameron's Avatar, and the intensively rehearsed, flawless timing of an OKGO video, the new music vid from We Are Scientists proves once and for all that rules -- ahem -- truly do not stop these New York City dynamos.'

And here you have it, the new video from the legendary band...WE ARE SCIENTISTS!

Take Them On Your Own

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club ooze coolness: the jackets, the ties, the cigarettes, the bluesy guitar riffs, Peter Hayes’ hair. It’s in their bone marrow. So when Nick Jago exited the stage and Leah Shapiro took the drumsticks, fears she wouldn’t fit the dynamics of the group were justified.

Luckily, Miss Shapiro rocks the leather jacket she was supposed to fill. And she hits it hard from song number one, more precisely the title song off BRMC’s new studio effort Beat The Devil’s Tattoo. A heavy blues meet Americana infused pieces that makes one think of the band’s older Ain’t No Easy Way Out. It even comes, in your head, with the images of a video along the lines of the older song’s one. Its smoothness is fit for an introduction in the new BRMC that unfolds in front of us. Except that, the band has reached such a musical maturity that by now they have their own branded sound. And while the means to achieve the said sound are different, the end result is the same. BRMC are fucking back, you say with a smile to yourself and light another cigarette.

Surely, there are many songs on the album that would make worthy singles. But the one that underlines the idea stated at the end of the paragraph above is Conscience Killer. Another blow in the face that should and will be a wonderfully well received song at concerts. The coolness drips out of the speakers and with it the underlying sexual tension: guitar distorts that clash with angry drums. And one great opening line: “I’m a constant sinner”. Bad Blood takes things 180 degrees. Maybe not exactly 180, more like 150. In short, it’s the other face of BRMC: slow, seemingly introspective, calm. It’s almost a gem, a mood(y) song (listen to it carefully, the swirling distorts that take over the rest of the instruments).

War Machine is moodier: the lingering guitar notes, the heavy bass, the distorted vocals, all so rock’n’roll meets industrial. Here, the sexual tension is even harder to pin point, but easier to feel that on Conscience Killer. By this time, you’ve probably smoked a whole pack of cigarettes. And this song in particular urges for the listener to be surrounded by heavy amounts of smoke. Americana we said, and Sweet Feeling, another slow moment, embraces this genre blindly. And once more, BRMC’s undeniable talent shines. Plus, you get one of the most wonderful harmonicas ever.

Evol is, well, love. Pure love. It’s sweeping, emotional, dreamy and makes you do something you’d rarely (ok, never) do when talking about this band: go ‘Awwww’ when you hear the line “I’m waiting for you to say the words to make me stay”. It also hard not to think of the song’s sound as a typical BRMC one. Which is the same for Mama Taught Me Better: the distorts are once more impeccable, the drums badass and the bluesy vibes sexy as hell. It’s a controlled blast of energy that leaves you craving for more with every guitar chord.

And more comes in the shape of a bite of blues, River Styx: a raw chorus and heavy guitar riffs. Seriously, it’s one song you’d most likely hear in a southern bar. And once again, the sheer sexuality their music has fills your ears. Harmonicas and sweet acoustic guitars blend to give you The Toll, a song that probably has some of the best backing vocals ever provided by Courtney Jane. And this is how you thank the guys not only for existing but also for introducing you to a great singer.

Aya’s harsh guitars bring you back to the smoky bar: a love song, but it’s a painful love song. The lyrics really shine on this one. Just as heart-wrenching as the swirls of guitars. The vocals add to the effect: few times have you heard lines delivered so peacefully only to turn right away into sheer despair while not being cormy or overly theatrical at all. Shadow’s Keeper seems to be Evol’s smaller (but by no means less worthy) brother: the guitar sweeps everything in its way, the vocals are delivered with a touch of detachment that remind you of just how cool these guys are. But somewhere towards the end, the distort pedal is push to the maximum only to leave the impression of urgency and alert.

But instead of a blatant riot, BRMC are subversive: Long Way Down is one more (and the final) slow moment of the album. And this time, the boys go full throttle and use a piano, turning this piece into the darkest off the album. It’s further prove of how versatile and worthy of every blessing ever they are. And because this is BRMC we are talking about, they don’t tone it done in the end: the album outro is, to put it simple, a fucking masterpiece. Half-State, an epic ten-minutes song, has no mercy: it’s what BRMC are all about. There’s heavy sexuality underneath the layers of distortion, the vocals are smooth and bluesy, the bass falls heavy on the rest of the instruments, the overall effect is that of dreaminess. There are, in fact, endless ways to praise this instant classic. And if you think ten minutes is too long, wait until minute seven, when the guitars nearly explode and make it all unbelievably mind-blowing. By now, you’ve probably finished another three packs.

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo signals not only BRMC’s return but also a mature band that can’t be shaken by internal problems. It constantly delivers, not leaving you unsatisfied for even one second. Leah Shapiro is one great drummer, Peter Hayes and Robert Loven Been two musicians that should be quoted more often. And their new album is an instant classic, probably the band’s best.

*photo courtesy of BRMC's official site