Read & Listen

A video for a song of European album by the Swedish band Sambassadeur, I Can Try. Directed by Philip Ekström of The Mary Onettes.

Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 1
[Konichiwa, 2010]

The Swedish superstar that went from indie to pop status, Robyn showed high class, again, in mass entertainment, bringing electronics to life. Body Talk has an extension, Pt. 1, with two more parts expected to be released later this year.

Don’t Fucking Tell Me What To Do is a starting statement in the album, with the narrative on everything that’s “killing me,” from alcohol to the boss to the boyfriend. Then, it is explained that fembots have feelings too (in Fembot). Dancing On My Own, a single and a song for the girls of all times - whoever stared from the corner at a boy paying attention to another one, will understand. Dancehall Queen - a collaboration with Diplo, with a go at summer reggae. By the end of the album, None Of Dem with expected-to-be-there Royksopp, stomping agression about own exclusiveness and a mismatch with the surrounding world, that is followed by an acoustic (and really accurate and tender) version of Hang With Me. And, as a reminder about Robyn’s nationality, a Swedish-language Jan Vet En Dejlig Rosa.

An album for a party animal night, bar or disco night. Robyn is a queen for those, for whom Madonna and Lady Gaga are too mass-popular.

Read & Listen:
Robyn Myspace

Body Talk Pt. 1 by robyn

Robyn ‘Dancing On My Own’ (Official Video) from Robyn on Vimeo.

Nothing much, just a piece of Morr Music, Seabear’s “Lion Face Boy.” Mellow Friday.

Seabear - Lion Face Boy by morrmusic

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
[Arts & Crafts, 2010]

It’s so much harder to write about the music that you love the most. My love for the Canadian indie rock band Broken Social Scene has crossed with love for its separate members (Feist, Emily Haines of Metric, Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning) - and it’s a numerous cast. At times, this affection causes stupored on-repeat listens not only with albums, but with one or two tracks. This is what happened (again) with the new album, released after five years of (relevant) silence, Forgiveness Rock Record. I’ve been listening to it for hours, but was it hard to write! To catch, what exactly in the music gets in full sync with your inner state.

The album leaks into your reality slowly and stealthily. Fades out of ambiance. Rolls out its rhythms, and in a minute of two of the opening track, a terrific World Sick, evolves in all its beauty. And brings noise-noise-noise. Broken Social Scene feels like a bunch of friends around out. Not a paranoid crowd, but your people.

The general theme of forgiveness is in the title for a reason - it’s a total forgiveness of everyone in general and each in particular, from people you know to the infamous hate objects. Texico Bitches is a true bitching addressing oil tycoons, and at the same time one of the lightest and most memorable songs on the album. Probably, also because the word ‘bitches’ appears there on a very regular basis. Forced To Love is pushy and dense. Sentimental X’s - foggy and truly sentimental, along with signature rhythm moving forward. All To All - again, gradually growing intensity, this time not with noise pressure, but with Lisa Lobsinger’s sweet vocals (she mostly toured with BSS) and a charming melody. One of the beauties of the album.

Forgiveness Rock Record is definitely not a come-off album, with a couple of hits and the rest indistinct. Every song has its individuality, and in general there’s a common style not only of the release, but in the whole Broken Social Scene music. This music is like a vine, it can be wedded into any day and any mood. It can go with a weekend (or workday) morning, in work process, in a trip, in a tender night… I still haven’t found a mood where the album would not fit. If you want an atmosphere of friendliness and a bit of recklessness - this is it. Noisy at times, but generally relaxing and energizing at the same time.

Read & Listen:
Broken Social Scene website
Myspace
Pitchfork interview

Eric Berglund is half of The Tough Alliance and the full of new project called CEO. With the debut album coming out June 28, there already are two songs available - along with videos.

Come With Me is a perfect combination of liveliness and naivety. The signature vocals of TTA are accompanied by familiar rhythms. Samples and typical “spoken word” over cheerful beat and wonderfully sticky chorus - what else is there to wish for?

ceo - come with me from Modular People on Vimeo.

ceo - prologue from Modular People on Vimeo.

Read & Listen:
CEO website
Come With Me mp3
Prologue mp3

Exclusive Mixcloud mix from the legendary beat makers Zero 7 featuring an eclectic selection of tracks across dubstep, minimal techno, glitch and more.

Morcheeba - Blood Like Lemonade
[PIAS, 2010]

The seventh album of British trip-hop band Morcheeba has a very speaking summer name. It’s about lemonade, but at the same time without extra fun - with all the thickness that blood can bring. Very much in the vampiric trend of the modern culture, producing more and more vampire TV shows and movies - glamorous and hypnotizing. Morcheeba’s music is still as seductive as it was years ago. The return of Skye Edwards only makes it better. Gloomy chords and sweet vocals of a nymph go great together. Yes, probably, the best songs have already been sung, but thanks for not stopping to write music. Crimson is tender as a chocolate melting on the lips. Even Though is fluid and flexible. Recipe For Disaster is dark and mysterious (”Wannt know why there’s a dead guy in my room?”). All the beaty of a downtempo relaxes and brings summer mood in every minute of being within the album. Paul Godfrey comments on the album: “This is the record we should have made after Big Calm, but we had to travel treacherous terrains to get back to our natural habitat.” Don’t know how treacherous they were, but Blood Like Lemonade fully meets your expectations and overdelivers. A right kind of relaxing and summer atmosphere.

Read & Listen:
Myspace
Morcheeba website

Morcheeba by PIAS