Quickie: Kimura Kaela - No Reason Why

The random shit I run into on the internet. Yesterday I was checking Cotton Mather's Wikipedia page, which noted that an ex-member is now in Farrah, one of my fave discoveries of 2007. So by instinct I clicked on Farrah's page to see what's new in their camp. Apparently, they're working on materials with a J-pop starlet I've never heard of before, Kimura Kaela. And to return the favor, she covered their song 'No Reason Why' as a track of her new album "+1". There you have it - a J-pop starlet covering a song by a band relatively unknown in their homeland. Oh how I love the Japanese! Her cover's actually pretty good and faithful to the original, in a jangly, happy-go-lucky power-pop Shonen Knife way. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though only after 30 seconds in did I realize she was actually singing (or trying to sing) English! Do cork an ear to her sunshine-filled cover, or watch the appropriately stop-motion visual companion, if you like watching a kawaii Japanese girl fooling around.


Kimura Kaela - No Reason Why (Farrah Cover)

Sybille Baier - Colour Green: A Lost Gem

Sometimes, the right cover can embody the music within without ever speaking a word. Such is the case of the cover above. A sepia-toned old photograph of a young woman standing in the middle of a static field with both eyes closed. The first time I saw that image, I felt so strongly inclined to find out more about the music, even though I knew nothing about the artist in the first place. Turns out there's a very interesting story behind the release of this album, 'Colour Green' by Sybille Baier.
In the early '70s, Sybille Baier was working as an actress in Germany. After an inspiring road trip experience, she came back rejuvenated and started recording her songs on a home recording device. They never saw the light of day as Sybille decided to give up her career for domestic bliss, and later moved to the US with her family. More than 30 years later, her son, Robby, now a musician, compiled a CD worth of her early works to give out to friends & families as a gift. The Orange Twin label got a hold of a copy and in 2006, 'Colour Green' was officially released. I am not too familiar with these circles of music, but I have to say I'm glad I gave it a listen. Sibylle's voice is mesmerizing and alluring in its own way. Most of them time, it's only her and an acoustic guitar, and that stripped-down setting allowed her voice to be the main instrument, carrying the simple melodies and little stories from another time. It's a kind of record you would prefer to appreciate in solitude, you know, like sitting still in your room and wallowing for hours. It's more about the mood, the mood that evokes nostalgia and quiet, undescribable feelings. A lost gem, I'd say. In some ways, the story of an unreleased record made by your mom many years ago managing to find its way to a certain audience 3 decades later, it's quite moving, isn't it?
The good part is that inspired by all the positive feedback, Sibylle is now writing songs again with her son, and an all-new record is to be expected this fall. I know this is not the kind of music I would usually cover, but give it a try, and who knows, maybe it will inspire you to grab a flashlight and go up to your attic in hope of finding a record of your mom hidden somewhere. I asked her, she said 'No. Never happened', so no cashing-in for me :-(.




Sibylle Baier - Tonight
Sibylle Baier - I Lost Something In The Hills
Sibylle Baier - Softly

(Colour Green, 2006)







Visit her official site or herSpace, made by her son.

Oh, and Happy Mother's Day.

Quickie: Britta Persson - Winter Tour

Chamber-esque piano pop tune from Sweden with a soaring, addictive chorus consisting entirely of "ah-ahs". I love this song, and feel compelled to find more about her music. This one is from an old album, the latest one is 'Kill Hollywood Me', out last year.


Britta Persson - Winter Tour
(Top Quality Bones and A Little Terrorist, 2006)


Watch her in motion:


Visit her MySpace.


PS: A little experiment of mine. These brief posts were born because sometimes I really like a song, but can't bring myself to write a whole passage about it. In the future, I might do more of these types due to my time restraint. Hope this is okay and you like what I posted today.

Quickie: The Republic Tigers - Buildings & Mountains

Melodic soft rock with a layered, dreamy chorus. Just the kind I like.
Think: The Shins, Midlake, Keane.


The Republic Tigers - Buildings & Mountains
(Keep Color, out soon)


Here's a well-shot visual companion:


Their MySpace.

