the majestic sounds of folk-pop duo first aid kit reach new heights on the lion's roar, the follow-up album to their critically acclaimed debut the big black and the blue. known for their rich, haunting harmonies and well-executed melodies, the sisters stretch their abilities on their latest disc and succeed wildly, like a pair of mourning doves wailing and lamenting a lost love with their song. be sure to catch them live if possible. (they recently opened for lykke li on her north american tour.) their voices and harmonies are as shockingly exquisite when heard live as they sound on record. check out two tracks from the lion's roar below and revel in the beauty.
first aid kit - i found a way
first aid kit - king of the world (feat. conor oberst)
if you stare at lana del rey's trademark pouty lips long enough they become almost hypnotic. but a closer look reveals that no matter how much frosted lipstick or slick gloss she applies, the lips are full of cracks. the same can be said of her music.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
last summer only a handful of people knew the name lana del rey. this came courtesy of the song "video games" which, along with its accompanying homemade music video, blew up the blogosphere. she released a follow-up tune, "blue jeans," and then, seemingly overnight, she was booked to play "saturday night live." the result was disastrous. not since britney spears's infamous "gimme more" debacle on the MTV video music awards did a live television performance receive such scathing reviews. however, judging from del rey's debut album, born to die, released today, that's just fine by her.
lana del rey wants your attention. she wants to be famous. "money is the anthem/of success" she proclaims on "national anthem." there's a pathetic desperation in her desire, and lyrics indicating such run rampant throughout the album. she's a hotly debated topic among music critics and lover. many think she's one of the few genuinely talented singer-songwriters to come along in a while. others think she's a pretentious poser; another pop starlet whose image and sound are manufactured in the minds' of record company execs.
personally, i think it's too soon to tell (although she does look like every girl in high school you hated) but born to die leaves much to be desired. unfortunately, the best songs on the album were already previously released on an EP ("video games," "born to die") or leaked on the internet several weeks ago ("national anthem"). there's only one new song, "summertime sadness," that can be grouped with the others making for a total of 6 great songs and 9 other so-so or terrible ones. not a great ratio, even for a first outing. and ultimately what the album adds up to is an amateur, rife with talent, but unsure of her identity.
betcha didn't know kathie lee gifford was once a disco queen. come to think of it, it's not entirely surprising. the talk-show goddess has always been more than meets the eye. during her gospel music days, she released the album finders keepers under the name kathie lee johnson. at the time she was married to her first husband, paul johnson, a well-known gospel music producer and songwriter who produced this album and wrote all the songs, including the disco-tinged title track. this was in 1978 -- before frank gifford, before regis, before cody and cassidy and, judging from the album cover, before art direction.
kathie lee has always elicited a strong reaction from people. (just ask howard stern.) this was especially true during her 15-year stint co-hosting "live with regis and kathie lee" with regis philbin. she was a lightning rod for criticism, provided endless tabloid fodder, and was on the end of numerous blatant, malicious attacks upon her character, for no other reason than those people didn't like her. i've never made it a secret that i absolutely love kathie lee gifford. when i was in high school i would record "live" and watch it first thing when i got home. it was one of the few opportunities i had to laugh. (if you've read about my high school experience, you know exactly what i'm talking about.) without that daily dose of laughter she provided those four years of high school, there's no telling where i'd be. because she was being bullied by the media in real-time as i was being bullied by my classmates, i think i unconsciously felt a kinship to her. i championed her career even after "live." (yes, i was one of the 4 people who bought her 2000 pop album heart of a woman.) in the the last few years she's found renewed success, once again, in daytime television, as the wacky, feisty, wine-guzzling co-host of the fourth hour of "today" opposite hoda kotb.
