Essential listening!

Greetings again!

As Nina well said 2008 is coming to the end and it's time for lists and eating like pigs, smile to each other while singing songs about virgins and throwing snowballs on each other's face. Unfortunately, we never have snow.

So I will leave apart this "list thing" for the new mix ;) But I would like you to help me with this cause my memory is not neverending :P I also agree that Australia's been a real "fábrica de churros", but we can't forget about our second land Sverige, Frech electro kings or obviously the UK ;)

I would like you to introduce 4 bands-artists present on my new Essential Mix (thanks for feedback!!) that are the soundtrack of my last month as well and they released albums this year.

We'll start from the end where we find "I have to go" from The Draytones, an interesting Argentinian-English garage band with 60s reminiscences capable of creating great songs. In a similar vein, just after the killer remix from MGMT it comes Little Joy, superband formed by The Strokes drummer +girlfriend, and brazilians Los Hermanos' singer. They've released their first album just a month ago, a work full of quiet songs, a sweet ode for the summer. Worth the check too!

Moving a bit into the electronic part, we find Metronomy . They are a blend of the 80s sound, let's say Tom Tom Club meets synth, add to it some Hot chip and a bit of the Klaxons falsettos and.. yeah! why not? Ratatat on the guitars and samples. Sometimes ridiculous, sometimes fun, melancholy takes part too in this child's play. In my opinion they have a great start of the album that comes to get more weird (if possible) and indigestible after the second half.

And... nasty Carmen Castro comes (cums?) right now to spit dirty rhymes on Mr. Oizo's new world "Lambs Anger". The album shows a more accesible and danceable side of the parisian character meaning for some "a breath of fresh air" for the (not anymore?) supposed to be stuck Ed Banger. Fuck the critics!

Interplanetaaaryyy... interplanetaarryy... interplanetaryy music!

Tu vo fa l'americano...

Tu vo fà l'americano, ma si nato in Italy...(you wanna be an american, but you are born in italy)

Ramazzotti used to sing in spanish (and lucas use to sing in italian...).

Italian bands always had problem to get out of the "boot" because of the language...

some tried so hard, singing in spanish, french and also having covers in chinese.

The new generation is coming out with some nice spaghetti english..

Giuliano Palma and the bluebeaters is a great band, born from an experiment, but that got pretty big in italy singing in english (now in order to go bigger unfortunately they sing in italian again...)

Giuliano Palma and the bluebeaters-Wonderfull Life

Alborosie, former singer of quite succesful group in italy Raggae National Tickets, is rockin da beach in Jamaica and now became a true italian Gentleman..

Alborosie-Kingston Town

A new band definitely nerdie style is coming up, just found them few days ago..

Trabant, young and ugly but they sound good...some indie finally coming out of here..

Trabant-Tonight party

tack sa mycket...

BASICS

a FRESH BAND. Margot and the Nuclear So and So's

a BLOG. LA BLOGOTHEQUE

some GOSSIP. Coldplay vs. Satriani

and a WEBSITE. (sorry, i need some links to my job. keyholders and T-shirts sold separately)

with lotta love,
L

A new year is approaching..

What would then be more appropriate than appointing the music nation of 2008?

Month of March boasted with coffee crazy Cut Copy, releasing their second album In Ghost Colours, -an eagerly awaited action as earlier tunes from the Melbournian trio's Bright Like Neon Love made time stand still for almost four years. Top tracks Hearts on Fire, Feel the Love plus Lights and Music, together with the personal favourite Out There on the Ice formed a spectacular combo of vintage disco and synth pop. Awesome!

Second group to reach Europe was Midnight Juggernauts. Their Dystopia album was out for the Aussie electro masses as early as in 2007, but the international break wasn't reality before a couple of months later, with the radio version of Into the Galaxy. Sister-brother duo Angus & Julia Stone from Sidney joined Midnight Juggernauts in an outback compilation. UK journalist Johnny Sharp stated "Most impressive, though, are the songs - simple but blindingly effective acoustic compositions, warm boy-girl harmonies and delicate, less-is-more arrangements."

The Oceanian continent invited for further satisfaction through mindbending dance music by Van She and The Avanlanches, dark beats from The Presets, blending funky Bumblebeez with trashy Crystal Castles finishing off with Ladyhawke. Remixes by Knightlife.

Last but not least, PNAU characterize a new, fresh and rowdy sound. They will, accompagnied by Empire of the Sun, be my sweetest treat these three final weeks of this fabulous 2008. Mekka of music for this ending year is obvious. Mine's Oceania. What's yours?