My favorite albums released this year are:
Arctic Monkeys – Humbug
Animal Collective – Merryweather Post Pavillion
Black Moth Super Rainbow – Eating Us
Franz Ferdinand – Tonight
Devendra Banhart – What Will We Be
None of these are revolutionary or landmark. They are rather crucial part in the career of each artist.
There are a lot of new stuff around, but it’s good to listen “old friends” doing so well.
Stay tuned for an apocalyptic “top decade’s albums” post. Coming Soon!
Posted in 1 | 1 Comment »
[no cover yet]
The highly anticipated new album by the canadian duo is awesome. The music is more complex and rich. Nicely layered with guitar, synth/organ and vocals.
The vocals, oh they are so rusty now. Sounds like Victoria Legrand has been smoking a lot since their 2007’s Devotion.
My favorite track is Norway. Where they passionately declare their love for Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine.
Posted in Alternative Rock, Dream Pop | Leave a Comment »
As important as the first volume, Waves II is a little less sample-based, progressing into a slightly more drum machine/synth/vocals-oriented house music.
It’s worthy saying that in both incarnations of Waves, Le Knight Club‘s stuff is crucial for the collection relevance. If you don’t know LKC yet you really need to go after it.
10/10.
Posted in 2003, Dance, Electronic, France, New Disco, zEverything | Leave a Comment »
Today’s hottest electronic acts are influenced by french house. And when we’re talking about french house there is one name above all: Daft Punk.
Daft Punk has its robotic, retro-futuristic, new disco theme. And the guys from Paris are very strict to it.
So imagine how much stuff Guy-Manuel de Homem-Cristo and Thomas Bangalter throw away to keep up the Daft Punk releases quality. I say A LOT.
Fortunately they have (had?) a prolific off-Daft Punk life.
A long time ago, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Cristo founded his own french house label, called Crydamoure. While releasing a lot of tracks with Eric Chedeville under the moniker Le Knight Club, Homem-Cristo patronized a lot of people in Crydamoure.
These guys’ efforts were registered in 2 masterpieces: Waves and Waves II.
Both Waves are boldly recommended to anybody interested in house music. And I say it’s easily 10/10 rated.
Posted in 2001, Dance, Electronic, France, New Disco, zEverything | Leave a Comment »
I’m a Rush fan.
And I’m not a compilations fan.
I think compilations exist only for sake of enriching record labels’ pockets. And Working Men is not different.
As you can tell by the cover, if you like the canadian trio, this is a compilation of live performances. With more than 30 years on the road, plus countless live albums, Rush easily exceeds the numbers of a single-disc tracklist. So you can expect great stuff here. The flaw is, nothing here is new.
Every performance is already released on a live album. Then if you’ve bought a recently released Rush live album, chances are that you have at least 30% fo Working Men. Because this release contains the best track out of Snakes & Arrows Live, R30 and my personal favorite Rush in Rio. I saw them at that tour, but in the São Paulo show.
That aside, all tracks are great and show that in spite of being in grandpas’ age, theses guys rule.
If you’re new to Rush and want to know how the band sounded live in the 00’s, that’s the album. Otherwise it’s just collectors stuff.
Posted in 2009, Alternative Rock, Canada, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, zEverything | Leave a Comment »
I had a hard time looking around the web to put my hands on the new eighth kitsuné compilation release.
Kistuné is a french label, famous for shooting new stars on the dance/electro scene. So their compilations are (or should be) hot.
First two tracks and the record label got me down. Are the teenager-sounding French Horn Rebellion and The Drums is IMO the perfect disastrous way to start anything. People must know that the childish Los Campesinos! was a mistake and that should never be repeated.
But Siriusmo saved the compilation in time. The german guy has a nice track. It sounds to me like the Health‘s album, more polished. The bass is so cool.
Le Corps Mince de Francoise is lame R&B in atari mode.
At this point it looks like Kitsuné is emphasizing chiptune-oriented electro.
Do the Midnight Juggernauts have a new vocalist? The New Technology sounds strange and weak compared to their debut album. Not only musically but technically as well.
The compilation proceeds with the weak Heartsrevollution, and the OK Logo.
Two Door Cinema is catchy but haven’t everybody listened enough of this kind of stuff?
The same goes for Beni, except the catchy part.
Slagsmalsklubben brings back chiptune sound with the Yello-like Brutal Weapon.
I wonder why the 2007’s distorted synths of Amwe is fooling around…
And Jolie Cherie scores for chiptunes again. But the vocals sucks SO BAD. I cannot stand that. ouch.
Chew Lips remixed by Alex Kapranos is not bad, but we all know why this track is here…
The next contender is Delphic. Successfuly inspired -again- by the Health‘s remixes album. Nice track.
Memory Tapes is already known by people around the Disco Dust blog. Not my cup of tea.
Still around the Disco Dust people is Parallels. Looks like they put their shit together, which resulted in a more concise track. And still not my cup of… tea.
The compilation goes on with Notes and Crystal Fighters. They’re nothing. Skip both.
My Tiger, My Timing closes the Kitsuné Maison Compilation Vol 8 with a simple, solid structured pop song.
The conclusion is, if you’re already a Kitsuné fan you’ll probably like it just because it’s Kitsuné. Otherwise I don’t think this edition is a relevant realease about newcomers rocking out now.
Posted in Alternative, Dance, Electronic | Leave a Comment »
Chromeo is for sure one of the most respectable and high profile electro duos today. They’re maniac with 80’s funk and synths, and are not ashamed of showing it. After all it’s cool anyway.
What makes them stand out of the crowd?
Besides the fact they really play most of their stuff, they know their stuff.
Dj Kicks is a mixtape specially hand-crafted with electro/disco/funk tracks released in both the 80s and the 00s. I bet you can’t tell the difference in most of them.
DJ Kicks is the proof that the canadian duo rocks hard. No hype bullshit.
Posted in 2009, Canada, Disco, Electronic, Funk, zEverything | 1 Comment »
