Just a random collection of Australian artists and songs to enjoy on our national day
Showing posts with label list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label list. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Sunday, January 23, 2011
2010 Honourable Mentions: Part 2
As promised per Part 1, here is Part Deux of some of the rest of 2010's best tunes.
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| return of the indie mavericks |
It’s fitting that the frantic looping of the lyrical motif in this claustrophobic pop ditty is “I’ve got a mild fascination” – and that’s exactly what you’ll have once you let its jerky guitars and pocket symphony arrangement into your ears.
The return of Canada’s other pre-eminent art-rock collective, and after a couple of spin-off solo albums; this opening was a welcome return to the classic BSS sound. It’s spacious build-up to a deliciously grand chorus built on their talent with melody and drama.
Frontman Jonathan Meiburg left Okkervil River to concentrate full-time on his own band, and it seems he’s made the right call. His rounded alto and marching piano lead a proudly robust brand of alt-rock, a trilogy of environmentally conscious albums that culminated in the fine The Golden Archipelago.
As a matter of fact, Steven Wilson (of Porcupine Tree) named it his album of the year. He mustn’t have minded then, that the title nearly cribs his own band’s Blackest Eyes.
I didn’t find much in Foals debut, Antidotes seemed like an obvious sort of record in a post-Bloc Party kind of way; but the five-piece took their sophomore into more interesting territory. Take This Orient’s cut-up vocals, plinkity plonk keys and searing guitar lines all co-ercing a lyric that could be a partly inspired by Jameson’s Orientalism theory. High-brow conceits to be sure, but they hail from Oxford after all.
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| It's the ladies' choice |
With a cast of folk-rock darlings behind her (including Jim James of My Morning Jacket and members of The Decemberists), Veirs’ third album was at once wide-eyed in its scope and yet plaintive and wistful in its delivery. The title track, with its slow-burn build of looped guitar and a vocal round, acting as a microcosm for the album’s triumphant mood and texture.
Three discs. Two Hours. Eighteen tracks. Big doesn't even begin to descirbe Newsoms' third LP Have One On Me. There was no real obvious entry point, but it's a record so rich and detailed that it instantly confirms Newsom's artistry even if it'll take years to appreciate its intricacies. In California, starting from Newsom alone with her harp, to its swelling orchestral flourishes reminds of peak-period Joni Mitchell. And that, my friends is the highest compliment you can pay a female artist.
Speaking of Ms. Mitchell, with its tribal drumming and yawning synth Apply reminds distinctly of The Jungle Line. Glasser is the working name for one Cameron Mesirow who recorded the bulk of her debut on GarageBand. Backed by Foreign Born members Ariel Rechtshaid and Ray Garret, as well as production from Fever Ray associates Van Rivers and The subliminal kid. The result is a collage of electronic textures and Mesirow’s haunting voice, a little bit on Bat For Lashes’ darker side and Bjork’s vocal layering.
A potential breakthrough hit for local Melbourne lass – Jessica Venables. A 22 yr old former cellist, she’s all for the visuals (check out the controversy-baiting video and her ‘lightsaber’ bow) and moreso for the dramatic soundtrack to back it up – inspired in equal parts Kate Bush and contemporary electro-flirting artists. The next Bertie Blackman anyone?
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| For the prog-leaning, thoughtful and heavy fan |
Having undergone a drastic change with their last album (2008’s Amor Vincit Omnia) from Pink Floyd enthusiasts to dancefloor baiting prog-tronica. Their third album Hammer & Anvil merely solidified their new direction, without ever resting on its laurels. Blitzkrieg continues the military aesthetic and morphs from a sample-based rave that a gallic nightclub would be proud of to a dramatic piano-led coda.
Ringleader Jem Godfrey dedicated his prog-rock supergroup to writing a brand new track as a tribute to the tenth anniversary of the prog-based internet radio station of the same name. The result was a three-part suite, sixteen-minute epic. A polished labour of love that melds glam-rock bounce with scintillating guitar work, bonkers speaking parts and Godfrey’s impossible nimble fingers and arranging genius. Oh, look, everything and the kitchen sink.
Intronaut are not your average metal band. If the pastel artwork didn’t tip you off, the winding extended song structures and dense polyrhythms that mark their music certainly should. And if all else fails a bass duel featuring Tool’s Justin Chancellor, on this – the title track, will cement it for you. Powerful and thought-provoking.
Taken from Spiral Shadow. Don’t Look Back condenses the dual-drummer toting Kylesa’s focus to a powerful anthemic burst. So metal for people who don’t like metal? Not quite, it still takes an appreciation of sludge metal aesthetics and barking, muscular vocals to get the most out of the band’s crunching riffs. But this is nonetheless a powerful and uplifting buzz.
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| tune like mirrors, full of reflection |
Transference managed to take the usual Spoon dogmatics of raw production and stripped back arrangement; and wed them with a more lush sound. Who Makes Your Money rides a simple four four beat and chugging bass to woozy synth effects and perhaps Britt Daniel’s most intimate vocal performance yet. Charmingly simple
Arriving from seemingly nowhere, Mike Hadreas delivered a rough, almost half-sketched record of homespun vulnerability whose music shimmered from its bruises. At times, its enough to make your skin crawl, especially Mr. Peterson with its love story between a high-school boy and his teacher, but Hadreas renders it with such humanity as to render it portraiture. Damaged in the most beautiful way.
The very definition of a criminally underrated songwriter. Ritter has spent close to two decades crafting excellent, story-driven, music to middling fanfare. The Curse, taken from his sixth studio effort, may well be his best yet. A watershed track that takes three-minutes to tell a globe-hopping, time-spanning, delightfully offbeat tale of star-crossed lovers: a mummified corpse and his museum curator. Oh yes.
Clearly smitten with the same shimmering haze that My Bloody Valentine and Jesus & Mary Chian cultivated, Crocodiles provide an equally euphoric miasma of fuzz-rock. Hearts of Love is indebted to Phil Spector’s wall-of-noise textures, as well as his keening pop sensibility, a triumphant cut that belies their leather-and-shades attitude.
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| Epic is as epic does |
It seemed album number seven was business as usual for Phoenix, Arizona’s finest exporters of emo-pop. That is until you encounter two or three career-best numbers, Stop chief among them, featuring their usual brand of arena-worthy emotion and heart-on-sleeve polemic. Proof that even lovesick guitar-throbs can age gracefully.
Recreating Edward Grieg’s classical hallmark may not scream ‘creative highpoint’ but this stunning interpretation blends the Nine Inch Nails crew’s penchant for rich production and stunning atmospherics; but more importantly it was the first taster for the Golden Globe winning Social Network soundtrack. Reznor and Ross may well win the Oscar, and already slated to score Fincher's next project, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Saddled with that overly-trite catch-all label ‘post-rock’, the Sheffield noise-niks spend most of their fourth album exploding that genre label to smithereens, craftily titled We Were Exploding Anyway. Incorporating electronics worthy of a gleaming sci-fi soundtrack, while relying on their trademark intense build-ups – Debutante proves there’s more to the genre than imitating Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor.
