ChordStrike

Artists on the Rise: Noah and the Whale

 

As promised, we are happy to highlight another artist on the rise this week. Noah and the Whale, formed in 2006 in London, consists of Charlie Fink, Doug Fink, Tom Hobden, and Matt “Urby Whale” Owens as well as a rotating cast of talented women. Over the years, the female vocals have been contributed by the likes of Laura Marling, and front woman for Slow Club, Rebecca Taylor.

Here at SoundUnwound, we love band trivia. And we love that fact that Noah and the Whale is a band full of movie lovers, so much so that their band name comes from the marriage of The Squid and the Whale and the name of the director, Noah Baumach. Also, as they are huge fans of Wes Anderson, co-producer of Squid with Baumach, and writer/director of Rushmore, Noah and the Whale tends to sign their blog posts with a “Sic transit Gloria” a line repeated often in Rushmore.

Check out a free song from Noah and the Whale, “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.” here. The band’s third album, Last Night on Earth comes out this Tuesday.

-Erin O.

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Bestival

 

September 8-11, 2011

Isle of Wight, UK

We have it on good authority that one of Eurpoe’s finest smaller scale events – compared to Glastonbury or Roskilde – is the Isle of Wight’s Bestival. About two hours outside of London to the southeaast, the festival boasts an eclectic lineup in a beautiful, leafy park. Campers can rent tipis or yurts, but there’s more traditional tent camping, too. The event is family friendly and since its inception in 2004, the festival has won numerous awards from the UK Festival Awards.

The Cure, Primal Scream Screamadelica Live, Brian Wilson, Magnetic Man, Robyn, Crystal Castles, DJ Shadow, Katy B, LFO, Omar Souleyman, Boys Noise, Diplo, A Trak, Norman Jay, Grandmaster Flash, David Rodigan, 65 Days of Static – Live Film Score, Cranes, The Two Bears, Carte Blanche, Pantha Du Prince, Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain

Bestival Official site

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

New Music Tuesday: Lykke Li’s Wounded Rhymes

 

At first glance, Lykke Li’s new album creates an statement just from the abstract, black and white cover of a shapeless form in contrast to a natural beachscape, and the emotionally charged song titles, “Youth Knows No Pain,” “Unrequited Love,” and “Sadness Is a Blessing.”

Upon closer inspection the most effective declaration is made by Wounded Rhymes’ minimalist African drumming paired with synthetic sounds and gnashing guitars butted up against Spector-esque girl-group harmonies that mark the release. Grittier, more straightforward and grown-up than Li’s critically acclaimed 2008’s debut, the ten-track disc demands attention than feather-weight Youth Novels did not.

In addition to finding and owning her sexuality, Li has parlayed the pain from a bad breakup into focus and drive, and the release, like so many other powerful albums, was born out of this personal turmoil, sadness, self-doubt, anxiety. It turns out to be Li’s best music to-date as demonstrated by the release’s first two singles – Get Some and I Follow Rivers. The feast of internal conflict finds Li exploring female empowerment and gender roles throughout the entire album.

Li has stepped up the subject matter and instrumentation to deliver a great record that completely circumvents the fearsome Sophomore Slump.

-Court

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Thursday Throwdown: Toro Y Moi's Underneath the Pine

 

This Thursday, we bring you a Throwdown between Prefix and Slant Magazines - both weigh in on the newest Toro Y Moi record, Underneath the Pine.

“The battle to crown the princes of chillwave has been won, handily, by Toro y Moi,” says Prefix Mag’s Andrew Winistorfer, who gave the record an eight out of ten. “Underneath relies… on watery soul, funk and electronica, forming a more organic sounding, and ultimately more rewarding, album [than 2010’s Causers of This].”

Winistorfer goes on to say the single, “Still Sound,” sounds “like they stepped into a time machine in 1978 and walked out this month with a perfect single.”

However, Kevin Liedel over at Slant Magazine gave the record 2.5 out of five stars. “Despite the oversaturated warmth of [the record]'s production, this is a cold record, an archetype of technical mastery and genre-worship prevailing over the artistry of an individual voice.” Liedel adds, singer “[Chaz Bundick] rarely elevates it beyond the trappings of its blog-driven genre… Underneath the Pine is exactly the kind of record that an emerging artist like Bundick would hope to avoid: a completely forgettable one.”

