What’s Really In the Teaches Of Peaches?

Still loose, but a bit tighter, and a less rockier….

The new Peaches album (I finally absorbed it) is not what you think it’s going to be. Very different direction.  It’s more emotionally honest, feminine, and less punk, still electroclash and way more club ready.

Since most of my music links lead to Rhapsody (and not everyone has a subscription),  I am going to link you to lala.com, which I think is a pretty good site if you want to check out new music.

Check out her new single “I Feel Cream” for a taste of what’s she cooking upon this album

Click ——>I Feel Cream – Peaches

So what do you think?  Is this where she should be headed? I am surprised, but not completely shocked. Everyone gets older some time.  Just check out some of the other tracks on album Feel Cream and you will see what I mean.  Songs like “Serpentine” and “Mommy Complex” (both I really dig), and “Billionaire” (which I don’t really dig, but interesting effort on her part. I can definitely see dance club hipster, and unknowing clubsters dancing to this track), are still slightly pervy and sexually charged, but tracks like “Talk To Me” and “Lose You” had mature enough subject matter to impress me, and no,  I don’t mean mature as in the usual adult film star themed lyrics.  This change in sound is much needed change for her, but  I miss the punk rock  side that we saw in songs like “Kick it”, and “Rock Show”  off her former albums. Come on Peaches, don’t forget your rough side? (that was my favorite. hile this is a pretty good dance record, it’s non-existent as a rock record.)

I guess it’s alright though because what she does with production and beats on this album is ferocious. It makes her more of a musician than she has been on any other album. It’s a far car from the days of minimalist drums beats with whorish rap/singing. While I am a little disappointed there are no rock tracks on the record,  they wouldn’t have any place on here any way. This is a solid and complete club piece, and should be in seen in a different light from her other work.  I know that if I am in the mood for some super sexy (not sleazy),  dance tunes I can definitely turn to this album.  As a journey in electro this is a more sophisticated package done in a  Goldfrapp- style manner.

7.2 out of 10 .

Playlist In A Time Capsule: August

So I decided to not do mini playlists any more.  Instead I want to do one themed playlist per month. This month’s theme is “College”, (and yes I know I am a day early) . Take a peak inside what I was listening to from ‘99-’03.  Each and every song on this list has some kind of symbolism or memory attached to it.  I had a lot of fun making this list, and remembered so many things that I forgot.  Enjoy!

NtC’s College Playlist ‘99-’03 <—–click

Misirlou (Single Version) Dick Dale Wasted Days The Slackers Die, Die My Darling Misfits New Thrash Sublime Hope Descendents Flower Liz Phair A Box Full Of Sharp Objects The Used Tip Your Bartender Glassjaw Funland At The Beach Dead Kennedys To All My Friends Lagwagon I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (Remastered Version ) The Ramones Janie Jones The Clash Last Nite The Strokes Teenage Dirtbag Wheatus 9th At Pine Less Than Jake The Warmth Incubus Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough Michael Jackson Jungle Fever Chakachas Let’s Groove Earth, Wind & Fire I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend Too Reel Big Fish I’m Like A Bird Nelly Furtado Roads Portishead You’re So Rad Bouncing Souls B.O.B. Outkast Parking Lot Pimpin’ Jay-Z Shimmy Shimmy Ya Ol’ Dirty Bastard Is That Your Chick (The Lost Verses) Memphis Bleek Vivrant Thing Q-Tip So What’cha Want Beastie Boys Spill The Wine – (with Eric Burdon & War) War This Is Love P.J. Harvey Baby Got Going Liz Phair Idioteque Radiohead I Wanna Be Your Dog The Stooges 2:1 Elastica Fast As You Can Fiona Apple Breathe (Breathe In The Air Pink Floyd Scarlet Begonias The Grateful Dead Down On Me Janis Joplin Goodbye Forever Alkaline Trio Possibly Maybe (Lucy Mix) Bjork Unison (LP Version) Bjork You Vandal Saves the Day Circles Soul Coughing Signals Over The Air Thursday Short Skirt/Long Jacket Cake Table For Glasses Jimmy Eat World Heroin The Velvet Underground Straight To Hell The Clash You’re So Last Summer Taking Back Sunday Honky Tonk Women The Rolling Stones Got To Give It Up, Part 1 (Single Version) Marvin Gaye Where Is My Mind? Pixies Jungle Boogie Kool & the Gang Black Out Pavement Let’s Spend The Night Together The Rolling Stones The Fairest Of The Seasons Nico Ring Of Fire Johnny Cash Let’s Stay Together Al Green Tired Of Sex Weezer Living For The City Stevie Wonder Radio, Radio Elvis Costello Fell In Love With A Girl White Stripes The Something Special Bouncing Souls Take Five Dave Brubeck Battle of Who Could Care Less Ben Folds Hallelujah Jeff Buckley Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental) Vince Guaraldi

