Hiatus - Beirut videos
Man, I’ve been out of pocket for awhile. And I’m still not out of the fog just yet. Have some more traveling coming up but I want to quickly just throw up something that really sparked triggered my fancy today, Beirut footage from the Parisian outfit, La Blogotheque.
Download Beirut Song - “A Sunday Smile” (Courtesy of Stereogum)
Watch them below: (visit La Blogotheque)
Heima (at home)
I started blogging a little over two years ago and around that time Sigur Ros was on tour in the states, supporting Takk. I saw them once by myself at the Boston Opera House and then a second time, same tour, at the Orpheum Theater, this time with a companion - my girlfriend of almost two years now. So when I saw this trailer for their upcoming DVD, Heima, which stands for “homeland” or in Iceland it actually stands for “at home”, I couldn’t help but get a little sentimental.
To be honest, putting the sentimental value aside, the footage and overpowering energy in this trailer alone makes the hairs on my back stand-up. I said it two years ago and I’ll say it again today, Sigur Ros will no doubt go down as one of our generations most inspirational artists. Watch the trailer below.
You can catch Sigur Ros state side when they play at this years New Yorker Festival on the weekend of October 5th. This won’t be a traditional show where you have a huge screen in the back and crazy lights and sounds blaring down on you for 2 hours straight. They will be both playing music and talking to John Seabrook from the New Yorker.
Just being introduce to Sigur Ros? Well - (Buy their albums) (Visit myspace) (Visit official site) (Find some tracks on Hype Machine).
Enjoy your weekend.
Celebrate the Kala - “Boyz” Video
In celebration of the new M.I.A. album, Kala, I’ve provided below the video to her first single, “Boyz”, and a MP3 from the album, “Bird Flu”.
- Links of Interest:
- M.I.A. Myspace
- Buy Kala (Amazon) (iTunes)
- Download “Bird Flu”
In “Bird Flu”, you may say that this is a good example of her political side, expressing the terror and fear that’s built up by diseases originating from overseas. But again, she’s able to take afunny, quarky sound and turn it in to a fun loving danceable beat. Oh, and I also need to make sure that I’m not just crediting M.I.A. for her mastery, her sidekick (no, not that sidekick) Switch is also behind many of the songs on Kala. Only two songs were produced by Diplo, one by Timbaland and two by Blaqstarr.
“Boyz” is clearly a track that shows to the world that M.I.A. is a girl who can have fun and doesn’t always have to talk about serious political issues in her music. Her music in general is fun and energetic but sometimes she can’t get away from her passionate genes carried over from her father.
Calvin Harris - party hardy you wankers
- Links of Interest
- MP3 - “Acceptable in the 80’s”
- Myspace Page
- Official Website
- Pre-order album (UK) (US)
I’ll start this post by first expressing my thoughts on the multitude of electronic acts that exist today. First there is the comparison to the punk era. Why do I feel I can compare this era with today’s electronica era, because a majority of the artists making music back then couldn’t really play their instruments and didn’t really know how to write a song. Yet, they stood up there, with guitar in hand and the knowledge of maybe 3 or 4 chords and would scream and yell in to the mic blurting the same line one after another.
Now take today’s electronic scene. You’ve got a lot of kids, tinkering with computer based programs that allow you to mix beats, keyboards and some other cool sounds but in the end, don’t really know what they’re doing. They just know it feels good and to them, it sounds good. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to make a lot of the music that is out there today. This of course, bugs the heck out of the truly talented electronic artists who take offense to the iPod mixing, button pushing song makers.
But as with the Punk era, today’s revolution has their hero’s and own following. And just like the Punk scene, eventually these low budget hero’s turn in to talented maestros.
Which brings me to Calvin Harris. I got my hands on Calvin’s up and coming album, I Created Disco, a couple weeks back. When I first popped it on, there is no question my feet and head were in motion. It has simple lyrics and keyboard riffs layed over simple bass and drum beats. A monkey could dance to this stuff. But while the music may seem simple, there is no denying his cheeky appeal and catchy sound.
His songs are not mind blowing but his delivery is exceptional.
Take the track “Acceptable in the 80’s”. First, the title alone is genius. Second, for the first minute we’re hammered with an electronic drum beat, synth riff and a simple bass line. Then, after a minute some high tweaked keyboard sounding riff, something out of a strange 1970’s musical skit from Sesame Street, joins the noise. And finally, our first vocal - “It was acceptable in the 80’s. It was acceptable at the time.” This repeats and then our next phrase, “I got love for you if you were born in the 80’s”. He changes this line up by simply adding, ” I got hugs” instead of “I got love” and so on. Then back to the first verse. All while the original riffs are playing in the background. There really is no chorus, or perhaps the “acceptable” verse is the chorus but nothing really defined here. Yet, I’m still dancing and listening and grooving.
Call me easily moved or persuaded, but I’m a follower of the new revolution. Hey, I also turn on classical from time to time and even like to listen to the old countries traditionals - “Men of Harlech” for example (yeah, that’s right, I’m Welsh).
Watch the video to “Merrymaking At My Place” below, which started the idea for a huge Day of Partying in the UK on August 18th. Lots of press on this both in the UK and over here (ABC Online).