What do you think? Has Underneath the Pine secured Toro Y Moi’s place as the Prince of Chillwave, or has it made him completely forgettable? Let us know.

-Erin O.

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Have the Grammys Lost Their Credibility?

The Grammy Awards are out of touch, contradictory and hypocritical a longtime music marketing executive asserted in this past Sunday’s New York Times. The charges were printed in a full page letter written by Steve Stoute wherein he criticized The National Academy of Arts and Sciences (NARAS), who presents the Grammy Awards.

"Over the course of my 20-year history as an executive in the music business and as the owner of a firm that specializes in in-culture advertising, I have come to the conclusion that the Grammy Awards have clearly lost touch with contemporary popular culture… Where I think that the Grammys fail stems from two key sources: (1) over-zealousness to produce a popular show that is at odds with its own system of voting and (2) fundamental disrespect of cultural shifts as being viable and artistic."

Of particular contention to Mr. Stoute are the Academy’s snubs of hip-hop artists and cultural phenomenons. Wrote Stoute, "We must acknowledge the massive cultural impact of Eminem and Kanye West and how their music is shaping, influencing and defining the voice of a generation." Further querying, "How is it that Justin Bieber, an artist that defines what it means to be a modern artist, did not win Best New Artist?"

Anyone who watched CBS leading up to the Grammys saw these artists in commercials, and Stoute condemns the Awards for understanding “cultural relevance when it comes to using Eminem's, Kanye West's or Justin Bieber's name in the billing to ensure viewership and to deliver the all-too-important ratings for its advertisers,” but not acknowledging their critical or commercial successes.

Lastly, Stoute challenges artists to refuse to be used for ratings, and to stop accepting invitations to perform until the Academy begins to uphold “its mission for advocacy and support of artistry as culture evolves.”

-Court @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Music Videos: Entertainment or Advertising Platform?

 

Do you remember the product placement spoof scene in the movie Wayne’s World? Turns out embedded marketing has become an increasingly important revenue stream for both manufacturers and for creative industries’ financing, and music videos are the latest place for branded items to pop up.

Lady Gaga’s Telephone video was rife with consumer goods. Now it is Britney Spears’ new video for the ravey Hold It Against Me that is getting the treatment.

Billboard points out that in the video, Spears, a Sony artist, can be seen in front of a Sony television, and few up-close shots of the Sony logo that are perhaps more subliminal advertising than brand placement.

The video also has close-ups of Make Up Forever brand of eye shadow and Spears' Radiance brand of fragrance. On one of the Sony monitors Spears can be seen browsing Plenty Of Fish’s online dating site; a placement for which Plenty of Fish paid handsomely. Earlier this week, it was disclosed that Spears was paid $500,000 for product placement in the "Hold It Against Me" video. According to a New York Times article, the placement was arranged by the Kluger group, whose chief executive Adam Kluger told the Times to his knowledge Plenty of Fish is the only paid placement in the video.

Billboard also notes that "Hold It Against Me" director Jonas Akerlund too directed the product-heavy video for "Telephone," which also featured Plenty Of Fish, which seems, well, kind of fishy.

-Court @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

New Music Tuesday: Adele’s 21 and Breaking Records

 

Back in November, Adele posted a link to a makeshift video for her upcoming single, “Rolling in the Deep” and the world collectively got excited for her sophomore effort.

21 was released in the United States Tuesday, and is expect to fare very well on the charts. The album came out across the water a month ago, and has been at number one for four weeks straight. In fact, Adele is the first artist to simultaneously have two Top 5 albums and two Top 5 singles in the U.K. since The Beatles in 1964.

21 is a collection of powerful songs about heartbreak, written when she was 21 years old (2008’s 19 was written when Adele was 19 years old). Adele, now 22, recently told MTV News, "It broke my heart when I wrote this record, so the fact that people are taking it to their hearts is like the best way to recover.”

On the album, she pairs up with veteran producers Paul Epworth (Cee-Lo Green, Kate Nash, Florence and the Machine), Frasier T. Smith (Taio Cruz, Keane) and One Republic frontman Ryan Tedder.

-Erin O. @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

 

53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards: Performers, Quiz, and Store!

 

In preparation for the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards on February 13th, SoundUnwound has created a Grammy-nominee quiz. Here’s your chance to test your knowledge of the music before the show and challenge your friends. Click here to give it a try!