Its nearly all too clear now that Stevens’ original intention to soundtrack all fifty American states was a pipe dream, and perhaps even moreso that we’d get an Illionoise Pt 2. But The Age Of Adz (and its accompanying All Delighted People EP) contained enough links to Sufjan Stevens’ musical past while pushing into intriguing new directions. Namely squelchy electronica and ridiculously indulgent moments. None morseo than the nearly-half-hour closing track. It's not without its flaws, but it what it lacks in dazzling cohesion it makes up for in grand ambition –further cementing Stevens position as an utterly unique talent.
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| oh yeah, and Girl Talk's All Day. That did some pretty good stuff for free. |
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
N.E.W.P.O.S.T.
But until then we will return to our regular programming.
It feels like an age since I attempted a thematic list, and in fact it has - all the way back to my playlist for Father's Day back in '09 - but these things are only fun if I can manage to scrape together more than three songs for cohesion. That, or there's too many bloody songs to choose from, but the following little collection is tidy and cohesive as a good thematic list should be.
SONGS THAT SPELL OUT WORDS
If that rather clunky title didn't spell it out for you (see what I did there?), here's a list that corrals all those tunes that, for one reason or another, put regular songwriting techniques on hold to spell something out. It's usually for different, if very vague, purposes but what ties them altogether is that strange effect it has on the song, making for a unique stamp that makes for some memorable moments, what is Village People for instance if not Y-M-C-A (and no... that's not included here).
Kele - Tenderoni
The lead single for the Bloc Party frontman's solo foray into 'going electro.' Dropping his surname for the more casual Kele, the associated albumThe Boxer finds a physically leaner, buffer Okereke diving wholeheartedly into the ring of 'proper' dance and electronic music.
The lead single Tenderoni is a decidedly love-it-or-hate-it affair,
That word still makes me think of a meat-based pasta dish (in actual fact it's slang for one's younger love interest), but even without that strange association it's a bizarre thing to spell out.
Arctic Monkeys - Dangerous Animals
Not exactly the best track on perhaps the Arctics' least favoured album, but still it's intoxicating to hear Alex Turner speed through that spelling at breakneck speed and the whole stoner rock vibe (courtesy of QOTSA's Josh Homme) certainly adds to the S&M shenanigans hinted at in the lyrics: "Sharpening the heel in your boot/and you press it in my chest and you make me wheeze/Then to my knees you do promote me." Kinky.
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Do we really need to analyse the classics? ....No, didn't think so. Sing it again!
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
The clue's in the title. A no-brainer party starter, with its none too subtle MJ references and a killer intro: like a radio being tuned to the sound of kids chanting before dropping a sonic boom up in your grill. It goes without saying that the super groovy beat was the hook, but those non-sensical lyrics just made so much... welll... sense.
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
Supposedly inspired by an offhand remark from Courtney Love mocking Stefani as merely a cheerleader, she responded in kind with the demented chanting of this bizarre single. It featured a hollow, clunky Neptunes-produced beat, a high-school lyrical setting and even a snippet of Queen's Another One Bites The Dust. B.A.N.A.N.A.S. indeed.
Hot Chip - Over & Over
Hot Chip are just one of those bands I should like, but I just cannot get into. Over & Over being the chief offender, I just find it annoyingly repetitive. 'Oh, but that's the point' I am told time and again; Really? Just because you're mocking something (in this case repetitive monotony) doesn't mean you have to mimic it (in this case... repetitive monotony). And just what are they spelling out? K I S S I N G S E X Y. C A S I O. YOU. ME. I.
Yeah, I don't really know either.
XTC - Your Dictionary
Taken from the latter days of XTC's career, Your Dictionary offers up a bevy of spelt-out words in their acerbic swipe at some nasty character, the hook being that nasty words like HATE, KICK and the F-Bomb all substitute for general niceties. A little mawkish but the resulting effect still works.
They Might Be Giants - SEXXY
TMBG always flit confidently between genres, but never has such a funky track been so aptly named. It's particularly delicious in a live context, all parping horns and wah-wah guitar with just the right amount of tongue-in-cheek. Whether its yours or someone else's cheek is up to you. And as the song goes, that extra X is "cause it's extra baby, Y? cause it's extra baby." Genius.
Prince - Diamonds & Pearls
Bit of a cheat this one, as it potentially opens the floodgates on a whole spate of rap and hip-hop. The soul breakdown, from the busty diaphraghm of Rosie Gaines, goes "D to the I to the A to the M/O to the N to the D to the pearls of love." It's catchy as hell, but if this kind of effect is allowed then I could have conceivably included Jay-Z's entire back catalogue (H to the izz-O, V to the izz-A etc. etc.) but whose to say he didn't nick it from the Purple One to begin with? mmmm, food for thought...
Them & Van Morrison - Gloria
Who knew that when 'Van The Man' would growl his way through those syllables that it would become an iconic part of rock-n-roll history. The G-L-O-R-I-A chant has been referenced time and again in pop culture, but some of my particularly favourite call-outs are Patti Smith's drastically reworked version for her seminal Horses album and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Venice Queen. Still, it's hard to fault Morrison's barking teenage lust in the original.
Monday, November 2, 2009
So much music, so little time
Boy how did it get to be November already? Well since it's getting so close to year's end I thought i might as well reveal that i've started compiling my end-of-year best of 2009 albums list (as if I haven't been thinking about it since last year...)
As a kind of taster to my voracious musical appetite/eclectic tastes/point of reference for later on - I've compiled a HUGE list of all the stuff i've been listening to that was released this year. In doing so, I can still wholeheartedly say that 2009 has been a great year for music - no shortage of variety or quality here.
Where available, i've linked to where i've previously reviewed or covered artists or records on the blog; and while i'll never get a chance to cover a large portion of these releases in detail, hopefully some juicy links here will give you something exciting and fresh to discover.
Failing that, at least you can see how much thought I put into both my 'Good, Bad & The James Blunt' awards as well as my Top 15 Albums of the year.
