This week, I'm highlighting an album instead of just a song... because I can.
"This is Not a False Alarm Anymore" is the debut album from Toronto's moody electronic guy, v01d. The maturity and contemplative nature of the songs (not to be mistaken for "boring") is a testament to the years v01d's Joseph Byer has spent working with music, and forming his sound. Anyone that heard earlier v01d will hear the difference right away. These songs are not meant for a dancefloor... but are building, growing, evolving experiences.
Highlights of the album include the sort-of-title-track "Feel Me Fade", electro waltz "Resurrected Upon Landing", the MC 900 ft Jesusesque "Gods Look Down", and sexy-but-depressing "This Moment is Over".
This album also has a companion album, "Burnt Upon Re-Entry", available digitally or as a part of a limited 2-CD set. It offers up some new tracks (including the seemingly out of character rap track "End of Life"), some remixes and alternate versions of album tracks.
To end off this post, we have the video trailer for the album... BUY IT NOW!
I can't quite reconcile the sound that comes out of this tiny girl's mouth with her appearance. Doesn't quite mesh, does it? Yet she somehow manages to go from a growly cookie-monster voice to a fun girlie metal voice. I think that's a thing that's baffled Kittie fans since they first appeared many years ago. Hard to believe, considering how young they *still* are.
For years, I have had Brackish in my playlists, and now I've got some new songs to add. The new single, Cut Throat, is pretty wicked. They are a great band, who just happen to be made up entirely of girls. Pretty sweet. Plus, Canadian.
Check out their new album, "In the Black". Highlights include Cut Throat, Die My Darling, and Now or Never.
I'm not too sure how to describe this, other than "I like it". The song is kind of fun, and different, and almost catchy (except I can never remember any of the words).
I'm realizing I'm on a bit of a kick this season... most bands I'm listening to are a "somebody and the somethings" band, or the band name ends in 'ette'. Hm.
As for this video... it brings to mind Muppets and Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man. It's a little creepy... you'll see what I mean. My limbs are feeling a little wobbly now.
This video is pretty cute. Alice in Videoland is an electro-punk-pop band from Sweden, on Artoffact Records (for North America). Their songs are usually pretty short, extremely fun and pretty much insane.
This song is from their third album, of the same name, "She's a Machine", which also features a duet with Maja from the Sounds ("We Are Rebels") and a cover of Guano Apes ("Open Your Eyes"). Pretty wicked.
This is hopefully the start of a new regular post here in my cell. I think I've been avoiding the metal. Or maybe it's avoiding me. Yeah, I gave it the obvious alliterative title. Boo on me.
In any case, this lovely video happened upon my inbox today, by one of my more recent favourite metal bands, Leaves' Eyes. Leaves' Eyes is that kind of 'beauty & the beast' Norwegian metal band that mixes fairly operatic, beautiful female vocals with harsh growly male vocals.
Many bands can't pull it off.
Leaves' Eyes is a great example of making that style work, mostly because singer Liv Kristine is vocally very strong (where some of the other bands are lacking). They're also different from other bands I listen to because they are very story and theme-oriented. The video illustrates literally what their song writing paints.
I saw a clip of this on TV when I was home for lunch one day... and thought it was wicked! Then I did a second take -- wait, wasn't Anna Cyzon the entertainment reporter for CTV? Yup! She's back, in a very different role...
Her own description of her music meshes Debbie Harry, a poppier Metric and a little Gwen Stefani. I can see that, I think. It's got a great slick alt-rock vibe, with a cool(hot) chick singing. Do people still use the term 'alt-rock'?
Anyhoo, check it out. There are only two songs up on her MySpace, but both are supercoolfun. Looking forward to hearing more.
Warning! He drops the F-bomb at the beginning of this video, like some mad pirate! This is unfortunate, because the beginning incoherent rant does not fit with the sweet song inside.
Last week, I mentioned my newfound interest in UK rappers. Roots Manuva is one of the ones I like the most. Some of his songs are grimey (like the wicked fun 'Buff Nuff'), but this one really stands out. It's soft, a little electro, and he sings along with the rapping.
Ever more bouncy, no need to re-announce me. <3 Bleph
I was pulled into this song by a "So you think you can dance, Canada" commercial.
It's true. I almost didn't want to like it, on principle. It got stuck in my head. Then Joe says "I'm pretty sure that's Dizzee Rascal", and it made everything alright. He's cool, right? Much cooler than Pussycat Dolls (who were featured in a previous commercial for the aforementioned TV show).
Not sure what it is, but I really like British rappers. It's something about the mix of accents, the lingo (different from North American rappers... maybe they smush in a bit of Cockney Rhyming Slang? Not sure). Dizzee Rascal is one of those rappers that just sound super cool to me. I'm never quite sure what he's saying - and maybe that's a good thing.
I suppose I should have put up some Roots Manuva, since I've been listening to him a little bit longer. I put up this particular song, because it's been stuck in my head for the last few weeks. The silly thing is that this song is over a year old already! Wake up, girl!!