there is a certain camp appeal to kathie lee gifford. some may find the term "camp" derogatory, but i think it's a badge of honor. you can't create camp on purpose. it has to happen. when it does, and it works, it's magic. whether it's a movie, song, youtube video or television show, once something becomes camp it takes on a life of its own, almost an immortality. "finders keepers," which finds kathie lee cooing with breathless anticipation over disco strings and impassioned backup singers, may not be an immortal camp item but it sure comes close. there's a naive sexuality to it that's almost uncomfortable to listen to. this was a gospel album after all. a song that followed "finders keepers" was called "isn't that just like jesus." but i think jesus would have dug "finders keepers" as much as i do. gay men love camp.
i was beginning to lose patience with the bianca story. ever since i heard the song "coming home," i've been foaming at the mouth for a full-length album. the song, which came in at #1 in our year-end top songs poll, was released in december 2010. now, a year and a month later, the album, also titled coming home, is finally here. ahh, but there's a catch. it's available only in germany and the band's native switzerland. however, thanks to the wonders of the interwebs i was able to fork over the bread to purchase a copy. one of those round discy-thingies called CDs. (by the way, based on the current currency conversion rate, the american dollar is still as strong as tissue paper. thanks, congress!)
update:coming home is available on iTunes in the u.s. with two bonus tracks.
since the bianca story's popularity has yet to reach the sunny shores of the u.s., they are in many ways my secret band. consider yourself a member of the club. coming home does not disappoint as a follow-up to the title track, which appears on the album in a slightly different, more bombastic arrangement. it's elia rediger's rich baritone that truly makes the song -- he's the bearded fellow on the cover of the album -- and his magnificent vocals are all over the album. yet the rest of the band contributes vocals on a few tracks.
if the album cover evokes sounds of rustic guitars and banjos, you're in for a surprise. while there are definitely some sweet and tender acoustic moments, the majority of the tracks are heavy on the synths and beats (one of the songs is called "dancing people are never wrong"). the rousing opener, "afraid of the world," appeared in a different form under the name "heart treat" on the 2009 compilation the swiss factory - worker #1. check it out along with "lazy boy" (featuring some fantastic vocals by rediger) and "not the sun" below.
klifton filente has got to be one of the coolest stage names of all time. it almost sounds like a porn name. his real name is jonas lundvall, and as you may have guessed reading that, he's swedish. if you're a regular reader you know that my love for swedish pop music runs as deep as the hornavan.
filente's sound is a mix of acoustic pop, folk and alternative. the lovely, lilting "foremost of the westerners" is the lead track from filente's newest release breaking the clouds. i haven't had a chance to sample the entire eight-track EP in full, however, if "foremost" is any indication, it's going to be exquisite. you can check out the tune below and download it, as well as the entire EP, for free at bandcamp. nice.
welcome once again to top of the Pop Sucker [TOTPS]! this is our new feature where we recap the most read stories of the week. find out what's popular, what's hip, and who's a what's on top. here's this week's top 10. have you read them all?
"the reflection of you" has pet shop boys written all over it. the track is the lead single from bear in heaven's upcoming album i love you, it's cool, which will be released april 3. whether or not the brooklyn trio had PSB in mind when they wrote "the reflection of you" is beside the point. it's an excellent song gleaming with the impassioned desire of an awkward, lovelorn youth.