See you on the other side
Big Scary - Big Scary EP (I'll definitely be covering this great local band in detail very soon)
Bon Iver - Blood Bank
The Day Late - The Day Late
Death Cab For Cutie - The Open Door
Jónsi & Alex - All Animals
Massive Attack - Splitting The Atom
Oceansize - Home & Minor
Pain Of Salvation - Linoleum
Paul Dempsey - Counterfeits And Forgeries
A Planet In Space - As The Pieces Come Together
Rise Apollo - Issus
Streetlight - Wolf Notes
Alaska Ratio - 333
Alberta Cross - Broken Side Of Time
Anamanaguchi - Dawn Metropolis
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Century Of Self
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
The Antlers - Hospice
Archive - Controlling Crowds
Archive - Controlling Crowds Part IV
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
The Armada - The Armada
Astra - The Weirding
Bad Veins - Bad Veins
Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
Bertie Blackman - Secrets & Lies
The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love
Bjork - Voltaic
Bloc Party - Intimacy Remixed
Blue Roses - Blue Roses
The Boxer Rebellion - Union
Brand New - Daisy
Brendan Welch - The Gleaner
Cass McCombs - Catacombs
Chris Cornell - Scream
Coldplay - LeftRightLeftRightLeft (free live album download)
Cortney Tidwell - Boys
The Cribs - Ignore The Ignorant
Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King
David Gray - Draw The Line
The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death
The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love
Devin Townsend Project - Ki
Devin Townsend Project - Addicted
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Discovery - LP
DM Stith - Heavy Ghost
Doves - Kingdom Of Rust
Easy Star All-Stars - Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band
Editors - In This Light And On This Evening
El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Cryptomnesia
The Features - Some Kind Of Salvation
Fightstar - Be Human
Finale - A Pipe Dream And A Promise
The Flaming Lips - Embyronic
Flight Of The Conchords - I Told You I Was Freaky
Florence & The Machine - Lungs
Foreign Born - Person To Person
Frost* - Experiments In Mass Appeal (actually released in the limbo of 08/09 crossover but no less brilliant for it)
The Galvatrons - Laser Graffiti
Gazpacho - Tick Tock
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
HORSE The Band - Desperate Living
Indukti - Idmen
IQ - Frequency
John Vanderslice - Romanian Names
Jónsi & Alex - Riceboy Sleeps
Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper
Karnivool - Sound Awake
Katatonia - Night Is The New Day
Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon: End Of The Day
The Knives Of Neptune - Tasman The Sailor
Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
The Lonely Island - Incredibad
Malajube - Labyrinthes
Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers
Marmaduke Duke - Duke Pandemonium
The Mars Volta - Octahedron
Mastodon - Crack The Skye
McKisko - Glorio
The Melodics - 4D
Metric - Fantasies
Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today...
The Model School - Memory Walls
Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind
Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Muse - The Resistance
Nobuo Uematsu - Final Fantasy: The Black Mages III - Darkness And Starlight
O.S.I. - Blood
Odawas - The Blue Depths
Orisha - Falling Open
Parallel Lions - Holding Patterns
Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms
Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor
Paul Dempsey - Everything Is True
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Pelican - What We All Come To Need
Pet Shop Boys - Yes
Phideaux - Number 7
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Placebo - Battle For The Sun
Porcupine Tree - The Incident
Prince - LotusFlow3r/MPLSoUND
Pure Reason Revolution - Amor Vincit Omnia
Q Tip - Kamaal/The Abstract
Ramona Falls - Inuit
Regina Spektor - Far
Riverside - Anno Domino High Definition
Russian Cirlces - Geneva
RX Bandits - Mandala
Sammy J - Sticky Digits
Settle - At Home We Are Tourists
Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Soap&Skin - Lovetune For Vacuum
Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club
The Swell Season - Strict Joy
The Temper Trap - Conditions
Thrice - Beggars
Tony Allen - Secret Agent
Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
VAST - Me And You
The Very Best - The Warm Heart Of Africa
Volcano Choir - Unmap
Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
So just a few titles then... Hell, it being November there's still a few high-profile albums to come (weezer springs to mind, and the Dave Grohl/Josh Homme/John Paul Jones supergroup Them Crooked Vultures could well deliver a late album of the year contender). Whew a music lover's work is never done.
P.S. If you've got any recommendations or thoughts, please, please, please comment below!
As a kind of taster to my voracious musical appetite/eclectic tastes/point of reference for later on - I've compiled a HUGE list of all the stuff i've been listening to that was released this year. In doing so, I can still wholeheartedly say that 2009 has been a great year for music - no shortage of variety or quality here.
Where available, i've linked to where i've previously reviewed or covered artists or records on the blog; and while i'll never get a chance to cover a large portion of these releases in detail, hopefully some juicy links here will give you something exciting and fresh to discover.
Failing that, at least you can see how much thought I put into both my 'Good, Bad & The James Blunt' awards as well as my Top 15 Albums of the year.
See you on the other side
EPs
Amplifier - EternityBig Scary - Big Scary EP (I'll definitely be covering this great local band in detail very soon)
Bon Iver - Blood Bank
The Day Late - The Day Late
Death Cab For Cutie - The Open Door
Jónsi & Alex - All Animals
Massive Attack - Splitting The Atom
Oceansize - Home & Minor
Pain Of Salvation - Linoleum
Paul Dempsey - Counterfeits And Forgeries
A Planet In Space - As The Pieces Come Together
Rise Apollo - Issus
Streetlight - Wolf Notes
Albums
Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em FreeAlaska Ratio - 333
Alberta Cross - Broken Side Of Time
Anamanaguchi - Dawn Metropolis
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Century Of Self
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
The Antlers - Hospice
Archive - Controlling Crowds
Archive - Controlling Crowds Part IV
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
The Armada - The Armada
Astra - The Weirding
Bad Veins - Bad Veins
Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
Bertie Blackman - Secrets & Lies
The Big Pink - A Brief History Of Love
Bjork - Voltaic
Bloc Party - Intimacy Remixed
Blue Roses - Blue Roses
The Boxer Rebellion - Union
Brand New - Daisy
Brendan Welch - The Gleaner
Cass McCombs - Catacombs
Chris Cornell - Scream
Coldplay - LeftRightLeftRightLeft (free live album download)
Cortney Tidwell - Boys
The Cribs - Ignore The Ignorant
Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey And The Groogrux King
David Gray - Draw The Line
The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death
The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love
Devin Townsend Project - Ki
Devin Townsend Project - Addicted
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Discovery - LP
DM Stith - Heavy Ghost
Doves - Kingdom Of Rust
Easy Star All-Stars - Easy Star's Lonely Hearts Dub Band
Editors - In This Light And On This Evening
El Grupo Nuevo De Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Cryptomnesia
The Features - Some Kind Of Salvation
Fightstar - Be Human
Finale - A Pipe Dream And A Promise
The Flaming Lips - Embyronic
Flight Of The Conchords - I Told You I Was Freaky
Florence & The Machine - Lungs
Foreign Born - Person To Person
Frost* - Experiments In Mass Appeal (actually released in the limbo of 08/09 crossover but no less brilliant for it)
The Galvatrons - Laser Graffiti
Gazpacho - Tick Tock
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
HORSE The Band - Desperate Living
Indukti - Idmen
IQ - Frequency
John Vanderslice - Romanian Names
Jónsi & Alex - Riceboy Sleeps
Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti Is... Skyscraper
Karnivool - Sound Awake
Katatonia - Night Is The New Day
Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon: End Of The Day
The Knives Of Neptune - Tasman The Sailor
Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You
The Lonely Island - Incredibad
Malajube - Labyrinthes
Manic Street Preachers - Journal For Plague Lovers
Marmaduke Duke - Duke Pandemonium
The Mars Volta - Octahedron
Mastodon - Crack The Skye
McKisko - Glorio
The Melodics - 4D
Metric - Fantasies
Mew - No More Stories Are Told Today...
