Having spent his entire life surrounded by music, Alan Wiley has diverse experience writing, performing, producing, listening to, and writing about music. Some of his favorite things are: indie-pop, free jazz, playing the tuba and baritone ukelele, crocheting, and Yahtzee.
This week brought the sad news that Montreal-based singer-songwriter Lhasa De Sela passed away on New Year's Day, after a 21-month battle with breast cancer. The American-born artist had a one-of-a-kind upbringing with her Mexican father and American mother, spending most of her childhood traveling between the two countries, developing her unique and decidedly pan-cultural artistic skills that led her to sing in English, Spanish, and French. From her official site:
"Lhasa's unusual childhood was marked by long periods of nomadic wandering through Mexico and the U.S., with her parents and sisters in the school bus which was their home. During this period the children improvised, both theatrically and musically, performing for their parents on a nightly basis. Lhasa grew up in a world imbued with artistic discovery, far from conventional culture."
Lhasa released three albums in her short life, La Llorona, The Living Road, and one of my favorite albums of last year, and her first in English, the beautiful, simply titled, Lhasa. If you've never heard her stunning voice, do yourself a favor and watch the video for "Rising" below. Rest In Peace, Lhasa.
For my money, this dubious honor belongs to Five For Fighting for the first song on their new album Slice (also called "Slice"). Behold:
"Have you ready my blog today/300 million little USAs"
Honestly, I've never really liked this band, but, BARF! Really? Really?? You're going there?
Everything about this lyric makes me cringe. I dare you to tell me I'm wrong--I'd love to hear what you think is the worst lyric of 2009. Please share the not-so-poetic lines that made you hate music this year in the comments.
Now, I'm not the biggest Idol fan, but I saw this just-released album cover for Adam Lambert's upcoming release, For Your Entertainment, and it kinda blew me away. I'm really not sure what to make of it--I feel simultaneously drawn to it and vaguely horrified:
Now that the ‘80s music revival is in full swing, those of us who were lucky enough to experience the original decade, and who were sad to see its musical demise, have a lot to be thankful for--and nobody has re-imagined the clean, danceable pop of the ‘80s for the new millennium better than British synthophiles La Roux. Sporting artistic influences of the highest
order, including Prince’s dark electro funk, Eurythmics’ shocking visual and
melodic style, and a heavy dose of the sharp songwriting and synthtastic soundsof Yaz (or Yazoo to you Brits) , the team of
Elly Jackson and Ben Langmaid have created an anachronistic gem of an album
that’s so strong, it could have brought back the ‘80s all on its own.
So much synthpop from past decades, as well as from today,
has a plastic, disposable feel to it, and truly, much of it is just that—but
not La Roux. What’s so salient about this debut release is not only its sharp attention
to sonic detail and stylistic flair, but, as with all of the best pop music, its
top-tier songwriting. These songs are catchy, deeply felt, full of attitude,
and just the right length. Every listen leaves me begging for the back button, and
check my iTunes library—of all the records I’ve loved and obsessed over this
year, nothing has had more play than La Roux. Tracks like “Bulletproof” are
undeniable, amplifying the most ‘80s elements of the ‘80s into a distilled and
concentrated dose of thoughtful, dark, pop perfection that feel like they’d be perfect
for everything from exercising and dancing to road-tripping and relaxing.
But honestly, you don’t need to be a fan of ‘80s music, or
even pop to appreciate what this album really is—a timeless, quality work of
art created by talented people who feel what they’re doing so much that every synthesized
note feels completely natural.
Check out La Roux's video for their latest single, "I'm Not Your Toy," as well as the classic "Bulletproof," below.
Earlier this summer, on one of the hottest days in the history of Seattle, I sat down with Mercury Prize-nominated artist Elly Jackson, half of British electronic pop sensation La Roux, before one of just a handful of stateside club shows she played prior to her band's domestic release. With her partner-in-music Ben Langmaid, the 21-year-old Ms. Jackson has created one of my favorite records of the year, La Roux's self-titled debut, which made its much-anticipated appearance on American shores just this week.
With a bevy of UK top 10 singles ("Bulletproof," "In For The Kill," "Quicksand"), critical acclaim, and superstar status across the pond, La Roux is poised to make a big splash here in the states. We talked about songwriting, the '80s, and the band's international potential, among other things. Check out the interview below.
Every now and again, I get super obsessed with a record, and this week belongs to Chandra. I first heard Chandra years ago, when I was writing for a website that reviews bizarre, hip, and unique vinyl finds called Waxidermy. Someone had happened upon a copy of this long out-of-print (circa 1980) gem of an EP, Transportation, and shared some MP3s. When I heard the tracks, I was totally floored.
Why, you ask?
Because Chandra Oppenheim is (well, was) a 12-year-old girl dynamically and powerfully fronting a no-wave/experimental disco band (think early Talking Heads or B-52's, only weirder) that sounds as confrontational, dissonant, beautiful, and odd as any of the work out of the active NYC no wave/noise scene of the day. Beyond that, these were her own compositions, with subjects ranging from the city's confusing subway system, to a girl named Kate "who thinks she's really great, but she's not." (Ever since my first exposure to this song, every time I meet someone named Kate, these are the first words that come to my mind.) Hearing these well-written, exceptional tracks was, as they say on Waxidermy, "face-melting."
Is this children's music? Electronic? Post-punk? Experimental? Pop? The answer is yes.
Somehow, I missed the re-issue of the Transportation EP late last year, but I'm sure glad I discovered it now, even if a few months late! Now with four additional tracks (from a 14-year-old Chandra) tacked on, the EP sounds better than ever. The newer tracks are more accessible, and she's accompanied by an all-teen backing band to boot. Although Chandra abandoned her band to focus on school before these bonus tracks could be released, it's a thrill to get to hear them now.