Quickie: Nicole Atkins - Maybe Tonight

This song is MAJOR. End of.
Recommend if you like: Duffy, Adele, Candie Payne, Amy.


Nicole Atkins - Maybe Tonight
(Neptune City, 2007)


Watch the video.
Check out her MySpace.

Kleerup's New Tracks Are Amazing

Do yourself a favor and go check out the 3 new Kleerup available for streaming here. Because all of them are VERY GOOD. Two of them are collaborations with two lovely Swedish ladies: Marit Bergman on '3 AM' and Lykke Li on 'Until We Bleed'. Even the instrumental (sort-of) track, 'Thank You For Nothing', is just as gorgeous. I would post all 3 here if I could, but that wouldn't be right, so I decided to go with the obvious pick. Don't miss the other two, though, if you like his lush 80s-influenced electropop sounds. By now, I think all my doubts about this project have been kleered up (sorry!), Kleerup's debut album's shaping up to be a real winner. I owe you again, Sweden! (thanks Forkcast for the tips)


Kleerup - Until We Bleed (feat. Lykke Li)













And that's the cover. Pre-order the album here.

Has Coldplay gone bonkers?

Let's get this out of the way first. I was a nutty Coldplay fan. That's a pretty well-documented fact. "Trouble", my first proper introduction to the band, came out at just the right time, I remembered watching the video for the first time on MTV and being completely blown away and moved by it. Life-changing, even. Coldplay paved the way for me to invest further in the alternative world. 'X&Y' was my solid album of the year it came out.
These days I barely listen to their music on a regular basis anymore. I couldn't explain whether I've grown out of it or the lack of new materials from them led me to prefer other artists.
I just feel a bit guilty that I don't feel as excited as I think I should be. The whole album campaign so far, from the tedious artwork (boobies visible, "oh gosh") to the 'quirky' track titles, just has this sense of 'Ooh we've sold truckloads of records now we can do whatever we want mwhahahaha". They earned that spot fair and square, and now no matter what they do, people will still eat it all up. Today, my reactions towards the lead single 'Violet Hill' premiere proved that their theory partially correct. Here's what going on inside my head the last few hours. I was pretty much camping next to my notebook, waiting for the track to unleash on their site.



"Oh it's now 1PM in London. Refresh. Woot. Email address required? I just entered a fake one then, haha sucker. This is painfully slow. Oh damnit they're supposed to send a link to my email! Blerb. Back back. Oh come on, move along. Finally. I bet it's shimmering in my inbox by now. Weird. Wait a couple more, I guess. Maybe it's the spam filter. Nope. Last time it didn't take this long for Radiohead. Are they playing tricks on us? Still no reply. Aaargh WTF? Stupid techonology. Time for another Veronica Mars episode...One hour later: it just popped up, at last! How exciting! Downloaded, unzipped, voila! Ready for a lifetime experience. And. Press. Play."




Well, that was...okay. Different for them. I bet it's a grower. I like the title, though - that I'm sure of. Maybe it'd sound better on 7" vinyl. I'll go take a look at the fridge.



And in case you can't access their official site, here's a mirror. I keep it up here for a week - if it stays that long. What's your reaction on the track? Does Chris Martin finally lose it? Would love to hear them.

Coldplay - Violet Hill

The Ting Tings: "You gotta love the BPM".

"They call me quiet girl, but I'm a riot." Well, a riot, indeed! In an unexpected turn of events, it looks like The Ting Tings will blow up in a big way this week. Their track "Shut Up And Let Me Go" has just been used in a new iPod commercial, and 'Great DJ' is scheduled to be the next free Single Of The Week for the US iTunes store. A tremendous push from Apple, and to think that 'That's Not My Name' is not even out in their homeland yet! This is really exciting news, as I LOVE both 'Great DJ' and 'That's Not My Name'. They're like a reverse pop version of The White Stripes - albeit for a hipper demographic. They make insanely infectious pop that's full of energy and fun. It takes a few listen to get used to the sounds, but once it grows, it's pretty hard to shake if off. Their debut album, "We Started Nothing", is out in May 20 in the UK. It'd be real cool if they got an overnight breakthrough in the US market, too.