The Model School - Memory Walls
Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind
Monsters Of Folk - Monsters Of Folk
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More
Muse - The Resistance
Nobuo Uematsu - Final Fantasy: The Black Mages III - Darkness And Starlight
O.S.I. - Blood
Odawas - The Blue Depths
Orisha - Falling Open
Parallel Lions - Holding Patterns
Patrick Watson - Wooden Arms
Patrick Wolf - The Bachelor
Paul Dempsey - Everything Is True
Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Pelican - What We All Come To Need
Pet Shop Boys - Yes
Phideaux - Number 7
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Placebo - Battle For The Sun
Porcupine Tree - The Incident
Prince - LotusFlow3r/MPLSoUND
Pure Reason Revolution - Amor Vincit Omnia
Q Tip - Kamaal/The Abstract
Ramona Falls - Inuit
Regina Spektor - Far
Riverside - Anno Domino High Definition
Russian Cirlces - Geneva
RX Bandits - Mandala
Sammy J - Sticky Digits
Settle - At Home We Are Tourists
Silversun Pickups - Swoon
Soap&Skin - Lovetune For Vacuum
Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
Street Sweeper Social Club - Street Sweeper Social Club
The Swell Season - Strict Joy
The Temper Trap - Conditions
Thrice - Beggars
Tony Allen - Secret Agent
Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
VAST - Me And You
The Very Best - The Warm Heart Of Africa
Volcano Choir - Unmap
Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
So just a few titles then... Hell, it being November there's still a few high-profile albums to come (weezer springs to mind, and the Dave Grohl/Josh Homme/John Paul Jones supergroup Them Crooked Vultures could well deliver a late album of the year contender). Whew a music lover's work is never done.
P.S. If you've got any recommendations or thoughts, please, please, please comment below!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Chop, Chop
Time sure can get away from you if you're not paying attention. My tardiness with this post for example, it hardly feels like over two weeks since last I published something but then the clock nor calendar never lies does it?
So to celebrate here's a list of artists who are long overdue for another visit to the recording studio, maybe some of them are simply suffering from the same phenomena that i have... or maybe they're just lazy...
So to celebrate here's a list of artists who are long overdue for another visit to the recording studio, maybe some of them are simply suffering from the same phenomena that i have... or maybe they're just lazy...
TIME'S A WASTIN':
TOP 9 ARTISTS WHO ARE LONG OVERDUE FOR A NEW ALBUM
TOP 9 ARTISTS WHO ARE LONG OVERDUE FOR A NEW ALBUM
9. JUSTICE
Years Since Last Album: two - † (2007)
Years since last album: 3 - 9 (2006)
It's not really a surprise that Damien Rice hasn't followed his last record with a swift follow-up. After all this was the same man who had such a love-hate relationship with the initial hype of his debut O that he threatened to quit the music industry entirely, in a way it's lucky that we got a second album at all. Adding to the ever burgeoning fact that Rice is always a knife's edge from calling it a day is the fact that his musical partner and quasi-muse Lisa Hannigan recently parted ways.
Sure, Rice has more than enough talent to make it on his own but Hannigan certainly was an important part of his creative process, it was not for nothing that she got the opening part on 9 with the semi-title track 9 Crimes.
Another important facet of Rice's creative inspiration is heartbreak, and if he's living happily and contently somewhere then there's no way we'll get a third Rice record. It's the eternal irony that most musicians suffer, sad songs are always more interesting and powerful than happy ones, but none more so than Rice. He's built a career on impossibly cathartic and emotional performances both in the flesh and on record.
Hopefully it's a matter of patience from his followers than a case of Rice chucking it in, but only time will tell.
7. RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
Years since last album: 3 - Stadium Arcadium (2006)
Years since last album: 4 - Human After All (2005)
Such is the power of Daft Punk's cultural impact that it doesn't seem like four years since their last record of new material. Their 2007 world-spanning Alive tour certainly helped matters, a audio/visual orchestration of the grandest order that also spawned a live record that was a better greatest hits compilation than the Musique best-of from the previous year.
Besides, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo always take their time between releases with an average of four and a half-years between albums. By that calculation their new one shouldn't be far off - in fact there have been rumours circulating that their next release will in be the score for big budget sequel Tron 2 or (*sigh* *groan*) TR2N if you will. Seems a pretty perfect fit if it turns out to be true, but composing a score is vastly different to just releasing an album, so maybe secretly we'll be getting two new Daft Punk albums.
That's the sound of my fingers being massively crossed.
5. KASHMIR
Years since last album: 4 - No Balance Palace (2005)
4. BLACKALICIOUS
Years since last album: 4 - The Craft (2005)
Years since last album: 4 - Life In Slow Motion (2005)
2. THE POSTAL SERVICE
Years since last album: 6 - Give Up (2003)
Years since last album: 6 - Reality (2003)
Years Since Last Album: two - † (2007)
Kicking off the list is French DJ duo Justice, and though it's only been two years since their excellent debut - the brilliant † album - it just seems that they've been coasting off of its success ever since. Sure they haven't been exactly dormant, they've still been producing remixes including most recently one for U2's Get On Your Boots. But that's bread and butter for electronic artists, that would be like applauding a singer-songwriter for playing another coffee shop gig.
To make matters worse was the A Cross The Universe concert movie come doco. Basically it was a testament to their touring lifestyle, which if you believe what's on show here is a batshit insane series of events that include misogynist pranks, burning managers and oh, yeah, maybe the occasional live set. It portrayed Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay as apathatic party boys, an image that may satisfy their party-savvy sets and techno bang tunes but not any artistic credibiilty they may have hoped for.
There's the increasing possibility that the excellence of D.A.N.C.E., Waters of Nazareth and Phantom may well have been a one-trick pony kind of deal. I'd sure like to be proven wrong but the only way we'll know is if the Gallic gusy stop partying and get down to making some new stuff.
8. DAMIEN RICE To make matters worse was the A Cross The Universe concert movie come doco. Basically it was a testament to their touring lifestyle, which if you believe what's on show here is a batshit insane series of events that include misogynist pranks, burning managers and oh, yeah, maybe the occasional live set. It portrayed Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay as apathatic party boys, an image that may satisfy their party-savvy sets and techno bang tunes but not any artistic credibiilty they may have hoped for.
There's the increasing possibility that the excellence of D.A.N.C.E., Waters of Nazareth and Phantom may well have been a one-trick pony kind of deal. I'd sure like to be proven wrong but the only way we'll know is if the Gallic gusy stop partying and get down to making some new stuff.
Years since last album: 3 - 9 (2006)
Sure, Rice has more than enough talent to make it on his own but Hannigan certainly was an important part of his creative process, it was not for nothing that she got the opening part on 9 with the semi-title track 9 Crimes.
