Whatchumagenre

It’s been a long time coming, so I figured I’d get on the ball and make a third installment of “Five Songs to Check Out”. These songs have been on my iPod for a good part of the past month. So I thought I’d post them finally. And they are:

Women - Black Rice There’s something eerily similar to Animal Collective about this work. “Black Rice” sounds like it could be the tenth track to Strawberry Jam. And what’s wrong with that? Women’s debut, self-titled album is due out in mid July and I can’t wait for it to come. DOWNLOAD

My First Radio - Progress It wasn’t too long ago I wrote up a review for My First Radio. Fast forward a few months and MFR is at it again, with two new singles. Unfortunately, you’ll just have to wait for the second one. For now, we’ve got “Progress”, a sound unlike anything MFR has previously done. DOWNLOAD

Diplo - Brew Barrymore Usually when I want to calm down and relax after a tough day, my initial thought is not club music. But Diplo has managed to pull off one of the greatest electric relaxation mixes of all time. Not that many exist, but still, that’s not to take anything from Diplo. DOWNLOAD

SoKo - I Will Never Love You More It seems I have a thing for girls with soft songs, and funny, yet cute, accents. Naturally, SoKo is next in that lineup. With previous hits like “I’ll Kill Her” and now this song, she seems like a tough cookie to love, and yet it’s so easy to do so. Damn her! DOWNLOAD

Architecture In Helsinki - Like It or Not (El Guincho Remix) Here’s a new remix from El Guincho, taken from Architecture In Helsinki’s Like it or Not EP. I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard the original, but my verdict upon initial listen is that this dude needs to do more remixes, because this is just class. DOWNLOAD

It’s here! And in case you don’t read big, bold headlines, it’s an interview with Kathryn Bint of One Little Plane. (NOTE: This is my first interview, which explains the suckiness of my questions)

You are about to put out your new album, Until, in late June. How’s that going and what can we expect?
It’s quite an exciting time. My album comes out June 30th. I will be playing an album launch show [see above, crane your neck] and will be playing a few festivals this summer like Field Day and the Green Man festival.

Of the songs that you’ve made, which one means the most to you?
I think its hard to really say which one means the most. They all mean very particular things to me from various moments and times in my life. I think generally, they each teach me something, whether about song writing and about the experience I am trying to convey or the story I’m telling. In that way, they are all quite essential.

What, or who, would you say is the main influence on your music?
At the moment, I’ve been reading lots of books and being force fed a lot of minimal techno by my boyfriend. As for a main influence, I think I’m always really inspired by song writers who have the ability to write songs that sum up the experiences of many.

Any plans for record deals in the near future?
Yes, hopefully. It would be lovely if some labels from other countries would be interested in picking up the record, especially in the US.

I understand you moved to London from Chicago. Was it a culture shock?
I did move from Chicago to London and yes, it was a bit of a culture shock. There are a few things that I’ve embraced whole heartedly like tea and saying “Wicked,” and I really love the music scene in London, but I desperately miss the open spaces of America and going to a local coffee shop.

Your web presence doesn’t offer much biographical info. How did One Little Plane come to be?
When I moved to London, I found myself surrounded by so many musicians. It just seemed like a natural progression. I’ve always been drawn to making music and writing songs. I think being around people who inspired that and who kicked my ass to actually get it done was probably very essential in finishing the album. I wanted to make music that told a very personal story and yet, embraced the other elements of music that I love.

While we’re on the topic of One Little Plane’s origins, where did the name come from?
The name was inspired from and old 1940’s Disney cartoon called Saludos Amigos. One of the story lines is about a baby plane.

What has been your brightest memory so far in your career?
I think probably playing my first OLP gig. It was at this amazing sea side festival called Homegame, up in Anstruther, Scotland. It’s a beautiful little village with a wonderful sense of community. There is this great label called Fence Records from there who organises it and puts out some lovely records. I played in a town hall that was covered with old pictures and fishing equipment. I was so nervous and the audience was so kind.

I assume you have a bit of downtime when not playing gigs or recording, so what do you like to do when you have time to do stuff?
Make tea, read books, hang out with friends, travel around, listen to music…

Considering the ridiculous amounts of traffic I get from people Googling for M.I.A.’s new clothing line, I figured you might get a kick out of this. Remember when I wrote:

“Fortunately, I and everyone else who’s had to get their eyes checked, can rest assured in the fact that her shirts can’t flash and/or blink. Oh god, did I just give her a new idea?”

