schmevil

Of all the songs named Monster, what is your favourite?

Right now, mine is Ye's, because Nicki Minaj's part is amaze.

I'm feeling strangely unloved and restless today. Hormones perhaps? The uninteresting weather? Some astrological misfortune? idek idek


Anyway folks, I've got $10 credit on iTunes. What am I buying? Give unto me your recs and latest finds.

Thanks to kingrockwell/aliasjack I have a new love. I'd been sort of aware of Florence + The Machine, thanks to the absurdly catchy Kiss With A Fist, that's been appearing on every other mixtape and been vidded innumerable times. But this video is so so sweet and pretty (and strangely Twilight-y). And so, I'm in love.

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I was just reading an article on Bieber Fever that describes Island-Def Jam's marketing strategies for the singer. Aside from heavy reliance on his internet following (encouraging him to tweet, etc), they've decided to release mini albums, instead of full albums.

A mini album is - obviously - a shorter album. It takes less time to put together and gets the company a quicker bang for its buck. I think there's a lot in the idea, actually. Five songs for the summer. Five for the fall. A love song released just before Valentine's Day, a holiday song released mid-winter. It's fun to think of major labels embracing the EP as a crucial part of marketing even big name and established artists. It's also encouraging to see a label try something a little different with a major, mainstream act, and succeed at it - gives me hope that we'll see some reform in the industry, instead of all this bleating about the good old days.

Two videos behind the cut. ( Read more... )

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Poor Onra! But this is decent mix. A little weird in spots, but I think if you weren't especially familiar with the original tracks it miiiiiight sound right.

But now for some Onra on his own: ( Read more... )

Voice Thing, by Goldfrapp is an instrumental electronic track where she plays around a bit with what her voice is capable of. I found myself wishing she'd taken it further, and maybe done this particular recording a capella, but I can't deny that the song is very, very pretty.

It's off her latest album, Head First. I just downloaded it, after going crazy for Dreaming. I can't even remember how I stumbled across the song, but it's in my current endless-repeat-playlist. Usually Goldfrapp brings me a jolt of instant happiness, instant something, but this time I'm undecided about the album as a whole. Several of the tracks leave me cold, and at least one of them annoys me. Time for some ~deep listening.

MTV bans 'Telephone'. Few people notice. But serious faces now people, let's do a poll (yes, another one). Why did MTV (bother to) ban the video (considering it doesn't actually air videos)?



The ~shocking video can be found under the cut, for all two of you who haven't seen it yet. ( Read more... )

My email died for much of last week, then I had computer issues, life issues, and finally was just too busy to get anything done. That's been too common a state lately. As a result, I have lots of things to say, but no energy, or maybe willingness, to get them out.

In the meantime, let's listen to some Patti Smith.

Dancing Barefoot

This isn't my favourite Patti Smith song - Land, actually - but this is the one I've been listening to lately. What I like best about her stuff is how seamlessly she combines artistic fearlessness, and prettiness. I mean, her music should by all rights be off-putting (peppered with spoken verse, impressionistic layered lyrics, not so veiled references to bad things), but it's just not. It's charming and easy and enticing. Easily my favourite part of Dancing Barefoot is the last verse, spoken, not sung, and with such a killer delivery.

the plot of our life sweats in the dark like a face
the mystery of childbirth, of childhood itself
grave visitations
what is it that calls to us
why must we pray screaming
why must not death be redefined
we shut our eyes we stretch out our arms
and whirl on a pane of glass
an afixiation a fix on anything the line of life the limb of a tree
the hands of he and the promise that s/he is blessed among women.