My Moon, My Mansion…

This is an interesting interview.  I like knowing that much of the work on her album was done in one take, but most of all I really liked seeing the inside of that darn infamous mansion that she recorded in.  It looks like a real cool place to record music, especially of this genre. The rest of the interview isn’t anything I didn’t already know, but it’s a quick watch.  Check it out…

and just because I love this video, mainly because I want to run through a field of fireworks at night:

It’s A Curse

OK,  OK, OK… So, this is a little out there, but bear with me on this one…

Every time I listen to this song I think I should have really been a music video director.  Throughout the years (probably starting around age 8 or 9),  I can’t help but just visually go somewhere in my mind when I hear certain music. I have been creating music videos in my head for quite some time now, and I just had to blog the idea for this one.  Perhaps it has something to do wiht the fact that I most certainly have synesthesia,  (just recently realized this), but it’s not exactly the same thing.  If anything it just points to the fact that I am yeah, crazy.  Just kidding, better word, creative.

OK picture the scene.  It’s  a stormy night, and the camera is from the perspective of our main character: lanky hipster A.   In sepia toned black and white film we see him come across a somewhat haunted looking house. He walks inside to find a party going on.  Everyone at the party is wearing vintage Peanuts Halloween masks on their faces, and wearing the same outfits. The men are wearing white collared shirts with black slacks and thin black ties, while the women are wearing 60’s A-line knee length dresses.  As the lead moves from room to room unmasked he notices that everyone is just standing around with party punch in their hands. No one is really moving or drinking.  As he walks into each room, he finds that the motion of his steps starts to create a sort of electricity. Perhaps it’s like a thin white light flowing through the ground, and sometimes it’s like a spark coming through his eyes. (would relate to some kind of motif that he is not pretending to be anyone but himself. The whole masked/unmasked theme.)

At first the electricity from the lead creates a little buzz. The guys start to tap their feet, then the women start to bend their knees. As he grabs a cup from one of the party goers, he takes a sip and then hands it back to them. The party goer takes a sip from the cup and he begins to dance.  Maybe something a little old school and silly like the Watusi.  Once the party goer starts dancing the crowd stops doing their lame half dance movements to stare at him. (Enter close up shots of masked part goers here).  They then violenty break out into dance.  As the song builds they all start to go a little more nuts, and by the end of the video everyone is in full swing. People start jumping on the couch, throwing cups, pillows, picture frames, random other party elements like streamers, silly string, food bowls, it get kinda kooky.  As the party gets more animated, the sepia toned film starts to warm  into a brighter red until the color looks like it is about to burst, and the film actually seems to tremble. For a split second it seems like the camera is broke, and you see VHS type fuzz. We then quickly return back to the party scene, and  before you can even blink the whole screen is in full color.

Whew.  I don’t know. It felt good to just put that out there.  Hey, it’s just a thought, and it’s been awhile since the film/ TV production days… You feel me? Maybe it’s time to start going on a more creative path with my career.

In addition to that I got some music videos running around in my head to songs like “Hotel Yorba”, “Lust For Life”, “Watching The Detectives”…

Playlist Of The Day

Feeling particularly…

Track		Artist
You’re the One		Black Keys
Me & Mr Jones		Amy Winehouse
Eyes Open		The Gossip
Summertime		Janis Joplin
Try A Little Tenderness		Otis Redding
Let’s Spend The Night Together		The Rolling Stones
Montreal		Malajube
Set Out Running		Neko Case
Feeling Good		My Brightest Diamond
Glory Box		Portishead

June 16, 2009 (<—- click to hear the Playlist Of The Day)

Playlist Of Today

Some new and old, and just righteous.  Here’s how I’m feeling today:

