Monday 24 March 2014

Siouxsie Sunday: 'Anima Animus' by The Creatures



After Siouxsie and the Banshees split up in 1996, The Creatures (Siouxsie and Budgie's another band) were already composing material for a new record. The album, titled Anima Animus, is Siouxsie's first LP since 1995's The Rapture and comprises ten tracks. Leftover songs from the recording sessions saw the light of day either as B-sides for single releases or on Eraser Cut, an EP that heralded the actual album release.

The Eraser Cut served as a teaser of what was to come: while Budgie's percussion is still the driving force here, gone is the tribal feel of their previous LPs Boomerang and especially the highly experimental Feast. The Creatures had come up with a new sound that was less about exotica and more about electronica. Indeed, their new material was a fascinating blend of ominous synths and acoustic instruments, although Budgie's trademark marimbas still make occasional appearances. Another new element in a way was Siouxsie's voice: as seen in the live clips from the Banshees' shows during the mid-1990s, Siouxsie was occasionally struggling when performing their older material since her singing voice had started to show signs of change, deepening and lowering in register. These songs, however, were written for Siouxsie's changed vocal range so they showcase new sides of her distinctive voice.

Sunday 23 March 2014

Check out this musical chameleon: performs Katy Perry song in 20 different styles

Have you ever wondered how Katy Perry's latest hit single "Dark Horse" would sound like when performed in the style of say, Nirvana or Red Hot Chili Peppers? Yeah, me neither. However, that's exactly what Youtube user Ten Second Songs does and truth be told, it's pretty entertaining! He sings the song in 20 different styles, ranging from Queen and Iron Maiden to Michael Jackson and The Doors. And boy does he do it well. Personal favourites include the Frank Sinatra and Boyz II Men versions. Check out the amazing video below:





Phew, what a versatile guy. That's currently the only video on his channel but considering it was uploaded only one week ago, there's probably more similar clips in the making so watch that space. And here's the original version for comparison, with its music video which is just as hilarious as it's absurd.


Monday 17 March 2014

Review: 'Ruby Blue' by Róisín Murphy



Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody! In order to celebrate this special day, I will be reviewing the debut solo album of my favourite Irish person, Róisín Murphy! As you might have figured out by now, I'm a big fan of her music - her 2007 album Overpowered got four and a half stars out of five in my review of it. Once I was actually on this huge party cruise and I met this Irish girl. Having previously had a drink or two, I went to her and asked if she knew what was the best thing to come from Ireland. "Um, Guinness...?" she suggested carefully. "Nope, that'd be Róisín Murphy. She's so freaking amazing", I said. She looked confused, uttered "Good for you", and left. Alright then. But seriously, if I were Irish, I'd consider her as nothing short of national treasure!

Thursday 13 March 2014

Siouxsie and the Banshees to reissue debut single 'Hong Kong Garden'




In 1978, Siouxsie and the Banshees finally landed, as one of the last punk bands to do that, a recording contract and released their debut single "Hong Kong Garden" to instant success: the single peaked at #7 in the UK singles chart. Some 35 years later, the single is being reissued as a special edition to celebrate the iconic post-punk single.

The release will be a double 7" vinyl package that comes with a gatefold card sleeve, reworked artwork and an 8-page booklet, with all content being personally overseen by the two original Banshees, Siouxsie and Severin. The first disc is essentially the original 1978 single (A-side: "Hong Kong Garden", B-side: "Voices (On The Air)"), while the second disc features the same tracks in alternative versions, with the A-side being the "string intro" version from the soundtrack of Sofia Coppola's 2006 film Marie Antoinette, while the B-side is the orchestral revamp of "Voices (On The Air)" from the Banshees' 1984 EP The Thorn. First 100 people to order the package (you can do it here) also get a commemorative poster but let's face it, you're already late. Here's the poster anyway:





As you can see, Siouxsie's posture mirrors that of the the single cover. Lovely, isn't it. And here's the one song that started it all:


Previously unreleased Grace Jones material has surfaced!



Grace Jones's iconic 1981 album Nightclubbing is going to be reissued next month via Island Records/Universal, as reported by The Quietus. Nightclubbing, usually regarded as one of the most essential Grace Jones records, is her best-selling studio release to date and yielded classic singles such as "Demolition Man", "Libertango (I've Seen That Face Before)" and most notably, one of her definite signature hits, "Pull Up To The Bumper".

In addition to the remastered edition of the album, there'll be an alternative 2-disc version of it released for the Record Store Day; this version includes previously unreleased rarities such as a cover of "Me! I Disconnect From You" by Tubeway Army, the Gary Numan-fronted new wave group. This previously unheard cover from the Nightclubbing sessions has now surfaced, and the tropical number can be listened to below:






And here's the original version by Tubeway Army as well, should you be interested:





Meanwhile, Jones has been reported to be working on a memoir set to be released next autumn, whilst material for a new album is also in the making. And for slightly newer Grace Jones material, check out Popheaval's review of her 2008 comeback album Hurricane.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

New music: Panik Disco feat. Artymove - All In (No Niin)

Are you too looking for new and fresh music for your spring that's getting warmer day by day? If yes, then you're in for a treat: Stockholm-based DJ act Panik Disco have released their debut single "All In (No Niin)" which is a collaboration with none other than the fabulous Swedish electropop trio Artymove. The upbeat song is a tropical-sounding banger whose wackiness recalls that of Remedy/Rooty era early Basement Jaxx. What makes the song even more hilariously enjoyable is the lyrics: Artymove frontwoman Mathilda Lindgren sings the song both in English and Finnish(!), often even switching languages mid-sentence: "No niin, muista nyt liikkua people / 'Cause I like to move it". The cheerful chorus urges its listeners to take control of their own life: "Be the fire in you heart (No niin, no niin) / Be the movement that you want (no niin, no niin)".

