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
This weekend I had a rugby tournament in Columbus. We were too poor to afford a bus for the trip down, so we all carpooled as a team down to the tournament. Many lessons were learned on our little journey. Some such as: “don’t try to run over the biggest guy on the field,” and: “the hotel’s bathroom doors don’t have a lock and you must keep your eyes peeled while in the shower.” But no lesson was near as important for me as the one I learned about rental cars: “satellite radio is the best!”
Fathers, and even mothers for that matter, know just what I mean when I say car trips are long (with a capital “L”). For the first ten minutes, you occupy yourself with every entertaining thing you’ve brought… then you’re bored, which of course leads to fogging up the windows and writing obscenities to the other drivers passing by for the duration of the trip. Thankfully, our coach rented a car with satellite radio and I didn’t have to resort to the latter. Here are some highlights:
Bell X1 – Rocky Took A LoverThis particular song stood out the most to me. There’s nothing like watching the cows graze in the grass while the clouds drift overhead as you’re looking up from the backseat window with this song’s chimes lulling you to sleep. DOWNLOAD
High Places- Head SpinsBrooklyn’s very own High Places—a guy with a mic and an electro rig; a girl with a sexy, back-of-the-bus style of singing—it’s just four members short of an electro Partridge Family. Maybe not. Mary Pearson and Robert Barber won’t disappoint. DOWNLOAD
Los Campesinos! – You! Me! Dancing!You! Me! Dancing! by Los Campesinos begins with a stringy guitar soon followed by lots of noise, all before transforming into one of their catchiest songs to date. One can only be optimistic that they will outlast the hot-or-not genre they live in. DOWNLOAD
Fans of Bloc Party and Muse take note: My First Radio’s star is on the rise. Despite my lukewarm feelings at first, My First Radio has grown on me. Their guitars have the sound of Muse, and the thrashing effects of Bloc Party, and yet all the while, they manage to hold on to their own unique and original sound. Though I’ve heard only a scant five tracks, I don’t think it’s too soon to declare MFR a special talent at all. Saying they’re on par with their influences may not be that far of a stretch either.
Tracks like “Prayers Over Static” and “Strangers” establish My First Radio as a beacon of hope in the oversaturated and increasingly dull indie scene. What they do with their music puts them in a league of their own as far as I’m concerned. Sure, they’re not quite there yet, but I feel that they could unleash one of the better indie albums of 2008.
As frontman Ross informs me,The group plans to release their first single in the next couple of months through an independent label called Series 8 records, which is owned and run by the group’s manager, Trevor Holden. His intention is to generate a bit of interest through his label and then perhaps sell them on to a major or a bigger independent label.
MFR is one of the most gifted under-the-radar talents in indie music, but with a simple record deal, they may not stay there all that long. Regardless, their star is very much on the rise and you better believe you’ll be hearing a lot more about these guys in the coming years. My First Radio is a bandwagon you MUST get on!
Have a Listen:
Pedro the Lion – “Bad Diary Days” DOWNLOAD MP3
Filed under: Album Reviews | Tags: Arctic Monkeys, Babyshambles, Bloc Party, Kanye West, Klaxons, LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., Panda Bear, Radiohead, Rilo Kiley
2007 never seemed like that great a year for albums as it was moving along, but when it came time for me to pick apart and reassemble a list of favorites, I had trouble keeping it to a manageable number. What follows is a list of 10 albums, in descending order of urgency, that you should make an effort to hear.
M.I.A. – KalaThis Sri Lankan expat living in West London avoided the sophomore slump. Kala is highlighted by “Paper Planes,” her hot, new single, which dethrones her former hit, “Galang.” No other album received more playing time from me than Kala did.
LCD Soundsystem – Sound of SilverThis was the album that prooved James Murphy has come to age. He masterfully mixed funk, disco, rock and those inevitable cowbells into one irresistible piece of ear candy. Sound of Silver was James Murphy on his A game.
Arctic Monkeys – Favorite Worst NightmareThis is an album which showed Sheffield’s finest evolving at a frightening pace. Alex Turner’s second album in as many years shows leaps and bounds in song writing from his previous collection.
Babyshambles – Shotter’s NationThere was a lot of hype surrounding the Babyshambles, so I picked up a copy of Shotter’s Nation and was surprised with its delightfully shambolic vibe. Now I can see what all the fuss was about in the U.K. This has become an instant classic for me.
Radiohead – In RainbowsWithout releasing an album in four, long years, Radiohead’s fans expected a lot out of this new release. It didn’t disappoint either. This was Radiohead’s best album in a decade. In Rainbows is more than any fan could hope for.
Panda Bear – Person PitchThe third solo album from Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) is completely unlike its predecessor, as it is both upbeat and electronic, sounding like a spacey, 21st century Beach Boys album.
Rilo Kiley – Under the BlacklightAfter dabbling in solo projects, the band regroups for its fourth album, Under the Blacklight. It is by far the most accessible album that Rilo Kiley has ever made. Truly, a pleasant surprise dressed as an unpleasant one.
Klaxons – Myths of the Near FutureOne more dance-rock band for you, this one heralding from Brighton, England. Along with Sounds of Silver, Myths of the Near Future is thus far the best dance-rock album to spring forth from 2007.
Bloc Party – A Weekend in the CityThis was an underappreciated album from 2007. Just like the title suggests, it takes you through a weekend in the city. Each song is told through the eyes of a different “type” of person whom you would find in a city, from lovers to the businessmen.
Kanye West – GraduationWeighed and measured, Graduation is easily the best rap album this year. West crosses genres with wilful and speedy abandon, taking the listener on an epic quest where the journey is just as enjoyable and unpredictable as the destination.
Imagine the Killers next big hit. Now, listen to the White Lies’ single “Death” and you will see that the two are not that far off the same path. As a matter of fact, if I didn’t have prior knowledge this was White Lies, I easily would have mistaken them for the Killers. The said single is lined up to make a rather large splash in the music industry in the coming months.
But before the London trio formed White Lies, they were in a band called “Fear of Flying.” Many music buffs and gurus heralded the group as the second coming of sliced bread. The band didn’t get their feet too far off the ground though, and in late 2007, after two years of quiet rocking and dwindling gigging the group decided to disband and carry on in their separate ways. But disappointment for the band’s loyal listeners soon turned into resounding joy as the three boys reformed under a new name, “White Lies.”
Not only do they have a new name, but from the ashes of destruction came creation. White Lies has grown out of their past style of cliche music, that used and abused sound mastered by so many new bands, and has instead adopted a more deep and dark sense of depth in their music. Although they have yet to drop their debut album (releasing on April 28th), they sound like they have already launch a handful of albums. The sound of their music is very, mature for the young age of the band. I hate to beat a dead horse dead, but this is a band to watch for in 2008!
Have a Listen:
White Lies – “Death (demo)” DOWNLOAD MP3
Be sure to check out their MySpace too!