Another important facet of Rice's creative inspiration is heartbreak, and if he's living happily and contently somewhere then there's no way we'll get a third Rice record. It's the eternal irony that most musicians suffer, sad songs are always more interesting and powerful than happy ones, but none more so than Rice. He's built a career on impossibly cathartic and emotional performances both in the flesh and on record.
Hopefully it's a matter of patience from his followers than a case of Rice chucking it in, but only time will tell.
Years since last album: 3 - Stadium Arcadium (2006)
After their last show for the Stadium Arcadium tour, the RHCP decided it was time for a 'year-long break.' Fair enough too, aside from being one of the cornerstones of contemporary rock music, they'd been working pretty much non-stop since their 1999 Californication re-invention.
Since then the band members have been doing other stuff to kill time, guitarist Frusciante has added another record to his (extensive) solo career, drummer Chad Smith joined rock supergroup Chickenfoot, while frontman Anthony Kiedis spent more time with his family.
Good news though folks, it was recently reported that the band was meeting up to start some writing, but hey no time like the present eh guys?
An extended break may mean a bit of a re-jig in the musical department too, though this being the Chili Peppers its sure still rock and fuck in equal measure.
6. DAFT PUNK Since then the band members have been doing other stuff to kill time, guitarist Frusciante has added another record to his (extensive) solo career, drummer Chad Smith joined rock supergroup Chickenfoot, while frontman Anthony Kiedis spent more time with his family.
Good news though folks, it was recently reported that the band was meeting up to start some writing, but hey no time like the present eh guys?
An extended break may mean a bit of a re-jig in the musical department too, though this being the Chili Peppers its sure still rock and fuck in equal measure.
Years since last album: 4 - Human After All (2005)
Besides, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo always take their time between releases with an average of four and a half-years between albums. By that calculation their new one shouldn't be far off - in fact there have been rumours circulating that their next release will in be the score for big budget sequel Tron 2 or (*sigh* *groan*) TR2N if you will. Seems a pretty perfect fit if it turns out to be true, but composing a score is vastly different to just releasing an album, so maybe secretly we'll be getting two new Daft Punk albums.
That's the sound of my fingers being massively crossed.
5. KASHMIR
Years since last album: 4 - No Balance Palace (2005)
Firstly, if you haven't heard of Danish band Kashmir, do yourself a favour and seek out a copy of Zitilites. Done? good. Now you may graduate to the darker, more experimental No Balance Palace, a brave step for the band that managed to gel glam-rock celebrity pals (Lou Reed, David Bowie) with intriguingly curious compositions and some claustrophobic production courtesy of Tony Visconti.
The album demonstrated how the band had grown in stature, thanks to an exhaustive touring schedule, but it put obviously put them in a curious creative position and, well, a little worn-out. There's been nary but a blink of tour news on their website for years now which is never a good sign. Sure the band have been touring during summer but there was little to indicate they were headed back to the studio.
Until now.
Thankfully it's confirmed that Kashmir are back recording, but just because a band is in the process of recording instantly equate to a snappy record release. Now i don't want to rush genius but i'd really like a new Kashmir record, and i'd really like it before the end of the year.
The album demonstrated how the band had grown in stature, thanks to an exhaustive touring schedule, but it put obviously put them in a curious creative position and, well, a little worn-out. There's been nary but a blink of tour news on their website for years now which is never a good sign. Sure the band have been touring during summer but there was little to indicate they were headed back to the studio.
Until now.
Thankfully it's confirmed that Kashmir are back recording, but just because a band is in the process of recording instantly equate to a snappy record release. Now i don't want to rush genius but i'd really like a new Kashmir record, and i'd really like it before the end of the year.
4. BLACKALICIOUS
Years since last album: 4 - The Craft (2005)
As part of the Quannum project, Blackalicious orginally swam in the same circles as DJ Shadow, Latryx, Lateef The Truth Speaker et al. Surrounded by such quality it's no surprise that the duo of Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel would really take off on its own right. Though they've never stormed the mainstream vein of American hip-hop, they've remained kings of the underground scene thanks to a handful of vibrant, innovative releases.
After The Craft however, nearly half a decade ago, all activity seemed to grind to a halt. This may have been due to the emergence of side-project The Mighty Underdogs but even with touring slowing to a trickle it seemed like Blackalicious were either taking a bit of a break or running out of steam.
It would be a real shame if The Craft turned out to be their swan song. Though it was no less colourful or charged with excellent tracks like its predeseccors, it seemed like another step in a long-winded career.
Whatever the case it's been far too long, in their wake the intelligence factor of hip-hop has dropped considerably. The likes of Lil' Wayne and T-Pain are leading the pack, while previous luminaries of the genre have faltered, with Kanye West completely losing the plot. There would be no better time for Blackalicious to return to the limelight and re-instill some much needed credibility and vitality to the hip-hop hood.
3. DAVID GRAYAfter The Craft however, nearly half a decade ago, all activity seemed to grind to a halt. This may have been due to the emergence of side-project The Mighty Underdogs but even with touring slowing to a trickle it seemed like Blackalicious were either taking a bit of a break or running out of steam.
It would be a real shame if The Craft turned out to be their swan song. Though it was no less colourful or charged with excellent tracks like its predeseccors, it seemed like another step in a long-winded career.
Whatever the case it's been far too long, in their wake the intelligence factor of hip-hop has dropped considerably. The likes of Lil' Wayne and T-Pain are leading the pack, while previous luminaries of the genre have faltered, with Kanye West completely losing the plot. There would be no better time for Blackalicious to return to the limelight and re-instill some much needed credibility and vitality to the hip-hop hood.
Years since last album: 4 - Life In Slow Motion (2005)
Artists often find themselves facing impossible hype and expectation concering the release of a new record due to the importance, success or sheer quality of their previous record. It's a bullet that Gray not so much dodge as grazed in following up the world-conquering White Ladder with the languid A New Day At Midnight in 2002. Something he can't pull twice in following up Life In Slow Motion.
While the aforementioned White Ladder is still his most successful album, Life In Slow Motion is perhaps his best record. Epic in scale though tightly edited and structured in scope, critically savvy without swanning above the everyman's collective head, gorgeous tunes combined with equally lush production (thanks to Marius DeVries), it was a record that was great on first listen and only got better.
Unlike every other artist on this list, Gray actually does have a new record finished and set to be released in September called Draw The Line. So why his inclusion? Well, because as the title suggests, he was indeed long overdue for a new album. Though he tempered the times with a greatest hits compilation, an online-only covers album and a live DVD, he still may have risked letting his popularity cool too much for a new album to matter. The anticipation and new audience that he built with Life In Slow Motion could certainly have shot him in the foot with a quick follow-up, but it now be a case of too little too late. Here's hoping that's not the case but September will be an important month for Mr. Gray to be sure.
While the aforementioned White Ladder is still his most successful album, Life In Slow Motion is perhaps his best record. Epic in scale though tightly edited and structured in scope, critically savvy without swanning above the everyman's collective head, gorgeous tunes combined with equally lush production (thanks to Marius DeVries), it was a record that was great on first listen and only got better.
