Nobunny - Love Visions
Artist: Nobunny
Album: Love Visions
Label: Bubbledump
I’ve been holding on this one, waiting to get my hands on the album, but I have as yet been able to find a copy. Sad face. From what I’ve heard so far, this is definitely worth the trouble of tracking down, so that will be my goal this week. Nobunny is a crazy dude who wears a bunny mask and makes songs that should have been played at every party I’ve ever hosted.
Nobunny – I Am a Girlfriend
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First of all, this is a damn catchy song. Second, he quotes Buffalo Bill from Silence of the Lambs. There.
Nobunny – Boneyard
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This sounds a little like The La’s, you know, if they were crazy fey punks from the West Coast.
Love it! And you should, too. Check out Nobunny’s myspace and do your best to find a place to buy this album.
Technorati Tags: The La’s, Nobunny, Silence of the Lambs
Filed under cute, from the archive, new album, party | Comments (3)CSS - Donkey
Artist: CSS
Album: Donkey
Label: Sub Pop
This is my first post since I changed up the design of this blog. I wanted something simple and light and colorful and cool, and CSS is a perfect complement to this development. I can’t think of many current bands that have CSS’s edge: polished and hip but still amateurish and silly. I think they may come under a bit of heat from the burgeoning anti-hipster crowd (who are increasingly indistinguishable from the hipster crowd, aren’t they?), but I do enjoy their songs. This album definitely satisfies my taste for simple, upbeat pop songs, and it will be a good addition to both my internet-cruising mix and my dance-party-I’ll-never-have-because-I’m-out-of-shape-and-lazy mix. Even though there aren’t any blow-your-mind singles, I nonetheless feel a more consistent songwriting base on this album, and I’m pleased to hear strong, layered guitar riffs that often remind me of Sleater-Kinney. What a nice surprise. I wouldn’t listen to the lyrics too hard, though; hear the tone, catch a word here or there, and let the rest go. This is a pop album, and you should have toe-tapping fun with it and not too much more.
CSS – Give Up
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Catchy, layered guitars, handclaps, a steady snare, and a light vocoder: If I could write fun songs for myself, I think they would sound like this.
CSS – Beautiful Song
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Similar formula as above, with even more pronounced backing vocals by the band’s drummer and founding member Adriano Cintra.
For for information on CSS, check out the band’s site or their myspace. And of course, buy the album.
Filed under easy pop, new album, party, too cool | Comment (0)Hercules and Love Affair - s/t
Artist: Hercules and Love Affair
Album: Hercules and Love Affair
Label: Mute, EMI
Will the world look back on Hercules and Love Affair like it now looks back on most expressively gay performers? People, for example, say Culture Club was a fun band, but does anyone take Boy George seriously (or at least think he isn’t nuts)? Jermaine Stewart? The Village People? Klaus Nomi? Perhaps if Hercules and Love Affair play more glam and less disco, more Brian Ferry and less Sylvester, they’ll be in the clear. Or perhaps, as lead songwriter Andrew Butler wishes, we shall embrace flamboyance, gender-bending, and disco as legitimate forms of art (and not novelties). We shall see.
What’s my immediate take on the tracks? I think this is the perfect album to bring back slow-jam dancing, and I guess that is good. Take a listen for yourself:
Hercules and Love Affair - “Raise Me Up”
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Imagine a more sophisticated Sylvester doing an impression of Nina Simone. Add better production and simpler orchestration. Shake well with ice. Serve with lemon zest garnish.
Hercules and Love Affair - “Hercules Theme”
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Crawling disco croons with a little Boy George and Italo disco thrown in for extra fun. One thing I will say is that Hercules and Love Affair do end their songs really well. Check out the boiling, layered horns at the finish of this track.
Check out the band site, watch their videos, and buy the album if you think it’s your new jam.
Filed under electronic, funky, new album, party, retro-novelty, vocal driven | Comment (0)Los Campesinos - Hold on Now, Youngster
Artist: Los Campesinos
Album: Hold on Now, Youngster
Label: Arts & Crafts
I know, I’m kind of late on this one, too. I have a reason, though: this album took a while to grow on me. I know I know, that’s usually album-review talk for “it sucks,” but I’m serious. When I first listened to the two major singles from this album, “You! Me! Dancing!” and “My Year in Lists,” there were only a few clips I really jammed with. Then, as I listened, those enjoyable moments began to grow. Now I basically like everything. True, the vocals are a little too much, but the energy is uplifting, and the melodies themselves are quite good.
Los Campesinos - “This Is How You Spell “Hahaha, We Destroyed The Hopes And Dreams Of A Generation Of Faux-Romantics”
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I’m usually dubious of lengthy, silly titles, but the melody is quite catchy. You can just feel the guitar chords are about to shift in a great direction, but they are held long enough to create satisfying anticipation. Again, the vocals are a bit cutesy, but I get lost in all the instruments, which seem to work well with one another.
I’m not going to include a second song on this post. Instead, go check out the videos for “Me! You! Dancing!” and “My Year in Lists.” Also, check out the band’s cute site and buy the album.
Filed under cute, new album, party | Comment (0)