Monday, May 16, 2011

I'd Rather Be Listening To...

Record Shop by Help Stamp Out Loneliness

A musical gem in the tradition of the bass driven heart-throb melodies of bands like Pains Of Being Pure At Heart with a touch of inspiration from The Cure.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

I'd Rather Be Listening To...

Fall (M83 Vs Big Black Delta Remix) by Daft Punk
Like me, you probably never thought of the concept of a remixed OST/Score. With the Tron Legacy Score by Daft Punk, this concept became a remarkable reality. With only a second glance the idea becomes obvious genius.
Daft Punk created a theatrical sound masterpiece like never accomplished before. Not only did it create a sense of awe and excitement with thrilling orchestral elements to rival Hans Zimmer's score for The Dark Knight, but it was true to Daft Punk's nature, bearing their unmistakable electronic signature at every turn. The pairing of a film exploring the "digital frontier" with Daft Punk at the wheel for musical effect was a marriage of perfect elements.
But beyond all this, maybe the most impressive asset of the score, it was malleable. With a shot to make OST history, a smorgasbord of electronic artists including M83, The Glitch Mob and Moby joined the ranks to take the score to another level with the remix OST, Tron Legacy: Reconfigured.
The new approach made for a more accessible sound, trimming the unnecessary theatrical "fillers" and amplifying the effect of the scores more impressive elements. Born from this was an exhilarating electronic album with a dramatic edge to leave listeners wondering which was a more intense ride, the movie or the soundtrack.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Tales To Tell: Cold War Kids - Mine Is Yours

Few albums contrast the hardships and rewards of love with such realism and honesty as does CWK's new full length. Not even overlooking petty squabbles, the album is a manic venture into the narrative world of love we all at some point live in. A significant slice of the album is lyrically rich with stories that brilliantly display the coarse juxtaposing of dependence against annoyance and the ascension of forgiveness present in every over-emphasised lovers' quarrel. 
But all this abundance of narrative is really only the extra credit the album deserves. It's back bone lies in the return to the Kids' ability to string together a mess of noise into a dramatic melody the way they did with Robbers & Cowards. Don't expect the ground down production that made their first full length so interesting but as far as achieving an original sound with a solid rhythm goes it's a stellar return to form.
The storytelling on the album does of course wander further than relationship troubles giving it a nice amount of variety while maintaining a solid theme. It illustrates a story about making the intrepid resolve through trouble on the foundation of love. It's honestly refreshing. 
As Frightened Rabbit progressed from their miserably magnificent Midnight Organ Fight to a slightly more affirmative outlook on Winter of Mixed Drinks, so to have Cold War Kids. Where previously the Kids' storytelling so emphatically wallowed in defeat and self-deception, audience's now hear of a nowhere near optimistic but sweet and truthful almost-recovery.
After indulging in the album listeners will conceive and welcome with appeased ears a new and unfamiliar message in the Kids' music. "Maybe things aren't perfect, but together they'll get better."

I'd Rather Be Watching...

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Friday, January 21, 2011

Thursday, January 20, 2011

I'd Rather Be Watching...

Ed Note: This spectacular band and video star my very own musical crush, Cathy Lucas.

I'd Rather Be Watching...

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Friday, January 14, 2011