1. Hysteric- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2. Cuddle Fuddle- Passion Pit

3. Evangeline- Handsome Furs

4. Drive Away My Heart- Ida Maria

5. The Wizard- Bat For Lashes

6. Lovertits- Peaches

7. My Delirium- Ladyhawke

8. Get Off Of My Cloud- The Rolling Stones

Click on Icon below to listen

My Rhapsody Playlist

Bat For Lashes- Two Suns

While this album came out at the top of this month (April 7, 2009) it is still relatively new to the scene.  I have been absorbing it for the past few days and let me say- holy shit.  This is amazing! Not only is Bat’s driving and mainly only force Natasha Khan simply beautiful and interesting to look it, but her music can stand neck and neck with her aestheticism.  While I listen to her music I can see how she has been inspired and impressed by artists that are so near and dear to my heart-  Tori Amos, and PJ Harvey. Clearly, major players in the indie music scene for 2 decades now.  Smattered into her workings is  the whimsy of  even Sufjan Stevens, (whose musical sensibility I find to be very appealing) mixed with something newer and a bit more edgy like Ladyhawke. Whatever she is doing here, it is genre-less and just… wow spellbinding. Never mind while it is similar to this artist or that, it is completely her own thing.

This is not the kind of album you’re going to listen to when you want to groove or move, and perhaps not something you want to listen to when you are completely sad either.  It’s hard to classify what you’re actually hearing here, but if I had to say it was anything I would say it was Scorpionic.  After checking out Natasha Khan’s bio on wiki, I see that she is a Scorpio (and being ever the astrology scholar) I can say that her music is a product of such sentiment, especially  one of a female born and bred on music in the 80’s- 00’s.  Something tells me Natasha Khan would not have a problem with me making this insight.

While her first album was pretty darn cool, (interesting, albeit not as firmly connected musically as this sophomore release), this second album seems to be more synched with a theme, and the musical itself feels like it has more momentum and energy thrown ino this mix. The eclectic concoction of instruments really make a difference on the new album, giving it that standout sound.

Favorite Tracks: Glass, Siren Song, Daniel, Moon and Moon

Album Rating: 8 out of 10

Check it out:

Bat For Lashes- Two Suns (<— click to listen to album)

Naked In Front Of My Office

I dig Matt and Kim.  Although their “privates” get blurred out, in their newest video “Lessons Learned”, M& K run around naked in slow mo and surprise NYC tourists.  What makes it especially crazy is that it’s Times Square, and not  Nowhereville, OH.  I work in Times Square, and in fact, the video ends right in front of my office. (I can see our suite windows in the background right above Bubba Gump Shrimp). I know how crowded it gets down there, and they got balls (literally).  Of course you say “duh, it’s Times Sqaure, of course it get’s crowded”.  No, no no my friend. You have NO IDEA how beastly it gets.  I could go into a whole diatribe about what days are the worst, what months are tourist hell, and what corners are the most road blocked, but I digress.  Looks they filmed in winter too, which I give them even more props for.  Crazy buggers.

Sia & Lady Gaga

Isn’t it great when someone has a naturally beautiful voice? I have been into watching live performances lately. I really like to hear the real deal.

Below is is performance by Lady Gaga in Britain. Really like this performance. I like how she has a rebel spirit. It’s not all pop and shenanigans.  Good for her. Quirky bird.

My New Favorite Scandinavian

So a friend of mine saw her live and recommended that I check this artist out.  I think his exact words were  “she was shamwow”.  I would have to agree.  This album has been on my playlist for a few weeks now, and I can’t get enough of it.  After doing a little wiki work, I  found that out lovely Ms. Ida Maria is from Norway, and about 25 yrs. old.  This to me already explains a lot about her music.  Why she has the brilliant little Scandinavian accent that distorts words like  “polished” and “cure”.  Something about that accent is very familiar to me and I thought “where have I heard this before?” Ah yes, it came to me.  Bjork. She even looks a little Bjork-y.  My favorite tracks right now are “Stella”, “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked”, “Drive Away My Heart” and “Oh My God”.  OMG clearly stands out as her first single, and speaks to an audience of  drug laden hipsters who may be too stoned to take any responsibility  for their  demolished love lives. Much of the styling of this song is akin to an anthem, which is a brilliant little thing that Ida does to reel you in and get you  hooked.  I could touch upon every song in this album and say that it is about sex, disappointment, and the silver lining in the whole situation, or you could just take a listen for yourself.  I am not one to really go for a repeatetive theme on any album, but on this one  it just works.

She definitely has a punk sensibility that really  meshes well with her sexy whiskey voice. Like I said, the lyrics to her songs are about the typical pangs of angst that one may feel about twenty-something love, nothing new to the indie punk genre, but no one can deny that this girl has her own style.  She can definitely write a good pop song, and I for one think that she has what it takes to branch out on her next record. I guess that’s a wait and see, but til then enjoy her first:

Fortress ‘Round My Heart by Ida Maria