With the sun shining ever so brightly from the cloudless sky and this song playing in the background, I think it's official - summer's here!





A music video (that further plays with the carnivalistic feel of the track) was also shot to accompany the single release:





Enjoy!

Monday 10 March 2014

MØ's debut album 'No Mythologies to Follow' is now out!



Few recent pop musicians have excited me quite as much as the Danish indie sensation , and her music has been often featured in my blog as you might have noticed. But it's all for a reason - her music's simply just that amazing. And after an EP and a string of singles, her debut album No Mythologies to Follow is finally out! It's available on both iTunes and Amazon among others, and can also be streamed on Spotify (you can do that below).

And what a fine album it is - certainly one of the best releases of the year so far! It's sounding very solid overall, with the new material just as infectious as the previously heard songs. Expect a more detailed review sometime in the near future.

Meanwhile, do yourself a favour and check the album out:


Lily Allen shares new single 'Our Time'

The release date of Lily Allen's forthcoming album Sheezus is drawing near, and another single has been released from the LP. This one's called "Our Time" and it is an ode to the hazy drunken nights you have with your friends. With lyrics such as "Bring some fags and bring some Rizlas / We gonna party like it's nobody's business", it might not be the most groundbreaking thing ever but it's still an uplifting pop tune for your carefree party nights. The record's shaping out to be pretty happy-sounding, isn't it? Fortunately it's also more "Air Balloon" and less "L8 CMMR", with less prominent use of Auto-Tune.

The funny music video depicts Allen's shitfaced adventures in London and less-than-appropriate taxi behaviour - watch it below:





The album itself can be pre-ordered over here.

Wednesday 5 March 2014

Lykke Li shares new single + album tracklist

Swedish indie pop princess and "I Follow Rivers" hitmaker Lykke Li has released a new single from her upcoming studio album I Never Learn which will be her third one so far. The single's named "Love Me Like I'm Not Made Of Stone" - she's all about keeping it short and sweet - and is an acoustic ballad. If you like it, you're going to love the album: according to Popjustice, it'll be full of power ballads like "Love Me Like I'm Not Made Of Stone" (seriously, that's pretty long. Even its abbreviation would be longer than many song titles out there), with Li herself calling the record "a slow burner".

The album will be out on May 2. A track list has also been revealed and it is as follows:

"I Never Learn"
"No Rest for the Wicked"
"Just Like a Dream"
"Silverline"
"Gunshot"
"Love Me Like I'm Not Made of Stone"
"Never Gonna Love Again"
"Heart of Steel"
"Sleeping Alone"


And remember to watch the music video for the emotional single below:


Monday 3 March 2014

Siouxsie Sunday: 'Eraser Cut' by The Creatures



Siouxsie and the Banshees' recording career came to an end with 1995' The Rapture with the band splitting up the following year. As a result, Siouxsie and Budgie's side project The Creatures became the duo's full-time band. The two actually started recording new Creatures material before the Banshees split up so even if the latter hadn't disbanded, a hiatus would've been coming, similar to when The Creatures recorded their previous LPs Feast and Boomerang.

During these sessions the duo recorded a lot of tracks and not all made it to their upcoming album, Anima Animus. Some songs were released as B-sides for following single releases, while the rest were treated with an EP release. The EP, titled Eraser Cut (an anagram of 'Creatures') was released in 1998 and consisted of four tracks. Preceding the album whose recording sessions they were taken from, the songs provided their listeners a taster of what was to come. 

Saturday 1 March 2014

And speaking of Anouk, she's got a new live album coming out.



So not only is there a new single, now there's also a new concert recording available for pre-order. The album bears the title Live At Symphonica In Rosso and is a 2-CD recording of her performance in the music event Symphonica In Rosso in October, held annually in the football stadium GelreDome in Arnhem, The Netherlands, where Anouk performed collaborating with a live orchestra. The release date of the album is on March 14, and it can be pre-ordered via iTunes. The setlist includes both songs from her latest LP Sad Singalong Songs (plus the recent-ish new single "Wigger") and older hits as well.


Track list:

CD1:

"The Rules"
"The Good Life"
"Are You Lonely"
"Kill"
"Birds"
"Down & Dirty"
"Woman"
"Modern World"
"I Won't Play That Game"
"One Word"
"I'm A Cliche"

CD2:

"For Bitter Or Worse"
"Pretending As Always"
"Three Days In A Row"
"If I Go"
"Girl"
"Michel"
"Nothing At All"
"Wigger"
"Lost"
"Killer Bee"
"Nobody's Wife"


Here's the dramatic trailer as well: