Class Actress

As much as I often loathe Pitchfork's reviews, they are a great source for music news and the discovery of new artists. I give them full credit for exposing me to the dazzling 80's tones of Class Actress outta Brooklyn!

With no releases to their name (yet, but soon), this band is already showing why 2010 is such a great year. Formerly the solo project of Elizabeth Harper, she has allowed a couple chaps in to make a full band. The music here is total new wave 80's synth, but lacking in the cheese department. It's a very sleek sound. Elizabeth's gorgeous voice blends perfectly with the music and she's a master of the pop hook. "Let Me Take You Out" is the surefire pop hit, which has a very catchy bass line and is just all around fun. "Journal or Ardency" is a slow-synth-burner and oh so hot. Even the 7 1/2 minute "Someone Real" which closes out the EP is completely engrossing from start to finish, building into a wave of synth frenzy by the end.

Here's the simple little video for the great "Let Me Take You Out":



And for your sampling pleasure:



"Journal of Ardency" will be the group's first release and it's being delivered on 10" vinyl in February from Terrible Records.

Elizabeth also has a pretty decent self-titled solo album out from 2005. It's much more singer-songwritery but her voice is still fantastic. If you're interested, you can check out her personal website.

inDIeVA Alert - Name the Pet

Sweden, it's a lovely place. I love it, and so should you. What's best about Sweden? The music! Today, I offer you the super pop princess & latest inDIeVA to win my heart Name the Pet (aka Hanna Brandén) from Stockholm. I discovered her through a nice little collaboration she did with my Swedish boyfriends The Sound of Arrows...the brilliant track "Falling". Her self-titled album was released on Dolores Recordings in early November and it's absolutely delightful! Primarily synth pop in nature, with extra focus on the pop, the album still delivers varieties within the genre and doesn't stick to any formula. The first two singles released (both on limited edition 7") are "Sunshine" and "Get on the Bus". The former is a ray of light pop anthem to help get us through this freezing winter, while the latter is a very heavy club-friendly dance jam. La Roux comes to mind when I hear the fantastic "In & Out", but our dear Pet has much more range as we see on one of my favourite tracks, the closer "London". "London" is the slowest & shortest track on the album, but it's still insanely catchy and sticks out like a sore thumb against all these synthy pop tunes since it's driven by Pet's voice & a soft acoustic guitar. "Borderline" and "Falling" are both ace and either can easily (and should) be the next singles. Check her out, she's sure to hit big soon! 

 Watch "Falling":

 

And for your listening pleasure: Borderline and Get on the Bus

Tomorrow, in a Year

As anyone who knows me knows, I LOVE The Knife. So last year, when I heard they were creating the music for an "opera" based on Charles Darwin, I was very excited. I don't care much for opera, but when it's modernized, the results can be quite surprising and lovely (see: Paul Schwartz's Aria work). And who better to modernize some opera than THE KNIFE! The music is a collaboration with Mt. Sims and Planningtorock . I don't know anything about Mt. Sims, but know Planningtorock is artsy as all hell. Should be just lovely.

If you subscribe to The Knife's mailing list, you will be treated to a FREE DOWNLOAD of the album upon its release (I think that's how I'm reading it)! Woooooo!! For now, we get the 11-minute, freaky chant song "Colouring of Pigeons". I was completely surprised to hear Karin's vocals. Plus, the operatic vocals are sandwiched in between hers! Very nice indeed.

"Tomorrow, in a Year" is due out March 1 internationally, March 9 in the US, and February 2 for download.
Subscribe to The Knife's mailing list and read more about the project here.

Burning Hearts - "Night Animal"

When members of two indie pop "powerhouses" (I use the term loosely here but in my eyes, they are superstars) converge to form their own side project, the results can often be magical. Such is the case with Finland's Burning Hearts which finds one member apiece from Le Futur Pompiste & Cats on Fire blending together perfectly. Their debut album "Aboa Sleeping" landed firmly in at #15 in my top albums of 2009 and this month they are releasing a new 7" single, "Night Animal", on Shelflife. I knew the song was gonna be good right from the get go, with a nice dreamy intro of keys & oohing, and once that simple drum & acoustic guitar beat kicks in at 30 seconds, I'm in indie pop heaven. The chorus just adds to the deliciousness as Jessika hooks us in with that sweet melody! 

You can download the A-side here. And of course, if you enjoy it, please support the music and buy it. I did! =)

 

New Young Pony Club - Lost a Girl

Oh my, I'm already excited about this now... New Young Pony Club had some nice cuts on their debut, but this new song blows them all away. Nothing crazy & grand, just some simple nice dancey electro!! You can download the Radio Edit for free from their website here. I'm also loving the 80s simplicity in this video, it fits the song perfectly... New album "The Optimist" out March 1 on their own new label The Numbers.

Saying hello. Bidding adieu.

HELLLLO!!! Now I too have a blog. Whoooopeee! Mostly, you're gonna see me talk about new music, recent discoveries, new live experiences, new new new, but I will sometimes venture into the past (as I am about to do) so we don't forget where this is all coming from.

2010 is now upon us, but before we venture into that terrain, let us bid adieu to two great bands that have left us in 2009...

Oliver North Boy Choir (2006-09)
Danish indie pop darlings who released an amazing series of digital EPs and two exquisite digital compilations of those EPs and then some. They quickly forged themselves into my favorite bands in less than a year's time and already, I have a hard time imagining the year without a couple of their EPs! Just sweet sweet music. Check out their cover of "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie", it hooked me quick! You can also find a few of their newer tracks for free download at their website.
New side project for Mikkel & Ivan from ONBC is The Boombox Hearts.

and

Zeigeist (2006-09)
More painful is the loss of Zeigeist, the dark, artsy electropop darlings from Sweden. They gained some minor buzz when they "pretended" to be The Knife through a leaked mp3 tag (this being how I found out about them). They released their only fantastic album "The Jade Motel" and various singles from it in 2008 and one final lovely EP to close out their story in 2009, "The Neverending Love EP". I was horribly lucky to see them live in Sweden at the end of 2008 with Mr. Steven. It was a truly magical experience that I won't forget.
The man responsible for their music has a new solo project... Pearl Fiction.

So, we say goodbye to them, but hello to a new year which is already promising to be quite magical...The Magnetic Fields later this month, The Knife in February, The Magic Theatre (Ooberman side project) & Goldfrapp in March...need I say more!?

Happy 2010!!!!!