Unlike every other artist on this list, Gray actually does have a new record finished and set to be released in September called Draw The Line. So why his inclusion? Well, because as the title suggests, he was indeed long overdue for a new album. Though he tempered the times with a greatest hits compilation, an online-only covers album and a live DVD, he still may have risked letting his popularity cool too much for a new album to matter. The anticipation and new audience that he built with Life In Slow Motion could certainly have shot him in the foot with a quick follow-up, but it now be a case of too little too late. Here's hoping that's not the case but September will be an important month for Mr. Gray to be sure.
2. THE POSTAL SERVICE
Years since last album: 6 - Give Up (2003)
Let's get the cold hard truth out of the way first. There's never going to be another Postal Service record. The circumstances of the band's creation, the intention of the record as a one-off to begin with, combined with the fact that both Jimmy Tambarello and Benjamin Gibbard have stated that work on new material is going very slowly... it just looks highly unlikely that the music world will ever get another Postal Service album.
So why bother? why the penultimate placing on a wishlist such as this when all signs point to 'no'?
Cause there's demand damn it. We're talking about a sequel to an album that remains label Sub Pop's best selling album (alongside Nirvana's Bleach). 900,000 can't be completely wrong, nor can that number drop significantly should there ever be a follow-up to Give Up. There was a joke circulated by Spin magazine that it could end ub being the indie version of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy.
Jokes aside, it might be this pressure that has stunted the release of new material. After all, lest we forget Benjamin Gibbard's daytime job as leader of Death Cab For Cutie, a band who's stature has grown a thousand time's over since 2003.
This humble writer's advice, an unannounced Radiohead-style pay what you like event surfacing over night on the internet would absoloutely slay. Then again maybe we should all just Give Up and keep spinning the original and be thankful for it's near-perfect existence.
1. DAVID BOWIE So why bother? why the penultimate placing on a wishlist such as this when all signs point to 'no'?
Cause there's demand damn it. We're talking about a sequel to an album that remains label Sub Pop's best selling album (alongside Nirvana's Bleach). 900,000 can't be completely wrong, nor can that number drop significantly should there ever be a follow-up to Give Up. There was a joke circulated by Spin magazine that it could end ub being the indie version of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy.
Jokes aside, it might be this pressure that has stunted the release of new material. After all, lest we forget Benjamin Gibbard's daytime job as leader of Death Cab For Cutie, a band who's stature has grown a thousand time's over since 2003.
This humble writer's advice, an unannounced Radiohead-style pay what you like event surfacing over night on the internet would absoloutely slay. Then again maybe we should all just Give Up and keep spinning the original and be thankful for it's near-perfect existence.
Years since last album: 6 - Reality (2003)
To be honest even if Bowie announced tomorrow that he would never again release a record, his legend would already be more than secure. I have to admit that amongst all the Michael Jackson hubub, a grim thought crossed my mind as to what the reaction would be like if an equivalent musical icon were to (heaven forbid) pass away. Over a long enough stretch of time, even the mightiest of musical forces have their low points, and Bowie is no exception. It can't all be Ziggy Stardusts and Brian Eno/Berlin wonders, and so we have Bowie's bleak early 90's period.
Amazingly though he recooperated from his Tin Machine years in the oughties with couple of records produced by old pal Tony Visconti that contained the same individual sparkle of his best works. Both 2002's Heathen and Reality of the following year are records of excellence by any musician's standards, but particularly for an individual of such genre-hopping reputation as Bowie; and certainly when that reputation is as looming as his.
Since those career-reviving albums though, he's been content to simply flit between guest appearances with up-and-coming acts to maintain his cutting-edge demeanour. Namely contributing vocals to Kashmir's The Cynic, TV On The Radio's sophomore Return To Cookie Mountain and even Scarlett Johansson's Tom Waits covers album, Anywhere I Lay My Head.
That's all well and good, but it feels like a bit of a tease. Perhaps the senior chameleon is wary of tainting his legacy once again and his simply avoiding the issue of a new record altogether until he knows he has something killer. Maybe he's even decided that he'll call it a day. Call it greed if you will, but I for one would love to squeeze just one more record out of him.
Here's an idea, those last two records he guested on were both produced by TV On The Radio's own Dave Sitek, imagine this - if he produced his next solo album with Sitek!?
Hell, they've worked together before so they must be relatively comfortable with each other, plus who better than Sitek - whose done brilliant work with new acts like Foals and Yeah Yeah Yeahs - to introduce the 52 year old to a brand new audience of whipper-snappers?
The mind swims with elation at the idea, but even if Bowie returns to the comfort of Tony Visconti or otherwise, this writer for one must chant "Chop, Chop Mr. Bowie, time's a wastin' - time for a new record."
Amazingly though he recooperated from his Tin Machine years in the oughties with couple of records produced by old pal Tony Visconti that contained the same individual sparkle of his best works. Both 2002's Heathen and Reality of the following year are records of excellence by any musician's standards, but particularly for an individual of such genre-hopping reputation as Bowie; and certainly when that reputation is as looming as his.
Since those career-reviving albums though, he's been content to simply flit between guest appearances with up-and-coming acts to maintain his cutting-edge demeanour. Namely contributing vocals to Kashmir's The Cynic, TV On The Radio's sophomore Return To Cookie Mountain and even Scarlett Johansson's Tom Waits covers album, Anywhere I Lay My Head.
That's all well and good, but it feels like a bit of a tease. Perhaps the senior chameleon is wary of tainting his legacy once again and his simply avoiding the issue of a new record altogether until he knows he has something killer. Maybe he's even decided that he'll call it a day. Call it greed if you will, but I for one would love to squeeze just one more record out of him.
Here's an idea, those last two records he guested on were both produced by TV On The Radio's own Dave Sitek, imagine this - if he produced his next solo album with Sitek!?
Hell, they've worked together before so they must be relatively comfortable with each other, plus who better than Sitek - whose done brilliant work with new acts like Foals and Yeah Yeah Yeahs - to introduce the 52 year old to a brand new audience of whipper-snappers?
The mind swims with elation at the idea, but even if Bowie returns to the comfort of Tony Visconti or otherwise, this writer for one must chant "Chop, Chop Mr. Bowie, time's a wastin' - time for a new record."
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
How To Lose Your Female Fanbase In 7 Easy Steps
I'm expecting to cop a lot of flak for my latest entry, in fact I was debating for a little while whether to post it at all. But it's something i've really wanted to write and put quite a bit of work into.... so I've decided to go ahead with it and let my readers' reactions be my guide.
In an effort to pre-empt any scorn, may I defend myself and say that the aim is to still celebrate great new music, and yes - i am a male - sue me. Why all the controversy? well...
Have I undermined my credibility? Want to see a list that caters to the female contingent? Think there's something wrong with my ears (and eyes)? Then comment away dear friends, comment away.
Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie announced earlier this year that he was getting married, that he was to be wed to Zooey Deschanel surely split males 50/50. There was none more deserving of Ms. Deschanel than indie royalty such as Gibbard, but at the same time most guys were just plain jealous.
Zooey Deschanel is probably better recognised as an actor than a singer, but she's found greater success (and credibility) as one half of She & Him with M. Ward than she has funnymen's love interests (Elf, Yes Man, (500) Days Of Summer). With her piercing eyes and flexible bob she seems to tap effortlessly into a retro-chic; as well as looking strikingly similar to faux-lesbian pop star, Katy Perry. Whether she continues to carry her career on the beauty of her looks over the beauty of her voice is to be seen, but one thing's for sure - don't they make a cute couple?
6. Patience Hodgson (The Grates)
In an effort to pre-empt any scorn, may I defend myself and say that the aim is to still celebrate great new music, and yes - i am a male - sue me. Why all the controversy? well...
ARTISTS WHO ARE AS TALENTED AS THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL
While it may look like a sneaky FHM style series of pin-ups, this list actually celebrates a new wave of female singer-songwriters in the tradition of Joni Mitchell, Bjork, Tori Amos, Kate Bush and PJ Harvey. Women who, while being physically beautiful, were also impossibly talented, courageous and creative without having to compromise or exaggerate their femininity. Unlike whomever the pop-starlet-of-the-week may be, there is much, much more to them than a big single and a sexy video. So the following list of females comprises those, who given time, will join the ranks of the names above and other great rock gals of history - or, at the very least, will be remembered for more than just their looks.
Have I undermined my credibility? Want to see a list that caters to the female contingent? Think there's something wrong with my ears (and eyes)? Then comment away dear friends, comment away.
7. Zooey Deschanel (She & Him)
Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie announced earlier this year that he was getting married, that he was to be wed to Zooey Deschanel surely split males 50/50. There was none more deserving of Ms. Deschanel than indie royalty such as Gibbard, but at the same time most guys were just plain jealous.
Zooey Deschanel is probably better recognised as an actor than a singer, but she's found greater success (and credibility) as one half of She & Him with M. Ward than she has funnymen's love interests (Elf, Yes Man, (500) Days Of Summer). With her piercing eyes and flexible bob she seems to tap effortlessly into a retro-chic; as well as looking strikingly similar to faux-lesbian pop star, Katy Perry. Whether she continues to carry her career on the beauty of her looks over the beauty of her voice is to be seen, but one thing's for sure - don't they make a cute couple?
6. Patience Hodgson (The Grates)
In a band that thrives on kook, energy and cuteness, lead singer Patience Hodgson is easily the kookiest, most energetic and cutest. While she may have stolen a few tricks from Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), namely crazy stage dancing and an extensive wardrobe of zany costumes, she seems to do it in her own way. She is the bouncy, effervescent centrepiece of their live shows and an endearing little sprite in her promotional duties (i can empaphise with Sam Simmons in this clip). Despite her effortlessly quirky lyrics, she's got a great voice and presence that really pulls The Grates' otherwise disparate looniness together, and you can't help but singalong.
5. Amber Cofman (Dirty Projectors)
3. Lily Allen
2. Jenny Lewis
1. Natasha Khan (Bat For Lashes)
The talent:
Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move
Dirty Projectors - Two Doves
Dirty Projectors - Knotty Pine (feat. David Byrne)
The beauty:
Unlike others on this list, Amber Cofman is not a solo artist nor the frontwoman of a band, she is actually an integral component of current indie darlings Dirty Projectors. Still, her talent shines through as both a guitarist, and one-third of their beautiful vocal harmonies of the band's sound. One of the greatest moments of Bitte Orca, and the only one to share composing duties with lynchpin Dave Longstregth, is her song Stillness Is The Move. Hell she even wrote a song that impressed Bjork enough to join them for a one-off performance. That's all the credibility you need in my book.
4. Chan Marshall (Cat Power)Dirty Projectors - Stillness Is The Move
Dirty Projectors - Two Doves
Dirty Projectors - Knotty Pine (feat. David Byrne)
The beauty:
Unlike others on this list, Amber Cofman is not a solo artist nor the frontwoman of a band, she is actually an integral component of current indie darlings Dirty Projectors. Still, her talent shines through as both a guitarist, and one-third of their beautiful vocal harmonies of the band's sound. One of the greatest moments of Bitte Orca, and the only one to share composing duties with lynchpin Dave Longstregth, is her song Stillness Is The Move. Hell she even wrote a song that impressed Bjork enough to join them for a one-off performance. That's all the credibility you need in my book.
The talent:
Cat Power - The Greatest
Cat Power - He War
Dirty Three w/ Chan Marshall - Great Waves
The beauty:
Chan Marshall aka. Cat Power rose to fame due to a series of sleeper hit records and an underground buzz calling her the female-Dylan. There was a strange fascination about her painfully shy live performances too - crying, fudging her songs, and even leaving abruptly. But they did little to undermine her credibility and her obvious creative artistry.
With her awkward years behind her, she has blossomed into a brutally honest artist who is a captivating performer and an excellent interpreter, proven by her two cover records. Her appeal manages to gulf many divides, somehow managing to encapsulate a svelte, smouldering beauty with the spirit of rock'n'roll and a rebellious attitude. Even when she committed a music sin by becoming the face of Chanel she managed to do it without a chorus of naysayers chiming 'sell out.' Maybe everyone is just too smitten with her feline charms.
Cat Power - The Greatest
Cat Power - He War
Dirty Three w/ Chan Marshall - Great Waves
The beauty:
Chan Marshall aka. Cat Power rose to fame due to a series of sleeper hit records and an underground buzz calling her the female-Dylan. There was a strange fascination about her painfully shy live performances too - crying, fudging her songs, and even leaving abruptly. But they did little to undermine her credibility and her obvious creative artistry.
With her awkward years behind her, she has blossomed into a brutally honest artist who is a captivating performer and an excellent interpreter, proven by her two cover records. Her appeal manages to gulf many divides, somehow managing to encapsulate a svelte, smouldering beauty with the spirit of rock'n'roll and a rebellious attitude. Even when she committed a music sin by becoming the face of Chanel she managed to do it without a chorus of naysayers chiming 'sell out.' Maybe everyone is just too smitten with her feline charms.
3. Lily Allen
The talent:
Lily Allen - The Fear
Lily Allen - Not Fair
Lily Allen - Never Gonna Happen
The beauty:
I didn't really go for Lily Allen when she first came round, she seemed like a cheeky starlet who was riding the wave of her MySpace buzz and tabloid controversy to get her way to the top. It's only when I stopped judging and started listening, in particular to her second album It's Not Me, It's You, that i realised that her media persona was all part of her personality.
Here's a girl who, despite appearances, is whipsmart and really just won't play the media game. If she seems like a controversy-magnet it's only because she gets into trouble doing exactly what she wants to do. She's sexy and sassy, with the media eye obsesed over her - and she knows it.