OK, so you already know I love Bat for Lashes. That, and the summer seems to be getting away from me, and only the odd new video has been catching my attention.
Cruel Black Dove is another one of those bands that has taken a little while to catch on for me. I laugh, because they're also another band that would have been one of my absolute favourites had they existed back in my high school days (along with The Birthday Massacre).
They're a little dark & gothy, without being too gothy. Best of all, her singing reminds me a little of my beloved Polly Jean Harvey, who sang much of my high school soundtrack. What's with me finding singers that remind me of other singers and me being ok with that?? Weird.
In any case, Cruel Black dove is moody, broody, a little heavy, very vocal and pretty darn cool. I've also read that she's good at pulling off the vocals live, so I wouldn't mind seeing them (maybe paired with IAMX - they've played shows together recently, so it could happen!!).
This week's video is a bit different, in that it's actually a promotional video for Jean Paul Gaultier's latest perfume. Pretty weird, but pretty wicked. I have to admit - I don't know Martin Solveig (although I'm going to check some of his other stuff out now) and mostly got into this clip because of Dragonette. The song is fun, the video is fun - yay!
"Think of England" is a track off of the latest IAMX album, "Kingdom of Welcome Addiction". I think this is my favourite track off of this album... it's not unlike my favourite tracks off of the previous album, "The Alternative".
I've liked IAMX for a little while now, but I think seeing them live last year (? or was it 2007?) really sparked something for me. I hadn't heard much from The Alternative at that point (except for President, which I find REALLY REALLY disappointing) and wasn't sure what to expect. They put on a great show, had great presence and the new songs just kicked my ass.
This new song brings me back to that show, and therefore I like it.
Major Lazer is the recent collaborative effort of Diplo and Switch, both of whom have been musically linked to cool chicks M.I.A and Santigold.
From what I've heard so far, this is a super summer album. It sounds hot.
In any case, of course I love this track because Santi White (Santigold) is on it.
Nuff Said?
I am sad that we missed the most recent Santigold show here in Toronto (sold out!! eek!) because she actually played this song. If you have a chance to see her live, go! Her stage persona is fun and friendly and cool - the kinda chick you want as your best friend.
Beast is a band out of Montreal, Canada (woo! Can Con!) that blurs the lines between various musical genres. I'm not even going to try to classify them myself, and Beast themselves revert to quoting a reporter, “ Beast sounds like what you might hear at the last cabaret on the road to hell.”. Pretty funny.
This is the first single off their debut album, 'Beast'. Wicked.
If the vocalist sounds familiar, it's because she sang on DJ Champion's album (looved 'No Heaven' - but I hear that if I listened to the radio, I would have gotten sick of it! Ha!) AND she sang on the amazing Oscar-nominated soundtrack to the amazing movie "Les Triplettes de Belleville".
Confession time -- I really should have posted this two or three weeks ago, when I first found it. Boooo to me! Yeah, I was slacking a little... and last week I had to post the new Bat for Lashes, because they are "my thing" right now. That said, Dragonette could be my "next thing".
Not entirely unlike I did with Bat for Lashes, I latched onto one Dragonette song and kind of avoided really getting into them. I listened to a couple of clips, a couple of remixes and forgot all about it. Enter the new single from the second album, "Fixin' to Thrill". Dragonette has a fun sound, an edgy look and an underlying sexual theme (think Peaches, but not so blatant).
I'm really enjoying this single, and it's clawing into my brain more and more... Mmmmmm brains.
Pearl's Dream is the second single from the latest Bat for Lashes album, "Two Suns". This is one of my top 5 favourites on the album, and an AMAZING choice as a single. As usual, the video is a little arty and weird and I totally love it. For those B4L fans who thought that 'Daniel' was sort of a safe choice as a single, I think this should make you happy.
This song and video are a great example of what Natasha Khan has to offer. It highlights her crazy wicked vocal abilities, as well as her storytelling through the lyrics and feel of the song. If you weren't sure before, you are now aware that she is not your average popstar.
If you have a chance to see Bat for Lashes live, please do so!! The live lineup is comprised of very talented musicians, a slew of bizarre looking instruments, and Natasha's AMAZING voice and stage presence.
OK, so I had never heard of these people until about 10 minutes ago. You know when you see something that someone else has posted and you have to post it too? Yea, I'm doing that right now. I was sold when their post mentioned people turning into werewolves in a grocery store.
So... the new k-os album is out now. I haven't heard it all yet, but from the couple of track and clips I've heard, 4 3 2 1 isn't even the best there is! 4 3 2 1 is a great choice for a first single, as it's commercially friendly while still showing k-os' strengths. It's smart, dancey, and rappy in the best way -- not the "I'm beating you with a stick until you bleed all over my marble floor" rap. k-os is the kind of rap artist I like - he blends genres, topics, instruments. A seriously great Canadian artist... palatable, marketable, but sill totally edgy.
To top it off, k-os is embarking on a Pay-What-You-Can tour, along the same strategy lines as NIN offering their music for free. I hope this pays off for him!!
