29/10/08

I'm in!

British music, oh British music!
I've soon spent three months living and working here in England, and I cannot say the music scene is disappointing. Some great tunes that follow for the time being are:
Furthermore, our dear friend José introduced to me Oceanian Ladyhawke, who's in fact playing here tomorrow night when I go back to Stockholm for a couple of days. I'll miss the opportunity to hear the music from her fabulous album, but I'll have a new chance on the 15th of November when Van She, The Presets + other Modular people are joining.
You are all, hereby, invited to London!

Contact me asap if you feel like coming here. (Tickets are 158 kr on Ryanair)
Take care all of you! Enjoy.

/Nina


26/10/08

Hommage, influence or plagiarism?

Great guys! Good job!

And now, for the next number, let me introduce the music leechers: those music creators, music rascals, music fans, friends of coincidence and the use of same chords and cadenza. We are going to avoid to talk about sampling or covering songs; Don't panic! we will leave this for another issue!

The idea of this post came to me a few months ago. Coldplay hit the charts worldwide with its single "Viva la Vida", but let us go back in time and remind you french lolita Alizeé Remember, right? ;) Several blogs around the net claimed Chris Martin's band copied her a song. Somebody even tried to do a mash-up that misteriously fits really well... Coincidence?

More or less at the same time dropped Estelle's second single and magically if you changed her starting lyrics by "well I guess it would be nice | if I could touch your body | I know not everybody'...s got a body like you" it would turn into this. Some said she paid homage to him. What if you try with this one too? I like'em all anyway! But, let's go a bit further, try to go to 1:02 in here and go like this "Oh but I.. need some time off... from that emotion.. time to pick my heart up off the floor" Interesting, huh? Far enough!

Now, what would happen if Mystery Jets would speed up an easy-tear ballad?
Another rock band, The Hoosiers, sounded at first interesting to me, but after some time I started to wonder where all those familiar melodies came from. They say they are fans of the work of Electric Light Orchestra, The Cure (oh really? , yes, really) amongst other bands, but I think they didn't mention The Turtles (why?) By the way, did you know I love bootlegs ? :)

So, is it just an English thing? No, no... David Bowie turns out to be one of the most respected and appreciated artists in contemporary pop music. His influence is clear in bands such as the mighty Arcade Fire (not a rip-off here). Swedes Moneybrother (ex-Monster singer) made their particular homage too by creating a new and amazing song. What about Americans? The Offspring aproached mainstream going back to the 60s and becoming the yankee Fantastic Four while Green Day did the same a few years later, now trying with Beatles' generation mates The Kinks. Am I already freaking out? Not yet...

Still in the 60's, 1966: a Spanish musician composed "Exorcismo", "a piece that sounds in 9 compasses exactly the same to "Thriller". BBC paid 2 million pesetas (12.000 euros) to make a documentary about it", Luixy its author says. In the same year, Motown's stars Diana Ross & The Supremes released "My world is empty without you". About 40 years later, The Coral remakes it and makes me think again... Why can't I just like "the original"? Just because I love them both. Love the music, one love.

22/10/08

italian new scene vol.1

Hey yo!
it's been a while since i last posted...
i was lost in some no music period for a bit but now i heard her voice telling me: I want u back!
I finally ran into some new interesting stuff coming from my country..
The artist of today is a girl, caliente, from Naples..the kind of Italian girl you would like to meet..
however she's definitely a tough one..
Coming from a ver- active- in-the-90's antifascist group, 99 posse (listen to Quello che and Rigurgito antifascista, the latter is a typical strike song that every left sided young italian knows..), she transformed into something else..
Her name is Meg and her new album is called Psycodelice.
Distante is definitely the single of a experimental album that contains also some English songs..weird for an Italian..

new stuff is coming soon..i promise..

21/10/08

Some Garage and more

In my first entry to the blog I would like to show a band I have become fan recently Archers of Loaf. I think it's a kind of optimist garage or something like that. Never mind.

The author of crazy and his new one: Gnarls Barkley - Going On that sounds a little bit like Outkast - Hey Ya

Some of my favourites spanish bands that I haven't seen here: Pop-Rock a little bit stinky for many people, Los Planetas-Un buen día ; a post-hardcore, band Standstill- Cuando; and another repelent pop band, Lori Meyers.

To end Monster-Ex Factor, with this song I lost my mind once, but I've learnt and I behave better now.

Propellerheads- Bang On
RJD2 - 1976

1/10/08

The sound of 2008

I remembered one of those hundreds freaky conversations about music we had in Stockholm, particulary one with Simone about “the sound of 2008”. Summarizing, that magic potion was a mix of rock with distorted electro, that kind of sound you could listen to on a cool indie bar or the dirtiest dancefloor.

One of those dancing days, we talked about that issue again. It was just after the massive session of Justice at Sturecompagniet (why there?!), and I remember we were actually really amazed :) Some would say we were dazed and confused... whatever...
I think this album comes to clear my point and brings that idea back to me:

Album of the Month: Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel

The new Klaxons, Gary Numan revisited, 8-bit rock,... what is your label? Cool beans!