Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
The Deserted Treasure Island Discs - Volume 1
This is the beginning of a new series I will attempt to incorporate into the blog where I talk about my 5-star, perfect, most-bestest-super-raddest-coolest-ever albums…These being the albums you’d find with me on my Deserted Treasure Island…aptly titled The Deserted Treasure Island Discs!!
It’s gay pride weekend here in LA and since this band is the only one to have TWO albums with me here on the island, first up we have…
“Erasure” by Erasure
This, to me, is their masterpiece. An album so completely put together, lyrically poignant, full of emotions in the words, vocals, music & even the artwork…Erasure at their finest.
The album tells a love story of sorts, songs full of self-realization, desire, confusion, devotion, loss, love’s discovery, heartbreak, spirituality…a lot of universal topics tackled in a very grand (and electronic) way. Note, there is only one song on this album that is under the 5 ½ minute mark, that being “Intro: Guess I’m Into Feeling”, obviously Track 1. And still, none of these songs seem to drag. The presentation makes each song so cohesive and necessary.
The album flows perfectly, each song blending into the next, genre hopping between what Erasure does best: dance pop, balladry, churchy hymnals, all held together through an electronic over-current.
Song-wise, it’s hard to separate and discuss the songs individually. There were two completely different “singles” taken from the album, the dance-pop “Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer’s Day)" and the epic 10-minute ballad “Rock Me Gently”, both fantastic in their own right, the latter having a full choir backing & a Diamanda Galas solo. If I had to pick an Erasure song as my personal favourite, I always jump to this album’s closer “A Long Goodbye”…it culminates so much of what has happened throughout the album, bringing it all to a fitting close. Here’s a sample of Andy’s fine lyrics from the closer:
“I just don’t know what to believe in, if the truth be known
Suffering from soul fatigue, weathering the storm
What we say and what we do are entirely different things
The whisperings dissolve the room well it’s not how it should be
Swaying like a tree I feel the sky somebody calling
You’re so ordinary, be my sanctuary in the morning darling
New sensation, love vibrations, heart to heart & a dumb goodbye
Then you go your way, I’ll go my way, life is truer than fiction in this
Crazy mixed up world of honey, life is just an illusion darling
Easy like a bird I ride the breeze my mind falling…”
~~~~~~~~~~~
I could go on and on with these quotes that make me tingle. The album is full of these beautiful, emotional moments…pretty much in every song. It's like we are getting these special glimpses into the life of these amazing subjects.
There is a very personal, autobiographical feel to these songs and I feel such a personal connection of my own…I have had my own similar storylines in life. Ultimately, that is why “Erasure” is joining me here on the island, so we can continue to get lost, discover, question, divide, become one, wonder, love and in the end, say goodbye.
It’s gay pride weekend here in LA and since this band is the only one to have TWO albums with me here on the island, first up we have…
“Erasure” by Erasure
This, to me, is their masterpiece. An album so completely put together, lyrically poignant, full of emotions in the words, vocals, music & even the artwork…Erasure at their finest.
The album tells a love story of sorts, songs full of self-realization, desire, confusion, devotion, loss, love’s discovery, heartbreak, spirituality…a lot of universal topics tackled in a very grand (and electronic) way. Note, there is only one song on this album that is under the 5 ½ minute mark, that being “Intro: Guess I’m Into Feeling”, obviously Track 1. And still, none of these songs seem to drag. The presentation makes each song so cohesive and necessary.
The album flows perfectly, each song blending into the next, genre hopping between what Erasure does best: dance pop, balladry, churchy hymnals, all held together through an electronic over-current.
Song-wise, it’s hard to separate and discuss the songs individually. There were two completely different “singles” taken from the album, the dance-pop “Fingers & Thumbs (Cold Summer’s Day)" and the epic 10-minute ballad “Rock Me Gently”, both fantastic in their own right, the latter having a full choir backing & a Diamanda Galas solo. If I had to pick an Erasure song as my personal favourite, I always jump to this album’s closer “A Long Goodbye”…it culminates so much of what has happened throughout the album, bringing it all to a fitting close. Here’s a sample of Andy’s fine lyrics from the closer:
“I just don’t know what to believe in, if the truth be known
Suffering from soul fatigue, weathering the storm
What we say and what we do are entirely different things
The whisperings dissolve the room well it’s not how it should be
Swaying like a tree I feel the sky somebody calling
You’re so ordinary, be my sanctuary in the morning darling
New sensation, love vibrations, heart to heart & a dumb goodbye
Then you go your way, I’ll go my way, life is truer than fiction in this
Crazy mixed up world of honey, life is just an illusion darling
Easy like a bird I ride the breeze my mind falling…”
~~~~~~~~~~~
I could go on and on with these quotes that make me tingle. The album is full of these beautiful, emotional moments…pretty much in every song. It's like we are getting these special glimpses into the life of these amazing subjects.
There is a very personal, autobiographical feel to these songs and I feel such a personal connection of my own…I have had my own similar storylines in life. Ultimately, that is why “Erasure” is joining me here on the island, so we can continue to get lost, discover, question, divide, become one, wonder, love and in the end, say goodbye.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Pearl Fiction - The Ruby Fever
Since I mentioned Zeigeist yesterday, it is only appropriate to follow up today with their delightful offspring Pearl Fiction who is in fact the lovely Per Störby (aka The Man Responsible for All of Zeigeist's Music). It's great to have him still making nice electropop for us all by his lonesome. The debut single "The Ruby Fever" was just released digitally this past Monday and here is the ummmm...strange video for the song. It's quite obvious this guy belonged with Zeigeist. Not sure what I think about the video yet, but I do know I quite enjoy the song! Sexy snails...that's all I'll say!
enjoy!!
Pearl Fiction's debut album is set for release sometime later this year. I've read October but hope for sooner. Now go buy "The Ruby Fever".
enjoy!!
Pearl Fiction's debut album is set for release sometime later this year. I've read October but hope for sooner. Now go buy "The Ruby Fever".
Thursday, June 3, 2010
iamamiwhoami
Viral campaigns are usually filled with something horrible (see: Rick Rolling), but often we get something magical and fantastic and beautiful and superb and out of this world. Such is the case with iamamiwhoami, a currently anonymous music/video project which we've gotta be pretty certain is from Sweden! All signs are pointing to Jonna Lee for the female vocalist. They remind me (a little) of another Swedish band, the horribly missed Zeigeist, who also began their minor success through a mini-viral campaign.
This video for "u-2" is electronic pop at its finest:
And their latest "n" is just haunting and beautiful and WEIRD:
I LOVE!
(THANK YOU Mr. Steven for pointing me in their direction!)
This video for "u-2" is electronic pop at its finest:
And their latest "n" is just haunting and beautiful and WEIRD:
I LOVE!
(THANK YOU Mr. Steven for pointing me in their direction!)
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