About time! After many delays, Klaxons are finally unveiling some new material from their forthcoming sophomore album Surfing The Void, and so far, it's all looking rather feline-promising. Oh, and that video looks like it was a whole lot of fun to shoot:
Seen from a two-year-distance, the biggest achievement in 808s & Heartbreak was not the then-much-discussed extreme use of auto-tune. It was instead the launch of a new concept in the hip-hop world where we had dark ballads and introspective lyrics, over instrumentals that seemed like skeletons of post-digital songs. The born of emo-rap, anyone? Fast-forward to 2010 and the first mainstream descendent of that polarizing album comes from the newest superstar in the game, the dude-next-door whom anyone can identity with. So yeah, Drake is now being acclaimed as hip-hop's saviour, and if that shows how unfair the world was to Kanye's 2008 controversial masterpiece, the truth is that, when hearing Thank Me Later, one can only think that justice is finally being done. A direct continuation of last year's excellent So Far Gone, Drake's debut full-length further explores the qualities first revealed in that mixtape, and even accentuates them, in a very diverse collection of songs that is, nevertheless, surprisingly consistent. From his incredible ability to smoothly flow between rapping and singing, to the innumerous hooks and involving details that each song incorporates, you have it all, creating an intense and futuristic sound that, paradoxically, sounds like an instant classic. And back again to that 808s & Hearbreak comparison: if Kanye's album seemed like a work-in-progress from a mind that is constantly flowing into different directions, Thank Me Later sounds like a definitive statement from someone pretty sure about where he's heading: with his debut album, Drake has already created a landmark (9/10)
And here it is, coming from New-Zealand, what will definitely become the feel-good song of Summer 2010! Powerful and nostalgic, beautiful lyrics, and a video that compliments it all too perfectly:
Showing a lot of respect for catchy pop tunes, The Drums are not your average Brooklyn band, but who is complaining? After all, it's so easy to fall for them: their songs do demonstrate an enormous love for melody in an almost perfect way, and their songwriting is virtually flawless. On the other hand, it could also be easy to start a backlash, as they do display their influences loud and proudly: from Joy Division and New Order to surf groups and 1960's pop, you have them all in here and it shows. A lot. But, then again, who is complaining? Not me, that's for sure. Because hearing these 12 tracks is an absolute joy, much like what happened already with their previous EP Summertime!, only now with a bit more melancholic tenderness and less summery vibes. And if, at first listen, you feel that their songs don't have anything special about them, then think again. Because every time one of them threatens to fall into monotony, there's always a new detail coming in to take it to new heights and literally save the day. Sometimes it may be just a simple synth line, or the extra addition of cymbals. But other times, it's just the perfect conjunction of everything, from start to end, creating special moments to soundtrack the act of pure escapism. And for more about that, just hear and watch the absolutely gorgeous video below. (8/10)
"If I could have my way / There would never be an end to this beginning"
Grace Jones (one of the names I wish I would see playing live this summer) collaborated recently with photographer Chris Levine, known for his work using 3D and light effects, on an art installation called Stillness at the Speed of Life. Some of the photos revealed are mysterious and beautiful but now we get to see the music video that resulted from those sessions. Here's the video for I Love You To Life, a gorgeous Compass-Point styled track from her latest album, Hurricane. To find out more about the Jones and Levine collaboration please visit www.gracejonesbychrislevine.com.
"Don't fucking tell me what to do"... that's how Robyn starts her new album, and this fact could pretty much sum it up what she's all about. Indeed, her music is pure pop - catchy and mostly fun -, but there's always been something that makes her a kind of outsider, like a feeling of displacement which perhaps comes from her Scandinavian roots. Or maybe the twist is much simpler: she's just too honest and her songs are loaded with so much raw and genuine sentiment that we kind of feel disarmed when dealing with them. Heartbreaking could be the word. The good news is that, in her new mini-album, she stays true to herself. Doesn't matter if she's taking inspiration in electro, dancehall, synthpop or singing a traditional Swedish ballad, this is Robyn at her purest core, a mixture of candidness with that raw and unique attitude, delivering a collection of immense songs that come from a down-to-earth girl giving out what she does best. And it's telling that the result is actually much more subversive than 99,9% of the conceptual bullshit being thrown at us every minute nowadays. For further proof of her brilliance, go hear the extreme-goosebumps-inducing Dancing On My Own, a song included in Body Talk Pt. 1, which is basically one of the best songs ever. And some even better news: this is just the first part of a 3-album-project, with parts 2 and 3 still scheduled for this year. Bring it on! (8,5/10)
Great artists live forever. Above, a new shot taken by a young French photographer called Arno Bani that is going on auction next December. This was Michael's latest photo shoot and I love it, the result is strikingly beautiful.
HEALTH are ready for a crossover, at least judging by this new track included in their recently-released remix album Disco 2. Their freak-out tendencies are intact, but the news here is that the freaks are now writing dream-pop melodies over digital synths that recall the best side of Timbaland, resulting in what Pitchfork has called "a kind of industrial-erotic jam". And then this official video appeared, and it only further accentuates that description...
My god, their videos keep getting better and better, don't they? The second single from Congratulations is the album's opening track, and the video treatment this time around comes to prove that MGMT do put a lot of effort in the band's visuals. The video (directed by artist SO-ME) is their most fun effort to date and can I point out that the boys are looking mighty fine on this one? LOVE all the technicolor effects.
When I saw Crystal Castles playing live a couple of months ago, there was this one song in their set that really got me. Not only it was quite different from everything else they did during the insanity that is their live show, it was also really really good. Celestica is the song and it's a cold and beautiful synth-led sound that gives Alice Glass and Ethan Kath a sensitive side (!) and, well, a hell of a great single. The video for Celestica was just released, check it below:
Summer has officially started today and His-Royal-Highness Prince has recently put out a new super-fresh and fun song, which incidentally is called Hot Summer. So I guess this post just speaks for itself! Celebrate the new season in style below:
Friday night, time to put on those dancing shoes and get ready to party... And that's exactly what happens in Human Life's In It Together, a song that mixes icy synths with the warm vibes of pure funk. In its very cool video, the visual translation of this idea is quite literal: just replace the dancing shoes by tribal paintings, make the party in a secret location, load it with people dressed in wicked costumes... and you're ready for the time of your lives.