The Ting Tings - Great DJ
I can do the 'the drums' bit quite well, I tell you. I always look like an idiot when I play this while walking on the streets.
The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
This is an early version from their 7" single before Columbia snatched them, so the album version may differ a bit.


And here comes the quasi-exclusive part. Most of you have probably seen this video for "That's Not My Name" that looks a bit cheap. You may not know that there exists a Sophie-Muller-directed version that cost 6 times of that! Apparently, the band found the Sophie one 'nondescript', so the label commissioned a reshoot - but it's out of the bag now - and you can watch it below. This version's definitely an improvement, in my opinion. If anything, it succeeds in shedding their pop sheen a bit and giving them a more authentic, serious proper-band look - not that they need that.


Oh, fuck it's gone. Fuck Youtube.

You probably don't need me to point this out, but yes - Katie White is Hot! And I'm shallow.

Covers For The Weekend

I'm still mourning over the departure of Riotbecki & Rosay from The Pipettes. Funny how two of my top artists in '06 both resurfaced in the news this week, one leaked 2 brilliant demos on her MySpace, and one announced the most unexpected lineup change. On the bright side, a new Pipettes album is in the works, and I have two more solo outputs to look out for. It's gonna take me a while to get used to The Pipettes version 3.0, though, sigh.


Anyways, as usual, here are 5 fantastic covers, for the weekend. Collect them all.



Grovesnor - With Every Heartbeat (Robyn Cover)
The Puppini Sisters - Crazy In Love (Beyoncé Cover - The Real Tuesday Weld Remix)
The Tough Alliance - Lucky (Lucky Twice Cover)
Beachwood Sparks - By Your Side (Sade Cover)
Ben Barnett & Ben Gibbard - Joga (Bjork Cover)

Lykke Li has a new wicked video!

THIS. IS. IMMENSE.



Seriously. Girlfriend can bust a move. So refreshing for the hopeless hipster in me.
Awesome song, too. Too much wickedness.
There's also a cool live acoustic performance of 'I'm Good I'm Gone' with a cameo from Robyn, so do watch that if you haven't.

I predict 2008 will be a big year for her. She's now signed with major label Atlantic for representation in the UK market. For those in America, do not worry, 'cause a 4-song EP, named after her breakthrough single 'Little Bit', will come out there in May 6, along with a string of North America tourdates. A track from the EP, 'Dance Dance Dance', is now available as a guilt-free download. Take a bite.


Lykke Li - Dance Dance Dance



Here is her MySpace. Hop on.

Hey Hey Annie.

Annie Annie Annie. Beloved Norwegian pop pixie. It's been a long time since I first discovered her by randomly downloading 'Heartbeats' from Amazon.com Free Downloads. She's signed with Universal now, and the poptastic comeback single, 'Girlfriend', is approaching closer and closer. It created quite a fuss when it was leaked on her Myspace, but later Richard X confirmed that that was only an early version.
At first, I was a bit turned off by its similarity to Chewing Gum, but with further listens, her airy, nonchalant delivery tucked me in and that zany ring-a-ding-ding bit got stuck in my head. A video has already been shot with Sarah Chatfield as the director. She's the one behind Lily Allen's video 'Alfie' so this should be promising. The new album, entitled 'Don't Stop', is slated for a July release. You can tell I'm tremendously excited about this. How can I not be when there's production from both Richard X & Brian Higgins of Xenomania?


So amidst all this hype & anticipation, I remember Richard X used to have that album, "Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1" with three mighty fine singles. I dug it up, in hope of some new old treats from him and indeed there are some. The album's not as jam-packed as I expected, I could do without some of the instrumental tracks and the bonus remixes but the highlights are definitely worthwhile. There's a collab with Annie called 'Just Friends', she only whispers on the phone in this one, but it sounds quite Royksopp-esque and melancholic. 'Into U', with vocals by Jarvis Cocker, samples 'Fade Into You' of Mazzy Star, an idea that sounds bonkers on paper but actually works here. And in case you haven't listened to 'You Used To', the lead single, please do. It's a perfect slice of frostropop! (stupid term I made up that stands for frosty electropop) In the end, this does help cater to my craving of new materials from him & Annie. You can go to his official site, Black Melody, for updates and a full list of his complete works.