if you're in north america, check 'em out on tour this spring:
3/28/12 - Andy Warhol Museum - Pittsburgh, PA
3/29/12 - The Bishop - Bloomington, IN
3/30/12 - The Basement - Columbus, OH
3/31/12 - MOTR Pub - Cincinnati, OH
4/01/12 - The Luminary Center for the Arts - St. Louis, MO
4/04/12 - Casbah - San Diego, CA
4/05/12 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
4/08/12 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
4/12/12 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR
4/13/12 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA
4/14/12 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
4/17/12 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
4/18/12 - Schubas - Chicago, IL
4/20/12 - Zanzabar - Louisville, KY
4/21/12 - Exit/In - Nashville, TN
4/22/12 - Hi-Tone Cafe - Memphis, TN
4/24/12 - The Parish - Austin, TX
4/25/12 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
4/26/12 - The Bottletree - Birmingham, AL
4/27/12 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA
4/28/12 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC
4/29/12 - Kings Barcade - Raleigh, NC
5/01/12 - Black Cat Backstage - Washington, DC
5/02/12 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
5/03/12 - Brighton Music Hall - Allston, MA
5/04/12 - La Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC
5/05/12 - The Garrison - Toronto, ON
5/06/12 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY
5/08/12 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
5/09/12 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
there's something incredibly endearing about opus oranges's "that is to say." i think it's the '80s-inspired synthesizer. sort of like the casio keyboard my sister and i played with growing up. the song, by the santa monica duo, comes from their recent release, reinventions, which is chock-full of other such pop gems.
when i heard "that is to say" it instantly reminded me of another utterly adorable song by the swedish band leslies, which came out in 2001. that song, "the girl at collins ave," is also heavy on the synths and the charm.
i'm so sorry, my little pop suckers, that the Pop Sucker has been a ghost town the last few days. the weekend was just a cavalcade of social activities, not the least of which was spending some time with my friend, jeff, also known as the new jan brady. we did oodles of shopping and jan has a perpetual hard-on for american eagle. i can understand that because not only did i used to patronize the establishment, but it was my first job upon moving to san francisco. and whether or not i care to admit it, working there started my love affair with indie music. i was introduced to hundreds of indie artists i had never heard before. when the same 2-hour CD/DVD is repeated non-stop for the entire duration of an 8-hour shift, you're forced to listen to songs you might not normally seek out. so it wasn't entirely surprising i discovered a new a shimmering new song called "blue skies" from sydney-based cadillac. it's perfect to bring one out of the winter doldrums with eyes turned to warmer winds.
"ilusión rebelde" means rebel illusion. that's the most i understand in this song. but it doesn't matter. all this '90s-inspired techno dance pop from chile's tio lucho is just amazeballs.
welcome once again to top of the Pop Sucker [TOTPS]! this is our new feature where we recap the most read stories of the week. find out what's popular, what's hip, and who's a what's on top. here's this week's top 5. have you read them all?
it's hard to believe that it's been nearly seven years since belgian/canadian duo plastic operator released their single "folder," a glorious digital age love letter ("that's why i copy and paste/into your folder/folder with your name/it would be more than i could take/if i just told you/told you how i feel") which was included two years later on their 2007 debut album different places. despite a smattering of releases, plastic operator has been all but quiet since then. but they're back! and "making it right," the first single from their second album, before the day is out, is their best release since "folder." a wonderfully addictive slice of fuzz-infused electropop.
with tongue planted firmly in cheek (among other places), the ultramods give an explicitly delightful, new wave tour through the pages of L.A. xpress magazine. sounding a bit like david bowie, bunny ultramod sings fondly about the escorts he gazes upon. the track comes from the ultramods' new album this is hollywood, which bunny says is an "autobiographical 16-song release detailing three years in Hollywood leading up to the L.A. Riots. The album details life on the margins of early-1990s Los Angeles, including stories of sex workers, failed writers, male prostitutes, and homeless teens, and borrows from the music of the era to tell these stories, including late-80s new wave, pop punk, and, in particular, the Fast Time at Ridgemont High soundtrack." seriously, how can you go wrong?
like any red-blooded american male for months i was searching in vain for a remastered version of marilyn chambers's 1977 disco single "benihana." finally, i found one. although you can easily find an mp3 online which is ripped from the original vinyl 45 single there's only one remastered version on an import, out-of-print, 3-CD box set from 1998 called the roulette story. naturally, like any red-blooded american male, i purchased one. (and they ain't cheap, mary!) while marilyn's single is definitely a highlight (you can hear it here), i was treated to a slew of absolutely wonderful tracks from the mid-1950s through the mid-1970s. although i consider myself a connoisseur of pop, many of these tracks i had never heard before.