Her music says much about her talents, a writer who's disarming honesty is at once both humourous and realistic. I doubt there'll be a better lyric this year than Not Fair's second verse "Oh, I lie here in the wet patch in the middle of the bed/I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by/I spent ages giving head."
It's clever, funny and silly - demonstrating a woman who knows not to take the whole pop star thing so seriously. Like a female James Bond, men want her and women want to be her.
Lily Allen - The Fear
Lily Allen - Not Fair
Lily Allen - Never Gonna Happen
The beauty:
I didn't really go for Lily Allen when she first came round, she seemed like a cheeky starlet who was riding the wave of her MySpace buzz and tabloid controversy to get her way to the top. It's only when I stopped judging and started listening, in particular to her second album It's Not Me, It's You, that i realised that her media persona was all part of her personality.
Here's a girl who, despite appearances, is whipsmart and really just won't play the media game. If she seems like a controversy-magnet it's only because she gets into trouble doing exactly what she wants to do. She's sexy and sassy, with the media eye obsesed over her - and she knows it.
Her music says much about her talents, a writer who's disarming honesty is at once both humourous and realistic. I doubt there'll be a better lyric this year than Not Fair's second verse "Oh, I lie here in the wet patch in the middle of the bed/I'm feeling pretty damn hard done by/I spent ages giving head."
It's clever, funny and silly - demonstrating a woman who knows not to take the whole pop star thing so seriously. Like a female James Bond, men want her and women want to be her.
2. Jenny Lewis
The talent:
Rilo Kiley - Portions For Foxes
Rilo Kiley - Breakin' Up
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Jenny Lewis - Godspeed
The beauty:
Back in 2005, when Jenny Lewis 'went solo' with Rabbit Fur Coat it signaled an artistic shift for the red-haired indie queen. While her day job as lead singer/guitarist/and co-writer for Rilo Kiley is nothing to be sniffed at, her first solo record found her satisfying her urge to be an alt-country star. And she succeeded, even bringing some of that vibe to the following Rilo Kiley album Under The Blacklight.
Last year's Acid Tongue merely further cemented her position as a female artist with 'the package': she looked and sounded great while writing her own tunes and managing her own creative persona. It's important to note, that like most on this list, she doesn't take herself too seriously (she even dolled up as the pink power ranger once).
There remains a precarious tension however as to what she'll do next, continue her career as solo artist, or continue to push herself as the face and voice of Rilo Kiley. Either way, it's a textbook win-win situation.
Rilo Kiley - Portions For Foxes
Rilo Kiley - Breakin' Up
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Jenny Lewis - Godspeed
The beauty:
Back in 2005, when Jenny Lewis 'went solo' with Rabbit Fur Coat it signaled an artistic shift for the red-haired indie queen. While her day job as lead singer/guitarist/and co-writer for Rilo Kiley is nothing to be sniffed at, her first solo record found her satisfying her urge to be an alt-country star. And she succeeded, even bringing some of that vibe to the following Rilo Kiley album Under The Blacklight.
Last year's Acid Tongue merely further cemented her position as a female artist with 'the package': she looked and sounded great while writing her own tunes and managing her own creative persona. It's important to note, that like most on this list, she doesn't take herself too seriously (she even dolled up as the pink power ranger once).
There remains a precarious tension however as to what she'll do next, continue her career as solo artist, or continue to push herself as the face and voice of Rilo Kiley. Either way, it's a textbook win-win situation.
1. Natasha Khan (Bat For Lashes)
The talent:
Bat For Lashes - Daniel
Bat For Lashes - Prescilla
Bat For Lashes - Moon & Moon
Bat For Lashes - Sad Eyes
Bat For Lashes - Pearl's Dream
(Boy, i was hard-pressed not to just put up the entire tracklist of her two albums)
The beauty:
I'm in love with Natasha Khan.
Head-over-heels, giddy as a schoolboy, secret crush, long flowery letters, 'no you hang up first' in-love with Natasha Khan. Now, while I must admit she hasn't crowned this list because she's uneasy on the eyes (she's gorgeous), but the reason i'm so stupid for her is that more than any other artsit represnted here, or any others in recent times, she best personifies everything I enjoy about female musicians.
At the start of this rant I mentioned how this list was a small tribute to great artists like Joni Mitchell, Bjork et. al. Well, Natasha Khan, in her kooky-tribal, electro-balladeering, alt-edge-hobo rock outfit Bat For Lashes captures something of the spirit of all those artists and presents it in a thrilling new way, which is also, ironically, entirely her own.
Now permit me to go all jealous boyfriend... I want to make it clear, before the whole damn blogosphere claims they discovered her first, that i've made these comparisions and sung her praises before almost two years ago when she first debuted. And she's only gone from strength to strength since.
Bat For Lashes extends past the music, to a fruitful array of visuals that portray Khan as so effortlessly cool and mystical. It also allows her the opportunity to raid the dressing-up box to indulge in a flexible amount of imagery that includes punk chic, tribal nativity, witch, hippy, nature's child, chanteuse, girl-next-door - you name it. Chances are Khan has brooched it in her amazing promo shoots.
So in no short amount of words, that's why i'm in love with Natasha Khan. Because i'm in love with her music and her musical identity, and in love that's she's in love with it too.
Bat For Lashes - Daniel
Bat For Lashes - Prescilla
Bat For Lashes - Moon & Moon
Bat For Lashes - Sad Eyes
Bat For Lashes - Pearl's Dream
(Boy, i was hard-pressed not to just put up the entire tracklist of her two albums)
The beauty:
I'm in love with Natasha Khan.
Head-over-heels, giddy as a schoolboy, secret crush, long flowery letters, 'no you hang up first' in-love with Natasha Khan. Now, while I must admit she hasn't crowned this list because she's uneasy on the eyes (she's gorgeous), but the reason i'm so stupid for her is that more than any other artsit represnted here, or any others in recent times, she best personifies everything I enjoy about female musicians.
At the start of this rant I mentioned how this list was a small tribute to great artists like Joni Mitchell, Bjork et. al. Well, Natasha Khan, in her kooky-tribal, electro-balladeering, alt-edge-hobo rock outfit Bat For Lashes captures something of the spirit of all those artists and presents it in a thrilling new way, which is also, ironically, entirely her own.
Now permit me to go all jealous boyfriend... I want to make it clear, before the whole damn blogosphere claims they discovered her first, that i've made these comparisions and sung her praises before almost two years ago when she first debuted. And she's only gone from strength to strength since.
Bat For Lashes extends past the music, to a fruitful array of visuals that portray Khan as so effortlessly cool and mystical. It also allows her the opportunity to raid the dressing-up box to indulge in a flexible amount of imagery that includes punk chic, tribal nativity, witch, hippy, nature's child, chanteuse, girl-next-door - you name it. Chances are Khan has brooched it in her amazing promo shoots.
So in no short amount of words, that's why i'm in love with Natasha Khan. Because i'm in love with her music and her musical identity, and in love that's she's in love with it too.
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