Ummm… (more…)

The jury’s still out, but my mind is made up. I don’t have the experience and know-how to accurately predict what will make it in this industry and what won’t, so I won’t pretend to. I do, however, know what aspects of music appeal most to me, and Croydon’s Pressure Drop has it. But everyone doesn’t see it like I do. In fact, many are practically calling for their heads saying it’s, “absolutely awful, unoriginal, droney, non-musical, shite.” And of course, we have my personal favorite, “Being caught performing autofellatio by my mum seems preferable to hearing ‘Peroxide Dreams’ again.” But, then there’s the other side of town claiming Pressure Drop’s the only way we can avoid an apocalypse. It’s truly a love-hate relationship for these South London youngsters.

Although I don’t think it’s anything groundbreaking par se, I can’t say it’s as shitty as the others think. When I first heard them, I’ll admit, I didn’t, and still don’t think, they could go all the way. They lack that spark that the Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party had; nothing jumps out at me. Maybe it’s just the amateur recording, afterall, I’ve heard they’re great live. But I haven’t heard them live, so I wouldn’t know. Regardless, in the end we all must choose a side. What will yours be?

MP3: “Peroxide Dreams” - The Pressure Drop
MP3: “Youth Culture” - The Pressure Drop

And the promises keep coming. As I’ve already mentioned, my interview with One Little Plane (my first ever) is about to get underway. She’s accepted my proposition, and I’m currently awaiting her answers to my questions. Look for that soon.

In other news, I have my second installment of five singles you need to check out. And they are:

Amanaz - Khala My Friend If Jimi Hendrix were to write one more song for us, I’d imagine it would sound something like this. If you’re all about that fuzzy stoner jamming that was Hendrix, “Khala My Friend” is your song. The whole thing gets better with each listen. DOWNLOAD

Arctic Monkeys - Diamonds Are Forever It’s festival season! To celebrate, I have one of the best festival songs of 2007 for you. In case you don’t read big, bold, colored titles, it’s the Arctic Monkeys covering Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever” of 007 fame at Glastonbury. It’s pretty damn good. DOWNLOAD

Pete and the Pirates - Mr. Understanding Reading has a new pop group in the form of five young men and an understand mister. It embodies everything that a pop-rock indie song should be. The music video is pretty entertaining too, in all of its apparently homemade splendor. DOWNLOAD

Peter Moren - Social Competence Peter Moren—one third of Swede popstars Peter, Bjorn and John—releases his debut solo album titled “The Last Tycoon”, an album full of dusty countrified tracks with Peter’s trademark faultless songwriting. The lyrics are so damn catchy… even without the whistling. DOWNLOAD

Sissy Wish - DWTS She wants to dance, damnit, and she wants you dancing with her. “DWTS”, from last year’s Norwegian Grammy-nominated Beauties Never Die, is an acronym standing for “Do What They Say.” Her “Betty Boop” vocals definately are the sugar in your musical diet. DOWNLOAD

M83 - Saturdays = Youth. Maybe I’m a few months late on M38’s new album, but Frenchman Anthony Gonzalez’ Saturdays = Youth is even later—about 20 years later. The sounds this guy belts out are as close to the 80’s as you can get, but can you expect anything less? He, like his other fellow Frenchies (Daft Punk and Air; I’m looking at you), has never been one to shy away from the risky, outdated, and sometimes, even tacky sounds. But no man can do it like he does. Synths woosh like windtunnels and ping like lasers while the drums pound and throb in their robotic ways.

MP3: “Graveyard Girl” - M83
MP3: “We Own The Sky (Maps Remix)” - M83

Kleerup - Kleerup. In other foreign news, Swedish producer, Kleerup, is all set to release his self-title album. Okay, I’ll admit it, I don’t give a shit about Kleerup’s new album. I just wanted an excuse to talk about Lykke Li some more. Kleerup is best know for collaborating with Robyn on last summer’s chart-topping megahit, “With Every Heartbeat”. Well, like with potato chips, he couldn’t stop at just one, could he? Of course not. He’s at it again, only this time, replacing Robyn with Lykke Li on “Until We Bleed”. Though maybe not as chart topping as “Heartbeat” was, “Until We Bleed” holds its own against any of the best singles this year.