As reported back in December, this year Eminem leads the pack with ten nominations, followed by seven nominations for Bruno Mars, and six nominations for both Lady Gaga and Lady Antebellum.Last week, the performers for the telecast were announced. Country darling Miranda Lambert and Indie heroes Arcade Fire will take the GRAMMY® stage for the first time ever this year while Cee-Lo Green, Katy Perry, and Eminem return for encore performances on the show.

Need to brush up on your nominees knowledge? Head over to Amazon.com’s GRAMMY® store to shop for all of the year’s best music and add to your collection.

**UPDATE: Rolling Stone and The GRAMMY's twitter account are reporting more performers including: Bruno Mars, B.o.B, Janelle Monae, Muse, Usher, and Bieber!

-Erin O. @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' Breaks A Million

 

Taylor Swift's third album Speak Now is a record-breaker: according to Billboard, it's the fastest selling album for nearly six years. Speak Now sold 1,047,000 copies in its first week, making it the first album to sell over a million copies in a single week since Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III sold 1,006,000 in June 2008. Swift's total hasn't been bettered since 50 Cent's Tha Massacre sold 1,141,000 in its first week way back in March 2005.

It's an even bigger achievement when the shrinking of the record industry over the last decade is taken into account. The highest-ever single week sales -- at least, since reliable figures were made available through Nielsen Soundscan in 1991 -- were for *NSync's No Strings Attached, which sold 2,416,000 in a single week in March 2000. But American music fans bought a total of 943m albums that year, compared with a total of 373m in 2009. So while the market has shrunk to under 40% of its size then, Speak's sales are 43% of No Strings's.

Speak Now also represents the biggest single sales week of any female artist since 2000, when Britney Spears' Oops! I Did It Again hit No.1 with 1,319,000 sales. Again, taking the huge drop in overall sales into consideration, Swift's achievement is relatively bigger than Spears's.

--Ally @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

These Are a Little Too Similar

Don'cha think?

--Alan Wiley

ABBA World Says Thank You For The Music

There was a time when you kept your enjoyment of ABBA’s bouncy pop melodies to yourself, but those times are gone. In these enlightened days of the early 21st century, pretty much everyone has come to accept that during the eleven years of their existence, ABBA was responsible for creating a portfolio of perfectly crafted pop.

The resurgence of interest in the band, most recently witnessed in the phenomenal success of the Mamma Mia stage show and movie, has now culminated in the opening of ABBA World, a museum/theme park in London. It features almost 3000 square meters of ABBA-dedicated exhibits including displays of questionable satin jumpsuits and, in one large corner, the helicopter which features on the cover of Arrival.

Interactive exhibits encourage visitors to try their hand at the ABBA mixing desk and allow them to sing alongside the band in the ABBA holographic karaoke. The exhibition has the blessing of all four of the members of the band, and the management plan to create similar fan Meccas in Australia and New York by the end of 2010.

--Hazel @ SoundUnwound

SoundUnwound's editorial team write about the latest big music news and quirky stories which catch the eye. We also post a selection of these news stories on Chordstrike; for much, much more, visit SoundUnwound.com, the new music site from IMDb and Amazon. Follow us at twitter.com/soundunwound.

Can You Master The SoundUnwound Genre Quiz?

Hi there!

SoundUnwound is the new music website from IMDb and Amazon. We are primarily a music database, which is editable by all users, but moderated to help keep data quality high. Recently we’ve been adding a few extra features for a bit more fun. We know some of the Chordstrike team have been enjoying them, so we thought we’d let you know too.

We’ve made use of Amazon's vast library of 30-second song samples to put together five genre quizzes which test your musical knowledge, and your reaction times. Do you think you know about pop, rock, indie, country or hip-hop? Can you tell the difference between Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato? Pearl Jam and Soundgarden? Modest Mouse and the Manic Street Preachers? Toby Keith and Brad Paisley? Jay-Z and Ludacris?

 

Yeah, of course you can! But can you make your choice within a few short seconds, before you've heard their voices? The longer the clock ticks, the less points you win for answering correctly. We’ve already seen some users rack up impressive scores. Can you join them on the individual genre leader boards, or on the overall board?

And once you’ve mastered your own specialist subject, why not try the quiz of a genre you know less about? Everything you hear is shown with links to the main SoundUnwound site, so you can find out more about any new discoveries, or add them to your SoundUnwound library.

We have to warn you: please make sure you’ve already done your homework, washed the dishes and put the cat out, because these quizzes can be addictive!