Richard X - Just Friends (Featuring Annie)
Richard X - You Used To (Featuring Javine
Richard X - Into U (Featuring Jarvis Cocker)


Some more Annie goodies for you.

Annie - Chewing Gum (Mylo Club Remix)
Annie - No Easy Love (Shoulda been a single. Try walking the streets alone at night to this)
Annie - Heartbeat (Röyksopp's Mindre Tilgjengelige Remix)
Annie - Me Plus One (Rapture Hushhush Remix)
Hey Willpower - Chewing Gum (Duet ft. Annie)
Teddybears - Yours To Keep (Featuring Annie)


And a superb remix featuring M.I.A.:
Ciara - Goodies (Richard X Remix ft. MIA)

Remix Round-up

An assortment of goodies that have been gracing my ears...

• How do I know I when I truly care for an artist's output? When I went slightly nuts over the news of a remix album. Sally Shapiro's new Remix Romance is not your typical cash-in, it offers variety and is actually good. Check out the sinister-sounding Junior Boys take on 'Jackie Jackie', and wait, there's more coming, with a digital-only vol. 2 slated for a June release. This soothing Dyylan remix of 'Jackie Jackie', however, is only available on the 12".
• Robyn continues her world domination with the US release of her 3-year-old self-titled album, out April 29! Her upcoming USA single is "Be Mine", a wise choice. Though in my humble opinion, if she and her label is really serious about cracking America, perhaps they should concentrate more on those who hadn't heard of her yet (like some good old-fashioned whoring-out like licensing songs for commercials and shows, though that sounds unlikely). Anyway, she would always have the rest of the world to fall back on. 'Who's That Girl' is the fifth single off Robyn for the UK market, and it's backed up by a nice remix from fellow Swede Rex The Dog.
  
• Bulletins on MySpace can actually be put to good use, people. How else would I know that Basement Jaxx leaked their remix for Adele's new single "Cold Shoulder" on their MySpace? I'm not entirely if this is a final version (I doubt it, as it's only 3 minutes long), but it sounds pretty decent to me. As for the original, it's grown on me a lot, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks the intro totally resembles that of Massive Attack's classic "Unfinised Sympathy".
  
• Poor Roisin. 'You Know Me Better' stalled at #47 on the UK singles chart. Still, it's in the Top 50, right? I'm not surprised, Roisin has never had that wide appeal, and to be honest, I'm perfectly content with her being a well-kept secret of mine. Fortunately, EMI has not sent her out the dumps just yet, as the fourth single, "Movie Star", is confirmed. Here's the Toddla T remix for YKMB, my fave out of the usual slew of remixes.
  
• Poor Kylie. Despite having appearances & performances on various important US shows (The Today Show, Late Late Night With Craig Ferguson, Dancing With The Stars, Ellen, American Idol), 'X' debuted outside the Top 120. Ouch. The poorly-chosen lead single with no music video and little help from a one-hit-wonder novelty rapper doesn't help, either. Repetitive stress for the press on her past cancer struggles can only get her this far :-(. Well, at least they did try their best, and who knows, maybe her brief stint on Idol Gives Back may help the sales a bit, no? Hipsters seem to love her though, strange enough, what with her tendency to recruit cool kids to remix her singles. CSS is one of them (this one's for Wow).
• A long long time ago, I posted Swedish singer/songwriter Marit Bergman's cover of 'My Love' here, and she even dropped by to say a few words. What's going on for her, I wonder? Well, apparently, she's pursuing a new project in which she released a new song on her website at the end of each month. 'Out In The Piers' is among them, but my attention gravitates towards the grand remix by Justus Köhncke, which I just know would sound great blasting from one's car stereo as one drives to the night beach. Summer can't come soon enough.

Time for some quick, easy math, because I'm lazy like that.

• Bjork: Wanderlust + Ratatat = way more listenable.
• M.I.A.: Paper Planes + XR2 = Danceable amazingness!
• Goldfrapp: Happiness + Metronomy + The Teenagers = Happiness x 2!
• The Whitest Boy Alive: Golden Cage + Fred Falke = Sublime!

That's all for today. Enjoy.