MP3: “Until We Bleed (ft. Lykke Li)” - Kleerup

It was just last post that I proclaimed my new plan to post more often than not. That was short lived. Here we are, 12 days later, finally with my follow up post. I feel really bad for dropping the ball like this. After all, with each passing day I’m letting down all the people who search Google for “M.I.A. clothing line”. No joke. Oddly enough, that accounts for 55% of my recent visits. Don’t try lying to yourself either. That’s how you got here and you know it!

Indeed, it has been a little quiet around the Whatchumagenre camp, but it hasn’t been due to a lack of half-assed (x2) effort. For example, I’ve recently contacted One Little Plane in hopes of getting my first interview underway. So I can’t promise daily updates, but there will be more from me. Soon. Again, there’s just too much good music to talk about. For Pete’s sake, it’s nearly the end of the second quarter in 2008 and I’ve already got a top albums list penciled in for year’s end. In regards to my ill-kept promise, I offer this as a reparation:

1. Lykke Li - Youth Novels. Call me a hater, but I recall claiming that Lykke Li was overhyped and didn’t deserve the attention she was receiving. I may be proud, but I’m willing to admit that I am wrong. Big time. I don’t know what was coming over me when I said that others have been better than her because I can’t think of a single artist who fits the criteria. It’s just like they say, hindsight’s 20/20. I can’t go back and change what I said. Now, after calling into question the validity of her hype, I’m beginning to realize that there’s rarely smoke without fire in this industry.

It may seem like a blatantly obvious statement, but the reason for the inflamed hype is because she’s really good–a point that I’ve failed to see. A talent like this rarely comes around. This gal will be huge (if she isn’t already). She’s the second coming of Robyn, but younger, hotter and better. I’m trying so hard not to fall in love with her. And with her debut album primed for a U.S. release (sometime), there’s no telling what kind of damage Lykke Li (I still don’t know how to pronounce her name properly) can do on the charts. Miss Li, forgive me for ever doubting you.

MP3: “Little Bit” - Lykke Li
MP3: “Everybody But Me” - Lykke Li

2. Goyte - Hearts A Mess. Another hard to pronounce name. Another surprise. But not in the Land of the Wallabies. Speak of his name in the States, and no one will know who the hell your talking about. Mention his name in Australia, and everyone and their mother knows who you are talking about. This guy is a self-made indie icon in his adopted homeland. His rise to fame in a mere two years was all accomplished with his own blood, sweat and tears, releasing his album, Like Drawing Blood, without any formal record label involvement whatsoever.

There’s no reason to remain blasé and modest. Gotye is shit hot. He’s like an electro, male version of Lykke Li. This guy can not, and will not, be stopped. Just get used to seeing him on the top of music charts alongside the aforementioned Swede. His red hot single, “Hearts A Mess” is proof enough. It’s the kind of “special, once-in-a-lifetime single” that rarely comes along in this increasingly dull and monotone indie scene. Nothing sounds like this song, or even its artist for that matter. Gotye has no equal.

MP3: “Hearts A Mess” - Goyte
MP3: “Thanks For Your Time” - Gotye

3. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours. Going off of the beaten path of single artists, we have Cut Copy. This Melbourne trio is all set to return for 2008 with their new album In Ghost Colours. They wasted no time in making this album stick. Opening riff “Feel the Love”, an acoustic led space rock tune, reels you in before tracks “Lights & Music” and “Midnight Runner” finish you off with the coup de grace. The record is sewn together with Whitford’s imprint all over every track. I heard this album for the first time last week, and I immediately fell in love with it.

Well, that’s that. I hope I’ve re-legitimized myself. Next time I make a promise, my beloved Google searchers/readers, I’ll be sure to follow through.

This is my new weekly feature. I’ve been lazy writing posts and so to correct this I plan to do a weekly singles list, weekly album review, new artist review, and one news feature, all the while balancing a job, school, and sports. With that said here’s my first installment of singles.