We’d love you to try them out and, if you’ve got any comments on the quizzes or on the rest of the site, please let us know in the comments here, or by sending us feedback.

Ed @ SoundUnwound

Whoah There, Adam Lambert

Adam Lambert has broken free of his Idol chains, and last night at the American Music Awards he unleashed his new, sexed-up image during a performance of the title track from For Your Entertainment (which is out today, incidentally). Dancers on leashes, dancers getting their heads pushed into Mr Lambert's apparently not-so-private parts, Adam snogging a band member... The video is certainly turning some heads.

It's not quite Christina Aguilera debuting the "Dirrty" video, since we knew all along that Adam wasn't of the safe and sweet school of pop thought, but I'd say he did manage to pull out a bit of a shocker - particularly when he grabbed the keyboard player and somewhat forcibly made out with him (talk about band members going above and beyond the call of duty).

Unfortunately the video has already been yanked from YouTube, but The Huffington Post has close-ups of all the highlights (or worst offenses, depending on your perspective). Here's one:

What do you think -- next Madonna or next has-been?

-- Courtney Powell

The Worst Lyric of 2009

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.

--Alan Wiley

The Best Music of 2009

It may feel a little early for this sort of thing, but we on the Amazon music team have pooled our collective knowledge and taste to determine the best music of 2009.

We spent 2009 soothed by Neko Case's wail, moved to dance by Yeah Yeah Yeahs' turn towards big beats, intrigued by Somali hip-hop Troubadour K'naan, and ready to hear three key words from neo-twangsters the Avett Brothers.

On the songs side, French popsters Phoenix went nutty for a composer and we went nutty for Phoenix. La Roux made us feel invincible, Jay-Z officially crushed an awful trend, and Passion Pit sent us reeling.

Voting with their wallets, our customers told us they really like U2, as it was both our bestselling CD and MP3 album of 2009. Black Eyed Peas also popped up in plenty of playlists, as they locked down the top two slots on our songs chart.

Every year, great albums slip through the cracks. This year, our editors wanted to save some from that unfair fate. We shine a spotlight on excellent underheard CD and MP3 albums across all genres, and we've even made a playlist featuring a single song from each record, so you can sample 'til you find something you like.

Dig into the lists and see which lists line up most closely with your personal tastes:

Best Albums of 2009

1. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
3. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
5. the Avett Brothers - I and Love and You
6. Girls - Album
7. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
8. K'naan - Troubadour
9. Jay-Z - Blueprint 3
10. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career

> See all top 100 best albums of 2009
> See the list at Amazon MP3

Best Songs of 2009

1. Phoenix - "Lisztomania"
2. La Roux - "Bulletproof"
3. Jay-Z - "D.O.A. (Death of Autotune)"
4. Animal Collective - "My Girls"
5. Neko Case - "People Got a Lotta Nerve"
6. Passion Pit - "The Reeling"
7. Girls - "Lust for Life"
8. Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
9. The Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You"
10. Lily Allen - "The Fear"

> See all top 100 best songs of 2009
> Sample songs 1-50
> Sample songs 51-100

Bestselling CDs of 2009 (through October, including pre-orders)

1. U2 - No Line on the Horizon
2. Susan Boyle - I Dreamed a Dream
3. Diana Krall - Quiet Nights
4. Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream
5. Bob Dylan - Together through Life

> See all 100 bestselling CDs of 2009

Bestselling MP3 Albums of 2009 (through October)

1. U2 - No Line on the Horizon
2. Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
3. Jay-Z - Blueprint 3
4. Paramore - Brand New Eyes
5. Lily Allen - The Fear

> See all 100 bestselling MP3 albums of 2009

Bestselling Songs of 2009 (through October)

1. Black Eyed Peas - "Boom Boom Pow"
2. Black Eyed Peas - "I Gotta Feeling"
3. Flo Rida - "Right Round"
4. Miley Cyrus - "The Climb"
5. Pitbull - "I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho"

> See all 100 bestselling songs of 2009
> Sample songs 1-50
> Sample songs 51-100

Outstanding 2009 Albums You Might Have Missed

1. Throw Me the Statue - Creaturesque
2. Mt. St. Helen's Vietnam Band
3. The Legends - Over and Over
4. Lushlife - Cassette City
5. Point Juncture, Wa - Heart to Elk

> See all 100 2009 albums you might have missed at Amazon MP3
> Sample songs from albums 1-50
> Sample songs from albums 51-100

Head over to our best music of 2009 store to find complete lists, plus the best in everything from Latin music to Gospel to comedy and all points between.