Oh, how I wish I lived in a world where the Chandras of world replaced the Miley Cyruses, Selena Gomezes and Demi Lovatos.
It would sure be a lot different.
Check out some tracks below, and let me know what you think.
"World music" is an exceptionally wide-ranging term. Does world music
mean music that’s not in English? Does a world music artist have to
create music from his/her own particular country or ethnic background?
What about "big name" world artists (like Enya, Celtic Woman, Bob
Marley) who have had mainstream Top 40 hits? In the end, we came up
with the following criteria:
• Broadly speaking, world music is not traditionally Western. We’ve
chosen albums featuring music from a particular region, culture, or
heritage.
• Albums can include lyrics in English and/or Top 40 hits, as long as
the music itself draws from non-western rhythms, instruments, or
melodies.
• One album per artist
• No EPs or singles—this list is about albums
• No greatest hits collections or compilations except in cases where no
actual album was available, or where the collection acts as a proper
album. Bob Marley’s Legend, being a greatest hits compilation album, did not make our list, but Catch a Fire did.
Of course, our editors exercise their judgment regarding quality and/or
historical significance. If you disagree with our choices (and there's
a good chance you will), let us know in the comments below, or on the customer discussion on our list landing page.
This list is MP3s, but if you prefer CDs, you can find the list here.
It's a beautiful afternoon here in Seattle, and the crowd is beginning to draw for Capitol Hill's annual music-packed Block Party. This year's big names include Built to Spill, the Jesus Lizard, and Deerhunter tonight with Sonic Youth, Gossip, and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart on Saturday, among many others, on three different stages over the next two days.
I started with a fast-paced, crowd-pleasing set from Seattle's own supergroup, Thee Sgt. Major III, featuring members of local legends Young Fresh Fellows, the Posies, and the Fastbacks, along with Chordstrike's own Leslie Beattie on vocals.
What a great way to spend a Friday afternoon!
1. Amesoeurs - Amesoeurs With equal parts Lush-inspired poppy shoegaze, black metal brutality, and epic atmospherics that bring to mind bands like Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You Black Emperor!, France's Amesoeurs' self-titled debut album (and swan song) could very well be my favorite album of the year. Unable to determine a direction for the band, they decided to call it quits before the album was even released, and it's a real shame. True, the album is a bit schizophrenic--it's completely sung in french by both a male and female singers, and sounds like it could have been recorded by 3 or 4 completely different bands--but that only adds to the "wow" factor of this record, and speaks to the level of talent behind the music. While the sound may occasionally fall on the harder side of indie and alt-rock, tracks like "Faux Semblants" and "I XIII V XIX XV V Xxi XVIII XIX IX XIX IV V I IV" elevate Amesoeurs to levels of heavenly bliss.
2. The Horrors - Primary Colours Primary Colours, the sophomore album from (former) coffin-rockers The Horrors, who's debut album Strange House came out in 2007 to much acclaim, have given themselves a complete makeover with spectacular results. Brimming with post-punk texture, fuzz, and instruments that seem to bend sound like some kind of audio equivalent to CGI, the Horrors brought in Portishead's Geoff Barrow and acclaimed video director Chris Cunningham (who directed the video for "Sheena Is A Parasite" from Strange House, took two years off to learn audio production, and makes his debut as a music producer here) to create Primary Colours. Much like Radiohead's sophomore album The Bends, here is the evidence of a band that initially seemed like a flash in the pan novelty, and now reveals themselves as an artistic force that may be impossible to ignore.
3. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains of Being Pure At Heart TPoBPAH (as I will henceforth refer to them) are really awful at naming things, but they make damn good music. Take for example the terribly-titled "Young Adult Friction," an addictive, catchy tale of finding love in the library that bounces with excitement, and manages to sonically capture what it feels like to fall in love. The fact that TPoBPAH sound like a British band circa 1992 when they're in fact New Yorkers circa 2009, that they're on the legendary San Francisco Bay Area fuzz-pop label Slumberland Records, and they've virtually redefined what it means to be a indie rock nerd in the last year only sweeten the deal. A non-stop stream of relentlessly addictive songs doesn't hurt either.
Portland, Oregon's oddly named Point Juncture, WA's latest release, Heart To Elk, employs an intoxicating mix of drums, keys, vibraphone, bass, and horns, along with subtle, squealing atmospheric guitar to create visceral, inpsired sonic pop-scapes. Combining intricate, unexpected and unique melodies with equally equisite harmonies, Point Juncture, WA have, with Heart To Elk, created the kind of album you'll want to put on repeat, one that is instantly gratifying, but also reveals itself over time. Though the band has been playing together for the better part of a decade, they haven't managed to break out of their local scene until this release, which has started to see some well-deserved national recognition--expect big things in the future.
From the first few notes of Sharon Van Etten's debut album, Because I Was In Love, I knew I was in love. Sharon's bell-clear, lilting voice and heartbreaking, deceptively simple melodies create a soft and comfortable bed of beautiful melancholy that's hard to resist being drawn into. Like legendary folk mistresses Sandy Denny, Vashti Bunyan, Judee Sill, and Julie Doiron before her, Van Etten's songs are intense, beautiful, and each and every one is a gem. What makes Because I Was In Love so special is that it's so intimate--it puts itself so plainly on display, and it's sadness is tangible. Gorgeous, stunning, and essential.
I'm sure there will be complaints that I didn't call out Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Neko Case, or (insert your favorite band here). Sorry! Share the goodness, and let us know what indie and alt-rock albums you're digging on so far this year in the comments.