Matt & Kim - Yea Yeah A girl from New Jersey and a boy from Vermont (think you can guess their names?) attempt to soundtrack your next party with this song off their debut album. Matt and Kim’s world-on-a-string attitude reflects heavily on this track, going so far as to say “yeah” 19 times per chorus. DOWNLOAD

Animal Collective - Water Curses I’ve never been a big Animal Collective fan. I’ve never disliked them. I just never saw the hype to follow them with the devotion that others did. Well, that train has come to a complete stop today. I know I’m a few months late, but this has changed my view on these guys. DOWNLOAD

One Little Plane - Sunshine Kid Where do I begin with this? There’s a beautiful simplicity to this song that makes you fall in love with it immediately. This song is like a new color–it’s so hard to explain, but maybe when you listen to it you’ll see what I mean. You know what I mean? DOWNLOAD

Santogold - Lights Out (Bud Light Remix) Here’s an advertiser-written Santi jam, made possible by Anheuser-Busch. The standards for creating a new “Lights Out” remix for the King of Beers were evidently lax. The “new” track has little difference to the original, but it’s still nice. DOWNLOAD

Wolf Parade - Language City Wolf Parade sing of “Language City.” It gradually gains steam as it moves from one section to the next, twinkling with colorful keyboards and carried aloft by stomping drums as it shifts into double-time for the exhilarating finale. DOWNLOAD

We all love M.I.A.’s music (or at least should). From her debut, Galang, to her remix magnet, Paper Planes, almost everything she creates makes news. So, why stop at music? I can’t think of a reason. Unfortunately, neither can she. That’s why she’s launching a new clothing line that includes bomber jackets, leggings and T-shirts through Trash Bag Aesthetics.

As a matter of fact, after hearing them described as, “bold bright hues on graphic prints,” I can only begin to imagine what these pieces of clothing might look like. If you’ve survived looking at her website or myspace without getting an epileptic seizure, you may know first hand the extent of my concern. Fortunately, I and everyone else who’s had to get their eyes checked, can rest assured in the fact that her shirts can’t flash and/or blink. Oh god, did I just give her a new idea?

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Last Shadow Puppets Release Album

Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner, partnered by Miles Kane of the Rascals, released a new album today (at least for those here in the States) under his new side project, The Last Shadow Puppets. They recorded Understatement with Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford producing and playing drums. You won’t be able to put this album down until the 12 tracks have come to a complete stop. But do you need me to tell you that? Go on and have a listen for yourself.

MP3: “In the Heat of the Morning” DOWNLOAD

Single release date (digital): Monday 7th April (Download from iTunes: UK | USA)
Single release date: Monday 14th April
Album release date: Monday 21st April (USA: Tuesday 6th May)

Also, their first live gig will take place at a pair of rather “popular” festivals; those being of course, Leeds and Reading. They’ll perform Friday in Leeds (Aug. 22) and Sunday in Reading (Aug. 24). This, much like the album, is a must hear. Kane also hinted that along with playing the full album they’ll play “some new songs” as well. Hint, hint.

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Pete Doherty Released From Prison

Albums aren’t the only things being released on May 6th. As of 7:10 in the morning, you can add Pete Doherty to your “released” list after serving 29 days of his 14-week jail sentence at Wormwood Scrubs in London.

Sweden has a new postergirl, and she’s plastered across every music blog you visit. They all love her. They all talk about her. They all herald her as the next hit - the one to save music. But what about me?

It seems it’s been a bit harder for me to jump on board than it has been for everyone else. My opinions of Ms. Li are so up in the air right now that it’s hard for even me to know my own thoughts. One moment Lykke Li’s voice is so high and childish that it feels like a crime just listening to her, and the next moment I’m doing my best not to fall in love with this girl.

I agree she has a lot of talent and is a true character, but I’m still not totally convinced. The good songs are actually really good. On the contrary, the bad songs are really bad. Half of the record is brilliant. The other half should never have been allowed to enter my ears.

It has always been dumbfounding to me to understand why some new artists gain this kind of attention while some others who might be, gasp, even better, have nothing. It’s unfair! To sum up, my dear bandwagon, I sincerely do like Lykke Li but all this hype round ’bout her is just a bit too much for me.

I’ll be shocked if you haven’t already heard her by now, but nonetheless, here’s the traces of hype for you if you haven’t:

MP3: “Little Bit” DOWNLOAD

MP3: “Everybody But Me” DOWNLOAD