We're aware there's still a decent chunk of the year left. We'll be adding a latecomers and honorable mentions feature over the next few weeks. Hit the comments, let us know what we missed, and perhaps it'll make an appearance.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Adam Lambert Releases Album Art

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:

What do you think?

--Alan Wiley

Mariah Carey: The Accidental Comedienne

 Mariah Carey is the Rainman of pop music. Focused, blank faced and sometimes capable of genius. Each toothpick lying on the diner floor is a hit song; each cheese puff is a music video featuring a greased-up, jiggling Mariah bearing an expression that translates to either a)Tabula Rasa; or b) “I’ve had too much turkey dinner.” I can’t tell. My Latin ain’t so good.
It goes without saying that Mariah Carey is an undisputed talent who has achieved greatness. She has a reported 5-octave voice and has sold something in the neighborhood of, what – like 200 million records?  Amazing! I used to get chills listening to she and Whitney Houston dominate radio in the early 90s with pop songs that showcased considerable soul and range. Like major powerhouse vocal business. It just knocked me to hear voices like that. Whitney disappeared from the scene and Mariah stole it, supplementing her vocal range with some kind of fantastical Hip Hop genie oil that, when applied directly to skin, creates MTV and radio perfection. A quick scan through music video history finds Mariah in all manner of locale (a school, a countryside hoedown, in water, in posh cars, on various silk beds, in her knickers, in bikini in front of Vuitton luggage, in mansions, etc.), jiggling awkwardly and touching herself prettily while wearing a bloated, vacant smile that reminds me a bit of Patrick Swayze’s smile in Ghost when his spirit left Oda Mae for the last time. Perhaps the smile is just a way of coping with the interminable breeze that seems to follow the poor woman around onscreen (it’s always windy in her videos, which is perplexing considering many of them take place indoors.).  A couple vids from the early years are below, but the new ones, the really gross/awesome ones ("Don't Forget About Us," "We Belong Together," "Say Somethin'," "Touch My Body"), cannot be shown here, sadly. "Embedding disabled by request." (Sigh*).

"Someday": (School):

"Dreamlover" (Countryside): 


The lips parted, peekaboo glances and self love that mark her music video performances could be almost lovable if there were something substantial -- like her shining TALENT, for example -- to anchor it. There's not. The last few albums have been produced within an inch of their digital lives, her vocals seemingly quadruple tracked and Pro-Tooled to bits, only to be ultimately sidelined by Hip Hop glitterati guest appearances. I’m all for double-tracking vocals (Dave Gilmour in Dark Side of the Moon, anyone?) and collaborating with your buddies but at some point it becomes a major bummer. 
The vocal legend’s latest (with its straight-faced title), Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, provides no reprieve on the bummer front. More breathy vocal business. More songs with barely any sung words. More tiny dresses fit to burst. More indoor breezes. More self-conscious touching of the face and hair. More lazy grins. More killer song titles like “Angels Cry” and “H.A.T.E.U.” (although to be fair, "H.A.T.E.U." is  one of the finest songs on the album). A quick aside: while Memoirs… came close to winning the award for Best Accidentally-Comedic Album Title, the trophy still stays safe in the harbors of Mariah’s 2008 release, E=MC2.
I know the new album has sold a quarter of a million and that my opinion may elicit derision from some, but folks - please be gentle. I am an imperfect angel; Don’t H.A.T.E.ME. Love me, love me…

--Leslie Beattie

Best Music of October, 2009: La Roux

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 sounds  of 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.

--Alan Wiley

The 100 Greatest Live Albums of All Time

There are plenty of live albums issued solely as afterthoughts or contract fulfillments, but there are plenty that are as transcendent as the best in-person concert experiences, only with zero lines at the bathroom. For this particular list we came up with the following criteria:

• Only one album per artist.
• Albums were been performed live in front of an audience, but don't necessarily have to be culled from a single performance.
• No EPs or singles—this list is about albums
• We decided to limit this list to music, which means no comedy. We wanted to save those records for a separate list for laffers.

Of course, we 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.