roulette records was truly one of the first independent record labels and signed a variety of artists in many genre: tommy james & the shondells, count basie, tito puente, dinah washington, sarah vaughn, and the three degrees. the label scored five #1 singles during the early years of rock 'n' roll, including "party doll" by buddy knox and "honeycomb" by jimmie rodgers (see below). the label also was a front business for the infamous genovese crime family and was notorious for not paying their artists on time, or at all, or any royalties.
one of the most famous and covered pop oldies of all time is "honeycomb." but the adorable 24-year-old jimmie rodgers is the only one to take it to the #1 spot on the billboard hot 100. here he is performing the tune on "the ed sullivan show." try getting this one out of your head.
if this song, "i'm gonna love you too," sounds a lot like buddy holly that's cause it is. the hullaballoos, with their dyed-blonde haircuts, were one of the first british invasion groups and were more popular in the u.s. than in their homeland. this was their biggest hit (#56 on the hot 100 in 1965), which they performed on "hullabaloo" (no relation). that's mr. perpetual tan himself, george hamilton, introducing them.
one of the most influential '60s garage rock bands was the cleveland band the choir. two of the members, david smalley and jim bofanti, went on to form the raspberries with eric carmen. the choir's best-known tune was this amazing 1966 song, "it's cold outside," which i embarrassed to say i had never heard before the roulette story. so glad i discovered it now.
i need some funk to get my week going. this song had been sitting in my library for one whole year. it comes from snax, a homolicious singer-songwriter who looks like a cross between porn legend john holmes and art garfunkel. snax was recently embroiled in some controversy when he appeared as a guest vocalist on a lesbian african-american MC's track. he wrote a piece on the huffington post to address to vicious, hateful comments left by viewers on the video's youtube page. he also has a new album out called gratitude, which you can download for free at his site.
jesus christ and judy garland! is this sensational or what?! the knocks' new EP is entitled magic and, oh, how it is! the title track is one of the best dance-pop songs i've heard in recent memory. shimmering and simple, yet overwhelmingly effective, "magic," featuring gary go booms with scintillating majesty.
welcome to top of the Pop Sucker [TOTPS]! this is our new feature where we recap the most read stories of the week. find out what's popular, what's hip, and who's a what's on top. here's this week's top 5. have you read them all?
i would get tarred and feathered with these guys any day.
i'm absolutely crushing on saint motel's "at least i have nothing." and what's not to love? a slam-bang rock tune with exhilarating vocals and lyrics that should please every one of the 99%. myself included. whether or not it was intended the song is a social message. in many ways it's a protest song. but a peaceful protest, replacing the sounds of pepper spray cans with synths and kick drums. (yes!) the opening lyrics: "finally i can be true to a cause/i can be far from the money/i can be free from all jobs/and i know that sounds crazy/everything does/we're all gonna die here/at least we could try." yet they're not so much protesting as they are resigning themselves to the fact that they are the 99% and they're perfectly happy with that. whatever their position, or yours, this up-and-coming LA rock band may have written the ultimate occupy wall street anthem ever. and if you don't care to get too political or over-analytical about it, just rock out! the 1% wouldn't get it anyway.
it's been almost 12 years since "gotta tell you" came out. count 'em. T-W-E-L-V-E. if that makes you feel old, i'm right there with ya. irish songbird samantha mumba, with her throaty, dusky toni braxton-esque vocals, had a worldwide smash in mid- to late-2000 with this tune. i played it ad nauseum when i was in college to the point where my neighbor had to come over and tell me to turn it off. (how rude!) mumba followed this up with a solid album, also called gotta tell you, and couple of minor hits, most notable of which was "baby, come over (this is our night)." she never formally released a second album despite an excellent lead single, "i'm right here," and more or less has since been relegated to obscurity.