Here goes:

1. James Brown - Live At The Apollo, 1962
2. Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
3. Frank Sinatra - Sinatra at the Sands
4. Bill Withers - Live at Carnegie Hall
5. Judy Garland - Judy At Carnegie Hall
6. Bob Dylan - The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Live, 1966: The Royal Albert Hall Concert
7. Ella Fitzgerald - Ella in Rome: The Birthday Concert
8. Led Zeppelin - How The West Was Won
9. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
10. Keith Jarrett - The Koln Concert
11. Neil Young - Live Rust
12. Otis Redding - Live in Europe
13. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
14. Nirvana - MTV Unplugged In New York
15. Bob Marley - Live
16. The Rolling Stones - Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out
17. Roy Orbison - Black and White Night
18. The Who - Live at Leeds
19. Simon and Garfunkel - The Concert in Central Park
20. Jimi Hendrix - Live at Monterey
21. Cheap Trick - At Budokan
22. John Coltrane & Thelonious Monk - At Carnegie Hall
23. Paco de Lucia, Rodrigo, and Orchestra De Cadaques - Concierto de Aranjuez
24. Maceo Parker - Life On Planet Groove
25. Portishead - Live: Roseland NYC
26. Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis
27. Leonard Cohen - Live in London
28. Kiss - Alive!
29. Eric Clapton - Unplugged
30. Queen - Live Killers
31. Nina Simone - Nina Simone at Town Hall
32. Gram Parsons - Live 1973
33. Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin-é
34. U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky
35. Lucinda Williams - Live at the Fillmore
36. Thin Lizzy - Live and Dangerous
37. Dead Can Dance - Toward the Within
38. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Live in New York City
39. BB King - Live at the Regal
40. Aretha Franklin - Live at Fillmore West
41. David Bowie - Stage
42. Miles Davis - Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live At The Fillmore East
43. Art Blakey - A Night At Birdland, Vol. 1
44. Ani Difranco - Living in Clip
45. Mavis Staples - Live: Hope at the Hideout
46. Muddy Waters - At Newport 1960
47. Depeche Mode - 101
48. Deep Purple - Made in Japan
49. Isaac Hayes - Live at Wattstax
50. Sam Cooke - At the Copa
51. Parliament - Live: P-funk Earth Tour
52. Grateful Dead - Europe '72
53. Laurie Anderson - United States Live
54. Alison Krauss and Union Station - Live
55. Velvet Underground - 1969
56. Pink Floyd - Pulse
57. The Roots - Come Alive
58. Bill Evans Trio - Sunday at the Village Vanguard
59. Sarah Vaughn - Live At The 1971 Monterey Jazz Festival
60. George Harrison - Live in Japan
61. Peter Gabriel - Plays Live
62. Erroll Garner - Concert by the Sea
63. Thelonius Monk - Thelonious in Action: Live at the Five Spot Cafe
64. Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Live at Luther College
65. Janis Joplin - Janis in Concert
66. Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive
67. Willie Nelson - Stars and Guitars
68. John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard
69. The Clash - From Here To Eternity Live
70. Eartha Kitt - Live from the Café Carlyle
71. Ravi Shankar - Live: Ravi Shankar at the Monteray International Pop Festival
72. Wilco - Kicking Television: Live In Chicago
73. Neko Case - The Tigers Have Spoken
74. Judas Priest - Unleashed in the East
75. Jay-Z - Unplugged
76. The Orb - Live '93
77. The Ramones - It's Alive
78. Etta James - Rocks the House
79. Soweto Gospel Choir - Live at Nelson Mandela Theatre
80. Pearl Jam - Live on Two Legs
81. Björk - Live Box Set
82. Kraftwerk - Minimum-Maximum
83. Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
84. Lou Reed - Rock 'n' Roll Animal
85. Jill Scott - Live in Paris
86. Carole King - Carole King The Carnegie Hall Concert June 18, 1971
87. Alice in Chains - Live
88. John Denver - The Wildlife Concert
89. Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley
90. Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live at Carnegie Hall
91. Rush - Rush in Rio
92. Police - Live!
93. Daft Punk - Alive 2007
94. James Taylor - James Taylor Live
95. Neil Diamond - Hot August Night
96. Guns N' Roses - Live Era '87-'93
97. Lyle Lovett - Lyle Lovett Live In Texas
98. Blue Oyster Cult - Extraterrestrial Live
99. Aerosmith - Live! Bootleg
100. J. Geils Band - Live: Blow Your Face Out

-- Jeff Reguilon

La Roux: Interviewed

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.

--Alan Wiley