during the early '00s, she also tried her hand at acting. that was when i had a chance to meet her. she was on a press tour for the dreadful guy pearce vehicle the time machine. i was the arts & entertainment editor of my college newspaper and i immediately snagged the opportunity to do a Q&A. i haven't seen the film since it came out in 2002, but i do remember she wasn't terrible. before she came into the room for the Q&A, her press rep or manager told the group of reporters that under no circumstances were we to ask about her father. i never found out why.
in person she was shy, reserved; the exact opposite of what you'd expect of a teen pop star. still she was charming and answered each question thoughtfully and politely. once the questions about the film had been exhausted i inquired about her music career. she said she was working on a new album, one that never came to fruition. then i asked if i could break the professional barrier and ask her to autograph my copy of gotta tell you, which i gleefully produced from my backpack.
really, swedes? seriously, what is with you? why is your music so fucking good?! why do you continuously ply us with beautiful melodies, genius hooks and grandiose arrangements to consistently please our aural palates? ((sigh)) the kick released this single, "rubicon," back in april. it was a teaser track to their sophomore album, which had a tentative release date for the fall. the fall has come and gone with no new album so we'll just have to put this on replay to whet our appetites. that shouldn't be too difficult. in the meantime you can download an album of previously unreleased tracks called anomalies.
from brooklyn comes meridian, a duo that specializes in "new age rhythm and blues." i'm not really sure what that means. it sounds like glittering, sparkly sonic awesomeness to me.
like a panther circling her prey, delilah comes stalking, slinking out of the haze on "love you so," one of the dreamiest pop songs to cross this aural palate in many a day. but delilah doesn't go in for the kill by viciously attacking her prey. she's much more clever than that. she seduces and it doesn't take long to fall victim to her charms. (it's no wonder then that name delilah means "seductive.")
"love you so," with its gorgeous, soaring strings, top-notch production and delilah's captivating vocals are reminiscent of sia circa zero 7 days, as well as last year's magnificent "heaven" by emeli sandé.
what family of the year has captured so brilliantly on their track "6 am" is that universal excitement of meeting someone new, getting to know them deeply in one evening, and wondering if you'll ever see them again. yet the stripped-down arrangement and echoing background harmonies suggest an almost forlorn experience. one that makes the last line of the chorus, "it seems as though you've won," come off more as a question than a declaration. and that makes the song all the more intriguing.
"my thoughts are tearing each other apart/in the back of the car/the conversation has probably gone too far/you keep me guessing/tongue-tied and messy/don't make me feel stupid/i'll do that on my own"
ummm... who's been reading my diary? pete and the pirates, apparently. "half moon street," is a recent single from the u.k. band's sophomore album one thousand pictures and it's guitar pop at its finest. many times a noticeable british accent in a singer's voice isn't a turn-on, but this is an exception. (and the boys are pretty to look at so that always helps.)
in keeping with the moody electronica theme, this is vindahl. ronni vindahl to be exact. he's from denmark and i had a helluva time selecting which track from his latest album serendipity to post. they're all good, so here's a trio.
his music is shinier and more sparkling than polica's which i posted earlier -- check out those classic, sexy disco strings on "monday i die"! -- but there's still an undercurrent of sadness on many of the tracks, however poppy, such as "the opening." on the other hand, "head over heels," which features guest vocals from coco of quadron, is the perfect background music for a love-making sunday afternoon.
if you thought the vocoder went out with cher, you haven't heard poliça yet. the minneapolis foursome put together dark, moody electronica that's both incredibly seductive and easily accessible. singer channy leaneagh and producer ryan olson, both of GAYNGS, collaborated over the summer to form poliça. writing 11 tunes for their debut, and enlisting the vocal talents of bon iver's mike noyce on two tracks, the album give you the ghost will be out on valentine's day. echoed, reverberated vocals punctuate each of the songs and the production cuts a wide swath in the area of auto-tune trickery done right.
